Cooking School Weekend in Branson

If you're looking for a great getaway for you and your spouse... something affordable, fun, luxurious, and well... educational, lol... you'll want to check out the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel's cooking school weekend! This is really a cool idea... something completely new and unique to anything I've ever seen and I would LOVE to go.

The weekend of October 16th and 17th is when it all happens... with a wine tasting reception on Friday and a presentation the following morning where you'll learn how to prepare the appetizers served the night before. Chef Nathan Reed will teach you how to recreate the scrumptious appetizers at home. Imagine the impression you'll leave on your friends the next time you throw a party? lol They'll think you have Rachel Ray or Emeril hiding in your pantry.

Saturday evening you'll be served an amazing 4 course meal, followed by another morning of direction on how to recreate the lavish meal for your friends and family. They'll even teach you which wines work with the food you're preparing. Wow!

So, how much does all this cost? Would you believe this weekend is only $398 (plus tax) for the entire event? Did I mention that you'll be staying at the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel? This is the hotel you want when traveling to Branson as it's within driving distance to countless museums, live theater, and endless shopping options. If you've not been to Branson in awhile, it's time to go!

I love to cook and have always wanted to take cooking classes... mostly to learn new techniques and to gain insight into what types of foods work together. This vacation idea is right up my alley! On the Sunday of this event the chef is going to teach the participants how to smoke meat, how to pair foods with smoked meat and you'll also learn about seasonal menu options.

The menu of food items available over the course of this weekend is impressive... very smanshy fanshy, or as my kids would say... yummy! Just to give you a few menu items... Berkshire pork Porterhouse, Midwest Bison Short Ribs, a Fall harvest salad, and smoked potato and ham soup. There's desert too! Does anyone want some apple normandy? lol

Carving Pumpkins with Stencils

Since it will be October in just a matter of hours and since just yesterday I shared how you can enter your Halloween adventure online, I thought what better time and place than here to show off a couple of photos of some pumpkins by husband carved a couple years ago.

My husband is an artist and an engineer... truly he's very right and left brained... something you don't find all that often. There wasn't a whole lot of engineering involved here (maybe a little), but you can see talent! He made his own stencils, rather than buying them... by finding images of what he wanted to carve online. Pretty cool!

So here we have a mix of Spongebob Squarepants, Mickey Mouse, a monster, and I believe a storm trooper??? lol He basically asked the kids what they wanted him to carve, and he obliged!

This is actually a great activity for the kids... they helped their dad gut out the pumpkins, then helped mom in the kitchen... or at least watched as I rinsed, seasoned, and baked the seeds. They were pretty grossed out by what was inside the shell of the pumpkin, but forgot all about it when the seeds were out of the oven! Oh... this is getting me excited for this year!

I truly love the fall... especially the colors and cooler days, but my favorite thing about Halloween are pumpkins and other gourds... love the way the look, mostly uncarved, but carving is still fun. I also LOVE pumpkin pie and bread. Yum!

Halloween Stories... Do You Have One?

Have you bought (or made) your Halloween costumes yet? One of my husband's favorite times of year is Halloween... he loves everything from dressing up to gutting pumpkins and giving them bizarre looking faces and names. lol

If you too love Halloween and have a great story, picture, or video to share you'll want to jump on over to Halloweenadventure.com and learn about "Jack's Quest" to find the best Halloween adventure! Share your story with the site, then tell all your friends and family to jump on over and vote for you. They'll love to support you and you'll have a blast in the process.

If you're curious about what the current competition looks like, go there now and check it out. Could you have something even better? Well... don't delay! Perhaps it's a funny video taken last year of your children trick or treating at grandma and grandpa's house. Maybe it's your husband who didn't have his mask on right and ran into a wall?

