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.

Ski Central

So now that the hectic days of Christmas and New Years are behind us, we can concentrate on a great vacation.  We live in sunny Florida and want to find a great place to do a little skiing and other cold weather sports.  It isn't easy having perfect weather year round in Florida, but we do our best.  We are researching 

Breckenridge rental homes.  The peaks of the mountains are beautiful and they are calling my name.  Though I would never want to go back to living in a place that it snows, I don't mind a short visit.  The crisp blue sky set behind the stark white snow capped mountains is a beautiful site that is one everyone must see.  It can't be missed.  There are many ways to see the mountains, but I like the thought of speeding down them on two waxed skis as fast as I care to go!  

Vacation rentals Breckenridge could be our spot this year.  There is much to do there, and it looks as if the skiing is second to none!  

Breckenridge Property Management can help you select the perfect rental for your families needs.  From a small cabin to a large house, they have it all.  Perhaps we should have the family reunion there this year.  Getting the family together in one place can be such fun.  Add that to a wonder picturesque setting and you will have one fantastic vacation.  

Holidays Gone, but not forgotten

Over the last few weeks we travelled here and there to visit friends and family.  One of the best activities over the visits was the coffee and chats by the fireplace.  Couches and chairs nestled around a gas fire was the perfect setting for our hot cocoa and tea.  Many stories were exchanged and other holidays remembered.  We heard a few stories that have been told every year without fail, and we also heard some new favorites that we will retell again and again.  That is what the holidays are about to me.  What was your favorite holiday moment?  
There were a few different types of fire that we sat in front of but I would have to say that the best of them was the fire with the gas logs.  The outdoor fire was smokey,and we all smelled like a campfire when it was time to go inside. We also watched the fire that was playing in a loop on the TV, while it was fun and gave a perceived warmth, it was, less than warm.
The gas logs gave a nice heat, and a nice realistic sound of crackling flames, and the company that we enjoyed was not bad either!  Holidays a great for gathering, and a gas logs make it even better.  Making your fireplace a gas one can be easy with the right information.  You can use R. H. Peterson Real Fyre Gas Logs and you can find all the gas log FAQs online.  So make next years holiday even better sit around the fire and remember all the stories from seasons past.

Twins? Gift Ideas.

So a friend is having twins, and I tried to think back about the things that I needed most when we had a newborn.  Now, it is only been a year, and I can't really remember the things that I liked best.  I could have gone with a soft toy, a few cute outfits (I do love clothes shopping) or a sock monkey (it was top on the list), but I wanted something different; special.  So instead of getting her something that she probably already has two of, I went with something handmade.  I made a set of quilts that at first glance are the same, similar, but if you look you will see that the color combination is opposite.  The boys are identical, but will no doubt grow up to be very different people.  These quilts, are similar, but different, just as twins are.  So I hope that she likes them, and that the boys will too!

Running the Distance

Now that I am equipped with a running stroller, our daily run will be so much better.  We are going longer and further than normal.  Now that I can go further distances, I need to know just how far I am going.  I think for Christmas I am going to ask santa for a running gps watch with heart rate monitor.  I love great gadgets, and this one is so useful.  I like to know where I have gone, how long it has taken, and how many calories I likely burned.  Of course, Garmin makes great GPS items, and their watches are no different.  They are the perfect mate for running, and they aren't too bulky.  I can't wait to have an accurate account of the distance that we have run in an easy to use gps watch.  What do you use to track your runs, walks or other exercises?  Do you prefer handheld devices or watches?  I would love to hear your feedback!  Gotta run, literally!

A little something for myself

With all the holiday shopping going on, I find that it is important to remember yourself.  In the midst shopping for family gifts, I did a little search for shoes for myself.  I enjoy browsing the internet for the perfect pair.  It is almost a calming venture when looking for a new pair of running shoes, or even some sandals.  I like knowing that I am carving out time for me now as I shoe shop, and time later to go running.   It is a great way to relax and also keep the holiday pounds at bay.  Of course, you can search for any kind of shoes you want.  That is not the best part.  The best part is you can narrow your search in many different ways, like my favorite price!  Depending on my mood I like to sort my shoe search by color.  That way I can see all the blue running shoes first.  How do you like to shoe shop?  Are you a brick and mortar shopper or do you prefer the solitude of online shopping?  I know that I prefer the online shopping, no crowds, no hassle returns, and I love to get packages in the mail.  It is a win-win situation for me.  The added bonus of  shoe therapy is that it is one way to calm my nerves, it is like the reset button.  Once I am done browsing, I can go back to the task at hand, in this case shopping for family holiday gifts.  Maybe I could get some shoes for a few people, two birds one stone!  Perfect!