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I received another album to do a review on and I really enjoyed it, but I did not fall in love with the group until I looked up more information about the group for this review. They play great music but they are so much more. They have created a whole animated world to go with their music.


One EskimO is four very talented men from London. Their music is beautiful and relaxing. The animation that goes with it is adorable and it fits so well as the story unfolds. I love the idea of creating a whole world around the music. They really are very talented men.



I just had to include a video so you can check out the music and animation for yourselves. If you would like to check out more info on the band head over to the One eskimO website. You can also check out more of the One eskimO animation on the WB website.



One eskimO is on tour now. See if they are going to be playing near you!

(All dates opening for Michael Franti & Spearhead except Coachella, Mountain Jam and Mile High Festival)

May 25 - The Music Farm - Charleston SC USA
May 26 - Smith's Olde Bar (solo date) - Atlanta GA USA
May 28 - Outland on Liberty - Columbus OH USA
Jun 01 - The Guvernment - Toronto ON CAN
Jun 03 - The Beach at Governors Island - New York NY USA
Jun 04 - House of Blues - Boston MA USA
Jun 05 - Champlain Valley Exposition - Essex Junction VT USA
Jun 06 - Mountain Jam Festival - Hunter NY USA
Jun 08 - Royal Oak Music Theatre - Royal Oak MI USA
Jun 09 - Orbit Room - Grand Rapids MI USA
Jun 10 - Radio Radio - Indianapolis IN USA
Jun 12 - Minglewood Hall - Memphis TN USA
Jun 13 - Crossroads - Kansas City MO USA
Jun 15 - Blueberry Hill (solo date) - St. Louis MO USA
Jun 17 - 3rd & Lindsley (solo date) - Nashville TN USA
Jun 18 - Southgate House (solo date) - Newport KY USA
Jun 19 - Taste of Randolph Street (solo date) - Chicago IL USA
Jun 20 - People's Court (solo date) - Des Moines IA USA
Jun 21 - Waiting Room (solo date) - Omaha NE USA
Jun 28 - Largo (solo date) - Los Angeles CA USA
Jul 01 - Anthology - San Diego CA USA
Aug 14 - The Fields at Dick's Sporting Goods Park - Mile High Festival - Denver,CO
Nov 13 - Fox Theater - Boulder CO USA

I was not paid to write this review. All opinions are 100% my own. I did receive a free CD to review.

As we head into a big holiday weekend many families are traveling. Traveling with kids is stressful enough. Add to that car trouble and it can become a nightmare.

I remember when I was little we did a lot of traveling in an older van. One year it broke down on a highway in the middle of nowhere. There were no cell phones or GPS back then so we had to just sit on the side of the road while my dad tried to contact someone on his CB radio.

After awhile a tow truck came and brought us to the nearest garage. It was a broke down old garage but we were stuck. We sat and waited as the man drove to the nearest town to get parts. Finally hours later we were back on the road with no idea if we got ripped off or not.

Times have changed and now we have cell phones with internet and GPS systems to help out but we still do not know if a mechanic is ripping us off.

That is until now... RepairPal is an incredible website that allows you to find out what you should be paying for vehicle repairs. Are you traveling and need to find a Dallas auto repair place? RepairPal will show what places are near you and what prices should be in that area. Do you want to look up what a repair on a Chevrolet Silverado should cost? You could even look up what parts are really needed for your brake job.

You no longer have to wonder if they charged you for parts that are not needed or if they over charged you.

We have a winner to announce in the 500 Premium Business Cards Giveaway!

The winner is Tina Reynolds... Congrats!

Thank you to Digital Room for sponsoring this blog and providing us with tons of products and giveaways.

I have a new guilty pleasure. I am right now watching Dumbest Criminals on truTV. That program is hilarious! I can not believe how stupid and weird some people are.

One woman said she had a gun in her pocket but the employees asked to see the gun. Knowing that she did not really have one, she left with nothing.

Another one really shocked me. A man walked into a gas station and pulled out a huge sword. I was already shocked but then the cashier pulled from under the counter an even bigger sword. People really run around carrying swords still? I can see someone robbing a place with Cold Steel Knives but swords?

Years ago one of my brothers was dating a girl that worked at an auto parts store at night in a bad neighborhood. He was worried about her so he bought her a little fake lipstick that had a tiny blade inside. I still have no idea how that was supposed to help much. Maybe if he shopped at The Blade Shop he could have found her a real knife.

