Traffic pro

This recipe always reminds me of my mom. This is one of the things that she would bring to gatherings. Everyone always loved it and it is a cool and refreshing dessert on hot days. After making it the first time I realized why she only made it for gatherings. I think I would eat the whole thing if there was no one else to share it with. The picture is of a smaller one but the recipe is for a 9x13 pan. This dessert should be refrigerated until served.

The Crust


Bottom Layer

Have you played 5 Spot yet? Once again it is an addictive thinking game. Can you believe that I make your brain work so hard? Come on and try it! You will like it! Look at that power of persuasion. All you do is click on the five differences between the two pictures. Oh yeah, did I mention you are timed?

We are at a time in this country where we have to face many realities. The economy is not very stable right now so it can be pretty scary at times. Gas prices are causing people to think twice before driving anywhere. We have to plan ahead and get as much done as we can in less trips. This is also causing food prices to rise quite a bit. Gas prices affect many businesses as well as everyday people. They have to pass the costs on to us as consumers.

As we are dealing with rising prices we are not making any more money so where will the money come from? Many people are getting way over their heads in debt and do not know what to do. Everyday you see more and more houses being foreclosed on. I am even starting to see more small businesses closing down. As time goes on these problems affect more and more people. Major companies are doing lay-offs. Some big companies around our town are completely closing the branches in our area.

Now the people that were already hurting from higher fuel and food costs are faced with possibly no job. We all need to think about how this could effect our lives. What things in our life could change if this continues? What spending might we have to cut back on? Can we try to save more money in case we need it in the future?

All of these things need to be planned through and talked about as a family. If you start to see yourself getting late on bills or having trouble keeping up you need to catch it before it spirals out of control. If you do not handle it and plan ahead you will find yourself drowning in debt before you know it. It may be better to consolidate debt before it gets so far that you are faced with possibly losing your house.

Have you done the Colorgenics test yet? I found the test a few years back and I still find it very interesting. It is one of those tests that you find yourself talking about with friends. I always find myself recommending that people try it. So today I will recommend that you try it.

It is not a hard test or even a long test. It is actually quite short and easy. All you do is look at a bunch of colored boxes and choose which one you feel more "harmonious" with. Then you continue picking colors until they are all gone. See I told you, very simple.

In the end you get a kind of personality report. By picking the colors in the order you did it creates a kind of psychological assessment. Here is what the website says on the subject of how it works...

Colorgenics Test

We are all profoundly affected by light. For example, it is now a medically accepted fact that some people become chronically depressed when deprived of adequate daylight. They suffer from what is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.).

We are also affected by the spectrum of colors that are the components of natural light. We often express our emotions in terms of color - "feeling blue" or "seeing red". What is less well known is that careful analysis of our own preferences for individual colors can accurately reflect our unique personalities and state of physical well-being.

Once again women have the power of life. In nature women bring forth life. Women are the caregiver. They run not only families but entire countries. We often hear that behind every good man is a good woman. Women are everywhere working behind the scenes to keep everything together.

Science today has shown us how important stem cell research can be. It is still very controversial because of how the cells are gotten. What if there was a new possibility in stem cell research where it would not be so controversial? They are now finding that menstrual blood has the same potential. Tests About the Science have shown that it can help with some of the same diseases as previously used stem cells. C'elle has developed an easy way for you to save your own cells just in case. No one wants to think about the possibility of disease or cancer but we do need to. If you are interested you can also check out the C'elle Client Testimonial.

Ugh, another year is about to start. Another year of worrying about kids. I sometimes find it hard to maintain that balance between supermom and overprotective mom. That is a hard tightrope to walk. I really hate seeing my kids sad, hurt, stressed, and feeling betrayed. This is all part of growing up though. As all other parents know, you can not protect your child from everything. Well, I guess you could try but then you end up with kids that can not handle problems on their own.

I really think that is one of the hardest things when raising kids. Having to let go and stand back, letting them handle some of the problems. I tend to go through a series of reactions. First I am just there to listen and tell them how much I love them. Then I tell them what I would do in that situation and why I would. Then I ask what they think they will do about it. In the end all I can do is tell them that I love them and I will always be there for them if they need to talk. Why can't we just keep them from any hurt, pain, and stress?

