My Week So Far

It has been a crazy week, my calendar was full mostly with my son's schedules. We had story time date, playdates and Gymboree class too. I also went to see our tax preparer friend for our taxes and I need to come back again next week to finalize the return. On top of Mikey's schedules; errands, shopping, making/returning phone calls, visit friends and checking/replying to e-mails used up most of my day time. Most night times I do blogging.

I always welcome the opportunity when I can go out of the house and leave my piling chores even for just a while. I just enjoy and maximize my time out by swinging by to my favorite stores. I used to shop all the time at Kohl's, TJ Maxx, Marshalls and DSW, but right now I'm into Jo-Ann's Fabric and Michael's for my scrapbooking materials and tools. I scrapbook every now and then and in between chores and while my son is taking a nap. I have different pages that I have started already and just have to be put together. There are some tools that I still need to get because of ideas that keep popping up while doing my projects. This hobby is getting to be costly and I spent quite a lot already with only one page completely done, lol. But I'm enjoying it tremendously, keeps my mind away from my usual routine.

I'm also trying to clean up as much as I can, getting the house ready for my FIL's visit. I feel like making him stay in our study room since we have a sofa bed there too, but it might not be comfortable for him, he's already 82 years old. If I will let him stay in the guest room which is Mikey's room now, it means that I will have to let Mikey sleep in our room. I hate breaking his habit of retiring to bed without any resistance. He's good at bedtime, I just put him in the crib, play his lullaby songs and kiss him goodnight. I'm afraid that for 2 weeks that my FIL is here, this good habit will go down the ditch and we will start over again.

Anyway weekend starts tomorrow, hubby is home so I can have some time to myself, hopefully, lol, if he wont be busy with his project at work or school homework. Anyway, for sure we'll be dining out and shop because its weekend.

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Are You Looking For An Extra Earning?

With the pressing economic downturn we are facing right now, we should be smart enough to find ways on how to earn extra buck to stretch our budget. There is an easy and quick way on how to achieve this, all you need to have is a blog. Yes, if you own a blog you can write your opinions on the net and get paid for it via Bloggerwave.

Bloggerwave is aiming to be Europe's biggest advertising media on blogs, its growth means more jobs will come. So what are you waiting for? Sign up now with Bloggerwave and start earning extra money. You will be glad you did.

bloggerwave

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Disclosure Policy

This policy is valid from 26 March 2008

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact mira.burns@gmail.com.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

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Let's Go Green

I saw this article from Great Eight archive of Earth 911 and I felt strongly about sharing it here in my blog. I am an advocate of recycling and preserving the earth from the harmful effects of household wastes. Recycling is the key concept of modern waste management and is the third component of the "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" waste hierarchy. I hope to spread or awaken awareness of my readers by re-posting the article here. And what a great way to wish everyone a St. Patrick's Day too ;-) which all of us know is represented by green color. Let's go green and lets start it at our homes.

8 Ways to Green Your Home

by Earth 911 on January 3rd, 2008

Here are eight easy ways to be eco-friendly around the house.

1. Clean Out Your Storage

We all have a closet or garage full of items that aren’t used anymore. An easy way to organize these areas is to group the products and decide what to do with them accordingly. Some sample groups could include electronics, household waste (paint, pesticides, motor oil) and scrap metal.

2. Recycle Smarter

Once you’ve grouped out what you want to get rid of, figure out how and where to recycle these products or donate them for reuse. Earth 911’s recycling locator at the top of this page can help. Another way to recycle smart is by closing the loop; buy items made from recycled content and with limited packaging.

3. Use Energy More Wisely

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) use 20 percent of the energy of incandescent bulb, and they also last 10 times as long. Keeping your thermostat at reasonable temperatures in both the winter and the summer is also a good energy saver. Finally, read your energy bill and check for trends from month to month, and ask your energy company about renewable alternatives.

4. Use Less Water

Whether it’s taking shorter showers or putting a bottle in your toilet tank, saving water is important because it is a limited resource. You can also reuse water around the house, such as using cooking water for plants (the nutrients from the food will benefit the plant).

