Thursday, April 26, 2012

DIRTY DASH KIDS EVENT Helping ST. JUDE





What a great idea and my son is going to have so much fun!  This is a great event taking place in Morton, Illinois On June 30th at 8:30 am.   Check it out below and register online.


To get dirty, you must follow these 3 steps:

1. Sign up to get dirty at (CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR KIDS DIRTY DASH FOR ST. JUDE
2. Register on our site to fundraise and set a goal
3. Raise a minimum of $20 ($50 for a tshirt) and ask EVERYONE you know to donate to you!
4. Deadline to Register is June 22, 2012, fundraising will continue through the day of the event! 

(By the way, the kid that raises the most $ will win an Apple iTouch)


We have a lot of great entertainment planned for the day of the Dirty Dash. We are excited to announce that WEEK/WHOI's Sports Director, Jim Mattson, has agreed to emcee our event! We are also going to have Unique Twist, Wild Style face painters and inflatables from Morton Rentals. It's going to be a great day!

Kids' Dirty Dash for St Jude
When: June 30, 2012 at 8:30am - see details
Where: Westwood Park, Morton, IL
2232 E Veterans Rd
Morton, IL
United States
61550



Saturday, April 21, 2012

SMART BABY MONITOR

I had to share with you an amazing new find for baby monitors on the market.    





It is compact and has such a range of capabilities that other leading baby monitors on the market lack such as detecting humidity in your baby's room.  Let me share with you some of the features of the SMART BABY MONITOR.


ANYWHERE MONITORING from your smart phone- This is probably my favorite feature of this monitor.  You can be in China and check in on your little one.  Withings provides you with 10 minutes free access to your child through your provided network.  If you are in a wifi hot spot you can have unlimited access/viewing to your child.   This is AMAZING!  No more staying with in range of your home to see what your little ones are doing.  

Humidity Detection -   This is a feature that some mommies appreciate due to allergens and upper respiratory issues that their child might have.

Room Temperature Detection - Great for keeping those little ones warm or cool on winter or summer nights.

Crystal Clear Monitoring - The monitor will move with the touch of your finger on your smart phone.  You can zoom in on your little ones face or keep a wide view.  It is exactly like zooming in on your photos on your smart phone.  

Activity Log - Keeps track of your child's movement.  If you have a child that needs special attention and consistent monitoring this is great because it will detect movement and keep track of activity inside your child's crib or bed.  This SMART MONITOR will monitor and log sounds or alerts from medical instrument that your child has in his or her room.

Alert Detection - Keeping you aware of noises and movements.   All settings can be adjusted on your Withings App.  If you are like me... I want to know if my little one wakes up or cries for me... not every single sound.  It is very user friendly and adjusts to your needs.

Music and Light Capabilities - Does your child fall asleep to music?  Do you like to have a beautiful soft light for your baby to see at night?  The Smart Monitor has many music options and several choices of lighting to choose from.

INTERACTIVE SOUND- OK... seriously ...one of my other faves about this monitor.  I can talk to my child through my Smart phone.  With the touch of a button .. I can tell my child goodnight while my husband and I are on date night at a restaurant.  I LOVE .. how I CAN catch my older two in the act of doing something mischievous and I can instantly correct their behavior through this monitor.  

The SMART BABY MONITOR is available on the market for about $300.00 per monitor.  However, 
you can monitor your child from any Smart Phone.  My husband and I's Smart Phones have monitoring capabilities from both of our phones.  NOW... if Grandma comes over to watch your little ones ... all you would need to do is make sure you upload the Withings Smart BABY app onto her smart phone so she has monitoring capabilities.  


THIS IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR SMART PHONE, IPAD, or IPOD users.


CHECK It out and you will not be disappointed!












Tuesday, April 3, 2012

FABULOUS VACATION SPOT FLORIDA

PALMS COAST, FLORIDA

A lower 48 Place to Visit 

An Amazing Secluded Vacation Spot in Florida.  Hid and tucked away on a small piece of Florida's very native and untouched areas.  This area has been preserved from the local tourist's traps of Florida.   The beach front homes are big and beautiful but still have a rustic beach charm.  

A great resort to consider is ...




As you can see from this picture there is an endless Florida Coastal beach and landscape that has been kept a secret.  I enjoyed having some native landscapes to view while we stayed at this beautiful resort.



The rooms are big and spacious with excellent balcony views of the ocean and courtyard and back of the resort.  A standard room looks exactly as the picture.  Great space... and a wonderful view all around.






The OCEAN COURSE Golf Course is well manicured and has amazing tee off areas with spectacular views of the ocean.


You see me ... there I am!  (Wink Wink)


I recommend the awesome restaurant next door to the resort..Atlantic Grill at the Hammock Ocean Beach Resort.  They have amazing views of the ocean and if you go in the early evening hours you may even see dolphins swimming down the coastal line.

The Beach is clean, white and very private.

Looking to cruise the coastal line ... HOP on A1A and tour the beautiful coastal views of the ocean.

This place is a great relaxing getaway where the Misses lounges around the beautiful pool and the hubby places a couple rounds of golf!


LOVE this FABULOUS VACAY SPOT! 















FABULOUS -The many uses of a MAGIC ERASER


It's a little white block that feels like a sponge .... but ... IT's MAGIC!!!!


The Many USES for the Magic Eraser... give it a try and see for yourself!



1. Outdoor Furniture and Toys
Take grungy white resin or white painted furniture by lightly scrubbing with an eraser cleaning block. The eraser gets into crevices and cracks while leaving paint finishes intact. The same principle applies to outdoor plastic toys.

2. Pool Liners
Pool owners, this will make your life easier: A gentle scrubbing on your liner will get rid of the water mark better than any other product.

