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Must Have Kitchen Appliances For Every Home


In today’s sub-category driven culture where more niche interests are cropping up every day, one of the most vocal of these groups are those that identify as foodies. This has been helped along in a large part from the growing popularity of the Food Network and other cooking programs that are teaching people about the love of good food and quality cooking once again. For years now, our homes have been filled with fast food wrappers and junk food, but now people are discovering the joy of cooking all over again. If you’re one of these foodies that enjoys a excellent home cooked dish, here are some must have kitchen gadgets that will make your next meal a wiz:

Microplane

If you’re not sure what this is, a microplane is a versatile grater. You can grate more than just cheese with it for those dishes that require citrus, ginger, or even garlic. You don’t have to remain content with high processed ingredients that come in a plastic bag. With a microplane, you can add the finest grated accents to any dish. It’s an all-in-one tool that you can pick up for close to nothing and many of the newer models are very easy to clean.

Bread Maker

Getting store bought bread is the most standard way everyone shops these days, but there’s nothing that can compete with the quality and freshness of home cooked bread. You can do this by hand but it’s far easier, quicker, and more convenient to use a bread machine. Plus, there are so few options at the store for those who can’t eat gluten. For those people who have special dietary restrictions, you can get a really good gluten free bread machine that will work great and give you the quality bread you need to go along with any meal or sandwich.

Stand Mixer

If you’ve never had a kitchen mixer then you don’t know what a miracle they are to the person that loves to cook. It’s not just a time saver, these devices expand any cook’s abilities to perform the most complicated tasks with next to no effort. You can whip cream faster or make a cake in no time. Standing mixers are built to handle the biggest, or smallest, tasks. You can even buy attachments that allow you to grind meat, roll out pasta, or make ice cream. Obviously you wouldn’t want to do all of those things and the same time, but that’s the kind of versatility you get with a quality standing mixer. Also, if you get a good one, it’ll last you practically your entire life. A great investment for any at-home cook.

Some of these items aren’t going to be useful to everyone. The easiest way to gauge how useful it will be is to estimate how much you’re spending on items that you’re buying in the store versus how much it would cost you to make at home. This isn’t always the logic given that some people are willing to pay more for higher quality food. There are lots of cool kitchen gadgets that make the cooking process easier. Consider what you’re doing, and what you want to be able to do, in the kitchen and do a little shopping around online to find a good deal on some must have kitchen gadgets.

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Reverse Mortgages Can Help Older Americans

Over the last few years you might have heard a lot of people talking about reverse mortgages and I am sure most people have no clue what they are or how they work.

A reverse mortgage is a national program that is safe and is Government-Insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) for homeowners age 62 and older, which enables you to access your home’s equity without a monthly repayment. The lender never owns the property and a lien is put on the home just like a regular mortgage and would be paid off after the property is sold or if the owner of the home passes their heirs can pay off the loan with another loan or other funds.

Reverse mortgages are fairly easy to understand but make sure you do your research fully and understand how they work before ever signing any documents with a lender.

If you or someone you know is interested in doing a reverse mortgage you should use the reverse calculator to see how much you would qualify for.

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Going For My First Massage, EVER!!!!


I am probably like most men who do the bare minimum in regards to appearance. Now just because I made that statement doesn’t mean I let my self go it just means I typically don’t go on weekend spa breaks. Not saying that I never would but it just really never is on my mind.

This past father’s day Melinda and the kids got me one of the most awesome spa gifts. It is a 60 minute sports massage that I just made the appointment for today. I am not huge on strangers touching me let alone massaging me but my body has been so achy the last month so I am game. I am really looking forward to it but 60 minutes seems like a really long time for a massage but maybe I am wrong.

I can remember going to the salon with Melinda probably two years ago and getting a pedicure. It was pretty funny because I am so ticklish on my feet needless to say I felt bad for the lady who was doing the pedicure but to be honest it did feel really good. Who wouldn’t enjoy soaking their feet in warm water follow by a nice foot massage? Now I see why women are so into spa and beauty treatments and why they go so frequently.

If this massage goes well I can see myself going back for another one because after a few weeks of work my body and shoulders are so sore they start to give me headaches. I am really looking forward to this massage.

Do you go for spa/beauty treatments frequently? What is your favorite thing to get done?










