November Finds Me- Many Things

in , , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, November 14, 2013

Happy Friday Eve! This has been a growing sort of month for me and I wanted to share a little of it here with you in my monthly “feelings” post.


November finds me:

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I know some of you are thinking that these feelings aren’t news worthy, or maybe even post worthy since practically everybody who has an online account on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest are sharing their hearts out. You could be right- maybe this type of sharing is being done too much- but today, this is where my heart is because of recent interactions with friends, family, acquaintances and complete strangers.

1. I have so much to be thankful for that I couldn’t possibly list them all here, but today I am especially thankful for: My own car that runs anytime I need it. This week I’ve chatted with a lady who doesn’t own her own car (or her own home for that matter) and has to schedule her day around others to get around. Another lady, who is a stay at home Mom is a one car family, so she’s stuck at home all day- everyday while her husband goes to work.

2. I’m happy that my life is an amalgamation of domestic know -how and business savvy which allows me to continue being a work at home Mom.  I don’t earn a whole lot of money- but I save us a lot!  With the rising cost of childcare- I am so very happy I can be at home for my kids and family.  
Look at these startling stats:
In 31 states plus D.C., the cost of center-based care for an infant is higher than a year's tuition at a four-year public university.- The average annual cost for two children (an infant and a 4-year-old) in a childcare center ranged from about $10,000 in Mississippi to nearly $30,000 in Massachusetts! You can read the full report here

3. I’m peace with my age and stage in life. I’m officially a Tween! I’ve moved past having children and I’m nowhere near ready to be a Grandma- so I’m a tween right along with my tween. 

4. I’m hopeful for what next year will bring. We are on the cusp of good, good things.  I can feel it.

5. I am blessed with the ability to be me. I’ve gone throw some growing pains this year and my wonderful husband- my best friend for well over 20 years, has remained my constant and true biggest fan, as have my daughters. To be honest- this blog would not still be here if not for their unwavering support. Blogging is a creative endeavor with a whole lot of moving parts. Growing a blog is like gardening, it is never ending, but with each season you see fruits of your labor. Some seasons are sweeter and more bountiful than others.  


6. I am loved. And I know it. I am secure in it. If all the material things our society seems to covet fell away and I had to face my tomorrows with nothing but this love I have and those that bestow it, I would be A-Okay.  


So as we edge ever closer to the end of November, I ask you – how does November find you?

Wordless Wednesday- Fiona!

in , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, November 13, 2013

As promised in this post about my #bugout insect- I'd like to share our newest fur baby with you. 



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Fiona loves sunbathing.


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And stretching out to her full length in the kitchen when I'm cooking.


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Fiona really loves taking her older fur-sisters favorite toy- Eeek.



But chirping, talking, loving and purring is one of Fiona's Favorite past times.

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Love time with Daddy.
We adore Fiona and she us! She is one happy, social kitty. Are you a cat or dog family? Or both?

Make School Lunches Fun with pop Chef

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, November 12, 2013

We are almost to school winter break here in middle Tennessee, which means my daughters have eaten their fair share of from home lunches that normally include sandwiches. So when Pop Chef approached me to sponsor today’s post by sending me a free set to try, I happily agreed to check them out.


About Pop Chef:

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“Pop Chef is a new, fast and easy way to make fabulous edible creations. The secret is its 3-in-1 action- which shapes, pops and creates stars, circles, hearts and more without the mess or hassle of knives or cookie cutters. It’s a snack-tivity that’s even safe for kids to use.


With Pop Chef you can make:

  • Snacks
  • Party Platters
  • Meals
  • Gifts



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Pop Chef sounds fun doesn't it? Not just for us Moms, but for our kids too. My teen and tween (who make their own snacks and the occasional lunch)- were eager to give Pop Chef a try. 



The Review:

While Pop Chef does work and it really is fun to use- we didn’t find it as easy as 
  1. 1- Push, 
  2. 2- Pop 
  3. 3- Ta-da your piece comes out perfect. 

Nope. 

My daughter had to “coax” her piece of bread out. It still looked cute according to her, but it wasn’t in the perfect sun shape she hoped. She still said it was fun though.

I found the same to be true when I attempted to make flower ham and cheese sandwich bites for their lunches. Since my sandwich was over the recommended 1 inch thickness, it took a little bit of sweet talking to get the pieces out (see below) they didn’t “pop” out, but like my daughter I was having fun, so I continued.

