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Hey Everyone!!! Tomorrow is April Fools Day - I hope you all have fun and enjoy. Do play some tricks as it ads spice to life. But as a reminder: if you don't have to be online it's best to take a break today and if you do need to be online don't do any web surfing - just go to the sites you know and minimize your time. There is a lot of tricksters out there that plan on marketing on the day to do their hacking and frolicking about the net and would really enjoy screwing up your day. Better safe than sorry!! I myself plan on getting my blog done tonight, schedule it to autopost in the a.m. and I am going to spend the day in the garden! can't wait!!

Tues-Tech-Tools

Here is my next tech tip, compliments of looking over my husbands shoulder….the things I’m willing to do for all of you huh? He has put this one on all our personal computers, desktops and laptops. I know he uses this when he is “servicing” customer’s computers. Just like my last tech tip…it’s safe, it really works, and IT’S FREE. To keep my “agreement” with my husband…, I want to [his terms] let everyone reading this technical tips part of my blog to understand that anything I tell you about are things that he uses all the time in his business so I feel that they must really be good but you must use at your own discretion. This tip is called CCleaner. Over 250 million downloads!!! “CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware!” (from http://ccleaner.com). Even though this program is FREE they appreciate donations and even offer a few perks if you donate. The way I use it is before I turn off my computer I run it to just clean out all the junk from me surfing around and downloading stuff. It is very fast and it will really surprise you with all the stuff it finds. About once every two weeks I will run the registry cleaner…oh yeah, it will ask if you want to make a backup of the registry before it cleans it…that can’t hurt to it…better safe than sorry (my husbands words). If you decide to try out the CCleaner or already use it let me know what u think about it! If you use another program please share. And as always I will try to steal more tips to share with you all so as to save us all time, money and headaches!

Monday Madness

For todays giveaway I would like to talk about a fellow Etsy seller: BIKUDESIGNS.
This is Bikudesigns first Blog Giveaway. The prize will be this stupendous Nest Wrapped Silver Ring and you can choose your size.

The giveaway runs till Monday April 6th so get on over to her blog and check it out and get your entries in!!
http://bikudesigns.blogspot.com

Holiday Previews for the week

March 29 - -National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day - was created to celebrate small business owners. This day helps acknowledge the countless hours that are put into running the small businesses, and also to appreciate the down home customer service that you get at those businesses! So go on and show your support: go shop their stores today! WHAT? SHOPPING? I'm there!

March 29 - Smoke and Mirrors Day - "smoke and mirrors" means something is not what it appears to be. Today is the day of illusions. Illusionists often use smoke and mirrors to hide something. I'd like to hide all this clutter in the house and not worry about it for today!

March 30 - National Doctor's Day - Did you know that March 30, 1933 marks the first use of general anesthesia in surgery? Maybe we should thank that guy that invented anesthesia!! Anyway send your doc a card, trust me hallmark has one for this occasion too.

March 30 - I am in Control Day - Ok, some of you might remember this one: On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was wounded in an assassination attempt. Lots of confusion prevailed. In the White House, then Secretary of State Alexander Haig was taken a little out of context when he said "I am in control here". Instead of focusing upon the entire statement, people and the press focused upon these few words. Political uproar eventually led to his resignation. Hence - I am in Control Day was born. Funny how we change things though, from this date and incidence the date has become to mean something new. Now it has changed into a day to get your life in control. "I am in Control Day" is your chance to get things in order and under control. What are you in control of?


March 30 - Take a Walk in the Park Day. As simple as that. Go. Enjoy.

March 31 - Bunsen Burner Day - German chemist Robert Wilhelm Eberhard von Bunsen was born on March 31, 1811. And, you guessed it, von Bunsen created the Bunsen Burner. Ahhh, memories of high school chemistry class. Thank you Mr. von Bunsen!

March 31 - National Clam on the Half Shell Day - Hope your not one to clam up. Get out, go to your fav seafood restaurant and have some clams...mmmm. sounds yummy! Don't like clams? keep thinking about Mr. von Bunsen.

