RIP Google Reader, Follow Me To Some BlogLovin #socialmedia #blogs

By now you have heard that your Google reader is shutting down as of Monday (this Monday ekkkk) now you are gonna have to deal with this now and switch over to something else this weekend. I have been using Bloglovin for several months now and really love it. I especially love that the iPhone and iPad apps are so accessible and readable wherever I am. 

First off you have until Monday, July 1, 2013 to have all the people you follow transferred automatically from Google Reader to Bloglovin!! Take advantage of it now!! You can always make changes after the fact.  Bloglovin is a free service that lets you easily follow and read blogs in one place.

You simple have to create an account on Bloglovin and add blogs. After that you can see all the blogs on one page and start reading them. 
Here's how to get started with Bloglovin. (credit to wikiHow)

1. Go to Bloglovin
   
   
   
   • Create your account or log in.
     
     
     
2. 2
   Search your favorite blog. Go to the top portion of the site and click type on the Search field.
   
   
   
   • Some blogs will also have a handy button on which you can follow them by just clicking on it.
     
     
     
   • Check out the page and see all the blogs.
     
     
     
   • After reading all the blogs you can click the button "Mark as read" so they grey out. Every time a new blog is available the page will update itself.
     
     
     

It is fairly easy to import all of your current Google Reader blogs to Bloglovin. You just go to the Bloglovin page, 

• click on your username to the right upper hand side of the page
• Click on the "Import From Google Reader" tab
• Allow when it asks you to
• Wait for Bloglovin to import all of your followed blogs (this takes a minute)
• Easy Peasy!

The functionality of Bloglovin is so much better the Google Reader and it comes up faster as well!! So what are you waiting for—sign up for Bloglovin!!

Follow this blog HERE on BlogLovin

4th of July Printable Pack For Your Patriotic Lessons #homeschool #4thofJuly

Visit this link to download the pack: 

http://www.giftofcuriosity.com/printables/download-4th-of-july-printable-pack/

Below is a full list of activities included in the pack:

Shapes and Sizes

• Shadow Matching v.1
• Shadow Matching v.2
• Patriotic Shape Matching
• Shape Trail v.1
• Shape Trail v.2
• Shape Trail v.3

Colors

• Star Color Activity v.1
• Star Color Activity v.2
• Color by Numbers

Same vs. Different

• Match the Patriotic Kids
• Which One is Different? v.1
• Which One is Different? v.2

Sorting / Categorizing

• Patriotic Hat Size Sorting
• Flag Size Sequencing
• 4th of July Sorting Activity

Sequencing

• 4th of July Patterning Activity ABAB
• 4th of July Patterning Activity AABB
• 4th of July Patterning Activity AABAAB
• Make Your Own Patterns Activity

Puzzles

• 4th of July Puzzle v.1
• 4th of July Puzzle v.2
• 4th of July Puzzle v.3
• 4th of July Puzzle v.4

Mazes

• Help the Girl Find the Flag v.1
• Help the Girl Find the Flag v.2
• Help the Girl Find the Flag v.3

Fine Motor

• 4th of July BBQ Pre-Writing Practice
• Trace the Flag v.1
• Trace the Flag v.2
• Trace the Flag v.3
• Cutting Practice v.1
• Cutting Practice v.2

Math

• Star One-to-One Correspondence v.1
• Star One-to-One Correspondence v.2
• Flag Grid Game v.1
• Flag Grid Game v.2
• Star Race
• Follow the 4 Number Trail
• Stars Number Matching
• 1-20 Number Trail
• Connect the Dots by Number
• 4th of July Counting v.1
• 4th of July Counting v.2
• 4th of July Graphing
• Fireworks Dice Game
• Patriotic Hat Addition v.1
• Patriotic Hat Addition v.2

Literacy

• Patriotic Uppercase Alphabet Trail
• Patriotic Lowercase Alphabet Trail
• F is for Flag Letter Trail
• ABC Letter Trail
• Connect the Dots by Letter
• Find the Flag Uppercase Alphabet Activity
• Find the Flag Lowercase Alphabet Activity
• 4th of July Word Search v.1
• 4th of July Word Search v.2
• 4th of July Word Identification Activity

50 HOUSEHOLD TIPS! SAVE MONEY AND MAKE ENDS MEET #frugal #householdtips

50 HOUSEHOLD TIPS! SAVE MONEY AND MAKE ENDS MEET: Here are easy uses for common household items to make your life TOXIC-free AND SAVE YOU MONEY!

