Quote of the Day:

"Mommy, do you think you could call my birthday and ask him to come a little sooner? I am tired of waiting for him"
-Luke (3 years old)

Blogger Security- FYI

Just so you know I did NOT write the following. I actually found it on a friend’s blog-but I thought I would share this information with everyone. I thought it was helpful and I made some changes on my blog too. I even took your last names off my blog so that I can help you be more secure too.

I know the security issue among my friends is an issue right now and I thought I would repost this tutorial (hopefully it makes sense, if not, let me know and I'll rephrase) to help you make your blog a little safer out in the blogosphere. I know many don't want to make their private and maybe with this tutorial you'll feel a little safer having it semiprivate. :)
Many of you already know this trick, but I thought I'd pass it along to those that don't. There are three levels of security with blogger.

The first one is that anybody and everybody has access to your blog. When someone in Japan does a search on google and you happen to have that word in your blog, it will come up in the search. When someone clicks at the top of the blog, in the navigator bar, "next blog", they randomly pick a blog and yours could be next. Basically, this option has no security to it.

The second choice is the limited access option. Your blog (as in your URL) will never come up on a google search, it will never be randomly picked and the only way people know your blog exists is if you give them your blog address or a friend/family has a link from their blog.

The third choice is to have it be invite only. Self-explanatory. I personally choose the second choice. I have been blogging for a year and a half and I have yet to see anything funky on my blog.

If you want to do option two, here is a tutorial...

Go to your blogger dashboard and click on 'settings'
Click on 'basic' tab (it should go there by default)
Go to "Add your Blog to our listings?" and select 'no'
Go to "Let search engines find your blog?" and select 'no'
scroll down and click on 'save'
Click on 'dashboard' in the upper right corner
Click on 'edit profile'
Click on 'Select blogs to display'

Uncheck any and all blogs that you don't want displayed in your profile
Scroll down and click on 'save'It's that simple. Hope this helps!

Also make sure you never have your last name or any personal information printed anywhere on your blog. Many people use nicknames for their loved ones or just initials when they talk about them on their blog.I also noticed that my blog only shows up in a google search with those blogs that have their blog displayed in their profile, so maybe we can get everyone we know to make sure that they don't display their blog in their profile.

Earthquake!

Yesterday morning I was awakened when my bed was shaking back and forth. I assumed it was Ben or one of the children shaking it until I looked around and I was the only one in the room. I then noticed the ceiling fan hanging over my head swaying in sync with the bed. It was then that I realized it must be a small earthquake. The shaking didn't last very long, but it made me play-out in my mind a scenario of what I should do if the shaking became more violent. I realized that I didn't know what to do next! I was born in blizzard and tornado country!!! So, I spent a few minutes yesterday searching the internet for info about earthquakes and I thought I would pass it on to you. Don't say I never did anything for you:)

Prepare a Home Earthquake Plan

• Choose a safe place in every room--under a sturdy table or desk or against an inside wall where nothing can fall on you.
  
• Practice DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON at least twice a year. Drop under a sturdy desk or table, hold on, and protect your eyes by pressing your face against your arm. If there's no table or desk nearby, sit on the floor against an interior wall away from windows, bookcases, or tall furniture that could fall on you. Teach children to DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON!
  
• Choose an out-of-town family contact.
  
• Get training in how to use a fire extinguisher from your local fire department.
  
• Inform babysitters and caregivers of your plan.
  
• Eliminate Hazards, Including--
  Bolting bookcases, china cabinets, and other tall furniture to wall studs. Installing strong latches on cupboards. Strapping the water heater to wall studs.
  

Prepare a Disaster Supplies Kit For Home and Car, Including--

• First aid kit and essential medications.
  Canned food and can opener. At least three gallons of water per person. Protective clothing, rainwear, and bedding or sleeping bags.
  Battery-powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries.
  Special items for infant, elderly, or disabled family members.
  Written instructions for how to turn off gas, electricity, and water if authorities advise you to do so. (Remember, you'll need a professional to turn natural gas service back on.)
  
• Keeping essentials, such as a flashlight and sturdy shoes, by your bedside.
  
• Know What to Do When the Shaking Begins:
  DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON! Move only a few steps to a nearby safe place. Stay indoors until the shaking stops and you're sure it's safe to exit. Stay away from windows. In a high-rise building, expect the fire alarms and sprinklers to go off during a quake.
  
