UP, UP AND AWAY!

Every year before the INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA starts we have an event called BALLOONS ALOFT, where balloons take off from local elementary school. Here is our event this morning.

CHRISTMAS GREENERY

We got these two lovely pieces yesterday.

This is from my sister, Mary kay. I hate that it can't be at the house, but three cats and poinsettia don't mix. So, it's going to now grace Richard's desk at work.

This is a lovely live evergreen wreath we got from our nanny, Penny! It's on our front door.

AMAZING STUFF

PENATEN creme is AMAZING! Andrew had horrible diaper rash because of the toxins in his poop, but after only a couple days, it has almost completely disappeared. There is only one place in Albuquerque to buy this stuff, but I have found it on tons of sights on the Internet. YOU REALLY NEED TO TRY THIS....(I have not been paid for this.)!

MY NEW FAVORITE PRODUCT!!!!!!!!

GREAT IDEAS....#3

Here is the 3rd bunch of GREAT IDEAS I've found.

Maggie at BLACK AND WHITE had a great idea on how to create digital art like this....

.......using MS Word. I love it.

I haven't tried this idea yet, but I'm going to. What a great way to get kids involved in chores, saving money and making their own decisions. Kim at A GIRL WITH A GLUE GUN had this one.

This idea came from CHRONICLE BOOKS. What kid wouldn't like to get a letter from the tooth fairy?!

I also found this idea on PINTEREST, which looks amazing! I love the smell of citrus.

GREAT IDEAS.....#2

Here is the second installment of the GREAT IDEAS I've found (and tried) during my blog hopping and PINTEREST addiction.

None of these are my original ideas.....but I take my hat off to whomever came up with them!

1. ...to clean your microwave.....mix 1 cup of vinegar with 1 cup of hot water and put this in the microwave for 10 minutes....crystal clean!

2. ...clean toilet bowls with WD 40. Spray it into the bowl and swish with a toilet brush....totally dissolves all the gunk.....

3. ....MAGIC ERASER...what doesn't it do?  What I've used it for.....scuff marks on floors and baseboards, grime on tennis shoes, tea stains, tarnish on silver, soap scum in shower, residue after removing stickers, rust spots, toilet bowl rings, cleaning car tires, pet and child stains on carpets, grass stains on shoes, marker, crayon and ink on all kinds of surfaces....

4. ...spray the top of guacamole with cooking spray and place in fridge to keep it green....

5. ... add a teaspoon of salt to a large plastic storage container about 2/3 full of water and stir before adding apple slices....no brown spots.

GREAT IDEAS...#1

Lately, I've found a lot of GREAT IDEAS during my blog hopping and PINTEREST addictions. I'm going to start a new set of posts to share the best ones that I've actually tried!

None of these are my original ideas.....but I take my hat off to whomever came up with them!

1. ...polish faucets, sinks, tile, stove tops, even shower doors with Turtle Wax, leaves a barrier against water, spills and soap buildup.....

2. ....I love GOO-GONE, but peanut butter is amazing at quickly loosening price labels......

3. ....to remove permanent marker from counter tops, walls and dry erase boards (I use this in my classroom all the time), use a little alcohol on a cotton ball....

4. ....to keep mini Tupperware lids, baby-bottle caps, and other small items from falling through the dishwasher rack use a laundry bag. I found a small container for this use in the baby aisle, but you can fit so much more in one of these bags.

5. ... I don't ware nail polish, but I bought the cheapest bottles I could find to keep all my keys organized.....

Please leave a comment and share your GREAT IDEAS too.

EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS

Look what I got in the mail. It is so cute!

But now I have to refrigerate it!  So I have to pull it apart.

Amazing how much fruit is on one of these things. Yum! Yum!

Things you might not know about your cell phone...

There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival.

Check out the things that you can do with it:

#1 (Emergency): The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an Emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.

#2 (Hidden Battery Power): Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#. Your cell phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell phone next time.

#3 (How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?): To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: *#06# and a 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. If your phone is stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.

And Finally....
#4  (Free Directory Service for Cells): Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial: (800) FREE411 or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all.

MOMMY IS LEARNING TO EXPLORE AGAIN

I just got this fun art book for Samuel. I don't teach the little ones, so coming up with primary art projects has been a challenge. What I like about this book is it has great ideas, but it also reminded me that at this age the fun part is just exploring and experimenting. Its' the process not the product.

A GREAT PAIR OF SCISSORS...AND OTHER COOL STUFF!

My new favorite online place to shop....BEYOND PLAY!

I just bought these scissors for Sam for $6.99. They are so cool. We can develop his muscle coordination and have fun.

After getting the free catalog...I now want...

...these Bubble Pals for $10.95...

...this Gears Building Set for $26.95...

and these cool Finger Crayons for only $6.95 to develop fine motor skills.

This Round Seesaw looks like loads of fun, but it is way way beyond my budget.

Now I need some ideas for getting Sam to brush his teeth. He chews on the finger brush and doesn't like the bristle brushes. Any and all ideas would be greatly appreciated.