Holiday Previews for the week

May 31 - National Macaroon Day - Macaroons are made from ground nuts and leavened egg whites. Coconut and potato starch is common in Macaroon recipes. Macaroons were believed to have been first made in an Italian monastery in 1792. While monks are well known for their vows of silence, they just couldn't keep quiet about this tasty treat. It is popular among the Jewish community, especially during Passover, when Jews can not cook with flour. But Jewish or not - they are just gooooood!!

May 31 - Save Your Hearing Day - Many hearing loss problems are avoidable. Hearing loss can result from a variety of reasons, including: health, genetic and environmental causes. On the environmental side, repeated long term exposure to loud, high decibel noises can overtime cause hearing loss. This cause, in particular, is often avoidable. Use Save Your Hearing Day as an opportunity to learn what you can do to avoid hearing loss to yourself, and your family.

May 31 - World No Tobacco Day - According to the World Health Organization's website: The Member States of the World Health Organization created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. In 1987, the World Health Assembly passed Resolution WHA40.38, calling for 7 April 1988 to be a "a world no-smoking day." In 1988, Resolution WHA42.19 was passed, calling for the celebration of World No Tobacco Day, every year on 31 May. World No Tobacco Day brings awareness of the health issues and dependency issues related to tobacco use. World No Tobacco Day stresses the importance of making people all over the world aware of the health dangers of using tobacco. And, it also stresses the addictive nature of tobacco use. JUST KICK THE HABIT!! I did :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

June 1 - Dare Day - Dare Day is a day to challenge someone, and to do a dare yourself. It's a day that daredevils truely relish. Today is definitely a call to action. It is not a day for procrastinators or for hesitation. Come on get out there and dare or D.A.R.E. - I double dare you!

June 1 - Flip a Coin Day - When making decisions needs a helping hand. This tradition dates back to Julius Caesar. Caesar would take a coin and flip it to make decisions where the right choice was unclear. The correct answer was "heads", which of course carried his image on the coin.

June 2 - National Bubba Day - Did you Know? Bubba is the Yiddish word for grandmother. National Bubba Day honors anyone named or called Bubba, formally or informally. You can even take on the name "Bubba" for just the day.

June 2 - National Rocky Road Day - Oh yeah! I like this holiday!! Who can't go for some cool, sweet ice cream on a day like today? Want to make your own Rocky Road Ice Cream? Just add nuts (almonds and/or pecans), mini marshmallows, and chunks of semisweet chocolate to your favorite ice cream recipe.

June 3 - Repeat Day (I said "Repeat Day") - A good day to repeat yesterday. I suppose this is a good day to try to do something that you already tried before but could not properly do, but it is a really great day to repeat eating Rocky Road!

June 4 - Applesauce Cake Day - Applesauce Cake Day is a time to enjoy an old and often forgotten goodie. This is a truely delicious day. Here's a simple recipe if you lost yours:
APPLESAUCE CAKE

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 c. raisins
1 c. chopped walnuts
1 stick butter
1 large egg
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. applesauce
1 tbsp. confectioners' sugar (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Stir together the flour, soda, baking powder, and spices.

In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and then slowly add a portion of the dry ingredients, then a little of the applesauce, and continue alternating wet and dry ingredients, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Add the raisins, walnuts, and vanilla at the end.

Turn into a greased and floured pan, and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tests done. To test for doneness inserted toothpick into the center of the cake -- it should remain clean when removed.

Cool the cake in the pan. Dust with confectioners sugar after removing from pan, when cake is cool.

June 4 - Hug Your Cat Day - oooo, good day! I hug my cat every day, but I will do extra today for the purpose of celebration! You don't have a cat? You can correct this today. The month of June is "Adopt a Cat Month".

June 4 - Old Maid's Day - The year was 1946 (or thereabouts). WWII was over, and millions of soldiers were returning home. There was a huge increase in marriages. Somewhere during this time, it was noted that there were plenty of Maidens waiting for the returning GIs. And, the ladies were not getting younger as they awaited the return of their GI. The long war had disrupted and put on hold many relationships. And, many GIs did not return home. Dances and socials were held to bring together returning soldiers and the many available, unmarried ladies. It is from this occurrence that Old Maid's Day emerged. Old Maid's Day exists to put into the spotlight all of the fair maidens who have yet to find their Prince Charming.
Ladies, celebrate Old Maids Day by getting out and getting noticed. Guys, open your eyes.... "Mrs. Right" may be right under your nose.