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I Have Been Waiting For This Day

So today is the day that I have been waiting for since the day Shaun was born, Football. We maybe not since the day he was born but I am super excited about today and so is he.

Today starts the first day of football practice and this is a whole new journey for Shaun and I. Shaun has played soccer in the past and did well but football is pretty new to him. Shaun and I have been throwing the ball as well and doing blocking drills over the last month or so and so far he has done really well. Time will tell how he does when he gets knocked down or when it comes time for him to make his first tackle but I feel pretty confident he will do fine.

Along with Shaun playing football comes added responsibly that I have taken on like assistant coaching, website management and a few other tasks.

I am looking forward to being a part of the team but my biggest task will be our teams website. With the website being brand new I need to create forms and provide information about registration, practice, etc that parents can easily find a print. I also want to create a few web forms along with a feedback form so that our organization will know how we are doing. Parents sometimes don’t like to voice their opinions in public but with a feedback form this will give them the opportunity to let us know what is on their mind.

So today is the start of something entirely new for Shaun and I but I have a good feeling about this season and feel as long as Shaun wants to he will do great.

Wish us luck!!!










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KW Zone – A Social Network Site For Kids

Shaun and Shae are at that age where they play on the computer and on the internet all of the time and it makes Melinda and I nervous about the sites they go to. I want the kids to be able to use the computer and internet at home because I want our kids to be knowledgeable about technology but I also want them to be safe so I can feel safe. Shaun and Shae also LOVE to explore the internet visiting different websites and playing games but they have from time to time ended up at a site that wasn’t exactly for kids. Recently we found a safe kids social network website called Kidzworld and really like the KW zone for Shaun and feel over time this is something that he will really enjoy. What is Kidzword? A Safe Social Network for Kids Established in 2001, Kidzworld is the first social network for kids between the ages 9 – 14. Kidzworld encourages kids to express themselves through the creation of original content in a safe online world. Children can interact with each other in our moderated chat rooms, message boards and forums. In the KW Zone (our kids social network), their user profile is a safe and secure place to share photos, create groups, write a blog, or post poems and stories. This area is continually supervised; the number one priority for a kids social network. In fact, all the social networking children do at Kidzworld is monitored for safety and bullying. Consequently, there is no ability to share or disclose personally identifiable or private information. Kidzworld is truly a safe social network for kids and teens. What I really like about Kidzworld is it creates a safe place for kids. Today’s society are filled with sexual predators always looking to take advantage of young kids so it is more important than ever to have a safe haven for kids to go. Older kids who are into social networking like sharing pictures and chatting online now have a place to go. I know you are going to say there are websites for kids that allow social networking but most if not all of these sites aren’t supervised. Parents can only do so much to make sure their child is in a safe online environment and that is why it is so important to get kids use to using sites like Kidzworld. After browsing the site for a while I found a lot of cool things that definitely make this a really cool place for kids to hang, interact and make friends in a safe environment. If you have kids between the ages of 9-14 be sure to check out the KW Zone at Kidzworld.com
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Parental Control Software – Protecting Your Children from Negative Impact of the Web

StaffCop Home Edition is a parental control software with unique monitoring features. This software is designed by parents-developers to protect our children from negative impact of the web and social networks.

 Computers should be places where children can learn, make friends, and sharpen their agility as well as their abilities. But our kids also need to be protected from the computer for two reasons: the first one is the danger of the child losing his or her sense of time and spending too much time playing games. The second reason to exercise vigilance with your computer – literate kids, is the danger lurking on the Web, in inappropriate websites and contact with strangers. That is why it is necessary to install StaffCop Home Edition on computers that your kids can use. This will help to prevent them from visiting websites that are clearly inappropriate for children and teens.

Software has following features to protect your kid:

  • Screenshot recording
  • Application monitoring
  • Web site monitoring
  • Social Networks Monitoring
  • Chats/IM activity recording
  • E-mail correspondence monitoring
  • USB device monitoring
  • Clipboard monitoring
  • Search Term Tracking
  • File and Folder tracking
  • Keystroke recording
  • PC activities reporting
  • Strong security
  • System Event Monitoring

All records, statistics and screenshots can be reached through the password protected administrative module which can’t be accessed by children.

  • Download 5-day trial version here

This is a sponsored post that was provided to Look What Mom Found…and Dad too! via StaffCorp










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Vacation Home – Part II

So part two of Melinda’s post about owning our own vacation home came to a harsh reality this past Friday. After speaking to a few people we decided owning our own cottage might not be the right move for us at this time. There were a few factors that made us make this decision.

