Plastic Bag Recyling in Minnesota

I found a link on the MN Chamber of Commerce (using the goodsearch.com website I talked about yesterday) that tells you where to recycle plastic bags and other materials. Did you know you could recycle the plastic your paper towel is wrapped in? Check it out. The program is called "It's in the Bag". Also on a green note, there is a Living Green Expo at the State Fair Grounds May 3-4, admission is free.

Trapped in the Cold - Lots of Blogging

Sorry, I know 3 posts in one day is a lot, but it's cold in MN (-40 wind chills) and Josh is downstairs with Roo so I thought I'd do one more today. My sister Meg has posted some stuff on her blog that I think people might find relevant. Most noteably, if you're a new parent, she has some tips on products she loves and a fun gift idea for grandparents. Linda, PLEASE don't look at this site. I have something in mind for a gift and I don't want someone to take it! 

Also, she has a new search engine that she mentions GoodSearch.com. It's a web search site like google or yahoo (actually, it's powered by yahoo), but for every time you use the site to look something up, money goes to the charity of your choice. I chose Children's Cancer Research Fund, Meg did Caringbridge. There are thousands of charities to choose from or you can add you child's school or other non-profit groups. Check it out, it gives info on the site about how it works.

That's it! Promise, last post today:)

NKOTB

And if politics isn't your style how about this for conversation? New Kids on the Block are coming back for a Reunion Tour!!! Check it out on their site. Who's coming with me??? J/K

Politics?

Ok, maybe this will spark some conversation. I promised not to talk about all things Riley on this blog and I'm sure my "green" soap box gets old so....I'm bummed today because John Edwards bailed out of the Presidential race. 

I know some of you are thinking, "What? she's not supporting Clinton because she's a woman?" Well, actually, I like all 3 of the candidates on the Dem side, but Edwards was my favorite. I actually think I like Obama next and Clinton third, but I'll take a combo of any of them. I'm not saying that I claim to be a Democrat in all things, nor am I saying I know all things about all the candidates, but Republicans have made me mad for so long I just can't get past that part of it. Plus, I have read some of the books by Clinton and Obama and I find them very interesting...even hopeful! I still hope Edwards ends up as the VP on the ticket though:)

Sarah Fuecker Medved Photos

Ok, my college roomie Sarah (Fuecker) Medved has just started her own web site to promote her photography biz. You might notice a certain little girl on the site. Sarah took some photos for us when Roo was just tiny...check out the site! I will also have it posted in the side of this blog permanently under Shameless Plugs for my Friends in Biz. Click anytime to see Sarah's work, she's fantastic!

Posting Comments Without Google Acct.

Hey, I have heard from some of you that you check my blog and I assume that many of you don't post comments because you don't want to set up a Google account. There is a way to post comments without setting up an account. To post a comment, click at the bottom of the post that says # Comments. On the next screen there will be the comments already posted and a box on the right to put your comments. Fill out what you want to say and if you want me to know it's from you put your name at the end of your post. Then click on the "Anonymous" circle.  Click "Publish Your Comment" and you're done.

In the same avenue, if you're worried about having to sign up for something by subscribing to get e-mail updates when I post, there's no signing up. You type in your e-mail address, you will get an e-mail asking to confirm that it was sent to the right address and that's it. You won't get mail from them, just from my blog, and you only get mail from me once a day, even if I post 5 messages in a day. If I don't post anything, you won't get a message at all, so I won't fill your e-mail with junk mail, I promise:)

Hopefully I'll see some of you out here more. I know you're there ...I'd love to have conversations with y'all:)

Christmas with the Kantors

So I know it's late January, but we had one last Christmas celebration this weekend. We always do Christmas in January with my friend Katherine whom I've known since pre-school and who has been one of my best friends since around 5th grade. Although we don't see each other enough (she lives about an hour North of the cities) we have remained close all these years and her second daughter Abby is my first Godchild.