April 1 - Fool's Day - I think you know what to do, just do it early enough in the day before people remember that it is today - What tricks do you plan on playing today? I personally like the rubber band around the kitchen sinks spray nozzle! ohhh, pre-coffee is so rude!!

April 1 - International Tatting Day - Tatting is a needlepoint skill of making delicate, elegant tatted lace. This has been a holiday for over 4 years now and tatter circles around the world use today to share their skills and show off their work.

April 2 - Children's Book Day - This day encourages reading and promotes the love of books for children. YAY now that's fun. Check out your local library, I bet they have story telling today - or have your own story telling hour :)

April 2 - National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day - Not to be confused with March 1st's National Peanut Butter Lover's Day, cuz that's basically narcissistic! No this is all about the PB&J. America's most loved sandwich deserves it's own day. I will definitely be enjoying mine today.

April - 2 Reconciliation Day - Since 1989 the famous advise columnist has promoted this day for everyone to mend relationships. So go on, give it up, say your sorry. After all life is too short for silly arguments. Really? If it won't matter a year from now it really is not worth arguing about today.

April - 3 Don't Go to Work Unless it's Fun Day - It is Friday after all, a long weekend does sound good. If you are a business owner maybe you can promise cupcakes, games or something to encourage attendance?

April - 3 Tweed Day - Originating in Scotland, tweed is a thick woolen , twill styled material. Tweed jackets, suits and slacks are popular...in England maybe! Definitely not in Florida. Although Coco Chanel did amazing things with tweed back in the 1920s. She actively competed against Dior to get her message of more relaxed clothes across to the public. They may not look very relaxed to the people of today, but they were a breakthrough in their time.

April - 3 National Walk to Work Day - The first Friday of April was declared National Walk to Work Day by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson because obesity and sedentary lifestyles growing at an alarming rate, National Walk to Work Day was initiated to draw attention to the need to get out and exercise, and to get in shape.
On this day we are encouraged to walk to work. If you can't walk to work, walking during lunch time, or another time of the day. The goal is to walk 30 minutes a day just as a healthy reminder. If you can do more you should: everyday. It is good for ya!

April - 4 Hug a Newsman Day . ...or news person as it would be. Virtual Hugs to all of you out there!!

April - 4 Walk Around Things Day - oooo ooooo oooo I can just walk around that laundry today. This day is also for tip-toeing around subjects you don't want to talk about. Just say it: "I'm gonna walk around that today..."

April - 4 School Librarian Day - this is a very important day! So take a minute today, to appreciate all the hard work that a school librarian does daily, and the patience the librarian displays, as he or she aids our youth - the leaders of tomorrow. Say thank you or donate to your local library.


April - 4 Tell a Lie Day - Yeah, we all tell little white lies: "No, I did not steal your Easter candy - I think daddy did."; "Yes, the tooth fairy lives with fairy godmother in Never Never Land"; "No, Your new haircut does not make your eyes look bigger!?!". Today it is ok, if it gets really bad you can just tell yourself that April 30th it National Honesty Day.

TODAY'S THE DAY!!

In December 2009 world leaders meet in Copenhagen to agree on a post-Kyoto policy for tackling climate change. One billion people voting with their light switch during Earth Hour will create a powerful mandate for our leaders to take strong and decisive action on climate change in Copenhagen.
You can go to earthhour.org to find out more about what you can do to help. Please spread the word.

I have been featured - YAY!!

This piece is for sale on my etsy shop


Thank you to

Friday's Fab Finds

Today I am talking about a most awesome web site for cool moms - and for cool people in general. This site is all about tracking down cool stuff and putting it all together on a cool site so that you can save time and money. Their focus is non-mainstream products and services, particularly those from indie or emerging designers and mom/women-run companies, everything from a cool mom's picks for safe toy guide to a most complete baby shower gift guide. Whatever you need to stay cool. And right now on the home page there is this most adorable button that you can use to help spread the word about the new Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act with hopes that we can all help encourage Congress to amend the act so that we can keep our children safe and protect the handmade toys and clothing that we love so much!

http://coolmompicks.com

This was one of my "funner" ideas. While working as a barrista at a coffee shop I became aware of the amount of milk bottle caps that I alone threw away. I learned that many municipal recycling programs throughout the United States still do not accept plastic lids, tops and caps, even though they take the containers that accompany them. The reason is that lids typically are not made from the same kind of plastic as their containers, and therefore should not be mixed together with them. So instinctively I started saving the lids - o so many lids! I even got my family to save them, my scouts were saving them even friends of family were saving them. Very very soon I had MANY lids. I had to come up with something to do with these lids! So I made some purses! My first ones were, mm a little "amateur" in design so they went to my nieces. My first better design was purchased by a great friend and this piece made it to my Etsy shop. I have many more caps to re-create into great pieces.