There are some big knives at that store. They have so many types and sizes. They have everything you would need for hunting, sporting and utility knives. Years ago I knew a lot of young men that collected knives and swords. The scarier looking the better. Some looked like they came straight out of Star Trek and some looked like an assassin would own them.

I never understood collecting knives just to have them and display them but then again I am not a man. Men have no idea why women collect some of the dumb things we collect either. I guess if I worked at a place like the ones on Dumbest Criminals I would invest in a good knife. Or maybe I would get a sword like the one lady. LOL

It has been soooo hot and humid this week. I can handle the heat but the humidity is killing me! I hate feeling sticky. At least in Arizona the heat was dry. In Arizona we also has good windows.

Everyone in Arizona knew the importance of having good energy efficient windows. For as hot as it is there we paid less in air conditioning when we lived there than we do now in Wisconsin. Here most of the houses are old and have very outdated windows.

I love the charm of our old house but the windows drive me nuts. They tend to not open and shut easily and they cause us to pay a ton on heating and air conditioning. There are a lot of things that I would love to be able to do to this house but high up on the list is making the house energy efficient and get some replacement Penguin Windows. 

I am sick and tired of paying an arm and a leg for heating and cooling. I would also love not having to hear my neighbors sitting outside talking all night. 

New replacement windows look great, protect from UV rays that can damage furniture, and they add to the security of a home.

Unconventional TV shows are a favorite and can be found through the many channels offered by Satellite TV. After looking through the direct tv indian channels for interested things to watch and coming up dry, I finally settled on Arrested Development, random I know.

Arrested Development is one of those not the norm television shows that offers wacky, crazy fun that leaves viewers feeling good. There could be no possible way anyone’s life could get that dysfunctional, so you think!

One of the most interesting aspects of this show is that it is narrated by Ron Howard, yes, little Opie Taylor from the Andy Griffith show from the ‘60’s; one of the most conventional family oriented shows of all time. Arrested Development could not be any further from Howard’s original beginnings as an actor which makes the show even more appealing.
 
Michael Bluth, played by Jason Bateman, is the sane one of the family and tries desperately to keep their highly dysfunctional family together. Each character has ongoing sagas in their life that progress or really change each episode. The father, George Michael Sr, not to be confused with George Michael, grandson, spends many episodes hiding in the attic and converses only with his son, Michael Bluth. Later, George Michael Sr reveals himself to the family only to be carted off to jail.

The twist? It’s not really George Michael Sr in jail; he has his twin brother, Uncle Oscar, arrested and George Michael Sr escapes to Reno. Does this sound confusing? The only way to keep up with Arrested Development is to watch the reruns. The show was originally aired in 2003 for three years but the complexity of each episode along with satire; it’s worth a second viewing.

Posted by Devon Jackson

How is it that a day off is so much work? I was looking forward to the weekend all week but now I am worn out and every muscle in my body hurts. 

This morning began with chores since we need to get the house ready for the furniture getting delivered on Thursday. Then came the Old Navy $1 flip flop sale. We realized that we forgot to eat so we stopped at Mc Donalds. 

Noelle needed a dress and new shoes for 8th grade graduation. Then we went to buy all of the plants and seeds for the garden. Finally we could head home!


James tilled the garden as soon as we got home so I decided to start planting. As soon as I got started I remembered how much I hate planting the garden. I kept pushing myself since I just wanted to get it over with. 


Finally at 8pm the garden was planted and I could shower and relax. I wonder what we will end up doing tomorrow. I think week days are more relaxing than the weekends!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NAVTEQ. All opinions are 100% mine.

May is Map Update Month for GPS units and in-car navigation systems. Have you updated your units lately? Memorial Day is almost here and then comes summer. That means families everywhere will start a season of traveling.

www.MapUpdateMonth.com makes it easy to update all of your GPS devices in just minutes. It is as easy as choosing your device and doing the update. Traveling with family can get pretty stressful. Why add to the stress by getting lost because of old maps?

I would be quite literally lost without the GPS unit in my vehicle. I have a real knack for getting lost. I also love being able to search what restaurants are in an area so we do not just have to always eat fast food while traveling.

