Thought of the Day - 7/4/09

In God We Trust

This is a powerful presentation about the roots of the USA. It takes a short 4-5 minutes to watch, so take the time to pause in your busy-ness of the day and view this. Enjoy.

http://www.interviewwithgod.com/patriotic/highband.htm

Aloha Friday #11

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is a day to take it easy, so Kailani thought that Fridays is a good day to take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

The question for this week:
Based on my last post, I got to wondering about trust. Who is the one person you trust the most?

My answer:
My friend, Sandy. She tells me the truth no matter what, even if I don't want to hear it. She's not mean about it but matter-of-factly will tell me what needs to be said. Thanks, Sandy, for your honesty and friendship.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

Snopes - Trustworthy or Not?

A group I belong to was discussing the cons of Aspartame this week. One of the members, then replied to a message that said they had checked Snopes to see if there was any validity to the discussion.

After realizing so many people rely on Snopes for their fact checking, and wondering where does Snopes get their information, I did some fact checking of my own. It turns out that Snopes is just a husband and wife team named Barbara and David Mikkelson. Barbara does most of the fact checking herself, but does not list her sources. In other words, the place that most Internet users rely on to check their facts is not as reliable as most of us thought And, sadly, really subject to the biases of only two people. Think about that, they have the power to sway the thinking of a very large number of people on some very important stuff, including health and political issues.

I think Snopes may be a good starting point, but I think i you are looking for information you should dig a little deeper. I know the topic of Aspartame i no closed in my group, but I suggest that anyone interested in the subject go to Google and type "Aspartame dangers" or something similar and read more than one source, then make up your own mind.

I must say, I'm really alarmed by how quickly our society accepts whatever they hear. I'm even more alarmed by how much we hear these days that is either flat out untrue or, at least, skewed to fit someone's agenda. I believe this is partly why our country is in the mess it's in right now. It's unfortunate, but we just can't trust anyone anymore, including our oldest and once most trusted news sources.

Thought of the Day - 7/3/09

Ever walked into a gourmet ice cream store and been excited by the sheer number of flavors available to you? Ever noticed how like that ice cream store, life offers an equally astonishing number of choices? And not just the big, dramatic ones either -- the amount of options you have when it comes down to the moment is truly amazing when you think about it.

Thought of the Day - 7/11/09

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
~~ Dr. Seuss ~~

Thought of the Day - 7/2/09

I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad its seems today, life does go one, and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they are gone from your life.

I've learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.

I've learned that whenever I decided something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

~~ Maya Angelou ~~

Wordless Wednesday #30

For more pictures, go to Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Thought of the Day - 7/1/09

Accept Yourself

With all the indecision you've been fighting lately, you may lose sight of the clear choices in front of you. The biggest is your choice to be happy. Reject the self-imposed standards you've been struggling with -- frankly, they're too unrealistic -- and choose to accept yourself. There is no such thing as perfection, and aiming for it is almost an insult to what you're right now. Cherish all your faults -- don't change the things you love about life.

Thought of the Day - 6/30/09

You may not think you can reach it.
Climb anyway.
You may not think you'll be heard.
Speak anyway.
You may not think you can change things.
Try anyway.
~~ Maya Angelou ~~

IDEA Fairness Restoration Act

School districts can use tax dollars to employ and pay for psychologists and other technical experts.

Few parents can afford the thousands of dollars needed to pay for expert testimony that is necessary to prevail in IDEA due process hearings and litigation. Parents have fewer resources and yet must bear a greater financial burden.

Please call your Congressional Representative on Thursday, July 9. Ask him or her to co-sponsor the IDEA Fairness Restoration Act, H.R. 2740.

Tuesday Toot #13

I finally took the plunge and joined Facebook. There are so many applications and games available as well as connecting with friends, clients, etc.

If you are a member of Facebook please leave your FB link in the comments section so I can add you as a friend.

For more good news and happy toots, go to Mommy Community.