June 5 - National Doughnut Day - The term "Doughboy" was popular in referring to U.S. Army infantryman during World War I. American foot soldiers were occasionally called doughboys during the Civil War. The earliest references to the term, comes from the U.S-Mexican war. The original Salvation Army Doughnut was first served by Salvation Army in 1917. During WWI, Salvation Army "lassies" were sent to the front lines of Europe. These brave volunteers made home cooked foods, and provided a moral boost to the troops. Often, the doughnuts were cooked in oil inside the of the metal helmet of an American soldier. The American infantrymen were commonly called doughboys. Salvation Army lassies were the only women outside of military personnel allowed to visit the front lines. Lt. Colonel Helen Purviance is considered the Salvation Army's "first doughnut girl".
Go to Dunkin's if you must - Just enjoy the doughnuts!

June 5 - World Environment Day - created by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 and focuses attention on important environmental issues. Celebrate World Environment Day by learning more and participating in World Environment Day activities and cotributing to organizations supporting environmental issues.

June 6 - National Gardening Exercise Day - Jumping jacks with your junipers, push-ups with your philodendrums...in reality, gardening is exercise. Experts say the various activities and tasks of gardening ultimately uses all of the major muscle groups. In addition, strenuous gardening activities such as raking, hoeing, and digging is both aerobic and muscle strengthening.

June 6 - National Yo-Yo Day - Many believe that the Yo-Yo originated in China as early as 500-1000 B.C. However, their is some evidence that it was first used in Greece even before this time. The Yo-Yo was made wildly popular in America by businessman Donald F. Duncan Sr. He manufactured the "Duncan Yo-Yo" in the early 1900's. Steal your sons yo-yo for the day if you must - go "walk the dog"!

today was "wear a skirt day" in our Scout Crew...it was pretty fun(ny)!! Some of the kids did not participate ...as you can see, but the ones that did had fun. Some a little more than others..

Friday's Fab Finds

festivalnet.com is "The ultimate online source for music festivals, art and craft shows, home & garden shows, and specialty events. Providing extensive show details since 1996!"
Go to the site and click on your state and see what's going on in your area! Everything from music festivals to art shows. You can plan ahead and register in advance and just get organized ! yeah!! we love organization XD

I have been Tagged by Karen of Crystal Velvet Weddings. Karen Clark is a Tiara, jewellery and wedding accessories designer and creator based in South Cave, East Yorkshire. Her online store is www.crystalvelvet.co.uk.
Thank so much Karen for picking me!!!

The rules are:
1. Mention the name of the person who tagged you.
2. Do the lists of 8.
3. Tag 8 bloggers of your choice.
4. Let them know that they have been tagged!

Here we go....

This tag is the eights:
Eight things I am looking forward to:
1. My sons graduation and having dinner out with the family.
2. Summer camp with my Boy Scout Crew.
3. Using my Birthday invitation to go to Disney's Animal Kingdom for the day with my husband!
4. Every day I look forward to 10:00pm, that's when I turn off for the day and relax
5. Finishing the reconstruction of our shower
6. After being layed off for 3 months and getting a new job I can't wait for pay day!
7. Seeing Star Trek at the movies
8. Seeing how my son deals with college and growing into adulthood.

Eight things I did yesterday:
1. Went for a morning run
2. Feed the birds and the squirrels
3. tore out the old shower with my husband (any excuse to get me in the shower - lol)
4. took a very long nap while it rained
5. made dinner
6. took and evening walk with my mom
7. checked emails, online stores and blogs
8. relaxed with my kitty's watching TV

Eight things I wish I could do:
1. Have more patience
2. Take a long vacation and take my husband to Italy
3. Draw
4. Be more social and witty
5. Financially support my Boy Scout Crew so we can do more campouts and less fundraisers
6. finish projects in a timely manner
7. come up with a WOW invention that everyone would need
8. fly

Eight Shows I watch:
1. Friends (luckily they still show it sometimes (I never got to see the whole series because I was out of states)
2. Charmed (ditto)
3. Will and Grace (ditto)
4. Heroes
5. anything HGTV
6. Three and a Half Men
7. Fashion Show and Project Runway
8. Food Network: Ace of Cakes

