Seeds

So I bought some seeds March 15.  To be specific I bought 5 seed packs.  I think everyone is aware of the size of a seed pack.  Unfortunately I paid 6.95 for shipping of the said seed packs.  At the time I thought it was fine, I figured they would have super fast shipping to justify the cost of shipping.  I placed my order and waited.  Five days past, then six, and seven, no seeds in the mail.  On the 9th day with no seeds I emailed The Cook's Garden, and asked them where my order was.  A few hours later I got an email confirming that the package was sent that day.  Again I waited, and waited, no seeds.  I sent another email, this time I got an email back with all the shipping info and an explanation of how they ship.  They ship via UPS then transfer to USPS.  Maybe they get a bulk rate, but why not just slip those seeds into a priority flat rate envelop for 4 bucks.  So today fully 13 days later, I got my seed packs.  I won't be buying from The Cook's Garden anymore.  That shipping is ridiculous, I guess that is what I get for not buying them on Etsy, like I was going to do.  Lesson learned.

Help Me Find a Hobby!

Guest post written by Jan Marion

I'm in need of a new hobby. Anyone got any suggestions? The ones I've tried just don't seem to be any good! I've tried gardening, but that's seasonal...so you know, even if I didn't have the black thumb (opposite of green thumb!) I have it wouldn't fulfill me year-round. I've tried cooking, but I'm just not loving that, either. I'm thinking that crochet might be the best thing for me. It's something I can do with my hands (which I love!) but it's also something you actually get a permanent reward from.

See, with cooking, it's all fun and delicious...but once you've dug into it, it's gone. But if I crochet something, like a pillow or a wall ! hanging, I'll have it for life. Yeah, I think that may be for me, the more I think of it. I'm going to check around for someDomainNames Hosting sites and see if I can get a site going for patterns. We'll see how this goes!

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.

Robotics. Wave of the Future

I am visiting the family this week.  My nephew is involved with a great robotics program.  He and his family love technology, and this is a great outlet for the kids.  They learn so much that can push them forward to wonderful careers dealing with robotics and other technologies.  This year he has come up with a slogan for the National Robotics Week.  He is competing against a few others to win the slogan contest.  I for one hope he wins, but I hope that I can get a few of you out there to vote for him too.  
VOTE HERE Vote for the slogan "Connecting Creativity and Science"  By Tre Conrader.
We will see in a few short days if he has what it takes to win!

Project nearing completion

Here is a shot of the WIP that has taken a great deal of time to do.  As I posted before when I finished the daytime quilt of the giraffes this is pieced together with one inch scraps from my fabric stash.  Each quilt is 40 inches wide, and 60 inches in length.  That is a lot of 1 inch strips!!!  No fabric was purchased for this project.... Now that is a first!  Both tops are nearly together, and now for the backing and batting, then the task of quilting.  I will be hanging out with my mom and this is the project that I will be working on.  We always love to chat and quilt.  I find that it makes the time go so fast, and before you know it you have finished quilting!
These will hang above my couch, that is if I ever finish quilting them!  Perhaps we will use them first as two fabulous play mats first.  
Enjoy this pictures.

Your Baby Can Read

Guest post written by my buddy Lavern Small
Your Baby Can Read is an excellant program for children. It consist of five videos with accompanying flash cards. The videos utilize repetition of words and sentences, along with examples and demonstrations. The program is very interactive and fun and sometimes you can even catch it on Cable Television Deals. I have a 17 mos old son who not only enjoys watching the videos but has grown in both verbal and nonverbal communication since starting the program. The program continually adds words to your child's vocabulary. It initially shows your child the word on the screen, pronounces it and then shows the meaning of the word. It will rather show an example of the noun or show someone acting out the verb. Towards the end of the video, there is a word game to help test your child and reinforce recognition. The screen will display two words, then the commentator will ask your child to distinguish between the two words. Each video comes with accompanying flash cards that focus on words used in that particular video. The flash cards are very helpful for parents to help reiterate the words learned in the video. I would highly recommend this video to anyone who values education and wants to give their child a head start in school and life.