Family Minute #54

Summer sanity

Are your kids driving you up the wall? Summer can be a challenging time for moms. A house full of bored, cooped up kids can be a recipe for disaster. How do you react when your son crayons the wall or your daughter digs up the flowers you so painstakingly planted? You probably can't help being frustrated... but you can keep your frustration from getting out of control.

In this week's Learn A Latte, Dr. Gary Oliver discusses his own struggle with frustration and shares some ideas about how to get your own frustration under control. Check out Dr. Oliver's article and start becoming a saner, calmer you.

Remember, your family first.

Piggy Paint Pictures

For further explanation of these pictures, go to Piggy Paint Review. If you want a chance to win your own Piggy Paint, go to Piggy Paint Giveaway.

Piggy Paint Giveaway

Did you see the Piggy Paint review?

Would you like to try some Piggy Paint? And have some fun with your daughter?

Piggy Paint is giving one of my lucky readers a $20 Gift Certificate to their store. If you want to be entered for the giveaway, please leave a note in the comments section letting us know what your favorite Piggy Paint color is.

If you can't wait to see if you win, you can purchase some Piggy Paint today with a special coupon code for 15% off anything in the store. The coupon code is CHERISH15L with an expiration date of August 15, 2009. Thanks, Piggy Paint, for providing this special just for my readers.

Piggy Paint Review

Laurie from Piggy Paint send us a small package of goodies. The package contained a bottle of Nail Polish Remover and a bottle of Tea Party for Two nail polish.

Cassandra's, age 7, Review: It didn't stink. Awesome blue color. Easy to use. The nail polish looks nice. I feel all grown up being able to use it myself.

Mom's Review: I love that it is pretty much odorless, both the fingernail polish and the nail polish remover. It is hypoallergenic with no toxic chemicals and made in the USA (hooray!). It doesn't offend your nose or the atmosphere. I like that aloe vera and vitamin E are added as supplements to protect the nails and cuticles. One layer of nail polish is enough for full coverage. I like that it is safe and non-toxic for my daughter to use on her own.

To meet the mother and creator of Piggy Paint, click here to learn about her journey into the world of finger nail polish.

Unconscious Mutterings #9

Free association is described as a "psychoanalytic procedure in which a person is encouraged to give free rein to his or her thoughts and feelings, verbalizing whatever comes into the mind without monitoring its content." Over time, this technique is supposed to help bring forth repressed thoughts and feelings that the person can then work through to gain a better sense of self.

That's an admirable goal, but for the purposes of this exercise, we're just hoping to have a little fun with the technique. Each week ten words are posted to which you can respond to with the first thing that comes to mind.

There are no right or wrong answers. Don't limit yourself to one word responses; just say everything that pops into your head.

Luna says . . . and I think . . .

1. Guest :: I love having guests or company over.
2. Impact :: You don't realize the impact you have on someone's life, especially your children, until later.
3. Unplanned :: Many pregnancies are unplanned. However, my son's conception and birth were planned in advanced.
4. Tactic :: Most people do not have the knack for being tactful.
5. Delayed :: Don't let a delay disappoint you. Take the time to discover something new.
6. Bombastic :: What a fun word.
7. Comfort :: I love being in the comfort of my home.
8. Trumpet :: Too loud.
9. Joe :: Most men I know named Joe (or John) are not good people.
10. Budget :: Yes, I have a strict budget.

To see the mutterings of others, go see Luna Nina.

Thought of the Day - 6/29/09

This is called a Pensieve. I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind.

~~ Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ~~

Make Me Laugh Monday - To Remember

Join me in the fun and giggles of making Mondays a better day by sharing some laughs. Add your link to your Make Me Laugh Monday post to Mr. Linky below. (All links not leading directly to your post will be deleted.) All posts should be funny in some way. Yes, this is up to interpretation. Ideas include riddles, funny family stories, comic strips, jokes, silly graphics, funny lyrics, hilarious photos, etc. Please don't leave me to snicker all alone. I'm sure YOU have something funny to share.

Thought of the Day - 6/28/09

Does the walker choose the path or the path the walker?

~~ Garth Nix, Sabriel ~~