Noelle and I like seafood. James absolutely hate it and hates to even have it cooked when he is around. We only make seafood if he will not be around for dinner and we can air out the house before he gets home. We really like to experiment and try new seafood and new recipes on these occasions.

We have found out that Noelle does not like shrimp unless it is deep fried. This was discovered when I had bought a huge bag of shrimp. I ended up making a spicy breading and frying them so she would eat them. It was the best fried shrimp I have ever had if I say so myself. Of course we are not eating flour right now so that is out of the question right now. We have developed a new no carb recipe though. We have created a wannabe crab puff. We love the crab puffs at Chinese restaurants but yes we can not have them. So we mixed the crab meat and cream cheese and create a lettuce wrap with it. It is pretty good.

I found a pretty neat recipe on a Great American Seafood cook off website. They have five recipes up for vote. Three of them have grilled shrimp so I would be the only one that would eat it. One of them has the skin of the fish facing up on the plate so it did not look good to me. I chose Maryland - Chef Tafari Campbell's Pan Roasted Glazed Rockfish with Peas and Carrots. I do not know if we would like Rockfish. I do not even know if it is readily available in our area. It is always better to use seafood that is from your area. Not only is it more fresh but it also helps out your area.

If you want to check out the five recipes go to www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookOff.com and you can also cast your vote for which one you prefer. While you are there you can also enter your name in a drawing for a trip to Trip to New Orleans.

I have been talking with friends lately and keep getting shocked by how far ahead they are in everything. Last week they were discussing Halloween costumes and now they are talking about Christmas gifts already. I was floored! I thought it was too early to worry about Halloween.

I am always a last minute kind of person. It does add to the stress I already experience but I just do not feel like I ever have enough time to catch up on things let along get that far ahead. I am still scrambling to get all the things I wanted to accomplish during the summer done. School starts on the second and today is our first day of school supply shopping.

All week long I have been getting emails from my card store telling me all about the new Christmas cards that are being added to the store. I kept just leaving the emails aside thinking that it was way too early for Christmas. Now that my friends are all talking about it I wonder if I am the one that is crazy. Maybe I am a slacker and I should be getting everything ready.

I do not think about Halloween until October. I do not think about Thanksgiving until November. The day after Thanksgiving I get in full blown Christmas mode, but never before that. Maybe I am trying to get too much done and in the process I am never ahead of schedule. We are usually the family that is out on Christmas Eve still buying last minute gifts. This year we wanted to make most of the gifts ourselves since the girls are getting older and love making things. I guess I better get my act together and start planning for Christmas.

The The Sproutwells are back. The last episode they added a dog. This time we meet the dad. They also reveal what freshfunds is. In the video they hint that it is where they get things.

When you go to the site you find that it is a new points program. We have gotten a lot from the Coke rewards program since James drinks tons of soda while he is working. This program is great because you are buying healthy foods to get the points. You buy Chiquita or Fresh Express products and collect the points on them. Then you can use your points to bid on items on the sight. Right now they have a Wii Fit up for bid! I would love one of those. It is definitely worth checking out.

School is really starting next week! I can not believe how fast it is coming. We have gotten most of the school supplies but there are still a couple of things that we need to pick up. I can not believe that it has already cost us $200. That does not even include any clothing. That is just the actually bags and supplies.

Of course I keep getting surprised by what things cost these days. We went to the grocery store the other day and I almost passed out. We did not even get that much and it was $215. I feel bad for people that were already struggling with money. I do not know how they can still make ends meet. We have never worried about how much groceries cost and now I find myself cutting back and making smaller meals. We used to bake biscuits or bread loafs with half of our dinners but that is no longer happening. Noelle and I stopped eating bread anyway but the rest of the family is not eating less just because I do not want to make such huge meals any more.

This week's game is pretty cute. These days everyone is getting into games like Diner Dash. This game brings a whole new twist to it. In this game you run a Kindergarten. Actually it looks like a daycare center but whatever. I was not the person that named it. Why not give it a go and see what you think.

Last week's game was pretty hard so I decided to give you all a break this week and not work your brains too hard. This game will be fun but it is also very cute. As always, If you would like more games go ahead and check out the Arcade.