Here are pictures from our Christmas. (Nothing says Christmas like lunch at Space Aliens!) In the picture where Roo is wearing the paper crown, that is Abby with her. Abby and Kenzie made us all crowns as part of our gift! Kenzie is the older girl in the pic with all three of them and Katie/Katherine is in the pic with Kenzie and her pillow:)

Thanks Abby, Kenzie and Katherine of course Jason (sorry, Jay, you didn't make any of the pics!) for the bath gel and lotion and for Riley's baby doll. And thanks to Debbie for Riley's book, she loves them!!! It was so good to see you Debbie!! Hope Grandma Mary is feeling better!

1 word - PHENOMENAL

OK, it's a little late...almost 11:30 p.m., but I just got home from the Martina McBride concert and I HAD to blog about it. The opening acts were just so-so, but let me tell you that woman can sing! She gives me goose bumps and she makes me cry! She opened with "Anyway" which is a powerful song, but it also has special meaning. It was the song they played at Tori's funeral and it just made me sob at the concert! It's really a beautiful song!!! I cried more than once during the concert...she's just amazing (and no I'm not pregnant so don't blame the hormones!) She has a song called "Concrete Angel" that is one that gives me chills and she even did some "old school" country stuff that was beautiful. I don't know what else to say about it. THANKS JOSH for taking me for my b-day. It was FANTASTIC!

Green Super Bowl

Oh, I was looking up some Game Time info about Super Bowl and I found a fun link on the site that has interesting facts about recycling, check out the AZ Super Bowl site. Did you know that recycling one aluminum can can save enough energy to power a TV for 3 hours?

Save A Tree- Have Some Coffee

Ok, so I used to be strictly a White Hot Chocolate or Carmel Apple Cider girl on visits to Caribou/Starbucks etc., but I'm starting to try to like coffee lately (Loaded with sugar please! ie. Turtle Latte/Mint Condition/Wild Cherry Mocha etc.) And I'm using a lot of waste products that I feel guilty about on my green kick.

While on my b-day weekend up north, I found a solution to at least part of that problem. Obviously using a reusable coffee mug is one way to reduce waste...but what about the coffee sleeve they put on your cup to keep you from burning your hand. Yes, they are often made from recycled material, but what if you could eliminate it altogether!?! I found a product that I love and it makes a GREAT gift too. Hip Grips are fashionable and reuseable AND they have a pocket in them perfect for adding a gift card to your favorite coffee shop:) Caribou Please!

After I post this, some of my fave pics of Riley are going to bump to the next "page" so if you haven't visited in a while, please check out the "older posts" at the bottom of the page. I know that I sound like a crazy mom who is obsessed with my kiddo, but I just love the pics of her in the purple hat and sweater...sorry, forgive a crazy mother, ok:)

Birthday etc.

Ok, so here are some of the pics I promised, post b-day. The picture of Riley and her Grandpa Mark is from last weekend when Mark and Linda had my parents over for dinner. Then there's a picture of Riley and Zack "squishing" Grandma Trish and a pic of my sisters and I with our kiddos. Those last 2 pics were taken at lunch to celebrate Meg's and my birthday last Thursday. 

I have to say thank you to everyone too...Between Christmas and my birthday I feel VERY spoiled. I got everything I wanted and then some! THANKS to everyone! 

Oh, and if anyone has sewing tips, I'm gonna start pretending I can sew, so HELP! I have a new sewing machine that I'm dying to try out:) (I can hear my friends now...boy, is she old, she's got a sewing machine???) I'm especailly interested in learning how to quilt and hem stuff...I have a quilting "instructor" that is one of my parent's neighbors, she's really fun, but she's moving away soon so I need back-up! Or if anyone wants to take community ed lessons with me, I'd love to do that too! Ok, this is getting long. 

Quick Thought of the Day

You know you're the mom of a toddler when you go to empty the lint trap in the dryer and find leftover easy-mac!

