Win a Las Vegas Spa Weekend

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bloom.com for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

How does an all expenses paid trip to Las Vegas for you and 3 of your girlfriends, complete with massages, facials, and beauty treatments, sound?  Awesome, right?  It's easy to enter.  Simply join Bloom.com - for FREE.  Then get extra entries by inviting your friends.  You get an extra entry for every friend who accepts your invitation and joins.  And for every friend who joins and places an order, you get a $25 credit to your account - with no limits.

What is Bloom.com?  It's a social beauty network helping women find and buy the right beauty products.  When you join you'll create your own beauty bio that includes things like skin type and complexion, hair and eye color, hair length, etc.  You can also choose from different beauty concerns and categories to get information  that interests you.  Bloom.com will then be able to give you personalized recommendations from the 10,000 items available from over 150 top brands.  And, you can connect with other Bloom users who are using the products and read reviews from users.  So much nicer than standing in the beauty aisle in the store and wondering which product to buy, if a certain product is worth the extra money, or if I can get by with the cheapest one or the one without the annoying fragrance.  (except I won't ever be buying the product with the annoying fragrance)  I checked just one category - Daytime Moisturizers - and got several suggestions, including Best 4 You on a Budget (do they know me, or what?) and Best Natural 4 You.  Each item also lists product information that includes a description and full ingredients.  If only there was a way to smell them...
 
Purchases come with free gifts - I'd guess product samples based on your personalized recommendations, but that's just my guess - and 10% back in Bloom Dollars which can be applied to future orders.  Be sure to enter coupon code 30BACK, and you'll get an additional 20% back on your first purchase - 30% back!
 
All products come with a 365 Try It Love It Guarantee.  That means that if you are unsatisfied—for ANY reason—with a product you’ve purchased from Bloom, they’ll happily give you a refund within 1 year of your purchase date (not including any original shipping).  All they ask in return is that you share why your product didn’t work out, so they can pass it along to the other women of Bloom.   How awesome is that?  Not only do they work to match you up with the best products for your skin, hair, and style, but if the products aren't right, you don't have to keep them - while having to find and buy something else.
 
For your own personalized beauty recommendations and a chance to Win a spa vacation for 4 girlfriends! be sure to sign up for your own free account on Bloom.com and invite all your friends to join, too.  Good luck!
 

Grandma's Remedies

I was going through one of my old blogs - one I haven't used in ages - looking for a recipe.  I didn't find the recipe, but I did find this list of handy remedies for all kinds of things.  I'm not sure where I originally found this list, and I still haven't actually tried any of these, but a lot of them sound very promising - and they use things you probably already have.

• Did you know that drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately -- without the  unpleasant side effects  caused by traditional "pain relievers."
• Did you know that Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.
• Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.
• Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 Tablespoon of horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.
• Sore throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and  take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.
• Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer . Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly even though the product was never been advertised for this use. (Note: Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine is not the same...and contains aspirin, which can cause stomach bleeding if you have ulcers.)
• Honey remedy for skin blemishes... Cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.
• Listerine therapy for toenail fungus... Get rid of unsightly toenail  fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.
• Easy eyeglass protection... To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from  loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear nail polish  to the threads of the  screws before tightening them.
• Coca-Cola cure for rust... Forget those expensive rust removers.  Just  saturate an abrasive sponge with Coca Cola and scrub the rust stain.  The  phosphoric acid in the coke is what gets the job done.
• Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer... If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground instantly.
• Smart splinter remover...just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue-All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.
• Hunt's tomato paste boil cure...cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.
• Balm for broken blisters...To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine ... a powerful antiseptic.
• Heinz vinegar to heal bruises... Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.
• Kill fleas instantly. Dawn dish washing liquid does the trick.  Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly.  Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Goodbye fleas.
• Rainy day cure for dog odor... Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.
• Eliminate ear mites... All it takes is a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat's ear. Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerate  healing.
• Quaker Oats for fast pain relief....It's not just for breakfast anymore! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.

Outdoor Furniture Refinishing?

We've had some really great weather this week.  It's interesting how this time of year it gets nice and warm during the day, but it really cools down in the evenings.  I was tempted to change out of my shorts this evening because I was getting cold.  Instead I just closed the garage door so I didn't have that cool breeze blowing through the kitchen - and then I washed dishes and got all warm!