I just took the Bills IQ test. I did pretty well but there are still things that I need to work on. I have not really thought about some of the things much so it was good that I took it. I just never think about checking into cheaper insurance. I just pay and forget about it. I probably could get better car insurance rates if I looked. I also should probably save some of the tax returns money that I get. I always look at it like it is a gift and run out and blow it all. That is money that I work hard for and I should start saving it.

These days everyone is talking about the economy and how so many houses are getting foreclosed on. Gas costs more and food costs more. Many times we forget that we still need to be planning for our futures too. How many people today are just barely getting by. They have no way to plan for a future. They are just trying to get through today.

For many people Debt consolidation is the best place to turn. Many people are drowning in their own debt and just want to get by. The need some form of Debt relief. If you are struggling to get caught up on bills and do not know where to turn for Debt help Bills.com might be the answer.

Men rule the barbecue and women belong in the kitchen. Throw that theory on the fire! Today’s gals are blurring the traditional cooking gender lines and grabbing the tongs to “man” the grill. Not only has the popularity of barbecuing skyrocketed in the last few years, but nearly 21 million women reported doing more grilling than their significant other, according to a 2007 Propane Education & Research Council survey.

Grilling has evolved from a summer-only staple to a year-round cooking method for many of us. Not only does food hot off the grill often taste better than stove-top or oven-baked fare, it’s also more convenient, requires less clean-up, and can serve as a social activity. What’s not to like? And, let’s not forget that food prepared on the grill is often lower in fat, since many of the naughty calories drip down through the grate.

Marinades, sauces, wet and dry rubs, spices, fresh herbs… how’s a girl to choose? Finding the perfect flavoring is a science. But while experimenting with different marinades and rubs can yield delicious pay-offs, you do not need them. To really make great-tasting food, all you need is olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. This is especially true when grilling more expensive cuts of meat or types of fish.

If you’re partial to teriyaki, barbecue sauce or another sugary marinade, brush it on the meat only in the last 20 minutes of cooking so that it caramelizes without burning. If you’re making your own marinade, use citrus juice or another acid to tenderize the meat before it hits the grill. The biggest mistakes people make while grilling are too high a flame and turning your food too often.

Charter is now giving away a free laptop everyday for 30 days. Wow, what an incentive to sign up. If you have not already gotten broadband internet what are you waiting for? The difference is amazing. I can not imagine not having it. No more waiting to connect to the internet. No more slow downloads. No more sitting and waiting for websites to load. It is always connected. Always ready for you when you need it.

I would be lost without it. I find myself looking things up online all day long. I find a plant in the yard that I am unsure of and I look it up. I want to do something different for dinner and I look it up. The sky gets a bit cloudy and I go to the computer to check the weather. I would hate to go through trying to connect and waiting for everything.

What better time than right now to get broadband? School is about to start and kids are getting more and more homework that requires them to look things up online. Charter is having some great deals on all of it's services right now. Then you add on the extras Charter is throwing in. I already love that I can get everything from Charter all in one. We have our cable, phone, and internet through them. If I did not have them already I would definitely sign up.

Charter Laptop-a-Day Giveaway

These are their current deals...Charter High-Speed® Internet at $19.99/mo for 6 months, Charter Digital Home™ and High-Speed Internet at $69.98/mo for 6 months or Charter Digital Home™, High-Speed Internet, and Charter Telephone® at $99.97/mo. for 12 months. After purchase, the buyer will be sent a Free Shell gas gift card and is automatically entered to win 1 of 30 HP Compaq Presario C770US Laptops. Who would not love to get free gas? I wish I could win one of those new laptops too!

I just installed Snap Shots and I am not sure if I will keep it. Snap Shots enables readers to get a little preview of the site a link goes to before they decide to click on it. All the little bubble things that are now by the links are what open up the Snap Shots for each link. When you first sign up for it you get told that you get a share of the ad revenue but they do not explain it very well until after you do it all. I assumed that it was like an affiliate program and you got money for views, sales, or clicks. You are actually giving them free space on your site to place their own ads. You just get to add one ad of your own that they will show once in awhile. It does not sound too good to me any more. So now I am deciding on if giving my readers a preview of the links is worth giving away free ad space to a website that already makes plenty of money of their own. I chose my Disney DVD Club ad and as you can see they rarely show it.

So do any of you use Snap Shots? What do you think of it? Readers do you find it annoying or helpful? Any comments would be appreciated. It will help me decide if I really want to keep it on my blog or not.