Random Stuff

Hey, if you want to see a really cool video/photo montage go look at my cousin Dan's web site it is really cool! Not the Breakdancing video, which is cute too, but the two below that one... I'm gonna figure it out eventually;) But for those of you new to blogging or looking for a fun way to show off pics it's a must see!

Also, Since I'm getting older this week (meaning my b-day is coming soon...yucky!), I may not post a lot in the next few days, but I'm spending the weekend up north with some really good friends at my Aunt and Uncle's place "Up North" and I'm soooo looking forward to it:) So if you can't reach me, I'm lost in the woods! (Also known as shopping in Nisswa!) Thanks again Uncle Doug and Auntie Annie!

One other order of business: Happy Birthday on Friday Meg and Allison!!!! And if I don't post before the 23rd, Happy B-day Tommy!

Angel Wings

I'm just writing to ask that you pray for my friend "Fred" and her family...Meg, a good friend of mine from high school, and her husband Will lost their daughter Tori to brain cancer one year ago today and I know it's going to be a rough time for them this month and next month would have been Tori's b-day too so continued prayers through this very hard time!

My Friends in Biz

Hey y'all...I just want to point out a feature on my blog that I think gets missed cuz it's down at the way bottom. On the right hand side below where you can subscribe to get e-mail updates from my blog, there are also some links to some of my fave web sites. Most of you who know me know that I am passionate about a few charities so those are linked.  It is coming up on the anniversary of the death of one of my good friend's almost 3-year-old daughter Tori so I encourage you to visit the Children's Cancer link and the KS95 for Kids phone-a-thon is coming in March I think. And you all know about the Animal Humane Society walk in May:) 

You will also find businesses of friends of mine that I would love for you to check out. If you have a web site you would like me to add to those sites(Sarah Jean!!!) let me know and I'll add you to my friends in biz post.

Magic Midnight Coughing Cure

Ok, so  Riley has been fighting a cough... mostly in the middle of the night... for a month at the very least. I have heard that if you put Vicks Vapor Rub on their feet it makes the cough go away. I'm here this morning to tell you that even if it's Vicks for babies it still works like magic!!! I put a good smearing on at about 2 a.m. and the cough was gone immediately. Now if we can just get her to sleep through the night again. She was up 3 times in the night...thankfully Josh took a shift on his normal night off so I could get some sleep!!! Thanks Honey!

Just some cute pics

Here's some pics we took this week. One if of my friend Cheri who came over so we could celebrate her b-day. Riley and Cheri were best friends from the moment she walked in the door. Roo wasn't shy at all, I was pleasantly surprised:) The rest of the shots are from today in her cute hat. She wore that to church today and we got so many comments!!

On my green kick again!

Ok, so today, Oprah was all about Green ways of living. Go to Oprah.com to learn ways you can change little things that can even save you money on your energy bills and improve your health. Did you know chemicals from your household cleaners can cause you to have athsma attacks? These are the things that are supposed to CLEAN and they are causing serious health risks. Here are some of my faves: www.readthegreenbook.com (read the solutions section); www.shaklee.com (cleaning products that are non-toxic, there's a deal through January on the starter package) and www.seventhgeneration.com (also cleaning products - some can be purchased at Target or Whole Foods); www.bitsltd.net ("smart" power strips that stop energy from being used when your appliances are in stand-by mode.).

Help!

Ok, new year usually means resolutions, right? Well, I resolved years ago never to make resolutions again. I prefer to try to focus on the positive in my life, not on what's bad. (What was the best thing about 2007? I might ask Josh, or What do you look forward to most in 2008?) However, my crazy husband has made no such resolution and I swear this year he has made EVERY resolution out there. Lose weight, clean the house, blah, blah, blah...well, we cleaned our closet today and I nearly killed him! I may not make resolutions, but I'm praying for more patience in 2008! P.S. If anyone is looking for a place to get rid of old books, tapes, CDs, etc. Goodwill takes them. We dropped off a bunch of stuff after our cleaning binge today!