I found this great list on Facebook and wanted to share some of the money saving tips that you can use in your house to help clean and make your mommy journey better. I have used many of these and they work so well. There is no reason to buy expensive toxic supplies when some of these items you probably already have at home in your cabinets. 

1) Toothpaste: Buff a CD/DVD
Apply toothpaste to a cotton ball and wipe the disc. Wash with water afterwards and you’ve got a brand new disc!

2) Cornstarch: Untangle Knots
Sprinkling cornstarch into tough knots, such as shoe laces helps loosen them.

3) Walnut: Buff Dings out of Wood Furniture
Get rid of unsightly scratches and dings on wood furniture by rubbing a walnut on the areas. The blemishes will vanish quickly and your furniture and pocket book will be saved.

4) Club Soda: Make Your Breads Fluffier
When baking, where recipes call for water, add club soda instead to make pancakes, waffles and any other breads fluffier.

5) Salt: Keep Windows Frost Free
Pour a cup of salt into a liter of water. Sponge the liquid onto the inside of window to prevent frost from forming during the winter months.

6) Rubbing Alcohol: Remove Permanent Marker
Dab the surface that has the permanent marker on it with a cloth or cotton ball covered in rubbing alcohol to make it disappear quickly.

7) Chap stick: Stops Bleeding When Nicked Shaving
Cut yourself shaving? Just swipe some chap stick over the cut to stop that constant bleeding. No more tissue squares!
Apple Juice: Removes Dandruff
Don’t ask how it works, but it does! Instead of buying a special shampoo, just wash your hair in apple juice to rid your scalp of pesky dandruff.

9) Aspirin: Get Rid of Armpit Stains on T-Shirts
Grind up an aspirin tablet or two, then make a paste out of it using water, lemon or vinegar. Spread the paste on the stained area and let sit for an hour before washing.

10) Olive Oil: Make Pets’ Coat Shinier
Add a bit of olive oil to your pet’s food to give them a healthier, shinier coat of fur.

11) Newspapers: Clean Windows and Mirrors
Instead of using a spray and a streaky cloth, use only newspaper to clean off your mirrors and windows for a streak-free finish.

12) Baking Soda: Remove Bugs from Windshield
Mix baking soda with warm water to make a paste. Spread the paste over your windshield for fifteen minutes. Then wipe or spray off with a hose.

13) Bleach: Extend Life of Flowers in Vase
Add a few drops of bleach to vase water to prevent the build-up of the slime caused by bacteria. It works just like chlorine in a swimming pool.

14) Kitchen Dish Soap: Flea-Killing Dog Shampoo
Kitchen dish soap (not dish detergent) can double as dog shampoo for its flea killing abilities.

15) Coke: Remove Blood Stains from Clothing
Soak the stain in coke until the stain is dissolved, then wash the clothing as usual. Wash before the coke dries, though.

16) Honey: Remove Blemish Overnight
Have a blemish you need to get rid of by tomorrow? Put a dab of honey on the blemish and cover it up (it’s best to use a Band-Aid) and the honey’s natural antibacterial properties will clean out the bacteria by the morning.

17) Wax Paper: Clean Can Opener Gears
Run a few small strips of wax paper through the can opener to clean out of the bits and pieces that have built up in the gears throughout the year. The wax will also rub off on the gears to protect for future use as well.

18) WD-40: Remove Crayons from Walls
Use the lubricant and a cloth to remove stubborn crayon marks from the walls just by spraying the wall and wiping with a cloth.

19) Chalk: Keep Ants and Slugs Out of the House
Ants and Slugs Won’t Touch Chalk. So, simply draw a line in front of your doorway where you are having problems with these pesky critters and they won’t cross it, meaning they won’t be able to get into your house.