I just found some information about this website. When I checked out the website I found some pretty cool things. It has a way to make phone calls on your computer but better yet it also lets you make lower priced international calls on your cell phone. Tabrio Mobile (Beta) is a new service they just added. Where was this company when James' work gave him the trip to Puerto Vallarta? We had to go through sitting on hold with our cell phone company to get international calling enabled. After all the time on hold we still could not talk often because they charged outrageous prices. We could have really used this service then. It looks extremely simple. You just text JOIN to their number and then dial CALL before you make the calls. Quiting is easy too. All you need to do is text Stop to their number and it will be stopped. Sounds pretty easy.

For those that read our magazine, we have a new addition. For those that do not, why the heck aren't you?

The Food and Cooking section has become even better. As you can see above there is now a way to check out past recipes as well. You can find recipes organized by date, topic, or course. You can also search by keywords. I hope you will all enjoy this new feature. Don't forget, this section along with the Garden and Home & Lifestyle sections are new every Monday. You can always find the link to the magazine at the top of this page.

We have all heard some bad pick up lines I am sure. Years ago I worked at a sports bar. I heard plenty of bad pick up lines. Here are some of the most memorable.

• You must be tired because you have been running through my mind all night.
• Do you wash your jeans in Windex because I can see myself in them?
• I bet your dress would look better on the floor tomorrow morning.
• What are you doing later besides me?
• You might not think I am much now but after a few beers you will love me. (Remember the old milk commercials with the little boy trying to pick up the woman?

I do have an all time favorite...

It was an old man that would come in and play pool every night. Every night he would find a way to work this into the conversation..."I can't wait until tomorrow". He would always walk away before I could ask why. Finally after he had been sneaking that in every night for ages he asked it and did not walk away. So after he said, "I can not wait until tomorrow" I finally was able to ask why. The old man then said, "because you get prettier everyday". How adorable is that?

Extreme Style by VO5 has a Ultimate Flirting Championship game. I saw it on a blog before and checked it out since curiosity got me. It is kind of like a little love connection game. There are questions, answers, and flirting. In the end the one person that asks the questions gets the chance to talk with the person that had the most answers that they liked. It is pretty cute.

Our lives have changed drastically since we moved back to Wisconsin. We no longer live in a subdivision with a pool and clubhouse. We no longer go hiking up mountains on the weekend. All of these things got left behind when we left Arizona. We really have not gotten any new pass times to replace them. This means a lot less physical activity.

Now that we live in a very small town there really is not much to do other than sit around and eat. You can probably already tell what I am about to say. We have been gaining weight since coming to Wisconsin. So it is time to do something about that. About two weeks ago Noelle and I decided to go on a no carb diet. I did it years ago but I did not do it as strict. I was thin at the time and just wanted the extra push to get 10 pounds off.

This time I am doing it all the way. Most people do not realize that all the way means no fruit and very few vegetables. Fruits have sugars and some vegetables are very starchy. Yes, I know that is not healthy to do for a prolonged period of time. I have no plan on doing it forever. We get a lot of criticism from people for doing it so I was very happy to find information about this book in the newspaper.

I always read Dr Gott when it is in the paper. This time I found it talking about a book he wrote. It is the No Flour, No Sugar Diet. It is a way to make the no carb diet healthy and a life change instead of just a diet. All it cuts out is any form of flour and things that have sugar added. Fruit is fine and vegetables are fine. All you cut out is the stuff your body has no use for anyway. I found it pretty interesting.

So the Reader's Digest has published their Are You Normal or Nuts? article. It is funny and it can be helpful. I know that I am beyond help though. I do some very crazy things. I, powered by the internet, check way too far into thing. Everything I hear about I look up to see if it is really true. People that I meet and will have to continue to talk to I tend to look up online. Examples: We meet someone that seems a bit off. I look them up. The girls ask if they can go to a friend's house. I look them up.

I do not mean just Google them. I also look up their court records. If it is my kids going to their house I add in checking the sex offender registry too. I will not let my kids go to a house that has a sex offender close by. I must say that every time we move I visit the sex offender registry nonstop before we go to look at houses.

I have other crazy things that I do but I think those are the biggest. James tells me that I am going overboard but I feel safer when I do. I have tried to cut down on it. I actually have made a point to not learn peoples last names if I really want to like them. That way I can develop an opinion before I learn too much.