• If you are in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow.
  
• If you are outdoors, find a clear spot away from buildings, trees, and power lines. Drop to the ground.
  
• If you are in a car, slow down and drive to a clear place (as described above). Stay in the car until the shaking stops.
  
• Look for and extinguish small fires. Eliminate fire hazards. Turn off the gas if you smell gas or think it's leaking. (Remember, only a professional should turn it back on.)
  
• Expect aftershocks. Each time you feel one, DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON! Inspect your home for damage. Get everyone out if your home is unsafe.
  
• Use the telephone only to report life-threatening emergencies.

You can find this info and more at:

http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_583_,00.html

My Favorite Things

Whenever Oprah does her ‘Favorite Things’ show, I am always curious about the things she chooses and why. The best part of her ‘Favorite Things’ show is that she shares them with others! Well, the other day I thought to myself, “I don’t have to be Oprah to have ‘Favorite Things’. I started to think about the day to day things that I have or use that bring me some form of enjoyment. I thought it would be interesting to find out the ‘Favorite Things’ of my friends and family too. So here it goes…If money were not an issue and you wanted to load up a basket of your most ‘Favorite Things’ and give it to your friends, what would you choose and why? During your day to day life, are there things that you use each day that make you smile or feel good? Is there something that you look forward to everyday? It can be something simple, like the type of pen you use or something big like the type of car you drive. I will list my ‘Things’ and then I will tag a few of you to do the same thing.

1. True Blue lotion from Bath and Body works. I have tried the ‘Type Shea Personality’ lotion and the ‘Lay it on Thick’ lotion. They are amazing. A few years ago I got eczema on my hands and I ended up buying a $165 tube of Rx cream from the doctor. It barely did anything to clear up the eczema-so I tried these lotions and…bye-bye eczema! I also love their lip balm. 2. Method brand cleaning products- my favorite is the daily shower product. It really works! After you take a shower, spray this on your tile and you won’t have to scrub, wipe or rinse. I still deep clean the shower from time to time, but there is half as much soap scum and far less back breaking work. I discovered these products at Target about 2 years ago and I love them. Not to mention, they are also bio-degradable, nontoxic, plant derived and never tested on animals. Oprah recently featured them on her show too-but I found them first!
3. Bounty Select-A-Size paper towels. Hats off to whoever invented these. Most of the time I do not need a full sheet of paper towel and these ½ sheet sizes are just perfect. We end up using a lot less paper towels which is good for my pocket book and good for the earth. You can use them with your Method products that I mentioned above:)

4. Silk brand chocolate soy milk. I don’t know what they put in this stuff, but I have been addicted to it for the last 4 months. I have to have a ½ glass of it everyday. I actually buy the Light kind because I have been on Weight Watchers. I allow myself to have a small treat every day and this is it. I have tried other brands too, but the Silk brand is the best. They have won taste awards and I can see why. It is also loaded with calcium, omega 3 fatty acids and soy protein, which is great for women’s health. My son now asks, “Mommy, can I have some of your ‘special’ chocolate milk?"

5. Sonicare Toothbrush. I have always loved going to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. I am also an avid flosser (every night baby!). I love the feeling of clean teeth. I have used a Sonicare toothbrush for about 8 years. I am on my second edition and they seem to get better and better. Funny story made VERY short (I will spare you the details): When we were first married, my precious toothbrush went missing and I actually thought someone broke into our apartment and stole it. Ben assured me that no one would want someone else’s toothbrush. Now that I look back, I realize how dumb I was for thinking that, but it goes to show you how much I love my toothbrush.

6. Café Rio’s Fresh Lime Pie. Shhhh! Don’t tell the Weight Watchers people because it is definitely not on the plan. I am not usually a fan of lime or lemon desserts, but this pie is soooooo good. It costs about $3 and you get your own little pie. The crust is amazing and the filling inside is almost cheesecake-ish and then they put fresh whip cream on it (piled up high) with slices of lime. It is so good. I wish Ben never introduced it to me. Just one more reason to go to Cafe Rio!

7. Archer Farms Chocolate Raspberry Waffle Mix and All Natural Raspberry Syrup. We just discovered this on Valentine’s Day. By the way, Archer Farms is a Target brand. The mix has real bits of dark and white chocolate and real raspberries in it. The syrup is all-natural (just raspberries and sugar) and it is so yummy with the waffles. It tasted more like a dessert than anything.