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Pop Chef works perfectly with firm fruit I’m happy to report! We all wish we’d gotten this at the height of summer fruit season because once we’d had success with our Bananas, we were eager to give other fruits a try. We’ll just have to wait for more fruit to come in season and then we are going to make a fruit Bouquet.

All in all, this is a cute, fun way to enjoy time with your kids and let them play with their food. It is well worth the $10 price tag to us. You may even want to pick one up for your teen or tween for a gift.

You can find out more about Pop Chef and other products by visiting them here and you can use my affiliate link below if you would like to purchase Pop Chef on Amazon.





I hope you found this review helpful. Please let me know in comments if you have ever used Pop Chef or if you'd like to.


Disclosure:

I received a free set of Pop Chef in the hopes that I would share my opinion of it on my blog. No other compensation was given as I felt it would interest my readers. Note: The Amazon link above is my affiliate link, which may mean compensation for me should you choose to purchase via it. 


Helpful Homemaking- New uses for your Lint Roller

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, November 08, 2013

Picture the scene if you will- company is coming, you've cleaned the house, got changed into your company clothes and are ready to welcome guests when you notice your cat has been cleaning herself on the couch- again. It's not the cats fault, you allowed it... but company is coming! So do what I do. Break out your lint roller!


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This is how it works here, your methods may vary from mine:

1. Get out lint roller- make sure you've got a clean strip.
2. Move the cat off the couch. Pet the Cat.
3. Lint Roller the Cat. I kid you not, my cat loves this preferring it over brushing. And it works!

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4. Marvel at how well the lint roller works on grooming your cat.
5. Throw away gross lint roller strip. 
6. Clean the couch, then the lamp shade of free flying cat hair with clean strip.
7. Check time. 
8. Continue chasing errant cat hairs... until...

You notice the wooden blinds behind the couch are dusty! No problem I think! I've got 5 minutes to spare, I decide to try dusting my blinds with my lint roller!

And - it works! But only on wooden blinds.  Look (don't judge!)

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There you have it- two new uses for your lint roller. Do you have a unique use for lint roller too? Share in comments!

Learning about spiders with #Orkin

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, November 07, 2013
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Orkin Ecologist for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.


Recently we adopted a kitten and our lives have been forever changed by the energy and sweetness that Fiona has brought into our home. Our oldest kitty may disagree, but it sure is fun watching the antics of a 13 week old kitten. I will share pictures of her soon.

 One of the main reasons we waited until fall and cooler temperatures to adopt is we live in a semi-rural area that has lots of spiders. Not just any spider- we have brown recluse spiders!

It took me a long time not to be really afraid of these spiders. And while I still #bugout when I see one, I’ve learned to have a healthy respect for them and their place in our world. Actually, I’ve gained a healthy respect for a lot of bugs and insects by exploring Orkins The Ecologist site. Who knew Orkin was fascinated about bugs? I thought it was their business to just eradicate them. But no, listen to what they have to say about their site.


About Orkins The Ecologist Website:


 Insects. Bugs. Creepy, crawly creatures. Some people fear them, but at Orkin, we study them. We know that every creature has its place on the planet — whether they harm people or property, or help the environment thrive. We also know that the best way to control pests is to learn as much as we can about them in general, both the bad and the good. We’ve been studying bugs for 100 years — we even have scientists on our staff to ensure we keep science at the forefront of our work. We continuously take the insect insights we gain and apply them to our business, and we believe it’s made us better at what we do. In studying bugs to better control them, we’ve found we’re fascinated by them too — they’re curious little creatures full of unexpected complexity. And that’s why we created “The Ecologist” site, to celebrate science and uniqueness of bugs.”

It was easy for me to find more information about the Brown Recluse spider at The Ecologist; they are  on the list of scariest and deadliest bugs in the world


About Brown Recluse Spiders:



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Source


 "This spider likes to make its home near humans and with a bite that contains a necrotoxic venom its not a spider you want to mess with! You’ll know this guy by the dark violin-shaped marking on his abdomen." 

I’m so glad our Fiona was born later in the summer so she wouldn’t be tempted to “play” with this bad guy! 

I invite you and/or your budding Ecologists to check out Orkins The Ecologist website, where you can explore the science behind insects - and the vital role that insects have on our world. You can follow them on Facebook and Pinterest as well. Their pictures are stunning and the articles will keep you and your kids engaged. That’s a win-win!
So tell me, are you afraid of a certain spider or insect? Do you have a Bug Out moment? Please share it here by leaving a comment!




Disclosure: This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Orkin Ecologist for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
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