So Are You Normal or Nuts? Do you have weird quirks? Do you do things that people would thing are crazy? Do you have irrational fears? I would love to hear about them. I think it helps to get it out and admit them.

Our weekend went by way too fast. Friday we worked some out in the yard and got some laundry done. We also started to go through some clothes that need to be donated so we have room in the closets for new school clothes. Saturday we cleaned up a bit before company arrived. We have not really had anyone over since my parents were here last month on vacation.

James' boss, his wife, their two year old boy, and another man from work came over. It was a nice night. The men played pool and darts most of the night. I got to know the wife some. We talked a bit about the things we have in common because of the men working for the same company. We both just had our families move here in the winter. We both have had to move our families quite a bit.

I also got to have a little kid around again. I kind of miss little kids. They are so cute and sweet. No arguing with you. Do not get me wrong I got fixed after girl #3 and I still believe that was a good choice.

We did have a good night though. I even grilled up some chicken, burgers, and corn for us for dinner.

I have had trouble with my wrists for some time now. I used to find my self going to pick things up and then feeling a jolt of pain. Some of the time I would just end up dropping whatever I was holding. That can end up a big mess or even dangerous.

When I started the main website I was adding pages at about 3 per day. Some days I did more or less but that was my goal everyday. I started to have trouble with my wrists again. Now that I am blogging I find my wrists hurt most of the time as I type. Then you add on the dropping of Entrecards and the pain can really put a damper on it. I have found myself having my kids do the last few drops for me at times.

I just came across this product that promises to give carpal tunnel relief. The Smart Glove comes in three different types. The regular one, one with a thumb, and one if you want one to wear at night. The glove helps you keep your wrist stable so you can go on with your daily life. It keeps your wrist in a position that will stop further injury. This also allows your body to start healing some of the damage. It looks like it would really help.

I can not believe that summer is almost over. Where did the time go? I had so many plans that have not gotten done. We have been very busy around the house and yard. I have been very busy on the websites. James has been extremely busy with work. That all adds up to very little free time. We had wanted to take a few trips to Wisconsin Dells but there just has not been the free time. Then you add on that James seldom wants to be too far away from his stores. He is convinced that the world will fall apart the second he is too far to fix it.

I would love to try to rush some trips in before school starts but I am sure that won't happen. We are now becoming even more busy with the added stress of school starting soon. I can not believe it is already time to start buying school supplies. Noelle grew a lot over the summer so she needs a whole new wardrobe. That should be fun. She takes forever to pick out things that she likes. Summer was nice while it lasted.

We received a Disney Bingo game in the mail a couple of weeks ago. All we knew ahead of time was that we would be getting something mailed to us. The day it came we did not notice it until we were heading out the door. Neona noticed it on the front steps and yelled to me as we were about to hop in the car. We of course had to stop and open it before we left. The second we saw what it was Neona lit up. She loves Disney anything and she loves Bingo. We seldom play bingo because there always needs to be a person calling out numbers.

The rest of the day the girls kept asking when we could play the game and if we could play it right away when we got back home. The rest of the day was rushed because they really wanted to play. That night after dinner we played all together. What a neat little game! It came all together in a handy sturdy cardboard box with a Velcro closure and plastic handle to carry it.

The game includes the bingo cards, chips, and the game on DVD. I LOVE IT! The DVD does the boring part of calling out the numbers so I do not have to. I can just have fun and play along. It does a great job of calling out the numbers too. Each number is also a Disney character. This is great for little kids that are still learning their numbers. The game also has a wild spot once in awhile. They play movie clips and then tell you what color you can put your chip on. The girls had a blast and so did I. Neona loved that it was bingo and all the Disney characters. Nicole loved that I could play along. Noelle tries to be all grown up but she loved it too. The next day they found a whole new reason to love it. When I was busy they could still play because the DVD does it all.

This is definitely a game to get. It is great for kids of all ages and it makes it possible to play bingo with any number of people since the DVD does it all. You can find it on sale at Amazon or my Making Memories store. You will find links to get there in the right tool bar.

