On Demand – It’s More than Movies!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter. All opinions are 100% mine.

When we lived in the city in Tennessee we were fortunate to have a selection of cable and satellite providers at our fingertips. I was a cable gal! I grew up with cable in our home. Oddly enough, Charter Cable was the primary cable provider in my hometown. Cable was VERY different back in the day. We actually had to call the cable company to order pay-per-view events. Then swing by the cable company the day before the big event to pick up the little gizmo that gave us access to the program! I remember cable when we had the bulky black cable box sitting on top of the television with the oversized dial for the channels. I think we got 100 channels, at most!

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Technorati Tags: movies,summer fun,family fun,theatre,fandango,weekly cinema,blockbuster,movie,cinema,freebies,discounts,tickets

Apparently we’ve had a death!

It seems a butterfly has passed onto the great beyond. Funeral services were held but as you see, it was anything but a peaceful and organized service! It was entertaining but I was also intrigued by the Four Fellas’ perspective of the death of such a small creature!

Butterfly Funeral

Technorati Tags: funeral,perspective,butterfly,nature,kids

Perfectly Weightless Sunblock (PLUS Get a $2 Coupon)

I have extremely fair skin. I burn pretty easily and NEVER tan so sunscreen is a MUST.

I also have combination skin.  In the summertime, my face is pretty oily while in the winter it's dry and flaky. Finding a great sunblock I can use year round is difficult to say the least!

After using Neutrogena UltraSheer Liquid Sunblock for a few days, I am quite happy with the way it makes my skin feel.

Save Money on the Road with RaceTrac this Summer

I don’t know about you but summer usually means at least one road trip with the family. Traveling with kids in the car can easily send the budget OUT OF CONTROL. Drive thru meals, snacks, drinks, more snacks. It’s enough to drive you near bankruptcy. With a little planning you can save a considerable amount of money on this type of vacation.

• Pack plenty of individual sized snacks for the road.
• Stock a cooler for cool treats and picnic style lunches along the way.
• Make frequent stops at rest areas to avoid tempting the kids with sugary and caffeinated drinks
• Make pit stops at locations with a playground area or an open grassy space so antsy kids can run off some energy.

There’s now another way to save even more!

Enjoy the Summer w/Red Baron (Giveaway – 2 Winners)

Today is the first official day of summer vacation in my house. You see, yesterday was the last day of school! The excitement’s been building for a few weeks but FINALLY summer is here!!!

Summertime is a busy time for us. We spend a lot of time outdoors. Biking to the post office. Playing in the park. Working in the garden. Window shopping at the greenhouse (& playing in their fantastic sandbox)! The list goes on and on but all this activity makes it’s difficult to prepare a quick lunch – other than a lame-o sandwich! ;D

Car Club Car Shows – Free Family Fun

In my neck of the woods, summer means CAR SHOWS. Car club members in Minnesota, North Dakota and even Canada come together several times throughout the summer to show off their fancy wheels. These events are totally free which means a fun family friendly event that’s easy of the bank account.

I’m not a car junkie. I don’t know the difference between an engine and a carburetor but you don’t have to know cars to enjoy the show. The cars are gorgeous with amazing paint jobs and impressively restored interior. Those blue and orange NOS bottles in the back seat make these babies go REALLY REALLY FAST! Hey, I’m not a total idiot. I watched the Fast and the Furious! ;D

Win a Weekend Getaway for You & 100 of Your Closest Friends

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hampton Inn is sponsoring a fabulous sweepstakes I wanted to tell you about!

Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes is your opportunity to win a FREE weekend getaway at Hampton Hotels for you PLUS 100 of your closest friends. They’re even throwing in $5,000 to cover the taxes! How awesome is THAT for a summer vacation?

Memorial Day Grilling Tips!

Memorial Day is quickly approaching. I’m sure you have your grill cleaned and primed with the propane tank filled or a new bag of charcoal lying in wait. The steaks, chicken, hot dogs and burgers are chillin’ in the fridge waiting for their big debut.