What is your funniest Halloween story? Maybe you have a story you're dieing to tell and a photo that goes with it? I don't have a great story so much as a great costume... this photo is that of my son from last year. I made the costume the year before when he was Darth Vador... last year we just left off the helmet and painted his cute little face. He got A LOT of attention! lol Very cool costume and I guess if I have a story it's just to say I had one very excited little boy!

Buy Halloween Costumes Online or in a Halloween Store Near You and start taking photos and shooting videos of this year's stories as they unfold. :o) Have a wonderful time and be safe! By the way... if you join Jack's Quest, you'll get discounts on your Halloween shopping!

Homeschooling, Exercise, and Taekwondo

I wanted to share what my kiddos have been doing over the last couple of months, even though we've taken a break from homeschooling. I'm really jazzed about having the kids involved in a sport that is conducted outside the school, goes year round, and is something they can continue for life. That sport is Taekwondo!

Like anything else you may get your kids involved in, this isn't exactly cheap, but it's wonderful exercise, teaches self-discipline and respect, and gives the kids goals work towards. There is memorization involved too... which is really good for my son with Aspergers. By the way, he's never been heavy exactly, but was starting to get a bit of a pooch on him and it's nearly disappeared. Between four 1 hour classes each week and walking a mile each day (home from the school house) he's looking very fit!

I'm thrilled that the day we bring them back home to be homeschooled, life at the taekwondo center will be unaffected. It will be just another day of class for the kids! I also love that this sport isn't seasonal. I know it's fun to have your kids in football, basketball and soccer, but those sports wouldn't suit my Aspie very well, given they're team sports. The martial arts however is a constant source of mental and physical stimulation that he can enjoy and build on every week of the year, for as long as he desires.

My 7 year old daughter is a natural at this sport and she's going to be amazing a year from now... no doubt about it!

Anyway, wanted to share and I hope you don't feel funny about reading a homeschooling blog written by someone who used to homeschool! lol I do plan on picking it up again, after my son has had the peer modeling that the autism specialist recommended. He's doing wonderfully by the way. For him at least, going off to school has been more positive than negative. Thankfully!

Charter is Giving Away a Camaro!!!

You may remember me telling you about Charter giving away laptops. I was more than excited to be sharing the news... actually I was hoping to come back one day and tell you I'd won! lol I've been wanting a new laptop for the longest time, but so far it's still just a want. Well... I'm feeling a little bit better about not winning the laptop because the prize just got a whole lot more exciting! Charter is now giving away a car! Not just any car either, but a 2010 Camaro 2SS... ah, and they're even covering sales tax! lol Well, how many sweepstakes offer that? lol Had to mention it didn't I?

This car is one of the fastest cars you can buy and one of the hardest cars to get your hands on. Not that I'd drive fast mind you... I'd be ever so responsible and cautious behind the wheel of this beauty! Still, it would be nice to tell my friends... "my car is faster than your car" you know it's the... my dad can beat up your dad type of thing. lol Oh, I'm so mature!

So, if you didn't win the laptop, maybe you'll win the car? After all... someone has to win, why couldn't it be one of us? So... with that said listen up... the contest runs through November 26th. Visit the Camaro Sweepstakes and learn all about how to enter before time runs out!

In addition to entering to win this fabulous automobile, learn about how you can get a $100 gift card when you purchase 3 Charter services. Only need 2 services? Well, you'll be eligible for a $50 gift card and if you only need 1 service you'll still get a $25 gift card! Pretty cool. :) These gift cards are for familiar restaurants and retailers where you shop everyday.

Be sure to visit Charter on Facebook and become a fan... if you haven't already. Don't you know yet how cool Charter is? Take a look at that car why don't you? Just look at it!

You'll also want to visit Charter on Twitter and send out a tweet! Tell them how much you want that car! Oh... I just love yellow!

My Daughter's Penguin Cake!