When summer gets here, it will be just the opposite.  Well, not actually cold - but during the day it will be nice and pleasant in the house, with a good breeze blowing through.  Then, come evening, the breeze will die down, and the guys will come home and start complaining about how hot it is.  Why can't it just cool down in the evenings like it does this time of year?  I wouldn't have anybody complaining about how I don't want to turn the air conditioner on.

I am looking forward to the warmer weather - because I like it! And because we'll start using the deck more.  I love being able to sit out there and enjoy our coffee in the mornings and having dinner out there in the evenings.  It's usually much cooler outside in the evenings than in the house, so it's great having the deck available.  Maybe someday we'll get tired of it, but since we've only had the deck for a few years, we're still appreciating it.  All our deck furniture is still in pretty good shape too, so we're not ready to think about outdoor furniture refinishing yet, but it's a good idea to keep in mind.

Actually, it's not something I ever would have thought of until I started reading through the services offered by the Patio Guys in California.  Instead of buying new outdoor furniture, you can have it completely refinished.  They make old patio furniture look like new.  They update everything - paint, strap, fabric - and save their customers up to 70% compared to the cost of buying new.  All it takes is one call.  They'll pick up your old furniture, restore and refinish it, and deliver it back to you looking like new.  Not only can it save you money, but it's good for the environment, too - fewer old patio sets going into the landfill!  Patio Guys has over 30 years of experience, and all work is done by trained technicians in their factory.  Judging from the customer comments, they do great work and offer exceptional customer service.

If you're in the Southern California area and have some old patio furniture you were thinking of replacing, why don't you give them a call first.  It couldn't hurt, right?  Save some money; take care of the environment; and enjoy some brand new (looking) outdoor furniture.

Among the Squirrels

Cory finished his second year of college last week and moved back home with all his stuff.  But, he's been going back to Whitewater every day this week (except for Monday when he went to Milwaukee for a screening of the Booth DVD) for rehearsals.  Here's what he's doing now (copied from the UW-Whitewater Greenhill Center Newsletter):

The UW-Whitewater Theatre/Dance Department has paired with the Whitewater Arts Alliance in downtown Whitewater to produce a unique Summeround Benefit Event, a staged reading of Among the Squirrels. This imaginative new play is written by faculty member Eric Appleton, and will be performed on May 19th at 7:30pm and May 20th at 2:00 pm at the Cultural Arts Center in downtown Whitewater. There will be a silent auction event held one hour prior to each performance.

Among the Squirrels follows the life of an out-of-work computer geek, who is inspired out of sheer boredom to collect data on squirrel interactions. He could never have guessed how his backyard observations would reveal truths about his own, stagnant existence. Skillfully combining real life insights, including Netflix, Goth culture and nature shows, Playwright Eric Appleton explores the darkly hilarious complexities of love, friendship, employment and creating community.

Appleton, a UW-Whitewater faculty member, teaches scenic and lighting design for the Theatre/Dance Department. He has written three full-length plays, all of which have received productions. The staged reading of Among the Squirrels will be directed by Jim Butchart, and features Cory Hagen, Jake Lesh and Jen Samson.

The benefit is free due to the support of the Whitewater Arts Alliance; however, donations will be accepted at the door. For more information call 262-472-5943 or email flisterkr28@uww.edu

I like to think they listed Cory first because he's the most important, but that's just the mom in me.  I'm sure it's just alphabetical...

Rehearsal

We'll be going to see the performance this weekend, probably Sunday. If you're in the area, be sure to check it out.  Those 'kids' from the Whitewater Theatre/Dance Department put on a good show.

Cat and Mouse

To my knowledge, we don't have any mice around here - though sometimes I hear a strange rustling in the attic, a squirrel perhaps?  Considering we have 4 cats in this house right now, we better not have mice!  Though I do wonder if any of the cats would know what to do with a mouse if he (or she) found one.  They have fun batting the toy mice around, but I think a real mouse would probably get away - because they're not used to something that actually moves.

