POSTED by
 
Christie Crowder
 
 
 
 

To C or Not To C? That Is The Question | January 16, 2009

I knew I always wanted to have children, but I just wasn’t too sure about the being pregnant part.  I was actually kind of scared.  I was already leery about having a little human being bouncing around inside of me, but it was when he/she was going to come out (more importantly where he/she was going to come out) that really terrified me.  When I became pregnant the first time, I did everything I could to convince my doctors to go “old school” with me…just knock me completely out, and wake me when the baby arrived.  No such luck.  Everyone … Read More »


 

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Editor
 
 
 
 

Color Outside The Lines | January 16, 2009

My friend Debbie Schrodt, owner of the Pink Pig, recently ran a contest on her blog for inspirational Christmas tree photos.  One of the winners was Artie Vanderpool.  I contacted Artie after visiting his wonderful blog, Color Outside the Lines and was amazed at his beautiful photographs and sound decorating advice.  I asked Artie to brag on himself a bit and fill us all in on his career.

“I’m 26 years old, originally from West Texas, now living in Western New York. I grew up in a family that encouraged me to “be myself” and I think that is what has … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Laura Carson Miller
 
 
 
 

Ellie Krieger’s Advice On Organic Produce | January 16, 2009

When it comes to fresh produce you’ve probably heard that buying organic is best for you, your community and the environment.  But chances are, you have probing questions, including the ever popular, “Is it really worth the extra money?”

In a quest to get real answers about organic produce and its ability to make us happier and healthier, I spoke with Ellie Krieger, host of the Food Network show ‘Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger’, nutritionist and author extraordinaire, about this very timely subject.

Ellie began by reminding me that, contrary to what many people might think, eating organic is not an all … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Phuong Le
 
 
 
 

Tea-quila Time | January 16, 2009

Tea-quila Time

Who would have thought you could have this much fun with tea. Green mate, found in ONO Tee Time, has been known to have the same effects as caffeine and sugar, without the crash. It combats fatigue and stimulates the mind. Combine that with tequila and you’re on your way to becoming the life of the party.

INGREDIENTS:

2 ounces silver tequila

4 ounces of chilled ONO Tee Time*

¼ ounce agave syrup

½ ounce lime cordial

Orange peel for garnish

* Use 1 tsp of tee time tea to brew 3 ounces of tee time. Infuse the tea for 15 min. Chill.

PREPARATION:

Combine all ingredients … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Libby Haynes
 
 
 
 

From the Trail to the Concrete – Lessons | January 15, 2009

I just love it when I can look back in my life and trace a series of events that alone are seemingly innoucuous, but when I follow the thread, it leads to the miraculous.

A little more than 10 years ago, I accidentally began horseback riding. The guy I was seeing purchased some ranch property in southeastern Oklahoma, and I fell in love with the land. I couldnʼt wait for Fridays to load up the car and head north toward the Red River.

Eventually horses became part of the mix at River Bend Ranch.

Neither of us had any background in ranching, … Read More »


 

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Editor
 
 
 
 

Go Ahead…Kiss My Style! | January 15, 2009

Kiss My Style is an online boutique featuring unique handcrafted pieces by amazing designers and artists across the US and Canada. Not only does Megan Calpin Hughes own Kiss My Style, she also designs for it too. Her hand knits and other crafts are featured throughout the site.

Megan’s background is in commercial interior design with a small obsession with Art History. In 2001 she picked up her first set of needles and in 2003 she started showing my pieces at local craft shows. In 2005 she created a website for my knits – It became a wonderful outlet for her … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Gabrielle & Paul Krake
 
 
 
 

Diversity Is Beautiful & Crazy-Making | January 15, 2009

Buzz words tend to bother me, I try to pretend like they don’t exist, and then suddenly one will fall out of my mouth and I’ll use it 10 times in a day. As usual, when I make some concrete judgment about anything, I’m instantly nailed with my own shortcomings and lack of originality. Therefore, I get to laugh at myself!  As I try to enable my kids to have the confidence and desire to be original, to not follow the crowd, I’m reminded at how hard it is to do this myself. But, I truly want them to experience … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Christine Spencer
 
 
 
 

Feel Love, Joy and Abundance | January 14, 2009

The ultimate power of positive thinking is a cherished dream for many people around the world. Positive thinking means that you are allowing only those good thoughts into
your mind, and such thoughts may include words, images and perceptions, which are suitable for personal growth and prosperity.