I thought I'd post the results of a days work in the kitchen. This cake took me most of the day to complete, but alas it is done! My daughter's 7th birthday party is tomorrow and she wanted a Penguins of Madagascar cake. At first I thought... hmmm I really don't feel like sculpting penguins out of fondant, maybe I'll just purchase some plastic toys. Guess what? They don't make plastic Madagascar penguins... or at least no one in the Kansas City area carries them... so yay. lol

I had fun making the characters even though I wasn't all that excited about it at the time I started. Usually I have a vision for what the end result will be, but this cake sorta just happened and I'm not really sure what is going on here. The idea I guess is that the brick wall is down and water is flowing, but it really doesn't make much sense. Probably shouldn't be pointing that out. lol

So what do you think? Do the characters look somewhat like the cartoon? I made Yoda for my son 5 months ago and wanted to do something equally cool for my daughter. Hopefully I have. This time tomorrow it will be gone and all we'll have is this photo. Sorta funny if you think about it!

Halloween, Twitter, and the WWF

What do they have to do with one another? Thanks to twickortweetme.com EVERYTHING! Send your best buds a Halloween tweet and Tetra Pak will make a 10 cent donation to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund). So, jump on your twitter account and start sending those Halloween tweets!

At the Trick Or Treat Me site you'll also find a printable coupon for a healthy carton of milk for your little trick-or-treater! Hershey's and Organic Valley are offering shelf stable milk... isn't that something? Visit the link, get your coupon, then check them out on Twitter and start sending out your Halloween tweets to support the WWF all while having a little fun with your friends!

Speaking of milk... it's hard to find good healthy products this time of year... well, they're there, but it's hard to keep our focus off the shelves of candy at every grocery store, convenience store, and pharmacy. They're everywhere! I don't know about you, but I've even thrown away bags of candy in years past. I just can't stand seeing all those sweets... especially the cheaper sugary treats filling jars on my kitchen counter. They're tempting, but totally not worth the sacrifice to our health, or that of our kids. Who needs that much candy? Gag.

I try to keep our kids away from the sweets as much as possible because with the September birthdays that we seem to be surrounded by, it's all downhill from about the middle of September until Christmas. Sooo much sugar! What's wrong with apples and cantaloupe? Ok... laugh, but I'm totally serious... both are sweet and refreshing and neither leave you feeling hyped up or deflated later. I should also give thumbs up to milk... even with a little chocolate, my kids are getting their calcium and protein which is important to those developing minds and growing bodies!

Trick Or Treat Me on Twitter is waiting for you! Get on over there and tweet your friends, your neighbors, your cousins, you boss... tweet 'em all! Be sure to spread the word while you're at it that they too can support the WWF. What a great excuse to tweet... as if you needed one! lol

Geography for Kids Website

I love finding new homeschooling-friendly websites to share with my readers and today I found a great resource for studying geography. I'm looking for others too... so if you know of any I can add to my short list... let me know. ; )

KidsGeo.com teaches geography through educational games such as map matching and games designed to reinforce memorization of state capitals. There are also games providing understanding of longitude and latitude. If your kids are into games, and what kid isn't, this might be a nice way to enhance your geography lessons at home!

KidsGeo.com features world maps, US maps, ocean maps and more... so you'll have every part of the globe covered from North to South... East to West!

By the way... the site also features Geology games! Learn about erosion, rocks and landforms, soil, and so much more. My son was just asking me about erosion the other day, so I'm checking things out on the geography section of this site now!

Enter the LG Contest and FindYourBliss!

Do you currently own something you find especially ugly that you'd like to get rid of? Perhaps it's a really horrible looking houseplant you've nearly killed over watering? Maybe it's a painting from that college art class that you probably didn't need to take or the sweater you made when you were 12... the one you made before anyone realized you were colorblind and farsighted?

If you have something you've deemed ugly... that you'd like to rid yourself of, you'll want to enter the LG Contest where you can upload an image or video of something ugly you'd prefer to live without.