I have recently heard a lot of people complaining that they do not like GPS units because they or someone they knew were looking for something and could not find it. What people do not realize is that they do have to update the units. Businesses change and new roads are being built everyday. If you do not update your GPS unit you will have old info.

www.MapUpdateMonth.com can help you be ready to start traveling. Before you travel this year update your GPS devices.

It is time to giveaway some more business cards! Digital Room has great premium business cards with vibrant color printing on both sides. I absolutely love all of the business cards that they have given me. They have also gone back to free UPS shipping on giveaway prizes!

If you would like to learn more about Digital Room feel free to check out their awesome Business Cards Printing. They have many great products to choose from even die cut business cards.

Giveaway Prize: 500 Premium Business Cards for One (1) Winner
Size: 2 x 3.5”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.75 x 3.5” (slim card)
Paper: 14 pt gloss cardstock, 14 pt matte cardstock or 13 pt recycled uncoated cardstock
Specifications: Full Color Both Sides; Offset Press; 3 Business Day Printing
Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping
Eligibility: Limited to US Residents only. You must be at least 18 years old to enter.
Ends: May 27 at midnight

This giveaway is sponsored by Digital Room. I receive free products to do giveaways for them.


HOW CAN YOU ENTER? Your main entry will be to comment on what you would use the business cards for.

EXTRA ENTRIES

* Blog about the giveaway and include a link back to this post. Make a new comment here with the URL to your post. (This is 3 entries!)
* Follow this blog - It is on the left sidebar. If you are already a follower it still counts. Make a new comment here that includes your follower name.
* Subscribe to the RSS Feed (left side bar) and make a new comment.
* Add the Your Fun Family Blog to your blogroll. Make a new comment and be sure to use your URL when you post it. (This is 2 entries!)
* Fav the Your Fun Family Blog on Technorati and make a new comment.
* Follow us on Twitter and make a new comment.
* Share this giveaway post on Kirtsy, Digg, Twitter, Stumble, or anything else you can think of.

Each one counts for one entry so each should have a separate comment. It must include the link where it can be found to count.

I will be deleting comments that do not follow the rules so others get a fair chance. Make sure that I have a way to contact you if you win! If I can not find your email address on your comment, profile, or website you can not win.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dove Ice Cream. All opinions are 100% mine.

I know you all love contests and I am sure that you also love ice cream and Dove chocolate so here is a big winner of a contest. Dove did a survey and found that 70 percent of mothers take time for themselves everyday. I sometimes wonder about these surveys. They could save a lot of money and just ask me!

Yes, moms take time for themselves. We need it! We shape the world by being the ultimate caregiver, teacher, maid, chef, and all around perfect people. Dove is doing a "My Mini Moment" contest to celebrates these cherished moments that we give ourselves.

All you have to do to enter is submit a photo and short essay by June 7, 2010. You could win one of 3 sensational mini-grand prizes: a mini-getaway to Napa Valley, Spa services for a year, or a mini-home makeover.

All women have their own idea of the perfect way to indulge themselves so Dove Ice Cream Miniatures comes is so many delicious flavors including Café Collection which features Java Chip and Cappuccino Flavors.

That time of year is finally here. This weekend we will plant the garden. Like every year I go into it with mixed feelings. The thought of all of that work makes we hate the idea but I do it anyway. Hopefully this year the girls will help me out more.

I think gardening is a great experience for kids. Not only can they get outside in nature but they can learn many lessons in the garden. Watching plants grow from tiny seeds is always exciting for kids. Children also learn that hard work pays off when they get to pick their own food from the garden.

So I go into this time of year a little excited but all of the hard work makes me tired already!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

One of the hardest aspects of being disabled or caring for a disabled person is how to go places. Disabled people often feel trapped at home and unable to get around unassisted. Caregivers often have trouble helping disabled people get around because it often involves a lot of heavy lifting.

I am amazed at how new technology has allowed disabled people to get around more easily. NMEDA is a non-profit trade association that helps people find reputable mobility professionals. I found some incredible new customizations that are being done to vehicles for disabled people. I love when technology is actually used to help people.

NMEDA has Dealers and Quality Assurance Program (QAP) dealers. QAP is the only nationally recognized accreditation program for the Adaptive Mobility Equipment Industry. Some of the custom designs I saw on NMEDA really amazed me. They really do have designs for every need.