A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy, health and a successful outcome of every situation and action.

It also means that you can unleash your mind to find whatever you want for your life. Positive thinking is so powerful!

Expect a miracle every day. Feel the joy of living in that knowledge or belief, and often do things … Read More »


 

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Editor
 
 
 
 

Raisin Toast Delights Readers With Fun | January 14, 2009

Raisin Toast is a story about the suburban life and experiences of a North Carolina family of 6.  From home improvement and homeschooling, photography and fine art, restaurant and product reviews, to cooking and cleaning, tips and more, Susan Vaughn keeps her family on their toes and delights her readers with her constant state of chaos and rib-tickling fun.

“I will tell you that I love writing and this blog was my way of keeping in touch with all my friends and family all over the country.  It has been a great joy for me writing “Raisin Toast” and I have … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Jamie Wheeler
 
 
 
 

Lamaze Schmaze…Bring Me a Whiskey Epidural | January 14, 2009

A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s study examines the life on an “ordinary” woman, Martha Ballard, a midwife living in Maine who began keeping a diary at the age of 50 in 1785 until her death at 77 in 1812.   The pages recount her experiences delivering nearly 1000 babies as well as nine of her own children.

Martha’s diary exhaustively covers what most male scholars have traditionally considered mundane:  household economy, gardening, and, of course, childbirth.  “Martha’s diary,” Ulrich argues, “fills in the missing work — and … Read More »


 

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Editor
 
 
 
 

Obama: Volunteer During First 100 Days | January 14, 2009

The president elect has called for a National Day of Service on January the 19th.  On that day he will be making a call to all Americans to seek out longer term projects in their communities.

GiveJust1 (http://www.givejust1.org), a nonprofit, non-partisan organization, calls upon all Americans to give one day of service to their community during the first 100 days of the Obama Administration (January 20 – April 30, 2009). GiveJust1 seeks to facilitate the connection between volunteers and service opportunities across the nation, and make a significant impact over a three month period in every community, great and small. The … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Carrie Castleman
 
 
 
 

Let’s Lose The Weight Together Week 2 | January 13, 2009

So fellow life changers, weight wise, how was that first week?  Pretty good on my end.  Not only did I lose 5 pounds I gained some perspective on my thinking.  It is dysfunctional!

Yeah that is not a shock, can’t have functional thinking and have no weight issues right?  Well figuring out those dysfunctional thoughts is a part of this life changing process.  Not only do we have to target those eating habits but we also have to target the thinking habits.

Last week I had a goal to pay attention to my thoughts that trigger either an eating binge or that … Read More »


 

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Editor
 
 
 
 

Group Unites to Promote Business | January 13, 2009

Gabrielle Krake, owner of Shop Wise Bags and Contributing Editor for Chic Galleria.com, manages five blogs in addition to her business and family. Her business team and community of friends have adopted the mission:

To Consume Less
To Reduce our Waste Footprint
To Be Wise Stewards of Creation
To Work as a Community to form a Healthy, Thriving Business

Gabrielle, can you share a little bit about yourself and how you got started?

I am a home educating mom of 4 children who are bold and energetic. We practice life together and enjoy the adventures we conjure up. Being a stay at home of late, I … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Libby Haynes
 
 
 
 

Bakerella A Site To Behold | January 13, 2009

The calender has turned and 2009 is marching on. I want to lodge a complaint — stop it; I am not organized enough for that yet! (Hmm, is there a board to whom I can submit that complaint?)

Plus Iʼm still ruminating over resolutions; argh! Iʼm not a fan of the resolution, mainly because I am rarely successful with them & I hate being reminded that I am coming up short when I was the only one who knew where the bar was set!

So I have decided to join my wise friend Johnʼs fasting plan for the new year. My … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Phuong Le
 
 
 
 

Skip The Milk | January 12, 2009

Adding milk counteracts against the wonderful antioxidants in tea!

Polyphenols called catechins are the antioxidant compounds found in tea that make it such a healthy drink!

If you add milk to your tea, the milk protein, casein, binds catechins, making them unavailable to the body. Therefore, skip the milk!

Lower quality black teas are usually small, broken leaves, tea dusts or fannings. The smaller the leaf, the quicker the tea will become bitter. That is why some tea drinkers add milk – to counteract against the bitter tannins. When choosing a premium loose leaf tea, such as ONO Creme Earl Grey, you won’t … Read More »