Wednesdays Share

http://Dipity.com is one of those really cool websites that you never knew you would enjoy spending your time on. You can use it to set up timelines to help organize your life. You can set it up so that you can put in your fav's and keep going back to it whenever you need to. For example you can set up a timeline for your daughters soccer games and her ballet shows and then you can give Aunt Emma the link and she can check in on it when she wants to know what's going on. Or like me, you can set up your boy scout troop's activities for the year and the parents can go to it to see what is going on. You can create interactive widgets with videos and pictures and you can publish your updates everywhere. You can even get analytics and reports to measure and track your impact across the web. Brilliant and easy to use!

Tues-Tech-Tools

Tuesdays are a good day for discussing techie type tools huh? I thought I would use this time to pass along some computer tips. My husband has a computer business that creates and maintains websites, hosts other people’s websites, sells and repairs computers and other technical stuff that I only wish I could do! I asked my husband if he would help me now and then with this section of the blog...he agreed, but reluctantly. Afterall he could be sharing secrets that actually keep him in business. Anyway, he would like everyone to understand that stuff that I share with you are things that he uses all the time in his business, and though I feel that they are all really good tips, I would appreciate you use at your own discretion.

This week I want to recommend you look into something named Malwarebytes. You can find it at http://Malwarebytes.com and download a free copy of it. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware can detect and remove malware that even the most well known anti-virus and anti-malware applications fail to detect. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware monitors every process and stops malicious processes before they even start”. There is a free copy and one that you can pay for. The one that you pay for will give “real-time” protection and let you schedule many functions.
I can tell you that my husband is now much easier to deal with since he discovered this program. Apparently Malwarebytes finds and destroys stuff that all the other programs he used to use, sell and recommend, couldn’t find or get rid of. I see him use and recommend this program all the time so I feel good about passing this along to you.
If you are having trouble with your computer or even just want some “free protection” check this one out. It really works. There is a free version and the “pros” use it.
Oh yeah, here is something else I always hear him tell his clients: running multiple versions of virus/malware/adware programs will really slow a computer down. Pick the one you believe in, keep it up to date and get rid of the rest.t
If you decide to try out the Malwarebytes or already do let me know what you think about it. Hopefully it will save you headaches…AND SAVE YOU MONEY!

Monday Madness

Baby Loving Mama


is hosting an AWESOME give-away and you really should check it out. There are several different ways to win and you can rack up many entries so hop over to her site and just do it!

Holiday Previews for the Week

March 22 - National Goof Off Day: yep, you heard it - today you have an excuse! so go ahead: take off your gardening gloves, turn off your computer and go do something fun, maybe even cross off something on your bucket list?

March 23 - Chip and Dip Day: Yummmmm, My favorite is Blue Chips with Mango salso (I think it is put out by Paul Newman's brand.

March 23 - Near Miss Day: did you know that on March 23, 1989 an asteroid the size of a mountain came within 500,000 miles of a collision with Earth; on September 27, 2003 an asteroid approximately 10 meters in diameter came within 54,700 miles of earth; and in March 2002 an asteroid approximately 70 meters long came within 288,000 miles of the earth?
Yeah, crazy huh? and that one in 1989 - Had it collided with the Earth, It would have left a devastating crater the size of Washington, D.C.!!! So today we count our blessings and think back at all of our personal near misses and just be thankful.


March 24 National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day: Chocolate and fruit together has it's definite pro's - fruit is good for you and chocolate is just good for the soul! Plus it is reminiscent of matinee's with the family at a great Disney flick.