20) Vinegar: Kills Weeds and Helps Flowers Grow
Vinegar is a magic wonder when it comes to gardening. It not only kills weeds but they help flowers grow as well. Douse vinegar all around your garden to prevent weeds from popping up and to help your flowers to grow healthy and strong.

21) Mayonnaise: Remove Bumper Sticker
Spread mayonnaise on the bumper sticker and let sit for at least thirty minutes. Then, rub the sticker off with a towel, leaving a clean bumper!

22) Tin Foil Ball: Replace Dryer Sheets Permanently
Instead of using a dryer sheet ball up one or a few sheets of tin foil and toss it in the dryer. It removes the static electricity from your clothes and one can last up to a year.

23) Banana Peel: Polish Leather Shoes
Use the inside of a banana peel to give shoes a professional and natural shine that will last for quite some time.

24) Mouthwash: Cure Athlete’s Foot
Pour mouthwash on cotton balls and then swab your feet. The alcohol will disinfect the bacteria completely if you continue this for a week or so.

25) Baking Soda: Clean BBQ Grill
Mix a cup of baking soda with half a cup water to make a paste. Dip your brush into the paste and scrub the grill. The caked on pieces and black residue will come off much quicker and using baking soda is much safer and cheaper than using cleaning chemicals.

26) Coffee Grounds: Fertilizer
Coffee is full of nutrients and vitamins that are very beneficial to soil. That’s why some people include it in compost piles. If you want to get the most out of your coffee, pour the grounds on areas where you want more grass or flowers.

27) Olive Oil: Shaving Cream
The smoothness of the oil can replace the need for shaving cream, and it also provides great moisture.

28) Dryer Sheets: Gets Rid of Static Electricity
Use dryer sheets to remove static electricity from things such as clothing, TV screens or your own hair. Tame fly away strands by running a dryer sheet over them.

29) Freezer: Freeze Candles to Make Them Last Longer
Put candles in the freezer for at least 2 hours before using. Once you burn them, the wax will melt at a much slower pace, making them last much longer!

30) Two glasses of water: Cure Headache
Water is the cure to most common headaches. To make the headache go away quickly, drink two cups of water very quickly.

31) Lemons: Deodorize Garbage Disposal
Toss whole slices of lemon into the garbage disposal then run it. The acidity of the lemon will rid your sink of all odors and leave a fresh scent that usually lasts for a few months.

32) Alka Seltzer: Remove Burnt-On Grease and Food Stains
When letting your pots and pans soak, throw in one or two Alka Seltzer tablets and the caked on residue from cooking will come off easily when you scrub/wash.

33) Apple Cider Vinegar: Relieve Diarrhea
Mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into eight ounces of water to soothe your stomach. The taste may not be the greatest, but the antibacterial properties of the vinegar will end the unpleasantness of the bowel problems.

34) Toothpaste: Remove Scratches from Glass
Apply toothpaste to scratch, then rub with a cloth until the scratch is gone. Make sure the glass is clean beforehand.

35) Cheerios: Relieve Pain from Poison Ivy, Chickenpox and Sunburns
Pound one to four cups of Cheerios into a powder and add to your bath to soothe your skin while you soak. You may not feel relief while in the tub, but you will soon after.

36) Buttons: Sort Earrings
Organize your earrings and prevent them from becoming entangled by using spare buttons as holders for each pair.

37) Corn Oil: Prevent Hairballs for Pets
Add a few drops of corn oil to your pets’ food to prevent hairballs from forming. The thick oil helps the fur pass through the animal’s system much quicker and easily.

38) Whipped Cream: Remove Gum from Hair
There are many remedies for removing gum from hair, but this is a lesser known one. Give it a try rather than peanut butter the next time you’re in need.

39) Coke: Remove Oil Stains from the Driveway
Oil stains are very difficult to remove pavement, but one method guaranteed to work is Coke. The highly acidic drink will eat away at the oil until clean.

40) Brown Sugar: Facial Scrub
A scrub is good to do about once a month to remove dead skin and bacteria built up in pores and remove excess oil from the skin. Brown sugar does just as well as expensive products and will definitely result in a clearer and smoother complexion.