What is crazy is for the past two to three years Melinda and I have looked into getting some kind of vacation home at the Jersey shore and we are now thinking maybe an RV or camper might be the answer. Problem with this is I have no vehicle to pull a camper. We own a minivan and a Chevy HHR and neither of them are able to handle a camper. I could get a used truck that would be used to just pull a camper but then I have to find a place to store a camper. I could use a storage facility that offers RV storage but that seems like a huge pain to me because every time we want to take a trip I need to go and get the camper. Maybe we will buy something that can be left permanently on a lot, who knows. I don’t want to jump into anything too fast without thought because we are caught up in the moment and possibly get burnt.  Buying something that we plan to use year after year for vacationing is a huge commitment and a decision that we are thinking through slowly.  Hopefully we can and will make a decision in the next year or so because I would really like to have a vacation home down at the beach as this is something Melinda and I have always dreamed about.










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Skater or Athlete

Shaun is that want to be skater boy to scared to jump ramps but for some reason wants to play football. When I think about this is it is baffling to me. Shaun is ok with tackling other kids and being tackled but not ok with jumping a ramp on his skateboard. Shaun is the kind of boy who likes to wear DC skate shoes but can also transform into a sports player and put on a pair of football cleats in a moment’s notice.

From the time Shaun was born I had always hoped he would want to play football like I did when I was younger. I never had the chance to play youth football like he does but I did play football in high school. Over the years we have put Shaun is soccer since football was out of the question until he was old. I can remember him playing outdoor soccer in his Nike soccer shoes looking all cute ready to play. Now that he is older he is ready to ditch soccer to play football and I am ok with this move as long at this is what he wants to do. Football starts in less than 2 and he is ready to go because he asks daily when football starts. I just hope once the season starts he is still as eager to play.

LOL, if not maybe I will have to get him out on that skateboard to hone in his skater boy skills.










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Trying to Slow the Brain Drain

Each morning, well most mornings I gather Shaun and Shae around the table to do some “homework”. I do this to keep Shaun’s brain working rather than trying to improve district test scores. He actually scored top grades on his achievement test this past year so I don’t worry about him doing well in this area. The main reason we do daily homework is to keep him sharp for the upcoming school year.

The funny thing is Shae LOVES to do homework and every time she hears me mention to Shaun it is time to do homework she runs to the table also. I can remember doing work with Sabreena when she was Shae and Shaun’s age like math, reading and writing. It wasn’t because she was a bad student but it was to keep her mind sharp for the upcoming school year plus it kept her from watching too much TV.

In my opinion I feel that doing homework over the summer helps the kids jump right back into the swing of things after two and a half months off for summer vacation. I know that doing homework during the summer can be a pain and inconvenient but I see the benefits and I see how it helps my kids. Not saying that they wouldn’t do well if they didn’t do homework over the summer but I can see that it definitely a help.

Do you do “homework” with your kids over the summer? Do you see it helps once school starts?








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Some People Only Have Access To Satellite Internet

I remember about five years ago when the only thing available for internet in our neighborhood in Delaware was either dial up or broadband satellite.  Within six months of us moving there DSL internet because available but still to this day broadband satellite is the only option for a lot of people who live in rural areas of the country.

I have a few friends that live in the middle of the US and the only access they have to the internet is via bradband satellite which they love and they are extremely impressed with the connection speeds.

All HughesNet satellite internet connections speeds exceed those of a typical dial-up connection. The company offers consumers six choices for upload and download speeds, so the consumer can choose a plan based on their needs and those of their family. Additionally, the higher-end plans work well for small offices or businesses.

Here is how it works:

There are currently four satellite internet service providers in the US: HughesNet, WildBlue, SkyWay USA, and StarBand. These companies offer different packages so you would want to check which company or companies are available in your area and compare price and service options to make sure you are making the best selection for your needs. Some plans start as low as $39.99 monthly for the basic plan and go up from there based on your specific needs. Another things is some of the companies allow you to either lease or own your equipment and some of them allow you to install the equipment yourself if you want but they also offer professional installation if needed.

Eventhough most of us have access to DSL or cable for our internet needs some people in the US and world don’t and thankfully they have an option which is satellite internet.

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