March 25 Pecan Day: not to be confused with National Pecan Day which is on April 4th because April is National Pecan Month. Were you aware that the Pecan Tree is the only nut tree native to North America, that must be why we have the absolute BEST pecan pies ever! Maybe someone was just nuts about the pecan enough to establish another day that we absolutely must go out and buy some Turtles. Sounds good to me!!

March 25 International Waffle Day: International Waffle Day (March 25th), called Våffeldagen, was originated in Sweden because the date coincides with the Feast of the Annunciation - and this day was also considered the start of spring in Sweden and Europe. Note that National Waffle Day, August 24th, celebrates the patenting of the waffle iron by Cornelius Swarthout of Troy, New York on August 24, 1869. In any case go have some waffles. If you live in or near St. Augustine you absolutely MUST go to Gaufre's on Aviles St. for the most bestes waffles EVER.


March 26 Make Up Your Own Holiday Day: Oh yeah: Happy Me. Didn't you know? HAHA - it's for real, you can use today to celebrate any thing you want. Maybe you screwed up yesterday and upset your best friend? well then: today is I'm sorry I pissed you off day? ....it could happen.

March 27 "Joe" Day: So you don't like what mamma called you? Tired of hearing "Mom!" all day? Wish you can change your name for just a day? On National Joe Day, it is perfectly okay to have everyone call your "Joe". Why Joe though - it appears people just like the way it sounds. So for today we are all Joe (the plumber!)

March 28 Something on a Stick Day : Oh now this one is fun, especially if you have an opportunity to be at a festival. Have you tried those Key Lime Pies on a stick? how about the Chicken Fried Bacon on a Stick? I am not lying!! My son is still trying to create the Soup on a Stick (as sun by Brack and Zorack). So Something on a Stick Day celebrates things on a stick, have fun with it! I think I WILL put those olives on a stick (toothpick) before I throw them in my martini. happy.

The Florida Agricultural Museum's 3rd annual "A Walk Back in Time"...

This weekend my crew and I are camping at the Flordia Agricultural Museum. What a great place! If you have not been there it's a great day trip. It is off of Old Kings Rd. just south of St. Augustine (off of US1, past 95) it is actually in Flagler County next to Princess Place. Acres and Acres of marvelous peace and quiet. The museum is run by volunteers and the festivals that are held there pay for the maintenance of the farm animals, rebuilding of the historical buildings, etc..

Visitors to the museum can visit a fully restored 1890s pioneer homestead, a turn of the last century Dry Goods Store, five restored buildings from a 1930s Depression-Era citrus operation, and a 5,000 square foot dairy barn formerly belonging to Governor of Florida, Millard Caldwell. All of these exhibits were moved from their original locations and renovated with grant funds provided by the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources.

In addition to preserving Florida’s agricultural past , the museum is also active in the conservation of heritage livestock including rare Florida Cracker Cattle and Horses. The Florida Agricultural Museum provides a fun and educational experience for all ages.

"A Walk Back in Time" is a wonderful educational experience to be shared by the young and the old. Take a walk through the encampments and learn about the Timucuans, Spaniards, free blacks of the colonial era, British, Seminoles, Confederate era cow cavalry, moonshiners, and women of the rural South.

Food and other recreational activities will be provided. This is a fun and educational experience suitable for the entire family. It will take place on a 3/4 mile trail on uneven ground through the woods. Suitable clothing and sturdy shoes are strongly recommended. Admission is $6.00 for adults and $4.00 for children. For more information contact the museum at 386.446.7630.

I am so luck that we are lucky enough to be asked to help out with the festival - YAY free camping! bonus.

Friday's Fab Finds

Featsy - sounds like it should have something to do with a foot fetish...mmmm...now there's something to talk about, but no: Feasty, which is found on subsushi.net is a relatively new site that allows you to receive updates when you have been featured on Etsy's website! Wow - that means no more searching Google for gift guide features, or searching Flickr to see if you've been on the Front Page.
There is even a place that tells you who has been featured on Etsy the most and most recently.
When you register, for free, you tell it which email you want the alerts to be sent to. There is a reminder on the front page that this is all a work in progress so just how much better it could get!
http://www.subsushi.net/featsy/index.html

Have any of you used Featsy? How well do you think it works and are there other sites that offer the same features? Let me know!