41) Dryer Sheet: Lint Brush
You already know that dryer sheets remove lint in the dryer. Well, it can do the same thing out of the dryer, too. When you’re in a fix, use a dryer sheet. It works just as well as a lint brush, and if you like the scent, it’s an added bonus.

42) Newspaper: Deodorize food containers and Food Drawers in the Refrigerator
For that stinky Tupperware or smelly refrigerator drawer that is too much to deal with, toss in a sheet of newspaper overnight before you deal with it. The paper will absorb the smell greatly reducing it or eliminating it completely.

43) Olive Oil: Unstick a Zipper
The oil will help the zipper slide more easily, fixing the problem!

44) Salt: Cool Something Quickly
You know that feeling when you’re having a BBQ and someone asks for a drink and you realize that no one has put them in the cooler? There’s nothing worse than a warm drink on a hot day. Chill a drink quickly, by adding salt and water to your ice. The drinks will be cold in a matter of minutes; saving your party and making you look smart all at once.

45) Scotch Tape: Prevent Wall from Chipping When Nailing
The wall can leave unsightly chips when hammering in a nail. Prevent this by simply placing a piece of scotch tape over the area you’re going to nail. The wall will be held tighter, preventing chips from occurring.

46) Alka Seltzer: Soothe Insect Bites
Dissolve two tablets into a glass of water. Then use a cloth or cotton ball to apply it to the affected area. The red will go down and most importantly, the itchiness will vanish usually in fifteen minutes.

47) Lemon: Whitens Whites
Add about half a cup of lemon juice to your load of whites to makes them extra white. You can use lemon juice with bleach or detergent, so don’t worry about mixing chemicals with the acidic lemon.

48) Banana Peel: Whiten Teeth
This may sound a little odd, but rub the inside of a banana peel on your teeth twice a day for two weeks and you will receive the same effect from a teeth-whitening kit. Plus, you’ll save yourself money and the hassle of using chemicals.

49) Hair Dryer: Free Photos Stuck on Pages
If you have a photo stuck on a page that you can’t get free, try using a blow dryer on the back of the page. It will loosen the photo from the page and the adhesive holding it there.

50) Banana Peel: Heal Most Skin Problems
Bananas are the magical fruit, because they heal many common problems on the skin. By rubbing the peel on your skin, you can heal bruises and cuts and eliminate rashes, itching and warts. Basically if you have a common skin problem, it can be cured by this fruit.

I hope you can put some or all of these to good use to save money and make your home a safer environment. make sure to share the info with your friends!

Credit for this great list found here: http://www.facebook.com/learningpetals

Win An Leather Ostrich Bracelet #Shebusa #fashion

As I promised here is a fabulous giveaway from Shebusa, a lovely Ostrich bracelet worth approximately €130  that will make any outfit look amazing! Enter to win today, tell your friends. Good Luck!!

Entry

-Form

*This is a sponsored post, I received either monetary or exchange of goods for my posting, read my disclosure policy for more information

Elegance and Exotic Meet Love and Passion: Shebusa Creates Timeless Art #fashion

I have to admit that I am not a bling bling kinda girl anymore and enjoy the simpliar things in life, but I am a sucker for shiney colorful and the out of the ordinary. That is why these bracelets caught my eye. Made from various different leathers like ostrich, alligator, stingray, beavertail, frogskin and snakeskin, then combined with a shiney melted down metal that is fashioned into a bracelet just for your wrist.

Can we say Ohh La La ladies! I am loving the colors an vibrancy of these jewelry creations. I would love to get a gift like this, hint hint Mr Block... Lol. The blues and purples are my favorites, you can mix and match with outfits, the pink thin bracelet is so cute. I do appreciate that animals are not just harmed to make these either, the animal skins are by products of animals that have passed away somehow, not just killed to make jewelry.

Shebusa creates an elegant and timeless piece of jewelry created by the beauty of a wrist when a shiny metal bracelet is melted down and merged with an exotic skin selected for you with love and passion. Created by "Chris" a French designer who left the corporate world a few years ago to give something real to customers, the elegant custom designed bracelets by Shebusa that are custom created for each and every customer. You choose your design, the skin, the color to help insure that it’s a perfect fit for your personality and your wardrobe.