3. Vinyl
Take an eraser to scuffs on just about anything made from vinyl: siding, boat seats, shoes, etc.  SHOES -soles, canvas, and even the heal.. is shiny and new with a scrub from the MAGIC ERASER.

4. Car Interiors
Clean the car seats with an eraser block: Go lightly on leather, but it's okay on fabric and vinyl, lightly scrub the car steering wheel. Eraser blocks get rid of grease streaks left inside after the car's been to the shop, too.

5. Hubcaps
Clean your car's hubcaps with an eraser for a water-free car wash.

6. Refrigerator
Get rid of last year's drippings that are pooled in the back of the fridge. It'll take a whole eraser block, but it gets the job done. The seals that have gotten a bit black and moldy will also respond well to an eraser.

7. Dishwasher Interior
What are those colors inside your dishwasher from time to time? Lime, mold, ewww. Just take an eraser to them and the stains will banish.

8. Bathtub and Sinks
Getting rid of dirt and water marks is easier (and not so gross) with an eraser block. Bathtubs can take a tough scrub, but go lightly on sinks -- even a light scrub gets rid of that caked on dirt that you often can't see until you try to get it off.

9. Rust Removal
Scrub anywhere (around pipes in kitchen and bath) that you see rust.

10. Computer
A magic eraser gets rid of oil and dirt that has built up on your keyboard and mouse; you can use it on laptops, too.

11. Phones
Use one on your phone's mouthpiece, too -- it gets rid of the same grime that builds up on your computer.  KEY- EVEN WITH IPHONE USERS... use in the Receiver or Speaker part of the phone to get the build up out.  Just make sure bits of the Eraser do not break off into the receiver.  

12. Bugs
Wherever there are smooshed bugs (porch pillars, car windshields, interior walls, exterior doors, exterior light fixtures) wipe them away with an eraser block.

13. Glass Stove Tops
No need to have special stove top cleaner on hand, get rid of burned-on food by lightly scrubbing until the gunk is gone.

14. Dishes and Glassware
Rub hard-to-clean build-up off of thrift store dishes and glassware, like Pyrex bowls, following advice from the blog Pyrex Love.

15. Gutters
Get rid of green slime that builds up on gutters with an eraser. It's another ewww-worthy task, but it'll be almost effortless with an eraser.

16. Mirrors (and Windows)
Many fans of eraser blocks swear it gives them a streak-free and clean mirror, if the pad is slightly damp when you give it a light scrub.

17. Floors
Erase scuff marks, old paint drips-great for most floors (but always go lightly, especially on finished wood).

18. Grout
Which leads us to grout. The eraser does well with most grout (except really old and darkened-beyond-help grout that will remain gray even with best scrubbing efforts).

19. Granite countertops
Everyone is afraid to scrub granite, but an eraser pad, used at first gently and then with a little more oomph as the stains disappear, will indeed get stubborn stains out of granite.

20. Leather
You can use and eraser lightly on leather upholstery, purses or shoes to lift up marks -- just be sure to use a gentle touch.

21.   Crayon, Pen, INK, Marker (not sharpie) Removal
Rub the eraser on the surface where the aforementioned is and if needing additional help.. just add a touch of water.

FABULOUS VACATION SPOT IDEAS



Everyone likes vacation ... am I right?  I just returned from vacation and as we roll into the summer vacation time... I have vacation on the brain.

What is vacation?  Vacation to some means... no work... 

Relaxation.. Relaxation!  


Are you the type of person that your definition of vacation is spending time around the home .... relaxing... catching up on sleep and extra home maintenance?


Or are you the type of vacationer that jumps at the chance to go somewhere warm and tropical and relax on a beach?


Or DO you seek adventure and cooler climates?


Or perhaps a world traveler ... logging air time and international currency exchanging?


How we spend our vacation and where our vacation is spent ... has endless opportunities.



If you are thinking that you've seen all there is to see in the United States of America...Think AGAIN!

Let me share with you some ideas on FABULOUS stateside vacation spots.




Austin, Texas




Best Resort Option in Austin, Texas






Barton Creek Resort and Spa has amazing amenities and accommodations.  They are nestled in a beautiful hilly area of Austin with manicured hillsides and beautiful views of green golf courses.  The rooms are beautiful with big spa type bathrooms.  Large showers and stone tile.  The ceilings are high and vaulted.  You instantly begin to unwind when you check into your hotel room.  





The picture below is a view of the Palmer Golf Course at Barton Creek Resort and Spa.  




Rent a car and go out and see the sites in Austin, Texas.  If you like to shop and see what the locals wear ... here is a great outdoor shopping area.


 Shops vary from Michael Kors, Abercrombie and Fitch, Francesca's Collections... to Local Popular Shops where you can find... the latest in Austin Fashions.







The Downtown Nite Life is Awesome!  Jazz... Blues... Great Restaurants....

Bar Hopping is KEY!

Here is a list of over 130 Bars to check out!

Austin Downtown Bar and Restaurant Listing


My Favorite Restaurant in Austin is the

The Trulucks

Seafood  (STONE CRAB) ... great fine dining .....and wonderful top liquor options!


If you are wanting some outdoor recreation... I strongly recommend fishing and boating on Travis Lake....



OK... sign up for a fisherman outdoor trip on the lake... you will catch a variety of fish!  The best part and the lakes insider secrets are what's sunbathing on the beautiful docks all around the lake...

Check out the WILDLIFE... all the naked sunbathers!!

YES.... Naked Sunbathing is what the locals do at Hippy Hollow on Travis Lake.








Here is a just one vacation spot that I strongly recommend for a

FABULOUS STATESIDE VACATION