Eight Blogs I'm going to Tag:
1. gaffergirls ARE GAFFERGLASSUSA
2. YUKA
3. BOHEMIAN CHIC.
4. sassyglassdesigns
5. Allover Art
6. Fabulous Fun Finds
7. glassymom to you!
8. Pamwares

Wednesday's Share

Here's an interesting site if you have not heard of it - If you have slightly used, reusable childrens merchandise that you would like to sell and those mega sites like ebay and amazon seem a bit overwhelming for you, you might want to try mykidscloset.com. You can place unlimited ads for free with no auction or photo fees and you can list all those clothes and shoes that your kids have grown out of as well as childrens books, toys and bedding.

Tues Tech Tools

Did you know that your computer's browser maintains a history of the websites you ever visit?! Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may keep an electronic log of the sites you enjoy perusing. Until recently, this was all just worthless data. But now some ISPs are considering selling these lists to companies that analyze them and then send targeted ads back to you, which is mass spamming! If you're bothered by this, there is something you can do - Go to vancouver.cs.washington.edu and let the site automatically check whether your ISP is using monitoring devices, and at the same time you will be helping them with their research on this topic!

Thank You

Monday Madness

I recently found out about Everythingetsy.com, a place where Etsians can pick up a lot of tips from selling to advertising. On the sidebar of the home page there are links for your clicking enjoyment and one of them is "giveaways". You can go to this page and see all about giveaways going on currently on Etsy, like the business card template giveaway by pixelbypixel.etsy.com.
You can click on the button in my sidebar!

Holiday Previews for the week

via videosift.com



May 24 - National Escargot Day - Oh yeah!? like we needed this day! OK so I am not a snail eating fan, but I guess different strokes for different folks, so you snail eating people enjoy your day!

May 25 - National Missing Children's Day - THis is a serious one guys:
The roots of National Missing Children's Day goes back to the 1970s and 1980s. A number of high profile child abductions revealed no organized plans and efforts to find missing children. The first case was Etan Patz who disappeared from a New York City street while on his way to school, on May 25, 1979.
In 1983 President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25 National Missing Children’s Day. Since then, U.S. presidents have annually marked this day.
Unfortunately, child abductions can happen to any child, any family. No one is immune to child predators. We don't say this to scare you. We say it to help promote awareness and education to help you guard against it.
How about taking some time today to visit the www.missingkids.com or any other site like this one and take some looks at the pictures available. You never know, you just might recognize someone.

May 25 - Tap Dance Day - This day was created in honor of the birthday of legendary tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson on May 25, 1878. This special day is the result of US Joint Resolution declaring May 25th National Tap Dance Day. President George Bush brilliantly signed it into law as a national day on November 7, 1989. So do it! Tap tap tap away today, don't worry if you don't have the proper shoes - just enjoy it!

May 26 - Sally Ride Day - Sally Ride Day was created in honor of the birth date of Sally Ride, the first woman in space. Sally Ride was born on May 26, 1951, in Los Angeles, California. Sally Ride Day honors the first American woman to go into space. Dr. Ride accomplished this feat as a mission specialist aboard STS-7, the second flight of the Space Shuttle "Challenger". STS-7 was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on June 18, 1983. Take the day to commemorate this super occasion, learn more about our space program!

May 27 - Sun Screen Day - Because ultraviolet rays from the sun is a serious risk to your health. With the steady depletion of the ozone layer above the earth, more and stronger UV rays get through. Overexposure to the sun can cause a number of health problems. It can cause skin cancer, and sunspots. It can also result in premature aging of your skin. So Sun Screen Day educates and brings awareness to the importance of using sunscreens to protect yourself and your children from harmful UV rays from the sun. This day is held on May 27th, just in advance of the summer and vacation season.

May 28 - Amnesty International Day - Amnesty International Day recognizes the need to protect human rights around the world. The Amnesty International organization strives to accomplish these goals by providing awareness and recognition of the issues. They work to publicize local and regional problems, and to arouse citizens, governments and politicians to action. Today is a perfect day to learn more about human rights issues.

May 30 - Water a Flower Day - Oh, I know, with all of the water restrictions going on it's so hard to take care of all of our little green friends. But today will be a great day to go out of your way to water that poor ficus in the corner that looks like it will jump out of its pot and leap into your neighbours pool.