Bucket Lists

I saw an R.V. driving through town and on the front of it was "Bucket List" and I just thought: now there's someone living their dream.

How many of you have thought about what would be on your bucket list? How many of you have actually made a bucket list? and how many of you have been able to cross something off?

I am sure many like me have thought about compiling their bucket list but never actually get around to doing it. We all have dreams, we all have things that we want to do but to me it feels as if it would be a failure if after writing it down I did not succeed at actually doing it. So I have decided to make a "doable bucket list" - things that I want to do, have often thought about but for one reason or another I just haven't. Hopefully by making this list public I will feel more compelled to dedicating the time to complete at least some of these:
* eating a fish taco - I know! I live in St. Augustine for crying out criminies
* going to Ripley's Believe It or Not - I think I may have gone as an infant, but who remembers?
* take my dad to the movies - it may seem easy enough but he is a hard person to impress. He likes movies, but GOOD movies and I never seem to coordinate it right so that it is a good movie, we are both free, it has to be a matinee and I'de like it to be for a special occasion since it never happens
* have the house air vents replaced - I know this may seem more like a To Do List kind of thing, but with the entire family suffering from some sort of breathing disorder it is more something I would like to do to know if it really matters.
* go walking on the beach more often, just to go walking as a hobby
* put my picture collection in actual photo albumsYIPPEEEEE!
* there is a small island that the train tracks go over on the Sebastian Rivera and ever since I was a child i thought it would be cool to be able to go there
* I want to take my parents and inlaw to Disney Animal Kingdom. They say they are too old "that stuff" but I think that we could enjoy the animals and vegetation just until they get tired and we can leave, I tell them we don't have to do the whole park - just something
* I want to read, all day. just guilt free reading. Pick up a book and put it down to pee and eat.

So I am going to continue adding to and subtracting from my list. It seems to make me happy that I actually wrote things down!
What about you? What's your bucket list?

Wednesdays Share

MAIL CALL!! Have you ever thought about how much time you waste sorting through junk mail? The average American spends eight months of their life just opening it! So many times even though I know it is junk mail and I am not interested in it I feel compelled to go through the motions of opening it up, looking it through - maybe it's the guilt-bug (I was raised catholic) or the respect factor, or sometimes I hope that I can find something in there that won't go to waste like a free sticker or postcard. Nonetheless it is a waste of time and a big waste of paper!
There are a lot of different websites out there that give information on how to take your name off of the mailings lists but I have found a great link that has compiled many different ways to keep the junk mail down. Eco-cycle offers "Stop the Junk Mail Monster" to help you remove your name from mailing lists and much much more..
http://ecocycle.org/junkmail/index.cfm#step3
If you know of any similar sites that offer the same service please let me know!!

Did u know that the four-leaf clover is often confused with the shamrock. While the four-leaf clover is a symbol of good luck, the three-leafed shamrock is mainly an Irish Christian symbol of the Trinity and has a different significance. St. Patrick used the shamrock in his teachings to symbolize the Trinity or the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit existing together as one God. Many believe that the word "shamrock" was derived from the Gaelic word for the clover: "seamróg."

The four-leaf clover on the other hand is an uncommon variation of the common, three-leaved clover or shamrock. According to tradition, such leaves bring good luck to their finders, especially if found accidentally. According to legend, each leaflet represents something: the first is for hope, the second is for faith, the third is for love, and the fourth is for luck.

Monday Madness

mAd, Mad, maD I say! Every Monday I will share my finds about great giveaways that are going on and the first one I would like to tell you about is


Natural Mommie has a fun yet informative blogspot! She is doing a tasty giveaway starting March 21st: a gift card to Starbucks worth $25.00! Just click on the link above, or her site button in my sidebar and enter to win. You can even earn extra entries by telling her who you would treat if you had a $25.00 gift certificate for some yum-ness at Starbucks.
Thanks Amanda!!