Side items? Who needs ‘em. It’s all about the meat! (start grunting like Tim Allen on Home Improvement!)

I’m a meat eater! Especially when it comes off the grill. There’s just something INSANELY good about meat cooked on the grill when it’s done right. I’m sure there’s some scientific reason behind it but all I know is my taste buds go NUTS when I’m kicked back gnawing on a side of beef hot off the grill!

When perusing my latest copy of Food Network Magazine, I discovered it’s all about summer time recipes…including a few fantastic grilling tips. Below are a few tips I gleaned from FNM plus a few of my own, to help you achieve Grillin King or Queen status.

Semi-Homemade Cool Treats at MIFS

Be sure to visit me at Make It From Scratch today.

I’m sharing some cool summer treats just in time for Memorial Day weekend!

Simple Sprinkler Fun

What’s more fun than running through the sprinkler on a hot day!

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Thursday afternoon was awards day at school. J didn’t receive any awards but we’re still proud of his improvements this school year. Despite telling him how proud of him we are, he still felt a little blue. To help perk up his afternoon, we got a special ice cream treat fro the local diner then worked off the extra calories by running through the sprinkler. 

Needless to say, he no longer felt blue about not receiving an award! ;D

What do you do to perk up your kid’s spirit when they’re feeling down in the dumps?

Technorati Tags: summer fun,sprinkler,family,kids

Vacation Destination: Branson MO???

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

Branson Missouri is quickly becoming THE vacation destination spot! After exploring a few Branson-centric sites, it’s no surprise with the sheer variety of activities offered. It seems Richard Branson has developed a destination appealing to singles, big kids, little kids, parents, seniors and everyone in between. There’s golfing, shopping, concerts, festivals and plenty of water activities at any of the 3 lakes in the area.

    

Some activities my family would enjoy at Branson Landing are:

3rd Annual Downtown Clown Around in mid June Golfing at the Payne Stewart Golf Club Shopping at historic Downtown District  National Kid Fest going on June - August in Silver Dollar City Visiting the Culinary & Craft School

Kansas City Steak at Level 2 restaurant at the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner Attraction Cirque Montage show featuring artists from Cirque du Soleil Cowboy Church on Sunday

Flip Flops & Skin Care

Flickr image courtesy of eyesogreen

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dermajuv Skin Care Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

Springtime brings us so many gorgeous things: colorful flowers, the scent of freshly cut grass, deliciously barbequed dinners, fun family picnics, blissfully serene fishing plus FLIP FLOPS! Everyone knows, it's important to kick up the TLC for our skin now we're spending more time outdoors. Sunscreens, lotions, bug repellents, creams and serums. It seems there's a cream or lotion for every part of our body but don't forget about those tootsies!

Who wants to show off ugly rough knarly feet? It's easy to forget about them. Our poor neglected over-worked feet. During the long cold winters we cover them up with thick wool socks and rarely give them another thought but I bet nearly every woman is sure to get a pedicure once Flip Flop weather hits.

Here's a foot care tip for you: Extend the beauty of those perfectly pedicured feet and reduce your overall mani/pedi budget with a little extra TLC. Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize!

Mall of America: Vacation Destination

We recently had the pleasure of stopping by the Mall of America when meeting my husband's ex-wife for a kid exchange. This was our vacation. I've heard all sorts of wonderful things about the mall since moving to Minnesota last year but this was our first visit. WOW! I highly recommend stopping in if you're ever in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

The mall was one of the safest places I've been to in a large city in a LONG TIME. Mall Cops were everywhere. The mall even has a parental escort policy in effect for children under the age of 16 during Friday evenings and Saturdays to promote mall safety. I was also impressed to see a mini police station inside the mall. They are committed to the safety of the Mall's visitors.

First, let me say there are TONS of stores. Stores I've never heard of. Stores with multiple locations on different floors. Stores in the middle of the mall. Stores EVERYWHERE. It was a window shoppers heaven and an accountants nightmare! With steadfast willpower, we walked out with a personalized Spongebob dog tag for J-Man costing a whopping $3.00. Wild man opted for stickers for even less! Can't beat those souvenir prices!