Friday's Fab Finds

In case you didn't know it you can go to the USPS web site and they have a whole section there that helps you Calculate Domestic and International Postage. By inputing the size and weight of your package you can find out exactly how much your mailing will cost.

This is a personal favorite of mine: Ellen Whitehurst has a wonderfull blog where she shares her art and profession with the public. Her shuistrology is an astro-logical roadmap to an empowered lifestyle. She does this using the Bagua Map which is a key detailing the various areas of the house that she refers to frequently. She has a really great book out on the shelves too, if you are truley passionate about what she does. It really is fascinating!

Wednesday's Share

Have you encountered Kijiji? This can be a pretty use full site if your community has been formed and there is good traffic. It's kind of like craigslist but more simple and personal. It's a local free classifieds site. Kijiji offers free classifieds around your area to buy and sell goods, find jobs, housing, pets and more. Browse, search or post a free ad with simple instructions. When you click on what you are interested in buying the page opens up with pictures of the items that are for sale. Not bad!

Monday Madness

Whoa - I am sqeezing this one in! Boy did this month fly by, I did not realize we were so far into the month. You should hurry on over to my Etsy FEST Team Blog and get in on a part of this months giveaway before it closes! You just MAY win this beautifull handpainted, one of a kind jewelry box. Lovely blue green color, with gold accents, and finished inside and out. It measures 8 inches wide, 5 inches deep, and 3 1/2 inches tall. It features and asian inspired scrolled design, incorporating tons of little detail. This has been lovingly handpainted by Christina of Purplesmurple, and triple sealed for durability.

Holiday Previews for the Week

May 17 - Pack Rat Day - Ohhhh, I know a lot of pack rats. Sure I may be a pack rat too. After all, junk is only what others collect, right? So what to do today? well DON'T clean! DON'T plan a yard sale! DON'T feel guilty that you own over 50 empty peanut butter jars just because you MAY need them one day. NAY I SAY. Rejoice and be proud. Today is your day!! Actually, how about visiting some second hand shops and rummage sales. Oh happy day.

May 18 - International Museum Day - The goals of International Museum Day are to give museum professionals the opportunity to meet the public, and to make the public aware of challenges faced by museums. This may be a good day for me to visit that Ripley's Belive it or not museum.....

May 18 - No Dirty Dishes Day - WHat does this mean?!?! Pile them up for tomorrow? Hide them away? Eat on paper or plastic plates? THat would all cause waste and hardship! This must mean only one things.....EAT OUT!!!

May 18 - Visit Your Relatives Day - So, I guess if you don't live near your relatives this means you should visit with them by calling or taking the time to write a letter. Well, that sounds nice enough!

May 19 - Boy's Club Day and Girls Club Day - Today is a day to recognize the importance of these groups for our children and to the community. With more and more parents at work, and broken families, these groups take on added importance. There are clubs all over America providing safe recreational activities for our youth. They teach values and citizenship. They help to keep kids out of trouble and off of the street. ADVENTURE!!!

May 20 - Be a Millionaire Day - I suppose if you are a millionaire you really wouldn't know to take the time to enjoy today. If you are not a millionaire there is no sense in sitting around wishing, so? I guess you can just take the time to thank the lord that you are healthy, sane and alive. That makes a millionaire out of everyone.

May 20 - Pick Strawberries Day - Ah, now this sounds like a nice day :) . Being in the middle of the week you may not be able to make it out to the fields to actually pick some strawberries, I think it only fair to quietly think about those fabulous pickers while you pick up a basket at your local market and enjoy a shortcake at home with your family.

May 21 - National Memo Day - Didn't get the memo? It's ok, today you can make and take your own. Leave some for others. Buy some funtastic rainbow color post its and memo away!

May 21 - National Waiters and Waitresses Day - WOW, if you have never had the chance to be a server you are missing out! This is a big eye opener. There is A LOT of work that goes into waiting tables. Americans especially are VERY NEEDY. Times are tough, we all know, but if you do go out today recognize your servers with a little more tip than usual. and say Thank you. Happy Day to all you servers out there!!

May 22 - Buy a Musical Instrument Day - I might NOT tell my son about this one...he LOVES to buy new instruments. How about a kazoo? I think I may need a kazoo!!