It's like watching those old Tom & Jerry cartoons from Warner Bros where the cat is always trying to get the mouse, but he's just so smart he always gets away.  Speaking of Warner Bros - Dark Shadows comes out today.  Yes, I know, this has absolutely nothing to do with the cats and any hypothetical mice, but - Johnny Depp!  ...and the previews look really good, too.  We probably won't see it this weekend, but I'm definitely wanting to see that movie. 

OK, back to the cats.  Considering there are so many cats around here, things are going quite well.  They are getting along better than I thought they would.  Beth's two cats get along with each other, and Weasley gets along quite well with Nitro.  They play with each other and even snuggle up together sometimes.  And, surprisingly, Tillie doesn't seem to mind either one of them.  She even chases Nitro and bats at him like she wants to play - even when he's just lying around minding his own business.  Beth's other cat Turbo is kind of left out, though he's trying to make friends.  He's a sweet kitty, so I'm not sure why neither Tillie or Weasley seems to like him.  Well, Tillie, because I didn't expect her to like either one of them, but I'm not sure why Weasley likes one cat but not the other one.

I guess I shouldn't complain.  We could have all four of them running around after each other like some crazy episode of Tom & Jerry.  It's bad enough when a couple of them start playing and I start hearing claws on my furniture.  Yeah, I'll just go play some free games on www.tomandjerrygames.co and figure that's enough Tom & Jerry for me!  (and continue to hope/believe there are no mice in the house)

I'm not so good at games - I tried a couple of those games I mentioned, and I had no idea what I was doing.  I guess that means I'm just gonna have to play more, right?

Happy Birthday, Jason!

One year ago today we welcomed a precious baby boy into our lives.  It's hard to believe that a whole year has passed.  Where did the time go?

He's grown so much in the past year - learned to hold his head up, learned to roll over, learned to crawl, and now to walk!  He loves bananas and pretty much any food he can feed himself.  He gives sweet hugs and always has a ready smile for anyone who looks his way.  He's busy, busy, busy - always on the move exploring and getting into everything.  He knows what 'NO' means, and he's quick to shake his head and give a great big smile - "You don't really mean that, do you?"

He's not talking yet, except to say a few words like 'itty!' (kitty), and 'dada' and 'mama' - but he babbles all the time, so he'll be talking non-stop before we know it.  He's pretty good at letting us know what he wants anyway.

Happy Birthday, sweet Jason.  It's been a pleasure knowing you this past year, but could you maybe stop growing up so fast?  Yeah, I know - your mommy didn't listen either when I told her to stay little.

Of course, if she'd stayed little, we wouldn't have you, would we?

Wanna Play?

When our kids were little, they had a swingset - a basic one with a slide, a couple swings, and a glider.  That was good enough.  Or so we thought until the neighborhood kids starting getting fancy wooden playsets!  Thankfully we don't have many fences in our neighborhood and all the kids played together well and shared their yards and playsets, because we did not upgrade that basic swingset.  And when they got older and stopped playing on it at all, we gave it away.

Now, though, we've got a year old (tomorrow!) grandson living here, at least for a while, and he's going to need something to swing and play on, right?  I don't know if or what we'll do about that, but I've been checking out these playsets in hickory, and they really do have some fancy ones - fancier than any of the neighbors had.  There are basic wooden swingsets, yes - but also watchtower playsets, wooden castle playsets, pirate ship playsets, and even a Noah's ark playset!  I wonder if that one comes with animals?  I mean, wow! - a kid could certainly have a lot of fun on one of these.  Hey, I might even want to play on that one!

It does look like it could be a bit complicated to put together, though.  If we lived in North or South Carolina I'd be tempted to call Carolina Playsets.  They offer factory direct pricing on American made products and professional installation to insure the best, safest playsets at the best prices.  Safety is their number 1 priority, and all their products are structurally sound with full manufacturer's warranties - giving years of safe and fun playtime.  I don't have any idea how much one of these awesome playsets would cost to set up in the back yard, but it would be fun to find out.  I can at least dream about it, right?  And if you're in North or South Carolina - call them; they'll be happy to give you a free yard evaluation and price quote.  Your kids (or grandkids) will thank you.

He's a Leading Man!