Okay, the Friday game is back this week. Untangle is a great game! I hope that you will like it. It is definitely a puzzle for the brain and it is definitely addicting. OMG, I can not stop playing this game. If I am behind on contacting you it is because of this game. I play until my head is about to explode. This is going to be a hard weekend to get everything done in. I am already pretty busy. Come on play the game you know you want to. Everyone is doing it.

Happy weekend, I hope you all have a great weekend. Get outside some and get some fresh air. Play a little and relax. Make sure you have fun and make some memories!

Well, those that have been to the blog for awhile know that I will not say more than that I live in one of the many small towns that surround Madison, WI. If you looked at my profile you will see that I do not use my kid's first names on any of the sites. If you really have paid attention you will have also noticed that we do not allow pictures of our children on any of the sites.

So when I was asked to make a slideshow on Roxio I right away knew what the slideshow would be about. Our fur babies of course. We love our animals in this house and we love to take pictures and show them off. I have been thinking about showing pictures of them but I always get sidetracked. I do not have pictures of all of the animals available right now but I would love to share with you some of them.

I do not have many photos of the pets on the laptop so I will have to show some more at a later date. As you can see Jack and Padfoot love snow. Kinko truly believes that she is queen of the house and we are just here to feed and pamper her. Creating a slideshow with Roxio online was super easy and fun. I really like how they have an intro you can add with a title and creator. I will definitely make another one.

Wow, I did not realise how long it has been since I have really gotten out. With it being summer there are always things to do in the yard. Of course there are also the other things that I really wanted to get accomplished over the summer. Then you add in the work I want to get accomplished on all of the sites. This means that I pretty much do not have time to just waste.

Today was different. It was not that big of a deal but it sure seemed like it. Now we live in a small town with nothing but two gas stations, a Subway restaurant, and a way over priced drug store. This means no shopping for me. James picks everything up on his way home from work. He also usually makes all the trips to the bank since the bank is a 20 minute trip into Madison.

This morning was so hectic... This means that I really wanted to get some work done on the laptop before James took it to work. James on the other hand really wanted to leave. I hate sitting at a desk to work. It is much nicer to work from the couch. So in all the rush I ended up forgetting to give James the deposit I wanted him to make at the bank.

The girls and I decided to drive to Madison and make the deposit ourselves. We stopped to talk James into leaving work early and it worked. So we went to Target and then Petsmart. We should not be let into Petsmart. We get a little crazy. Then we decided to get some dinner. It has been ages since we have gone out to eat since there are no restaurants in our town. We did not do anything special. We just did not want to drive all the way home and then have to cook dinner too. So we just quick stopped off at Old Country Buffet. The girls love buffets so they were thrilled. I was surprised they did not want Mc Donald's. They do not get fast food very often a buffet is the closest they get. I am sure it is a pretty plain day for most people, but since we moved to the small town in January it is a big deal.

You may all remember me talking about the film A Long Way Down. This is another one night only opportunity. I.O.U.S.A. is a documentary that will only play on Thursday, August 21st. It is from the studio that brought us Super Size Me. They already got us thinking and talking about the health of our nation. How could they top that? Now they are talking about the state or our economy and the nation debt.

The documentary is followed by live discussions with economic experts. Warren Buffet, Pete Peterson, and Dave Walker. They will discuss the state of our economy, the financial state of our nation, and what will need to be done for us to get out of this state.

This should prove to be a very interesting discussion. It will definitely get everyone thinking and talking. We need to stop spending our children's future. It will also be very interesting to find out what the presidential candidates will have to say about the documentary and live comments.

I have also included in this post a video for you to check out. If you are interested, I suggest you check out the website and see what movie theatre near you is showing the documentary.

It seems like lately every time I go to one of our computers one of the girls runs over to beg me to not turn off their game. After a few days of this I decided to actually check what game they have been playing. They have been playing Sharkrunners on the Discovery Channel website. At first I did not pay much attention to it. I just left it minimized. Then I would check on it once in awhile because it seemed like nothing ever happened. Finally this morning I got to the computer to find the screen said that a shark was in range. It asked me what I wanted to do. I looked around to find that the girls were all asleep still. So I sent a three person dive team to explore. Then another shark was in range and I did it again.

By this time the girls started to wake up and see me playing the game. They naturally wanted to check on their game. I found myself not wanted to give up the game. I guess I am started to like it. It seems pretty neat. It is an on going game but the best part is that the game continues even if you do not have it on. It even emails you if you are not playing and a shark is in range. There is even a leader board of people competing around the world.