May 23 - International Jazz Day - The birthplace and home of Jazz music is New Orleans, La. Until you visit New Orleans and attend a real Jazz show in an authentic setting, you can't fully appreciate the culture and beauty of this great style of music. Jazz it up today!! and no, wearing the carnival beads does not count. well, o.k.. but check out Dave Matthews Band sometime today too

May 23 - Lucky Penny Day - See a penny: pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck!! I silently say this to myself every time I see a penny on the ground, heads up or not! I pick up EVERY penny I see. I can't understand people that don't because they are embarrassed and I REALLY can't understand people that throw them away! I guess that's because I grew up taking my penny's to the Five and Dime and buying my own candy!!

My scout crew has started a blog. Pretty fun! All the kids blog and post and comment and interact and talk about what they want to do and upcoming events. Really cool actually! Today we are going to the Jacksonville Suns Game and then camping out in the outfield. This is generally a Cub Scout Campout but our kids just thought it would be cool to go out and participate and show the scout spirit.

One of those things you never knew you needed but now that you have it you will use it all the time! With SocialMention you simple type in your site name and you can check to see who, where and when someone has mentioned it in their Blogs, Microblogs, Bookmarks, Comments, Events, Images, News Videos, Audio, Q&A, and All. For example I typed in my Etsy shop and there popped up a shot of when I was featured time ago (but at the time I did not know how to same the page pic for my records!):

DANGEROUS CHOCOLATE CAKE-IN-A-MUG

1 coffee mug
4 Tbsp. cake flour (plain, not self-rising)
4 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1 egg
3 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. oil
Small splash of vanilla
3 Tbsp. chocolate chips, optional



Add dry ingredients to mug, mix well with a fork.
Add egg, mix thoroughly.
Pour in milk and oil and vanilla, mix well.
Add chips, if using.
Put mug in microwave, and cook for three minutes on 1000 watts.
Cake will rise over top of mug--do not be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little; tip onto a plate if desired.
Eat!


***And WHY is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only five minutes away from chocolate cake any time of the day or night!!!**

Wednesday's Share

This is a real fun one! If you have not tried MagMyPic.com you are missing out!!
You simply pick a magazine cover you like, upload a pic that you have and save, buy and share. Perfect for posting on MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, Hi5 and other social networks & blogs!!
see....
...adorable!!

Tues Tech Tools

This weeks tech times is pretty cool…not that my husbands other suggestions haven’t been up to this point. I have used this and found it easy to learn and easy to use. Just download the trial and if you like it…get the real program.
watermark-software.com
For any of you that have tried to watermark a photo, and like me you are married to a computer geek, then you know that watermarks are pretty easily removed. Well, according to my husband, that’s not so with this program. Nothing is 100%…but according to him (and his strange friends) this is one tough cookie!
watermark-software.com
Check out all the very cool things you can do with this like position you “mark” by just clicking your mouse. You can add borders, re size, change fonts, colors…on and on. Just download the trial and have some fun!
watermark-software.com
As always… 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. Also, he wants everyone to know that this is not a cheap plug for Watermark-Software; he has just found this to be an extremely effective program is VERY user friendly. I agree!

Monday Madness

Bella Luna (More than just pretty soap) is having her very first giveaway! She is giving away some of her very own awesome hand crafted soap to one lucky winner! You need only visit her blog and follow the few simple rules that she has posted. Good luck to all ! This is a great product, a lot of love goes into the creation of her product and I think that is just really special

To all of you moms out there: have a great day! relax, enjoy and and have a drink

Holiday Previews for the Week

May 10 - Clean up Your Room Day - Really? My kids won't fall for it - I know I wouldn't!!! But hey - that doesn't mean you can't try it

May 11 - Eat What You Want Day - Kill the diet ladies today is the day to forget it and enjoy, savor, gustar all those goodies we usually say no to: enjoy!!

May 11 - Twilight Zone Day - How many of you remember that weird TV show that was created, written and narrated by Rod Serling that aired from 1959-1964.? Today is a day to rock those VHS tapes and watch some reruns....or REALLY have some fun and create you own Twilight Zone episode - ooo, now that sounds like fun!