So there is my list for now. I am sure I will discover new 'favorites' in the future...especially after reading some of your 'Favorite Things'. I tag my sister Jaime, Melissa (and Bob too- your last list was great!), Bev, Lyndi, Becca, Cami, Beth, Torrey, Mandy and my hubby, BEN! I can't wait to read them!

Quote of the Day:

"Why do I have to go to school when I already know everything?"
-Luke (3 years old)

My Magic Shoes!

I made these shoes about 4 years ago for Halloween. I, of course was Dorothy, Ben was the Scarecrow and Luke was the Lion. Luke was only 6 months old, so he doesn't remember my shoes and I have had them stored away in my closet. Well, a few weeks ago, Luke watched The Wizard of Oz and absolutely LOVED it! He wanted to watch it again, and again and again....well, you get the point. A few days later he was snooping through my closet and discovered my red shoes. Luke pulled them out with complete amazement. His jaw was gaping open as he ran to find me. He said, "Mommy, look what I found. I didn't know you were Dorothy!" I laughed so hard. He really thinks my shoes are the real thing. Luke asks me to wear them in the house and to randomly click them together. Each time I do it, his face lights up with delight. One day he insisted that I wear them-but I was trying to make dinner-so I just slipped them on so that he would be quiet and leave the kitchen. I forgot that I was wearing them and Ben came home from work. Ben took one look at me and said, "What the heck is going on?" Anyway, I have since retired the shoes. I spent many hours on those things and I want them to stay in one piece. 4 years ago I found these white dye-able shoes at DI. They were brand new and MY size. I couldn't pass it up so I painted them red and then glued each piece of sequins on the shoe and then made the ribbons for them. Every time I wear them, we end up with tiny pieces of sequins all over the house.

We need Super Nanny!!!

Notice that I am not attaching a photo? Well, that is because I thought anyone reading this could use their own imagination and picture this event in their minds. If you have children, then I am sure you have found yourself in this same setting...well...let's hope so for my sake. This morning Ben and I are extremely embarrassed and frustrated from our lovely night at Garcia's restaurant. Last night some friends of ours treated us (and our children) to dinner. The gesture was extremely kind and we are grateful to them for their kindness. We love our children very much...but being a parent can be soooooooooooooooooooooo hard sometimes. I have to remember they are 3 1/2 years old and 21 months old. Our children were well behaved for maybe ...um...5 minutes total. They sat in their chairs for about 30 seconds and then Ashlynn jumped out of her highchair and ran away screaming, "NO, NO, NO". Luke of course had to follow her and then chase her. They were both laughing hysterically and obnoxiously loud. They were jumping off the stairs, running laps around the tables and standing on chairs and having a screaming match.
At one point they took their shoes off and threw them at each other. They left their shoes in a walking path while the servers tripped over them and Ashlynn ran into a server carrying food. Meanwhile, we took turns leaving our friends at the table by themselves while we tried to control our children. I eventually put Ashlynn in the naughty corner (I love that every building has one!). Ashlynn screamed at the top of her lungs the entire 1 minute of her naughty corner experience. 60 seconds felt like 60 minutes! The naughty corner experience obviously didn't make her want to be better because she continued to be CRAZY and eventually Ben spanked her. A few minutes later, Luke took a tortilla chip loaded with salsa and chucked it across the table at Ben. That action sealed the deal...we were done with Garcia's restuarant! We said
good-bye to our friends and I grabbed my shrimp taco with 2 bites taken out of it and off we went!! I guess we just have to realize that we will never be able to GO TO a restaurant with children EVER again. Most people seem to have family members who live nearby and they can dump their kids at grandma's house while they are able to enjoy a few moments of solitude and sociality with their friends. We, on the other hand, have to pay millions in babysitting fees every time we step out the front door. A few weeks ago we even paid a babysitter while we went to the grocery store together for date night. Isn't that romantic? ...but I must admit it was enjoyable in some wierd way. So...anyway...we put the children to bed at 6:30pm last night because neither of us had an ounce of patience left! I then spent the evening reading discipline books, taking deep breaths and reminding myself of how much I really do love my children.

Tribute to President Hinckley

I know most of you have probably already seen this tribute to President Gordon B. Hinckley, but just in case one of you has not, here it is:

This one shows Glenn Beck ending his show with a tribute:
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/200/5127/

It is wonderful and I hope you enjoy it.