Sharkrunners

Sharkrunners is a game of oceanic exploration and high stakes shark research. Players take on the role of sharkrunners: daring and adventurous marine biologists who seek to learn as much as possible about sharks through advanced observation techniques.

Real-world telemetry data provides the position and movement of actual great white sharks in Sharkrunners, every shark that players encounter corresponds to a real shark out in the actual ocean.

As parents we tend to have way too many things that need to get done. We also have way too little time to get it all done. How many time do we need things done around the house? How many times do we need to find someone that really knows what they are doing in their particular area? The next problem is where do we find them.

If we just look in the phone book we still face the same problem. How do we know if they really are good at what they do? How do we know they are trust worthy? That is where this website I just discovered comes in. It is a not just another directory they check out the companies and then certify them. All companies in their directory have the required licenses for their field and are in good standing with the Better Business Bureau.

How perfect is that? So say you live in Dallas and need new countertops all you do is look up Dallas countertops. Same thing if you need a Realtor in Chicago. You find the quality people you need and they did all of the work of checking them out. Time is precious when you are a parent.

I was just checking out a website that helps people get back the diminished value of your car if you get in an accident and it is not your fault. It made me realize once again how lucky I was when the girl hit my Jeep. I was parked in a parking lot with a stick shift car in front of me. The vehicles were facing each other head on. The girl was not paying attention when she started her car and it was still in gear. She had left it in gear when she parked. As she started it her car jumped forward and slammed into the front of my Jeep.

Luckily I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee so I did not get much damage. When she backed up her car it ripped my front vanity plate and it's holder off of my bumper. Nothing really happened to my vehicle. I just had to buy a new license plate holder and vanity plate. Her car on he other hand was a mess. The bumper was pushed in and the hood was bent in half. This is also why we always drive SUVs. That and the need for 4WD.

I was freaking out when it happened. I was very worried that when the two vehicles got pulled apart my poor baby would be hurt. Yes, I am very protective of my Jeep. I would have been very upset if there was more damage to my vehicle. That is why this website seems so cool to me. It helps you get back the money you are losing when the value of your vehicle goes done because of an accident and it is not your fault. You can still get money back for up to four years after an accident. They even give free estimates. Thank goodness I did not need them but if you ever get in a car accident or you have been in one in the last four years you should check them out.

This morning I posted my Friday Game only to find out that in Firefox it created a mess of my template. Most people in Entrecard are now using Firefox so that they can also use the new Entrecard Toolbar. So I decided that I will not be posting a game today. I just do not want to play around with it today and end up just getting annoyed. I am sorry if anyone was looking forward to a game today. You can still play games in the Arcade section of the main website anytime you feel like it. It will always be at the top of the page with the navigation buttons.

Summer school is now over and the week of fun and relaxation afterward is over. So this week has been a week of getting down to business and catching up on things. We had so many plans for the summer and nothing really has gotten done. I should say that I had many plans for the summer. The girls are not too thrilled with it all.

This week has been spent doing tons of yard work and tons of organizing around the house. The girls are really big on "break time". I can get them to do almost any chores as long as they know that afterward they will get a break. It is always a preplanned thing too. That way they work faster to get to the break. This week the breaks have been used to watch movies we have not seen yet.

I joined the Disney Movie Club a few months ago. They have been one of our sponsors for awhile and so I figured that I should join and check it out. Actually that is more of an excuse for me to spend more money and buy more movies. We have a huge DVD collection. When we moved to this small town I stopped buying movies. I rarely do the shopping any more since there are no stores in this town. James runs stores in two different cities so he does all the shopping on his way home.

I had thought about joining for awhile but I was busy and I kept putting it off. Finally I joined the Disney Movie Club. We had a blast picking out all the movies for the introductory package. The girls and I all sat at the computer trying to decide. I forgot how many Disney movies came out when I was little that they had never seen. There are also a lot of movies that came out recently and I had not even heard of them.