I have a couple plays to read.  Cory will be in not one, but two plays next semester.  They're doing Spirits to Enforce, which seems to be a show about a bunch of super heroes trying to raise funds to put on a production of Shakespeare's The Tempest.  It sounds like it might be a bit chaotic and hard to follow - but fun.  So I'd like to read it first, and then after seeing it a couple times, I ought to be able to figure it out, right?  I keep teasing Cory that he'll have to wear tights, but the descriptions I've been reading say out-of-costume super heroes.  Bummer!  No tights!

 The other play Cory will be in is Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost.  Shakespeare!  So, yes, I need to read that one first too - so I can get an idea what it's about and can follow it.  Though Cory said that during auditions he and one of the young ladies read a scene, and when they were finished, the director said something to the effect that it was a very complicated scene, but he understood everything they were saying.  Of course, as the director, he should understand it, but you know what I mean!  They read it so well that he gave them the parts.  Cory is the lead in the play - some guy named Ferdinand!  How exciting is that?  I'm really looking forward to seeing Shakespeare!  I downloaded a study guide and a free ebook version of the play today after Cory told me he was cast.

My son the leading man!

Shout® it Out!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Triad Retail Media for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I hate stains.  The worst thing is pulling something out of the dryer only to find a stain, because by that time there's pretty much nothing I can do about it.  I've been known to holler, "Why didn't you tell me you got something on your shirt?" - to nobody but the empty laundry room.  I mean, sure I could go over every single item of clothing in the laundry looking for stains, but why should I have to?  Everybody is old enough to take care of their own stains now - or at least let me know that he got something on his shirt or his pants so I can treat it with Shout® Trigger before I throw it into the washer.  (Well, except for Jason, and his laundry isn't my responsibility.)

I don't have kids playing outside getting dirty or getting messy creating art projects, but I have a husband who occasionally drops food on his shirt or brushes up against something and gets something on his pants.  And I spend a lot of time in the kitchen - some days it seems I'm splattering things on my shirt all day long.  If these stains don't get treated, they're there forever.
 
Several years ago I started keeping Shout® Advanced Ultra Concentrated Gel in the bathroom by the clothes hamper.  That way it's handy for me or Jeffrey to treat our own clothes before we even throw them into the laundry.  It's great, because clothes can be treated even a week ahead of time, so I don't have to rush to do a load of laundry.  I keep the Shout® Trigger downstairs on the washer to treat anything I notice that has slipped through - or that I've been told about.  The directions say to completely cover the stain and rub it in to penetrate the stain, then let sit for 1-5 minutes before washing.  For tough greasy stains or set-in stains it says to let sit overnight or longer, so the Shout® Trigger might work just as well by the laundry hamper.  I keep thinking that I need to send some Shout® to college with Cory - probably the gel - because he does get dirty working in the scene shop and occasionally gets paint on his jeans, and who knows when he gets around to doing laundry, unless he comes home.

I have tried other stain removers, but I keep going back to Shout®.  It's easy to use, and it works - as long as I know I need to use it.  What makes it better than the others?  It must be the Triple-Acting Formula - it Clings, Penetrates, and Lifts away stains.  It comes with a Convenient trigger dispenser, is Safe for all colorfast washables, and it Works in all water temperatures.  I'm not sure how people used to treat stains, but I'm happy for conveniences like this.

Shout® Trigger and the rest of the Shout® stain solutions are available at Walmart.

Updated

I updated my template slightly.  Did anybody notice?  Actually I just changed the background to make it look more 'springy' - but I had to mess around a bit to get it to work properly.  For some reason the footer hadn't been showing up for ages.  The text was there, but the background wouldn't show - even though from everything I could tell it should have been showing up.  I know, you probably didn't notice because you never scrolled all the way to the bottom, right?

So, to get it fixed, I had to change the template completely.  It's easy with Blogger's Template Designer - except for any extra tweaks, coding and such.  Why does changing the template take all that out, anyway?  But, I had to change to a completely different template and then change it back to the one I've been using - and then change the background image.  It's nice that Blogger updates font colors and such when you change the background, so everything looks good without too much trouble.

Then I added back the extra styling and scripts I wanted to keep - I saved all the html to a text file before I started messing with it - always a good idea, along with backing up the whole template so it can easily be restored if necessary - so I could just copy and paste the ones I wanted to keep.

Now I just need to update the pictures in my header...