I checked out the locator and found that there was a dealer only 45 miles away from my house. If you are disabled or care for a disabled person you really should check out NMEDA and see all of the incredible designs. You can also check out where the nearest dealer is.

I was recently sent the new Michael Bolton CD "One World One Love" to review. I did not expect too much but I really enjoyed it. We are a family that listens to lots of music. I guess you could say our lives have a soundtrack.

Everything we do calls for a different type of music. I found this CD fit in well with our chore time. The sound was enjoyable, relaxing, and had a good beat to keep you going. 

Michael Bolton has always had a very nice voice but his past hairstyle kept many people from taking him too seriously. For this reason I must say... thank goodness he cut the hair!

Now we can concentrate on just the music!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Lunchables. All opinions are 100% mine.

The American Association of School Administrators put out a report in 2009 that predicted that the number of school districts that would have to eliminate field trips would increase by 56% for this school year. Lunchables decided to step in and create a new initiative called Project Potential.

Field trips give students the ability to experience things that they otherwise would not get to. They also get students excited about learning new things. The elimination of field trips is a saddening new trend caused by the bad economy. I have gone on some amazing field trips with my kids and would hate to think of if they were not able to go on them.

Field Trips For All is a program that Lunchables created through Project Potential. They are sending This program will send 50 classrooms on a wonderful educational field trip. Anyone 6 years old or over can nominate a classroom between 1st & 8th grade.

We just went on and nominated our favorite past teacher's classroom. She was a wonderful teacher and really inspired her students. Do you know of a deserving classroom? Head on over and nominate them!

We have had lots of rain the last few days. The weather has been very cold and gloomy.

The yard is very muddy so the kids have not been playing outside. This means that it was time for a fun distraction. So today we made some painted bread. We have not done it in awhile so it was a lot of fun. Kids love creating things that they can also eat. Painted bread is a fast, cheap, and easy craft.

Painted Bread

Painted bread is super simple and kids of all ages can do it and have fun. Just fill a few small cups with water and food coloring and start painting some bread. Make sure to not get the bread too wet and mushy. When you are all done you can either toast the bread or let it air dry. Eat them toasted, with butter, or make a sandwich. That boring lunch meat or cheese sandwich is now a beautiful masterpiece they made themselves.

If you would like to see some other silly food you can go to the main website and check out the Fun Food page.

We have been thinking about Childrens Beds and redoing the bedroom that my youngest two share. They have had the same bunk bed for 6 years I think. They got sick of the bunk bed so we took it apart over a year ago. They like it more but it takes up a lot of room now.

When they got the bunk bed it worked out perfectly. It was not as cool as having Novelty Beds but it was the next best thing. It has a desk, book shelf, and dresser attached. They had everything they needed and it took up very little room.

Now we are back to looking at Kids Beds because the girls want more usable space in their room but not a bunk bed. They have so much stuff now that the room is just walkways around all of the stuff.

The girls have even said that they are now willing to get rid of all of the toys because they are sick of having no room to do things in there! I love the idea of getting rid of everything and starting over! After years of getting these girls everything they ever wanted, the house is now full.

One of the thoughts we are passing around is going to just one queen size bed for the two of them to share. It would take up less room than having two beds. The question is... would the girls get sick of sharing a bed since they are 10&11 and as puberty hits they may start to be less close.

Honestly, I have even thought of not even having a bed in there since they rarely sleep in their room. I usually find them sleeping in the living room or rec room. James has mentioned that we could find other styles of furniture that could also be slept on since the main problem is that they want a room that can be used for more than just sleeping.

I guess I will be spending time online searching for furniture again!

There has always been a need for volunteers and donations but the bad economy has left many organizations struggling even more. As people are trying to make ends meet they tend to forget about the people they once helped. Volunteering is free! Many groups are is desperate need of workers and can not afford to hire anyone. Just a little bit of your time can help so many.

Donating may be harder during a bad economy but if you think of it more like an investment. Donations to many organizations are tax deductible. A little money here and there through the year can help out a lot at tax time. If you donate to an organization that helps kids you are also investing in our future.

I love how some companies are stepping up and making donations. I wish more would follow their lead! Companies can donate money and products and get a tax deduction also so I really wish more would. This is a great way to help out in a bad economy and not have it hurt you financially.