No doubt you'll get hungry during your visit like we did. Bubba Gump's is awesome. We loved it. Since we did not spend much on souvenirs or in the shops, we splurged a bit on dining. The four of us dined at Bubba Gump's for about $65 (tip included). We could have eaten for a bit less if we had picked cheaper dishes but it was splurge we were willing to make. Another restaurant I'd like to visit is the Kokomo Island Cafe where kids eat free on Tuesday.

Need some action? Visit the Nickelodeon Universe or Underwater Adventures. We spent $31.50 for the Comet Package which buys 35 points. Most of the rides my kids wanted to ride were 3 points each so this was the best package for us. If the kids were older and ready for the faster, and scarier roller coaster type rides then the $29.95 unlimited ride wristband would have been the wiser choice. Nickelodeon Universe also has the characters moving about the area interacting with the kids. Pictures can be taken by park staff and purchased or you can take your own. We bought a couple but mainly took our own. The overall quality was about the same. Since Wild Man currently prefers his cartoon characters to remain on screen, I didn't want to waste a ton of money on photos of him running from Spongebob.

We spent another $60 to visit the Aquarium and go behind the scenes for a special tour. We learned all about the fish from a professional guide. He showed us the feeding facilities, medical tanks, and exam rooms. There's a play area and even interactive tanks where you can touch various sea creatures. Crabs, sting rays, star fish, muscles are displayed in kid level tanks. The Aquarium tour PLUS the behind the scenes tour took two hours so it was a good value in my opinion. During the tour, my husband learned about the Dive with the Sharks program. This $200 program will have to wait till next year his back has healed and we've worked it into the budget...perhaps for a Father's Day gift.

The trip wasn't cheap by any means but it easily could have blown anyone's budget out of the water. Just remember to set limits, allow for moderate splurges, and focus on the activities yu want to do most. Remember it's about the memories your making instead of the "stuff" you take home!

You can see more of our Mall of America photos here.

Mohawk Monday

Yesterday was Mohawk Monday. All three kids received a desperately requested Mohawk. Summer is almost over. School's about to start. So why not!?! They're only young and carefree once! What do you think?

But Dad wasn't have any part of Mohawk Monday so he opted for the Mr Clean look!

My Frugal Garden Update

My Frugal Garden has turned out better this year than last. Besides a couple intruders nibbling at my plants when it first went in, I haven't had any problems. I did alter my original plan somewhat due to the unusually long winter this year and the flooding we had in the area. We have a short cool summer growing season living in zone 3. It's especially hard to get the garden going when you still see snow on Mother's Day! lol Instead of sowing everything from seeds or rooting from other veggies, I bought a few sprout plants from the greenhouse to guarantee a harvest of some of our favorite things.

Grown from greenhouse sprouts: broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, squash, onion and eggplant.

Grown from seeds: Jalapeno, Banana, & Bell peppers, carrots, squash, parsnips, watermelon, and turnips

Everything but the parsnips are growing well. I had potatoes growing in an old laundry hamper but we had a freak storm come through and blow the hamper into the neighbors yard. Apparently it was too much trauma for the young plant since it never recovered. Next year I'd like to put in raspberries, get my watermelon in earlier, and definitely secure my potato planter! I'd also like to get a few pots of marigolds around the yard and garden to prevent any four-legged pests from getting into anything!

Conquering Fears in an ASD Son

This week marked the beginning of swimming lessons for my oldest son. J-Man's 8 years old and barely floats. He loves lake activities: fishing, boating, etc. but HATES (yes, I mean HATES) the water! Makes great sense right? {she says sarcastically} He doesn't want anything to do with swimming pools, beaches, or any other swimming activities. My biggest fear is one of the kids falling in the lake when we're fishing so teaching them to swim is a priority.

