Do your kids (i.e., you, the parent) have to do a lot of selling of different things to help raise money for different organizations? I know my daughter has sold her fair share over the years. We’ve sold everything from M&M’s for softball to cookies for Girl Scouts. Add to that all the fundraising that goes on at school for the PTA and different organizations.
Now there is an easier way to do fundraising. Shoutback allows your organization (churches, schools, scouts, etc.) to sign up and then when people shop through Shoutback, your organization earns money. It’s just that simple.
Do you use your video camera? I bought a new Sony HDD camera last year just before my daughter’s first band concert and we’ve been using it ever since. I love the camera, it’s super easy to use and takes really clear video. The camera itself has its own hard drive, so there are no tapes or cd’s to bother with. I bought a large extra battery that gives it about 8 hours of battery life in between charges, so it’s pretty worry free.
The one thing I don’t like is trying to find movie making software that isn’t so complicated to use and can accept different file types. Software came with our camera, but it’s very limited. I use Windows Movie Maker quite a bit, but there are some file types that it won’t accept which makes combining videos difficult if they don’t come from the same source.
If anyone has any movie software suggestions, feel free to leave me a comment!
Do you wear glasses? I started wearing them when I was 25 and started wearing contact lenses not too long after that. The last few years though, I’ve had trouble wearing my contacts because my eyes have become so dry. Last year, my optometrist gave me a prescription for eye drops to help with the dryness, but it’s still been difficult wearing my contacts. Since I haven’t been working, I’ve opted to wear my glasses more frequently and tend to avoid my contacts lately. A few weeks ago I dropped my glasses and chipped the bottom of one lens. I have to say, having less than 20/20 vision can really be a pain in the a**.
A few years ago my sister had Lasik surgery done on her eyes. She had extremely poor vision and had worn glasses for as long as I can remember. She was referred to a lasik surgeon through her optometrist and was very thorough in checking out the place. It’s your eyes after all, it would be horrible to have something go wrong. She did her research until she was comfortable with her decision to have the procedure done. It was a success and she was able to completely get rid of her glasses.
My vision isn’t nearly as bad as my sister’s was before her surgery, but the annoyance of wearing glasses is the same. If I were going to consider having the procedure done, Denver LASIK would certainly be a clinic I would consider. They have the latest technology and a very experienced staff, plus, they are affordable.
I’m not sure what I’m going to do in the future, but I guess the first thing I need to do is get my lense replaced.
My kitchen has reached the point of no return. That is, at least my pots and pans have reached that point. All of my pots and pans in my cupboard were either donated to me by my mom, or given to me as a gift, by my mom. The pots & pans I received as gifts are the best. They’re heavy duty and really stand up to the everyday abuse they get in my kitchen. The pots that were donated to me are a bit iffy, especially since most of them are 20+ years old. My husband was using a saucepan a couple of weeks ago and the handle fell off of it! It was unrepairable, so it went into the trash.
Over the last year I’ve been slowly trying to build an upgraded collection of pots and pans. I have to do this slowly because I’m trying to buy good quality pans, those that I hope will last for a very long time. I opted to started buying Calphalon products. The first ones I purchased were skillets in a couple different sizes. I’ve been using them now for about a year and they are excellent. The only thing I don’t like about them is not being able to put them in the dishwasher. If having to wash them by hand is the only downside, I’ll wash by hand. The pots and skillets are non-stick, so they’re pretty easy to wash anyway.
Yesterday I ordered a 2 quart saucepan to replace the one that went into the trash. I’m looking forward to using it and maybe ordering a second one. There are a few very old pans and skillets remaining in my cupboard. Hopefully I can slowly replace them all and donate what’s left to charity.
Yesterday I met with the 6th grade Destination Imagination team, the first meeting since before the holidays. They’ve got two months left before they go to the Regional Tournament and haven’t yet started working on their sets or props. To give them credit though, I think they’ve got their challenge under control and the remaining few kinks will get worked out as the props and sets help it all come to life.
The most difficult part about being a team manager is the fact that I’m not allowed to make suggestions to them. I also can’t give them any ideas. If they ask how something works, I can answer them, but I can’t tell them how to do something. In other words, I really have to sit there and keep my mouth closed.
Keeping my mouth closed is really difficult when the team is trying to figure out what to build their set and props out of. It’s hard for me to not make suggestions. Sometimes I wish they would just visit a Tips Search Engine for ideas. But, I’m not allowed to suggest such a thing! Thankfully, they have some awesome ideas and I’m hoping that over the next two months they will figure it all out. They did at least begin working on their costumes. They brought in old costumes from home and found several items that would work for some of the characters. We also schedule a day next week to meet at The Salvation Army so they can shop for cheap outfits and accessories. Maybe they’ll even find some things to use as props. They have a team maximum spending limit of $125, so it will be interesting to see what they come up with.
It’s difficult watching a group of 11 year olds trying to figure out what to use to make their sets. There are so many products out there that they could use, but, I’m not allowed to give them any information. All of the ideas have to come from them. I look forward to seeing what they come up with.
#1. Brownies. From a box or from scratch? I always make brownies from a box. Several years ago I attempted to make them from scratch and we just didn’t care for them as much, they weren’t as sweet.
#2. Chicken noodle soup. Does it cure everything? Do you make it from scratch, from a can or from a package? I think that chicken noodle soup can certainly make you feel better when you’re ill. I’m not sure if it’s what is in the soup or if it’s the mental feeling of “home” and comfort. We usually just eat it out of a can, but I do make it from scratch every now and then.
#3. Red skin potato salad. Do you think the red skin provides flavor or color? I’ve only eaten this a couple of times and I’ve never actually made it. I do think there are a lot of vitamins in the skin of potatoes, but I simply don’t know enough about it to say.
#4. French toast. How do you make yours? I dip the sliced bread in beaten egg mixed with just a little milk and sometimes a little bit of cinnamon. Grill it and slather it in butter and syrup. I might just have to make some this weekend!