One great example of this is Aussie. They are Australia’s leading non-bank retail financial services group. They provide Life Insurance and Funeral Insurance. Along with sponsoring NSW Aussie Blues, they are also donating to junior rugby league clubs across NSW. Many young sporting organizations are hurting so this helps young men get the opportunity to realize their dreams.

Aussie may know Life Insurance Quotes but they also know how to help out their community.

Everyday I am amazed by how dependent we have become on the internet. I guess I have become more aware of this lately since our internet has been coming and going with the wind and bad weather. I could not even make a simple pizza dough the other day until the internet came back up. I no longer have recipe books since everything is online.

When someone hit and totaled my Jeep I turned to the internet and it really saved me. A horrible little insurance man tried telling me that my Jeep was worth thousands less than it really was. We immediately went online with him and took him on a tour of websites so he could see what jeep prices were at the time. I was not going to accept what his book said to offer me since that would not give me enough money to replace my vehicle. He finally realized that we were no fools and gave us what we asked for.

Next step was to find a new vehicle. I spent many hours online checking out what vehicles had what I wanted and then compared all the prices so I knew what I should pay. I was not going to be a fool and over pay. In the end I got exactly what I wanted for a good price. I did not even have to drive around to all of the dealerships and deal with pushy sales people!

I love that no matter what you are looking for you can get expert opinions online in an instant. We have now been checking out info and dodge ram prices for James' dad. I have even caught James doing a bit of dreaming because he was checking out porsche prices.

Have you seen the porsche 911 carrera prices? That is definitely dreaming!

We have a winner to announce in the 18x24 Photo Enlargement Poster Print Giveaway!

The winner is Kathy Pease! Congrats!

Thank you to Digital Room for sponsoring this blog and providing us with tons of products and giveaways.

I was asked to check out the MoneyNowUSA website. I was skeptical at first but I was surprised by how much information the site really has on it. They search over 150 lenders to find people the highest payday loan amount with the lowest APR. I have to tell you that I really dislike payday loans but there are people that have no other options when there is an emergency.

There are so many websites around these days trying to lure in people with promises of fast cash but most just rip people off and get them trapped under a pile of debt. This website has a section of articles that are very interesting. I love that they have articles about payday loan scams and articles stating when a person should not get a loan.

My favorite article was "Five Examples of When NOT to Use a Payday Loan!". The article points out that you should not get a payday loan if the money you need is for gambling, a gift, a non-emergency, if you can not pay it back right away, or if you have good credit and can get another kind of loan. I think some of these examples are true when thinking of any kind of credit including credit cards.

If the the item you want is not really NEEDED and you do not have the cash, then you can not buy it. It really is that simple.

So I made a decision... Okay, I did not really make a decision as much as I left it up to fate. My 14 1/2 year old and I have gone around in circles about if she should be able to get a summer job.

In the end I decided to let her apply for the job she wants. The place she wants to work is a small amusement park in the next town. We get season passes each year and spend at least one day a week there during the summer. We live in a tiny town so she would have to work somewhere else anyway.

I still do not want her to get a job so young but I left it up to fate. I am sure that the place she wants to work will have tons of applications so I figure she does not have much of a chance to get a job anyway. Why argue about a job that she will most likely not get?

So she filled out the online application and now we wait and see. I bought myself a little more time I guess. I am sure that in a couple weeks she will find a new place that she wants to apply for a job at.

Young people that dream of becoming famous are always told to make sure that they have a Plan B. It is obviously good advice seeing how few people actually make it big. It is good advice for everyone though.

Once we become adults and settle into a career we stop worrying about a Plan B. That is why so many people are suffering from stress and depression now that the economy and job market has plummeted.

Stress and depression can be crippling but it never changes the outcome! When things do not work out how you planned you really need to learn stress management and how to let go.

For years I would sit up at night stressed out. That is when James spoke a few simple words to me. All he said was that I needed to let it go and stop worrying because no amount of worrying would change how things happen.

I never thought of it that way. I wasted so many hours worrying and being stressed out. I have always said that hate is a wasted emotion that only affects you, but that day I added stress to the list of wasted emotions.

There is a new book out entitled Plan B by Pete Wilson. It is a book that helps Christians let go of their stress and turn to God. It gives encouragement and can help the reader see what God's plan might be for their life.