J-Man has had a fear of water for several years. Ironically enough, it was during free play after a swim class a few years ago, he nearly drowned. He and some other kids from class were playing near a rope divider. The rope was at his waist. He was teetering back and forth over it being careful not to go too far to flip over the rope. (He didn't like water on his face) He somehow got into a position with his head under water, his feet partially out of water with the rope still at his waist. He couldn't flip himself over the rope to come up for air and the lifeguards didn't seem to notice him in trouble. After watching his body squirm for what felt like a lifetime, I dropped my video camera and trudged into the water for a quick rescue. After a little coughing and sputtering he was fine. He wasn't under water long enough to need resuscitation or anything of the like but it was still very scary. Needless to say, it was an emotional event for both of us. Ever since then, he's had a great fear of swimming pools.

Last year he wouldn't get near the water. I literally couldn't drag him near the pool house so forget getting INTO the water. This year however has been slightly better. The first day of class he sat on the side of the pool with feet dangling but wouldn't do anything else. This alone took lots of coaxing. The following day was a TREMENDOUS improvement. He got into the water, did as the instructors asked but I had to be nearby and watch EVERYTHING. By the end of the first week, he was in the water and even trying to go under and jumping in the shallow end. What a difference a week makes.

Here's a few of the strategies I used to turn J-Man into a willing swimming lesson participant.

1. Talk about it A LOT! We've talked about swimming lessons since before the pool opened this summer. We talk about it during dinner, on the way to Tae Kwon Do, while riding bikes, anytime he's in a chatty mood. I try not to make into a big ordeal so he's not overwhelmed but at the same time is fully aware of what to expect.
   
2. Mark the calendar. As soon as I received the dates for his lessons, the calendar has been marked so J-Man has a visual time line. This helps him prepare himself with a visual countdown to the big day.
   
3. Bargain, Bargain, Bargain. I want him to actively and willingly participate in swimming lessons so it's fair to give him something he wants in return. We've negotiated for small daily treats costing less than $1.00 as well as a weekly treat (movie rental) and a slightly bigger treat for when he completes the 2 week course (new video game). I repeat our bargain many times throughout the week-not just on the way to class.
   
4. Boost his confidence. I try to use ego boosting phrases whenever he starts to complain or say he's afraid of drowning. "You're so brave when you try to do something that scares you" "I'm afraid of drowning too but that's why I learned to swim-so I could be smart in the water" "You're doing a great job with everything so far, so I'm sure you'll be great at this if you just TRY" "All I ask is for you to TRY what you teacher asks. Your teacher will help you and with practice you'll get even better." "Nobody does it perfect the first time they try anything so keep up the great work."
5. Express my gratitude and pride. I tell him how proud of him I am after each class and throughout the rest of the day. During class, I'll give him thumbs up or clap when he looks over at me. I always tell him thank you for being cooperative.

J-Man responds very well to these strategies. I feel like I've tried every trick in the book to help him over come his fears. I've learned it's easier to work with your situation than against it.

What's your method to getting cooperation from an unwilling participant?

WHEW!

Where did the time go? It seems like the other day was the Ethnic Food's Festival where I made my Mason Jar Peach Cobbler and now it's a week after Independence Day! We've had lots of things going on which has forced my blogging to slow down quite a bit...regrettably.

My step sons arrived from Indiana three weeks ago. I've now got four super active boys running amuck! If it's not the 2 year old biting the 6 year old it's the 10 year old arguing with my 8 year old over the best video game! I love having them here but it gets very tiring refereeing four boys on a daily basis!

We've been traveling to Fargo quite a bit lately for hubby's doctor's appointments. Thankfully the end is in sight. We leave first thing in the morning for some pre-op Xrays and another MRI. Then it's microscopic back surgery on Wednesday morning. Barring any permanent nerve damage (which is a possibility) he should be released and home from the hospital Wednesday afternoon!

The county fair was last week but it wasn't planned very well so we opted to camp at the lake with some of our friends from Lancaster. There was tons of food, fellowship, swimming, fishing, and sadly even rain! The boys LOVED it! The great thing is we were close enough to come home when hubby's back started hurting. He rested a bit and we were back at the lake for the duration.