Upon entry into the "find your bliss", you'll be entered to win a brand new LG Bliss phone! Second place will get you a $50 gift card which will allow you to show for a bit of your own bliss. In all, 5 people will will the grand prize of the new LG Bliss phone and a whopping 50 will win the $50 gift card! You must be at least 18 years old to play this game... so if you're not... pass this along to your parent or guardian.

To enter just log in to your Facebook account and become a fan of the LG Bliss Facebook Fan Page. Only one entry per Facebook account is allowed. Check out the Gallery of the Utterly Ugly and see what ugly stuff others are wishing to rid themselves of.... this could be anything from an inherited clock radio to an ugly behavior they would like to rid society of. Perhaps an ugly freak of nature... like the things growing around my flowerbed that I have yet to identify would be a good entry?

Visit www.Facebook.com/LGBliss to enter! This really sounds like fun doesn't it? I'm enjoying scrolling through the ugly photos... some of which you'll find in the widget in my right sidebar. Too funny! lol

I can think of some things at my parent's home that would be perfect for this contest. lol Oh, if only I still had the coconut head doll that I mysteriously received for my 12th birthday... I still don't quite understand that one. lol

Tags: findyourbliss, LG Contest, LGBliss

Homemade Pillows for my Birthday Girl!

I'm feeling crafty!!! Can you believe I made these? Well... I made most of what you see here. :o)

I wanted to do something different for my daughter who turned 7 on Wednesday, but didn't really know what that might be. I can't tell you how many times I've went to Hobby Lobby and purchased supplies to "create" something special only to add more clutter to my craft supply closet. It's not a big closet mind you, but it is a big mess.

This time around I actually followed through! Almost... lol, they're not 100% done. I still have to stitch up the bottom where the stuffing was placed, but overall I'm almost there. My daughter was tickled pink, purple and blue when she saw these. lol

I can't take credit for the embroidery. A neighbor friend made the mistake of telling me she had an embroidery machine, so I immediately enlisted her on my mission, which by the way fueled my incentive to finish this project. We were both excited to see how the finished project would come out. They're so cool! The only mistake we made (currently being fixed!) is that the last pillow's font is slightly smaller than the other two. Fortunately I had more fabric! lol I'm going to sew a pocket on the flawed pillow for future tooth fairy visits. :o)

The backs of the pillows are printed fleece, front is cotton... some sort of cotton that actually has a bit of a sheen on one side, which works out well for this type of project. I'm wondering now if I should scotch guard them all? Any suggestions?

Ok... it's late, I'm tired and if I don't get to bed I'll be cranky in the morning. You know how us crafty moms are! lol Gotta get that rest!

Suze Orman on Blood Cord Banking

One of the things we looked into when our kids were young was banking their cord blood, but we never considered it as a good financial investment. It's a perspective I never considered until today while reading more about Cryo-Cell.com and the advice of financial expert Suze Orman.

Fact is spending money today on blood cord banking could not only save the life our your newborn later in life, but could save you massive amounts financially should they ever become victim to illness. The Suze Orman story is worth visiting if you're ever planning on having children, if you're now pregnant, or if you have a friend or family member currently expecting.

Cryo-Cell services offers cord blood banking information and shares with expecting parents the benefits and peace of mind found in this huge investment. Find all the facts today through Cryo-Cell.com!

Cell Phone Envy

As a self-employed mom doing her best to keep up with the latest and greatest in technology (often without personally experiencing it) I'm realizing I'm being left in the dust in a huge way. Normally I don't find myself drueling over other people's stuff... or straw as I like to call it... however these moms who have the ability to surf the web, post on Facebook, and read emails on their phones does leave me somewhat jealous.

Not only are these phones not in my budget, but neither are the calling plans and add ons that would allow me to have a little fun of my own. If you can't tell, I'm living in an expensive county, in a suburb of a medium sized city, and I'm frequently out and about with people are living quite comfortably. lol I'm living among them and grateful for what I do have. I'm not poor, we're not living paycheck to paycheck, but I'm not in a position to buy toys for myself. I do own a cell... it's a prepaid phone that makes and receives calls and has been a wonderful business tool and a huge blessing.