Visit the Shebusa Etsy shop to view some examples and be sure to contact them for how they can create a very special customized bracelet for you. Be sure to also follow the Shebusa Facebook page.

The wonderful Shebusa company has provided our blog friends with a 15% off coupon code. Just for Chips off the Old Block readers inserts the code CHIPSO and receive 15% off your custom made bracelet. The code lasts until August 31st only.

Visit this link to shop for your beautiful bracelet or gift today! : http://www.shebusa.com/en/5042-custom-bracelets

Stay tuned for a chance to win an elegant ostrich custom bracelet in my next post!

This is a sponsored post, I have been compensated in some form of exchange or payment to write this post. Please see my disclosure policy for more info.

The Blog Workshop! "Where Blogging Meets Business" #TBW #TBWC

Have you always wanted a workshop online, just for bloggers? A place just for bloggers and vloggers to learn all things blogging, SEO, social media and more. The Blog Workshop might just be the place. TBW is a learning community overflowing with opportunities for bloggerpreneurs and future blogging scholars. The Blog Workshop is “Where Blogging Meets Business.” 

The Blog Workshop is being organized by lifestyle blogger Da Vinci, founder of YourLifeAfter25.com.  As a veteran blogger of almost 6 years professionally and 10 years of blogging all together,  Da Vinci has been able to witness the blogging phenomenon grow, evolve and flourish.  With that growth Da Vinci has been able to cultivate a trusted audience of readers, fans, followers and supporters.  Your Life After 25 is receiving on average 300,000+ monthly visitors with over 1,500,000 impressions/page views a month.

You can sign up for the community here: http://theblogworkshop.com/register.

TBW University: http://theblogworkshop.com/university

The Blog University is a great resource to check out via The Blog Workshop site.  The curriculum includes all the blogging topics you are always wanting to know more about. Blog Design, Blog Writing, Blog Marketing, Blog Business, Just what you need to take your blogging skills to the next level and become a professional blogger or a well versed blogging machine (well you know what I mean) I have been blogging for several years and still have many questions on how to make money, how to market my blog better etc. I think this curriculum will give me what I need. They even have payment plans available so you can budget and afford this a little better. 

Sign up for The Blog Workshop and see what you think, I have enjoyed it myself already and met some great bloggers with tips I can actually use. 

*This is a sponsored blog post, I did recieve compensation or product exchange in return for my post, you may read my disclosure policy for more information~ Leslie

Back 2 School #BloggerOpp ~ $200 PayPal Cash Giveaway!

Uncreative Mommy is proud to bring you this years Back 2 School PayPal Cash Giveaway!

 She is looking for bloggers to help promote this event.

 Twitter links free with announcement!

 Links are $3 each

 Want to host a follow page? $10 each!

 Sign ups end June 28th

 Giveaway starts July 1st 12:01AM and ends July 14th 11:59PM

 Giveaway is open worldwide! Prize is $200 cash!

Sign up here.

Grab your announcement post here.

Wordless Wednesday: Beautiful Creatures in Blue

Try Chili's Amazing Flatbreads Today! Hurry Ends Soon

Click the banner

These Flatbreads are delicious with some mouth drooling ingredients. Get yours free for a very short time. 

Join the Chili's email club to get your free full-size flatbread, and you'll also get the latest happening and exclusive offers.

Chili's is giving away one million of their NEW freshly-baked flatbreads. Loaded with signature toppings on a crispy crust, it's a taste not to be missed. Claim your free flatbread* before they're gone and get to your local Chili's! 

*Free full-size flatbread when you join Chili's Email Club. 

Happy Fathers Day In Heaven, til We Meet Again #fathersday2013

This is the 4th Fathers Day since my dad went to heaven and it still feels like yesterday. I celebrate a man who taught me so many lessons of life. His life was not an easy one, many struggles, disappointments and suffering. But he always made sure that his love shown thru for his wife and children.
One day we'll meet again, on those streets of gold beyond those pearly gates, at the foot of our Lord Jesus.
Until then, memories will be cherished and more Father's Days will be celebrated without you.