Our friend, Sid, drove in from Dickinson ND for the weekend. We haven't seen him in several months. It was great to visit with him and have him stay with us. We certainly missed him and hated seeing him go but I'm sure he'll be back for a visit soon enough!

Well, that about recaps most of our activities the past few weeks. If all things go well with Rick's surgery, I'll be back to normal posting later this week. In the meantime, tell me what have you been doing???

Mason Jar Peach Cobbler

I made this over the weekend for our local Heritage Days Festival. I adapted this recipe from Paula Deen-she's my hero!!! It was a huge hit at the festival so I thought I'd share it with you. This is perfect for picnics, family gatherings, or just to extend the shelf life of your cobbler. I'm sure it will be a huge success with your bunch like it was with mine!

Ingredients
2 cans sliced peaches drained
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups self rising flour
1 tsp cinnamon
8 tbs butter
1/1/2 cups milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Drop 3/4 tsp of butter in 12 half pint mason jars. Place jars in a large casserole or broiler pan to help keep them stable. Place pan of jars in oven to melt butter. Cut drained peaches in large chunks and set aside. Mix dry ingredients with milk till smooth. Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each jar. Evenly divide any left over batter among the jars till all the batter is used. Spoon 1/4 cup of peaches on top of batter. Bake jars 25 minutes or until to>ps are slightly brown. Dust with cinnamon sugar mixture is desired. Carefully screw lids and seals on immediately after removing from oven for self sealing jars.
Makes approximately 12 half pint jar servings.
Sealed items can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Jars can be kept for several days up to a week. Do not eat if item's color has changed or there are any visible signs of mold.

Tips and hints

Virtually anything can be baked and sealed in a jar. The trick is to fill the jar 1/3 of the way full for any rising breads or cakes to allow enough head room after baking. Quickly and carefully screw lids with seals onto the jars. As the sealed jar cools the lids will self seal. Remove the lids and seals to heat either in the microwave or oven.

Find other great recipes at:

Long Summer Days

Lately I've found myself online less and outdoors more. The temperature has been in the 80's, low humidity and nice sunny skies have filled my days the last few weeks. The kids schedules are a little more hectic than in the winter so I'm chauffeuring more often. My garden is taking off...finally...and our fishing hole is quite fruitful. We are truly enjoying life. Short walks around the block, visiting with neighbors, attending fairs & festivals, and admiring the sun set at 9:30pm! I am so thankful summer has FINALLY arrived. I want to enjoy as much of it as possible before the days of 20 below zero with six feet of snow arrive again. I have a hard time making myself stay behind the computer when Mister Sunshine is calling me to bask in the warm light!

I do feel guilty for not posting more often and reading more of your blogs. I so miss being "in the know" on everyone's latest recipes, crafts, deals, steals, and daily drama's. I catch myself thinking, "I'll catch up on the Might M's tomorrow" or "I'll find out what Lisa and Grace are up to on my Google Reader tonight" but tonight turns into tomorrow which turns into later in the week. I'm such a guilty procrastinator! IT'S HORRIBLE!!! When I do catch a free moment from running place to place, crafting, sewing on my MIL's quilt, cleaning the house, or bringing laundry upstairs, I find myself so darn tired I drift off to sleep!

I often wonder how all you ladies do it. You blog every day (or nearly every day) while shuffling the kids off to their activities, homes cleaned, dinner cooked, gardens (much bigger than mine) planted, crafts made, pictures taken AND uploaded (which I never can get done in a timely fashion), parties planned, all while keep up with your workout schedule. There's got to be some big secret to getting everything done...right???? Well, until I unearth the secrets of Wonder Mom, I'll just keep juggling it all the best I can. Writing when I have time in between being the family's personal shopper, chauffeur, landscaper, cheerleader, house manager, financial adviser, psychiatrist, and personal secretaries (or is assistant more PC?).

I'm all ears if any of you have a few tips to help me stay on track this summer!