May 12 - Fatigue Syndrome Day - Today recognizes the fact that sometimes life is just too tiring. Too much work, too little sleep, stressed out? Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is actually a disorder. If you are always tired or fatigued you may want to consider talking to your doctor about it - to day would be a great day to call for an appointment. OR - just tired? Here are some suggested Activities for Today:
Go right back to bed; Take a siesta; use up a vacation day; Cancel activities for the day; Get the picture, get into the day!

May 12 - International Nurses Day - The roots of International Nurses Day goes back to 1953, when Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower to proclaim a "Nurse Day" in October of the following year. The proclamation was not officially made. But, this day was born and eventually gained national recognition.
International Nurse Day is celebrated on May 12, because this it's the birthday of Florence Nightingale.
Give your nurse a smile and a card!

May 12 - Limerick Day - This day marks the celebration of the birthday of Writer Edward Lear (1812-1888). It also, of course, celebrates Limerick poems. Limericks were popularized by Lear in 1846 in his "Book of Nonsense".
A Limerick is a humorous verse or poem. It is five lines longs. It's name come from the city of Limerick, Ireland. The first two lines rhyme with the fifth line rhyme. The third and fourth lines rhyme.
So go ahead read a book of limericks, write your own limericks or have someone recite one for you

May 13 - The roots of Frog Jumping Day go back to Mark Twain's first short story. It was first published in 1865 as "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog". Later, he published it as "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County". It is also known under a third title "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County". So needless to say the best way to celebrate today would be to read Mark Twains story "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog" - but by all means jump around like a frog or if you are like me just go around saying rriiiibbbbbitt!

May 13 - Leprechaun Day - because those tiny Leprechauns with their precious, hidden pot of gold, deserve their own day reserved just for them! According to Irish legend, or folklore, Leprechauns have a hidden pot of gold. If you catch a Leprechaun, he must give you his pot of gold. Since you probably can't find a leprechaun to catch maybe today would be a good day to check in on your own pot of gold and settle some finance issues - or just dance around like a leprechaun!


May 13 - National Receptionist Day - Don't confuse this day for Administrative Professionals Day or Secretary's Day - nope! Receptionists, this is your day!
The purpose of Receptionists Day are two-fold. First, of all it gives recognition to receptionists. After all, they are the first person your customers see when they walk through the door of your company. The great first impression is molded in large part thanks to your smiling, cheerful receptionist. Remember the cards and flowers people and to all of you receptionists out there I SALUTE YOU

May 14 - Dance Like a Chicken Day - The origin of the Chicken Dance song. It was originally titled "Der Ententanz" (The Duck Dance). It was created by Swiss accordion player Werner Thomas of Davos, Switzerland. Thomas created it in the 1950's. Over the years, it quickly became popular, especially at weddings. Wedding or not - do the chicken dance today

May 15 - National Bike to Work Day - was started by the League founded as the League of American Wheelmen in 1880. The event was timed to coincide with the arrival of warmer weather. It has inspired countless bike rides, safety inspections, commuter challenges, ribbon-cuttings, "share the road" promotions, and other varied celebrations of bicycling in communities across the nation.
Bike to Work Week is the third week in May, and the third Friday in May is designated as National Bike to Work Day. So if you work close enough to your home and you can deal with the traffic and weather - go for it! you will be surprised at all of the things that you don't normally notice in the car or on the train.

May 15 - National Chocolate Chip Day - Now this day I like! I think after I bike home from work I will make some chocolate chip cookies and enjoy the day

May 15 - Police Officer's Memorial Day - Created and established as May 15th by an Act of Congress to honor and remember police officers who gave their lives while on duty. These men and women really put their lives on the line everyday when they go to work. Ways to participate in this day: Make a donation to a police officer fund or memorial; Participate in activities honoring officers who have died on duty; Better still, create a memorial event, if there isn't one in your area; Thank your police officers for a job well done; Make some chocolate chip cookies for your local police department.

May 16 - Armed Forces Day - This is simply a day to salute sharply to all of the men and women in all branches of the service who protect our country and you. They can be called upon at a moment's notice to perform a risky and perilous mission for freedom and country. Just how did it all begin? Well, each branch of the military had their own day of celebration. But, on August 31, 1949 then Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of Armed Forces Day. President Harry Truman also announced the holiday in a presidential proclamation on February 20, 1950. All branches of the military were asked to celebrate on this day and they complied on the first Armed Forces Day which was held the following year on May 20, 1950.
I Personally thank all of you out there that do so much for our country.

