Birds of a Feather

It's that time of year again.  The Great Backyard Bird Count.  I did a fifteen minute count this morning and got 7 species.  It is easy, and you can get the kids involved with this great scientific project.  Check out the website for all the details!  Http://www.birdcount.org

The more people that participate the better.  This weekend get outside for a bit and count some birds for a good cause.  You can count for as little as 15 minutes.  Of course you can count for a longer time if you desire, just make sure you record the time and for how long.  You don't have to be an expert birder to participate, just grab a identification book, and you are all set.  I use a field guide to help me determine which birds I am looking at.  Fun, educational and free, can't beat that for a weekend activity!

Set Sail!

Sailing is a great vacation.  We take a trip annually to the British Virgin Islands, and we charter a sailboat and have some fun in the sun.  It is a ton of fun, and a great family reunion.  We spend months planning the trip, and we love the anticipation leading up to the trip.  This year I think we are going to have even more fun planning.  We found an app for the iphone called Come Sailing.    It is a great way to track your adventure.  The price is right!  For $1.99 you get a lot of bang for your buck!  I really like the information on the Points of Sail, I will get a lot of use from that.  Not only does the app let you track the dates in the log book, but it also gives you some great information, and the all important checklists!  I know for me I love lists, and these checklists are helpful to keep you on track.  I am excited about our trip, and with this app we will have more fun planning and keeping all the info in one place.  My iPhone!

Looking Young

Feeling young is no problem, with a 1 year running circles around I have to be fast, entertaining, and fun.  Keeping the outside looking young is harder.  Using lotions and cosmetics is one way to keep your skin looking good for years.  Make sure you check the labels so you are not inadvertently doing damage.  Not all skin care products are created equal.  Sometimes it is hard to find just the right product for your skin.  Is it dry, is it oily, or a combination.  Yes!  There are great lotions out there that can help.  From acne products to treatments for age spots, you can search the web to find an overwhelming amount of info and products that you might not find at your local shops.  I love to be outside as much as possible, so for me a everyday lotion with SPF is ver important.  Every skin has needs, and you have to be choosy when you pick out your products.  When you take care of yourself, you feel better!  Buy the best you can and you will surely be happy with the results.

Expanding the garden

Last year you may remember that I dug into the veggie gardening with both hands, and was well, fairly successful.  I am still harvesting my carrots which are sweet and really big.  They are delicious.  For this year, I have started my pepper and tomato seeds so they will be ready to go once the threat of cold weather is gone.  That should be the beginning of March, since this is Florida after all.  Enough about the veggies though, and let's look at this years hot plants.  ORCHIDS!  Yes, I know they sound hard to grow, and sometimes the exotic plants are difficult.  Enter the Orchid Notebook App.  I am convinced that this great app will help me through the process.  This app is perfect for the beginner, they give you some common plant names and how to care for them.  It is not just for the novice, this app will grow with you, letting you add plants to your "collection".  The descriptions and care instructions are easy to read, and did I mention that the photography was stunning.  Just looking at the pictures is going to keep me motivated to get these plants growing.
If you are an orchid lover, grower or just interested in starting to grow a few this app is worth checking out.

Got Ink?

I was busying printing, printing, printing.  Then, of course, I ran out of ink.  I am sure that has happened to everyone.  Those pages are just going to have to wait.  And sorry baby, your coloring sheets will also have to wait.  No worries though, I don't have to brave the weather to pick up some ink.  I can just go on line to get refills on my Dell ink.  It is much easier to buy dell printer ink online than going to the store.  Online you can find cartridges for color printers, laser, or ink jet.  I love that it is easy to just click the link to my printer type and have the exact kind of dell ink cartridges that I need.   Plus, when I am more likely to purchase an extra so that when I run out I have a spare, then I can put a little note on it reminding me to reorder the same ink type.