Have I mentioned how much I love my hometown? I grew up here in St. Augustine, Florida. It's beautiful. I have traveled and lived elsewhere, but this is home and I truley would not want to live anywhere else.

Every Sunday morning my husband, Robert, and I get up and go downtown for breakfast. We love to walk through the streets early in the morning before all the hustle gets started. Our son often comes with us if he doesn't have other plans - most times he will bring his friends along. Even our family knows that when they come to visit if they are here on Sunday they come to breakfast with us. We sit, watch the tourists, read the paper, chit-chat, catch up and just enjoy life.

The joints have changed throughout the years - right now we are diggin Gaufre's & Goods. It is a delightfully European feeling place right in the middle of downtown on Aviles Street (featured in the picture). The owners are the sweetest people ever and they make everything from scratch and most of their key ingredients are imported from Poland. Their specialty is Waffles..mmmm...handmade to order however you want with fresh whipped cream, nutella and fruit or even icecream if you want (my son's favorite) or if you prefer there are yummy blueberry pierogies, and the pastry case is always full of the most mouth watering patries.

We look forward to this all week long - it's our little way of giving ourselves a pat on the back, afterall life is too short for Special K everyday!

Ahhh Saturday -

Today is Saturday, no sleeping in at our home on Saturdays - we have to get up and get ready for scouts. My husband, Robert, and I are Scout Leaders. We started as Cub Scout leaders and Webelos Leaders when our son was in elementary school and when it was time for him to cross over into Boy Scouts we decided to form our own troop and now, over 10 years later, we have transformed the Boy Scout Troop into a Boy Scout Venture Crew. Some of these kids have been with us for so long we feel like extended family. My son earned his Eagle this past January (picture in sidebar), we had another boy earn his Eagle in February and we are now working on a 3rd Eagle project with another one coming up in the wings.

Without doubt Robert and I both feel that being scout leaders is just something we are supposed to do, something we enjoy doing and something we truly believe in. We have learned so much by watching these kids grow through the many years. The camping, working, playing, teaching and learning is something we live for!

Having a Crew now is different for us because it is co-ed. I have always had to deal with boys and I understand them, but now I have to learn girls! Thank goodness that so far, in my eyes, we have the creme de la creme.

Last weekend we were playing Simon Says and when Simon said to tie you shoelaces together with the person next to you I should have thought better - but I didn't and now I have a badly skinned knee, a sore leg, a sore wrist and I ripped my favorite pair of jeans! And yes, the jeans are what I am most upset about! It is just too hard to get a good fitting pair of jeans when you're 40 (don't want them too girly, don't want them too "mommy jeans", those low-cut ones are o.k. if you are a size 0 and 1/2 and let's not get started with the name brands meaning different things in the social world!).

So today our crew will be out all day working on this Eagle Project. Hopefully we won't have any disasters. Doubt it - but that adds to the fun!

Friday's Fab Finds

So, I recently found out about a web site called craftcult.com advertisement is a main key to keeping your merchandise out there in the virtual world and lead more people to your site.


If you have a shop you know very well that it is exciting to find out who likes your stuff. Plain and simple! One of the great features that craftcult.com offers is the heart-o-matic. This feature is so simple to use: just type in your site username and it will bring up your information. It tells you who hearts your shop, how many hearts you have on each item, if you have been featured somewhere, how many times you have been viewed and by whom. It is a time saver because you don't waste your time looking at each item to see the hits. Kudos to craftcult.com!

So here I am .....

Several months ago I was encouraged (pushed) by my husband to get off my arse and get my creativity out there in the real world. I have and Etsy site now. If you are not familiar with Etsy.com - you need to be! It is most awesome! There are so many artists out there that have so much to offer and you get this really feel good sense about doing business with the creators in person. I had done a lot of reading and research and at the time it just seemed to be the best move for me and I am so happy that I did it. I have made some sales, earned respect from friends and family and I have made so many friends through Etsy.

Recreationalart.etsy.com is my second home. I am often torn between spending my time listing my products or reading blogs and forums to better learn what I need to do next to promote my shop. I am constantly learning. Hopefully in my future blogs I can share with you things that I have learned, you may know of some or all of them but maybe I can be of some help to some of you .