2 of my favorite photos: My dad at my brother's wedding acting silly as usual and a trip to the beach we found him sitting with my middle daughter on his lap in a rocking chair. Priceless memories.

Summer Camps We Would Like To Ship Our Kids Off To, But Won't #summercamps #NC

There are so many options for Summer Camps in NC, I know you would love to send your kids to summer camp and have them come home potty trained, doing chores with no argument, learning some awesome common sense and how to drop that lovely teenage attitude, but............summer camps these days are just plain fun instead........for the kids that is. There are many mommy worries that go along with sending your little darlings off to a camp with total strangers. Here are some great tips from Carolina Summer Camps 

How can parents save money when enrolling their child in a summer camp?
	• #1 Register early to take full advantage of all early-bird discounts!  • #2 ASK if they have scholarships, financial aid or a sliding scale.  • #3 Offer to volunteer at camp for a reduced or free camper registration.  • #4 Ask friends of your child(ren) to register together for a group discount.

How can parents prepare their children for attending their first summer camp?

• Day camps are more fun when children know at least one other camper who will be attending. Don't assume that they will be in the same group, let the camp director know your preferences when you initially register your child. • Take a tour of the facility. Let them view their website ahead of time. The more familiar they are with the environment, the less overwhelming they will feel. • For residential camps, make sure that this isn’t the first time your child will be sleeping away from home. Let them practice overcoming their separation anxiety with a couple of sleep-overs with friends or family before going to a residential camp.

How do parents find if a summer camp has had any complaints filed against them?
	• Look up the camp on the Better Business Bureau for any grievances. (BBB.org) • Ask your friends through social media (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc.) if they have had any positive or negative experiences with the camp. Your friends will tell you!

When should teens start sending in their resumes to camp directors for summer jobs?

• Many Camp Directors start receiving resumes in January and February.  Don't wait. With the high levels of unemployment, there will be a tremendous  competition for jobs.  Send follow-up emails and make phone calls to show your interest.  • Camp Directors want fun camp counselors who campers will enjoy being around,  while also respecting and obeying them.  The more experience you have working with kids, the better.  Volunteer with your local schools, YMCA, churches, scouts, and other civic organizations  to build your experience levels. What qualities should parents look for in a great summer camp? • A high percentage of returning campers shows that the campers had fun last year. • A low camper-to-counselor ratio. 10:1 is good. 5:1 is great! • Staff trained in CPR, first aid skills, and conflict resolution techniques. • Low staff-turnover shows good experience. What different types of summer camps are there? • Arts Camps • Sports Camps • Academic Camps • Church Camps • Residential Camps • Specialty Camps If my child takes medication during the school year, should he/she take it for summer camp? • First, consult with your child's pediatrician before ever deciding to stop treating your child with any medication. • Most children with allergy, asthma, diabetes, attention and impulsivity  conditions are not "healed" during the summer months. Many times it can be worse with the heat, additional exercise, and being outside.  Children with medical issues usually need special treatment to help them enjoy their summer camp experience the most. • For children who take medication for their attention or impulsivity, it can be especially hard for them to listen to instructions, get along with peers, and control their impulses when they are not on medication. How are campers disciplined? Are refunds given if my child has behavior problems? • Ask the Camp Director for a copy of their discipline policy. If they don't have one, inquire how campers are disciplined for misbehaving, It can vary from Time Out to clean-up duty. • Most camps do not give refunds for campers who violate  camp rules and they are expelled, but ask the Camp Director  ahead of time for clarity if this is a concern.  How safe is the camp? • There are always accidents. How often do injuries happen? Ask the Camp Director if they have had any serious injuries in the past. Is there much turn-over in staff? Are there first aid kits easily accessible? • Be sure to let the camp know if your child has any severe allergies. Most day camps have a time for kids to play outside, so they need to know if your child is especially sensitive  to bee stings, sunburn, or accidents.   A Mom Can always Dream can't she............lol

Image credit to nickmom 

A much better option! Check out the Carolina Summer Camps site!

Find the Summer Camp in your area by clicking on the websites below

Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Raleigh, Wilmington, Winston-Salem