May 16 - Love a Tree Day - So who doesn't love trees? They are beautiful, they give us shade, comfort and warmth, they give us oxygen, too! Give a tree a hug today and show some love.

May 16 - National Sea Monkey Day - OMG, do you remember these? I was always so afraid to buy them - I was afraid I couldn't take care of them properly: I mean what do you feed a sea monkey? it's not like there are sea bananas! and I was just creeped out by them! The pictures on the box made them look like a happy little family that played together and I was afraid they would talk about me in their little sea world. And besides: they were naked!! and that mom looked a little too sexy to be hanging around those kids naked like that. Do they still sell these? Maybe I should face my fears and get a kit.....

May 16 - Wear Purple for Peace Day - The goal of Wear Purple for Peace Day is to make the world a peaceful place and, of course, encourage alien species to make contact with earth. Be peace full people and put on your purple XD!

Because we all need a superhero in our lives! This one is for my grandson:

Friday's Fab Finds

Shopping Connection is a website that showcases pics of indie made goods that are available online for sale. You can click on something you like and it takes you to the items online store.

IndieSpotting is a part of ShoppingConnection and it is a gallery showcasing fantastic photos of indie and handmade goods available for sale online that are submitted by you or people like you.

Here's the thing... It's free. All you have to do is submit a great picture of your handmade item to Indie Spotting and they'll show it off for you. There are some guidelines you'll need to follow regarding how many pictures to send, how often you can submit them, and photo quality. You'll find all of this info in their FAQ. You can only submit one pic per week, you have the opportunity to send them 52 photos each year - so why not? I mean it is free advertising!

I did it!

Yatta! (for you non Heroes fans that means Yippee!) My sons Eagle Court of Honors was a success. Finally: it's done! I was so thrilled to see everyone that came and to see how the ceremony was conducted. My son was beside himself with all of the attention and he had an excellent speech prepared that surprised all of us. It was great and I know it is something that we will all remember for a very long time!

Wednesday's Share

Do you Ning? I wasn't so sure about Ninging myself but quite honestly the more I Ninged around the more I enjoyed myself. Being a Ninger definitely has it's pros. For example if you are an Etsian you can search through the already 100 plus social networks that have been created - or you can create your own network. Then once you are in - well, you can start networking! You know: talking to people that share your interests, find out who's making what, advertise your own shop, make great friends and just have a Ninging blast!! oh, yeah - and it's free
Do any of you Ning? what's your opinion?

Tues Tech Tools

This week my husband thought that sharing this article might be a good idea and I agree with him. Our Web business makes us aware of the vulnerabilities as well as the strengths of the web and Internet. We also make a point to know what our children are doing on Facebook and Myspace. We encourage them to use all the available technology and make it a point to NOT discourage them. Grandmother was correct (again) saying that forbidden fruit is always the sweetest!

A Scary Statistic
Reported by: Kristin Lowman Email: kristinlowman@fox23news.com

A scary statistic for parents on "sexting". Twenty percent of teens have posted a nude or semi-nude picture of themselves.That message went out to parents from Saratoga County D.A. Jim Murphy at a forum on "sexting" at Shenendahowa High School Monday night.Murphy, who has prosecuted a number of cases involving "sexting", offered advice to parents about knowing your child's passwords and who they are texting, along with tips on how to monitor your child's messages.Murphy stresses that once a child sends a message, it is gone forever.Murphy says, "the minute they press send, it is out of their control forever. In some cases it is picked up by pornography sites and can never be retrieved."Murphy adds that parents should set limits. Make sure you know where your child's phone is charging to keep an eye on their activity and set a time when they can text at night. Also, go over what messages are appropriate and inappropriate.

Monday Madness

http://Audrey's Giveaway Blog should be called Audrey's Awesome Giveaways! There is always something fun going on over there and she is featuring a super Etsian right now - Bow Sweet does a really great job with flowers and bows and hair pins - just click on the button in my side bar and skip on over to get in on the fun!

Friday's Fab Finds

If you are like me and you are clueless on how to make your blog look fancy or just more personalized you can check out thecutestblogontheblock.com. Besides having really great FREE backgrounds and fun accessories to bling out your blog world they also offer some great blog secrets. Go on and check them out - you can click on their button in my sidebar!