5. Start Composting

Composting is hip again, and it’s a great way to reduce your waste and help your garden at the same time. You can include most food scraps and material like cardboard, which will biodegrade in your yard and produce nutrient-rich fertilizer. A cubic yard of compost is worth $80 in dirt costs.

6. Invest in Energy-Efficient Appliances

If you can afford it, start replacing older appliances in your home with more energy-efficient ones. These products will reduce your energy output and save money on your electricity bill. Buying a hybrid car is also an eco-friendly investment.

Start a Green Group

Plenty of green activities are meant to be a shared experience, such as carpooling. Talk to your friends about the importance of conserving, and develop programs and activities in your neighborhood for others to get involved. Students can also start a Club Earth 911 at their school.

Plant a Tree

It may seem cliché, but planting trees was the original carbon offset. Not only do they reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, but they can provide shade for your home (reducing energy costs) and produce fruits that you won’t have to buy at the store.

Share your own green tips with others by commenting below. Print the list to post on your refrigerator!

This story is part of Earth 911’s “Green Eight” series, where we showcase eight ways to green your life in various areas. Click here to see Earth 911’s “Green Eight” archive.

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Spring Flower Show - Flowers

Some breath-taking photos of flowering plants. Learn more about the show.

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Spring Flower Show - Potted Plants

Samples of potted plants for indoor, deck and entry way. Click here to learn more about the show.

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Spring Flower Show - Bonsai

Here are some snaps of indoor bonsai plants. Click here to learn more about the show.

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Spring Flower Show - Plant Boxes

Here are some samples of what plant combinations to include in plant boxes. Click here to learn more about the show.

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Up and Running Again

After being indispose for three days, my son is up and running again like a brand new machine, lol. I would rather see him active and wearing me down than sick and still wearing me down anyway. After canceling out on all his playdates last week, we're back in the playgroup scene again. On Monday, we went to the Norton Public Library to attend the Mother Goose. On Tuesday he attended his regular Gymboree class for Level 4 and today we joined the Mansfield Moms Playgroup in a trip to the Children's Museum in Easton.

Mother Goose is an informal, interactive session for ages 0-2 and moms, where we sit in a circle and share stories, songs, fingerplays and bounces. The storytime lasts for about 30 minutes and afterwards a big chest of toys is brought out and children are invited to stay and play together. This gives opportunity for children to socialize and interact with other kids and also for moms to have some 'adult' conversation. Michael loves books and interactive play, he enjoys being around other kids and adults as well.

He did great at Gymboree too. He was particularly attentive to Ms. Melanie and participated in all activities. He used to wander off to different play equipments but still do the activities. But yesterday he stayed in the session area and listened enthusiastically to Ms. Melanie; hopped in the parachute for a ride; jumped, wiggled, rocked and twisted; and tapped the air log with so much gusto. He was definitely recharged.

I'm glad we still went to the Children's Museum today despite the rain. It was Michael's first time to go to a museum and he definitely liked it. This museum is a hands-on children's museum with 3 floors of interactive exhibits that promote learning, creativity and discovery. Michael liked the choo choo train as what he calls it. He sailed in the ship; built towers; played musical instruments; had face painted; scribbled with crayons; drove a fire truck; and dropped some balls for experiments. He had a wonderful time.

Michael is definitely making the most of playtime lost and we're only halfway through the week. His calendar is really hectic, he still have some fun days for the rest of the week to look forward to.

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Monday Madness Photos

Click here to see the story about Monday Madness and More.

Michael always wants to be in the center of the action. Here he really insisted to help put away clean utensils. He is mommy's little helper.

If he sees me open the pantry, he runs really fast to snoop and always turns around with a loot. Here he's showing me some crackers he took out of a box.

Trying on dada's shoes, he does this a lot. He even wants to help his dad to put on his shoes.

Stool is his new best friend, he likes to see what's going on at the top of counter all the time.

"Hey I'm finally wearing dada's shoe."

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