Zane's Camera

You know how kids like cameras? Well, who doesn't? But you know how you don't want your kid to use your camera because it is expensive and he/she is likely to break it? Check this out--Fisher Price has a fully functional digital camera for kids.

It is SO fun! Zane just runs around taking pictures on his camera, and when it is full (about 60 pics or so), I upload them to my laptop. You can also use a memory card, but that's a bit of a pain since it's behind screws. We get a lot of pics of his feet and some other really funny stuff, but he's getting the hang of it more and more. Some of my favorites are the ones where Kevin is crouching down specifically so he gets in Zane's shot the way he has it set up. So cute. Here are some of his photos:


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Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting


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Not the best quality, but still pretty fun. Keep an eye out for more photos by Zane. (Or sometimes we just use his camera. Ha.)

~t

Curb Appeal

We have been all about the curb appeal since we bought our house last year. Well, even before then, when we were getting ready to buy it. We watched a lot of HGTV. One detail that is sometimes overlooked by homeowners is the look of the mailbox. Of course, details make all the difference, so if you're looking to have some nice curb appeal, it's worth considering the state of your mailbox.

Mailboxixchange.com is a great place to shop for just the right box for your home or business. They have high quality products and a good variety of styles from which to choose. In addition to many different kinds of single and multiple mailboxes, they also carry mailbox components, curbside decor, and address numbers and plaques.

With multiple manufacturers and testimonials from customers, Mailboxixchange, is worth checking out.

~t

The Zoo

We went to the zoo last week. It was pretty fun. It certainly was a gorgeous place, nestled right above the Puget Sound. We always have mixed emotions about the zoo. Because we love animals. Are zoos good or bad for animals? Mmmmm. Mixed emotions. I'm sure zoos do a lot of good and mostly animal lovers work or volunteer there. (Right? You'd have to be, right?) It was fun taking Zane. It was his first time. Lemme see if I can find our favorite picture

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He seemed to like it, even though he was in a weird mood most of the day. I think it was just a lot of stimulation. He did love his fish cup. You gotta take a kid to the zoo, right? And whilst there, they gotta get an animal cup, right?

Well, check it off the list. We did it. My little fish (Pisces) picked out a fish cup. We might go to some other zoos around here, too. Time will tell.

~t

Real Travel

I love to shop online, but sometimes it's hard to know what you might be getting. Therefore, before purchasing any item online, I enjoy reading reviews from actual people who have used the product or service. When you're traveling, it's also hard to know the best places to eat, stay, etc. You can buy a book, but that's just one person's opinion. I like getting multiple viewpoints, and knowing the words are coming from real people.

Real Travel is a website dedicated to bringing travel lovers great information from fellow travelers. I like their slogan: "Real people. Real Advice. Real Experiences." The site brings together information in a variety of ways: featured bloggers, travel plans, destinations, and things to do. There's also a forum and a section with useful deals. The site has great pictures and content from numerous travelers about countless different destinations. Real Travel is attractive and easy to navigate


Both Forbes and Newsweek have touted the virtues of Real Travel. So, if you're looking to get outta Dodge, go check it out. You're certain to get some fabulous ideas and tips.

~t

Baby boom

I seem to know lots of folks who are having babies. A lot of the folks having babies are people who had babies when I had my baby. It seems too soon to me to have another baby. The one I have is just learning new ways to drive me crazy. Don't get me wrong, I love him to pieces. He is definitely one of the best things to have happened to me, but sheesh, are those babies a lot of work. We are ready to be done. So, it floors me when I hear of my contemporaries with kids who are 2 or younger going on one or even TWO new kids since then. I guess I was built differently. I thought about just popping two out, wam bam. And then we decided: naaaaaah. We could just not take it. Maybe we are too old. Or too selfish. Self? What is that? Anyway, kudos to those of you who can take care of a bunch of kids. And congrats to all the new moms and moms-to-be out there. (and dads, too!)

~t

Fuschia on the porch

Well, we've had the idyllic porch for a year and I FINALLY got some hanging flower baskets for it. Ahhhhh. It's very nice. Check out my fuschia:

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Here's the front view:


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We also got jasmine, which we've wanted for-like-EVER. I think it is more prevalent in the West than the midwest. We plan to fill the yard with jasmine and honeysuckle. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Nice to smell ya.


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~t

DYM: Pancakes

Allright. I've talked about Mercury Retrograde here before. It's going on now. I've decided to share my Mercury Rx stories as I feel like it and make a WHOLE FREAKIN' category for them, in honor of Astrological knowledge. I am calling it DYM! DYM is a little acronym that my friend Heather and I use. It stems from her son learning about Mercury Retrograde, having some experiences, and then shouting, fists towards the Heavens, "Damn you, Mercury!"

So, here is my first (official) DYM story:

I am up before everyone in my house today. All is well. I'm getting quiet time as I get ready. I decide to have my new favorite breakfast, silver dollar pancakes. I decide to take it out of the microwave tin and put it on a lovely little blue plate with some sliced up bananas. Also on my plate is a veggie sausage patty. Everything is round. Everything is beautiful. Coffee is brewing. There are not even any 2-year olds awake who want to snatch my limited portions of food. Life is good.

How could it be better? Well, I don't like syrup, so I decide to use some cinnamon on my lovely concoction. We have cinnamon sugar handy on our table, but I decide to be oh-so-good (weight loss) and get the straight cinnamon from the cabinet. I feel fairly certain I know what I'm doing as I grab it and delicately sprinkle it on my lovely little plate of round items.

And then I smell it. An odd sort of scent for the morning. Where is THAT coming from? Oh NO! I look down at the spice in my hand: CUMIN!

DYM!

Here's the thing about DYMs, though. They are usually not the most terrible thing that can happen. It usually turns out allright in the end. Of course, I didn't have any more silver dollar pancakes in the house, but they weren't that bad. Yep. I ate 'em. I can sorta still taste the cumin, though. I figure the must do something like this somewhere in the world. Mexico, maybe?

~t