I'm sharing this in order that I might work my way through my jealousy. You see, keeping up with the Jones' isn't really my style and when I feel myself absorbing the cultural mentality to buy and possess I have to stop... take a deep breath and remind myself that for the better part of history people survived without any form of cell phone, without Internet, without comfy shoes and air conditioning... so what am I complaining about? lol

Compared to the world standard I am rich, so thank you God for blessing me and forgive me for drooling over my friend's Iphones. lol Ok... I think I'm feeling better. Maybe?

The Voice of My Computer

Hello, I'm Wendy's computer and do I have a story to tell you or what? The answer is a resounding YES. You see, I'm getting a bit rusty and I'm not as hip as I once was... I think you human types call it getting old. As a consequence to my late nights, frequent viral attacks, and trying to keep a family of 4 happy day after long grueling day, I'm running slower than my primary user would prefer and I often witness her making faces at me. She used to look so pretty... now she looks as tired as I feel. Sometimes she even looks angry. Doesn't she know I'm doing my best to keep up? I've caught her emailing her friends and telling them that she's almost ready to get rid of me.

Maybe what she really needs to do is show me a bit of compassion? Don't you have any compassion for me Wendy? You seem to have so much for all the humans in your life? Yet here I am running your programs, helping you earn a living (ok, excuse me while a chuckle), and store all your precious family photos, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets (by the way, you really should take a class), and all those games your kids play. Did you know your son kicked my hard drive again? Oh... that hurts! I mean he's a cute kid, but common!

So, you all know what I am, but you don't really know who I am. My name is Black Dell and I'm attached to a good-sized flat screen monitor... a couple years ago a virus fried my motherboard. I thought I was a goner for sure, but fortunately I was still under warranty. I'm also attached to an HP printer. My primary user loves HP, which is another slap in the face! However, me and HP Officejet have had a few fun moments together. I could tell you some stories!

Just the other day HP Officejet was telling me about awesome coupon deals including a $30 stackable site-wide coupon deal that provides online shoppers $30 off orders totalling $150 or more at the HP Home Store. The online coupon code for this store is SV2132. Of course, this information doesn't sit too well with my middle-aged Officejet friend (who is much younger than I am). He's been on his best behavior every since he caught wind of this offer. The special savings are good through 10/31 (restrictions and exclusions apply) and I think he's hoping our user will forget. Is that possible?

Do you ever dream of being something you're not? Sometimes we computers daydream about being HP's. I'd like to be the HP TouchSmart IQ800t series. It's super sleek looking and I'd be fast as lightening! Oh that PC is totally out of my league and I know it. If Wendy goes to the HP website, she'll know it too. Oh, and Christmas is just a few months away!

Maybe we can distract her? You think? Any ideas? I've probably already said to much.

An Apology If I Forgot You!

Hello readers! I just wanted to take a minute and apologize to a few wonderful vendors and site owners who have asked me to consider reviewing their products and/or services. I'm on it... just not as quickly as I'd like to be! lol If you've asked me to look at your homeschooling website, add it to my links page, or if you've asked for permission to send me a product for review, rest assured I'll be getting back to you by month's end.

This is such a busy time of year for me as director of a women's Fall event at my church... I never run out of things to do, emails to send, products to buy, meetings to lead and at the end of the day, well... I'm still doing it! lol Tonight was a very productive time as many of the to-do's have been taken on by committee members, which will free me up enough to hopefully play catch up.

I so appreciate you all! Thanks for reading this blog... putting up with my crazy schedule and occasionally dropping a comment or two! I love to hear from you!

Have a wonderful 9-9-9! It's almost over from where I sit, and from what I know of math we won't see another single digit date like this for nearly a thousand years... which means, us mortals won't see it at all! lol

Take care,
~Wendy