So this week we watched Ella Enchanted (adorable & funny) and Game Plan (Something for everyone- funny, adorable, & football). I do not know where I have been that I had not even heard of them. I only got them because they were the pick of the month. I am glad that I did get them though because they were really good movies. We still have a few movies from the introductory package to watch. I just had to buy The Black Hole even though I know it is not the best movie. I really do not remember much about it other than that I saw it when I was a kid and it was Disney trying to compete with Star Wars. My kids love Star Wars so I have wanted to watch The Black Hole with them for years but I never could find any one that was selling it. I was very happy to find out that the Disney Movie Club has tons of movies that you can not find anywhere else.

Have you seen the Sproutwells? I do not quite know what to think about them yet. They are interesting and a bit funny though. I wonder what will come of them next. They are a fruit and veggie family that moves into a normal human neighborhood. Will they fit in? Will they be in for a rude awakening when they see what humans do with fruits and vegetables?

If I had to be a fruit or vegetable I wonder what I would pick. Maybe a tomato because they can be made into many things. Oh wait, I guess the point would be to not get eaten. In that case I would be an artichoke. Then I would taste great but still have those sharp tips so I can still fight back.

(ARA) – Millions of vehicles -- both new and previously owned -- are purchased each year, and with the uncertain economy, people are holding onto their cars much longer, well after the original warranty has expired. For most people, a car or truck is one of their biggest investments. So how do you protect it for years to come?

A Vehicle Protection Plan is an extended warranty that covers a vehicle for up to seven years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. In addition to providing protection against unexpected and costly mechanical and electrical breakdowns, most plans include 24-hour emergency roadside assistance, towing, rental car reimbursement and tire road-hazard protection.

Even when your vehicle is in great shape, mechanical breakdowns are a reality that can happen at any time to any vehicle. This is why the manufacturers only offer warranties for a limited time period. The older your vehicle is and the more miles it has, the higher the chance a breakdown will occur. A Vehicle Protection Plan is a good investment to protect yourself today from a costly repair bill in the future.

Security National Warranty understands that an extended warranty is a big investment, but so is your car or truck. They offer a wide variety of coverage, deductibles and financing options. They will customize your extended warranty especially for you.

It might be considered convenient to purchase an extended warranty from your auto dealership, but it’s not cheaper. Car dealers often re-sell an extended warranty for two to three times the cost of what they paid. And if they don’t show you the contract in advance, you have no idea what features and benefits you’re receiving.  

Security National Warranty offers extensive coverage at wholesale prices directly to the consumer. Their bumper-to-bumper, extended warranties are valid at any licensed mechanic or dealership in the United States and Canada and many offer 24-hour roadside assistance, car rental and towing allowances and more. Claims are paid directly with no time-consuming middleman to worry about. *

For a free quote visit Security National Warranty and start protecting your vehicle today.



Copyright © 2008, ARAnet, Inc.

Well the thunderstorms started last night and it is supposed to be storming off and on for a day and a half. This means bored and grumpy kids. My kids hate being stuck inside and seeing how dark and gloomy it is outside does not help. I thought that today might be a perfect day for window paints. It will give them something to do and brighten up the day.

Window Paints

You Will Need

Powdered tempera paint
Clear dish detergent
Paintbrushes

Add the dish detergent to the tempera paint slowly until you get a smooth, paint-like consistency. Clean the window. When it is dry, start painting your picture. To clean off the paint, simply wipe the window with a paper towel, then clean the window with your regular window cleaner. Very simple.

These days airlines are trying to deal with the rising oil prices just like we are. They have cut back the amount of flights they are making and have raised the price of tickets. Many airlines are also cutting back on staff to cut more costs. What has not really been discussed much is how they are cutting back on many of the extra frills that people came to expect.

Many people try to rest while traveling. They will no longer be able to get pillows and blankets on their flights. With all of the luggage you already have to drag around, who wants to carry their own pillow and blanket? You really can not carry much with you now that carry-on rules have become more strict and size is a bigger issue.

Cabin Cuddler has that all covered for you. It is a travel blanket that is made to fit around your body and cover you completely. It even has a pocket to keep your feet warm. It also has an inflatable pillow that is very easy to blow up. Now you can be completely comfortable anywhere. Plus all you need to carry is the small bag that is the Cabin Cuddler.

The Cabin Cuddler would be great for use in many places. It would be great for those cold office buildings. It would also be great to keep in your car in the winter for emergencies. It would also be very handy to keep around when you have kids that tend to get cranking and need naps when you are away from home.