My Wonderful Walls.com.

Have you ever taken a peek at the Kids Murals and Nursery Murals at My Wonderful Walls.com? They are absolutely beautiful! I really like the Farm Theme Canvas Wall Art Decor. I have been planning on giving my sons nursery a makeover and think that the “Friendly Farm” Stencil kit and the personalized Canvas Wall Art Decor is just perfect for specializing his room. The stencil kit comes with 30 stencils, 15 free brushes, and a detail guide giving tips and ideas. I do not have a lot of artistic ability so this is ideal for me. The cost is $99.95 for the stencil kit which is rather inexpensive considering how extensive and detailed the mural is.

I like to support a store that actually cares about making a difference to children that have special needs. The husband and wife team of My Wonderful Walls.com do just that. They give their murals to children who are medically or physically challenged and to brighten up the hospital rooms. What a great way to spread some love and sunshine to children who need it the most.

If you would like to help a child receive one of My Wonderful Walls.com fantastic murals for their room, head on over to 5 Minutes For Special Needs. They give all the details on the steps you need to take to help make a difference to a deserving child.

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BPA Free Bottles

What exactly is BPA?

BPA is the abbreviation for the ingredient Bisphenol-A. A chemical compound used to line the inside of various food containers and possibly the baby bottle you are using to nourish your little one. It is the building block for polycarbonate plastic and also used in the manufacturing of epoxy resins and other plastics.

What are possible affects of BPA?

I'm not a scientist or doctor but what I have gathered from my own personal research it can interfere with normal physical and behavioral development. BPA acts as an environmental estrogen and once it has been ingested it can disrupt normal hormone functions. The dangers of it can be more pronounced in children since they are still growing and developing at a fast pace. The effects of BPA on adults are less in comparison since our bodies and brains are already mature.

How is it ingested?

Bisphenol-A can leach into food from the protective coating of can foods, plastic baby bottles, and other consumer products by breaking down over time or from exposure to heat.

Conflicting Reports

I have read several conflicting reports that claim there is no real danger from BPA and the amount that is leached into food is so small that there is no real concern. They state BPA has been used for years and is tested to be safe.

My Job

My job as a parent is to protect my children from any dangers that I can. I'm not taking any chances with their health and development. I am going to avoid products that I know contain BPA by avoiding plastic containers showing the number 7 and switching to glass containers or BPA free plastics.

Ive listed below some baby bottles that claim to be BPA free.

ThinkBaby Bottles

Wee*Go Glass Bottle by BabyLife

Green to Grow Baby Bottles

Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Standard Glass Bottles

Medela Baby Bottles

Playtex Drop-Ins Bottles

Evenflo Classic Glass Nurser Bottle

Gerber Clear View and Fashion Tints Nursers

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SeaWorld Manta Mania Contest!

This is a whale of a giveaway! Six blogs and IZEA are conducting a contest to win a trip to SeaWorld! SeaWorld is an amazing place where you can experience safe encounters with sharks, get close enough to interact and touch the Beluga whales, or have a Marine Mammal Keeper Experience where you learn how to care for dolphins, Beluga whales and sea lions.

If your a thrill seeker they have an abundance of rides to get your heart pumping faster! Journey to Atlantis has plenty of twists, turns, and watery falls as you get to explore the mysterious lost city of Alantis aboard a coaster ride. You can take on Orlandos tallest, fastest, FLOORLESS, coaster as it rises you above the horizon and twists you faster than any other Orlando coaster on the Kraken! They also have the Wild Artic, Happy Harbor, Skytower, and opening in May 2009 the MANTAS Ride. The Mantas looks incredible! Riders get the thrill of feeling they are a ray flying from sea to sky while gliding nearly 60 mph and swooping through 3,359 feet of spine-tingling track! Check out the exciting video below of Mantas!

If your not feeling brave to take on the rides there is plenty of mystifying shows to keep you entertained at SeaWorld such as Believe, Shamu Rocks, Sea Loins Tonight, Mistify, Bayside Ski Jam, Shamu Christmas Miracles, Pets Ahoy, Blue Horizons, Clyde and Seamore Take on Pirate Island, and A'lure the Call of the Ocean.

After working up an appetite from all the ride thrilling excitement and incredible shows you can dine with Shamu on the poolside. The private buffet includes delicious selections prepared by the Culinary Team from SeaWorld.

If you want to experience all this excitement and win the trip go enter! The trip includes; a trip for four (4) to SeaWorld Orlando, 8 tickets to SeaWorld Orlando (four (4) tickets per day for two (2) days), priority access to ride Manta, roundtrip coach airfare for four (4) (up to $500.00 per person) and three (3) nights of hotel accommodations for two (2) rooms (total of six (6) room nights). The Grand Prize winner will be chosen randomly by IZEA from all entries on the 6 blogs participating in the giveaway. There will also be 6 second prizes given away consisting of a SeaWorld gift bag. Total ARV of all prizes: $4,500. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on March 10, 2009. Please read the rules before entering!

Participating Blogs:
Sarah Austin http://www.pop17.com (@pop17)
Ted Murphy http://www.ted.me (@tedmurphy)
Wendy Piersall http://www.sparkplugging.com (@emom)
Lucretia Pruitt http://www.geekmommy.com (@geekmommy)
Julia Roy http://www.juliaroy.com (@juliaroy)
Alexander Schek http://www.faywerwayer.com (@aschek)

My Reason For Entering!

My whole family would love this trip but my daughter especially! Kylie has never been on a roller coaster or seen the ocean, and has an extreme affection for animals making this the perfect vacation for her. She is such a hard worker in her academics and has impressed her teachers with being an outstanding student achieving straight A and A+ grades in all her subjects. I would love to be able to reward her for all her efforts by taking her to SeaWorld where she can have an experience of a lifetime! She definitely deserves a ride on Mantas and all that SeaWorld has to offer.

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Lasagna Soup Review

I am unquestionably not Betty Crocker in the kitchen and finding a meal my whole family will enjoy is sometimes painstakingly difficult. My son (15 months) is such a finicky eater that I'm usually having to prepare his meal separate from everyone else. Well this is where FamilyFun magazine and FamilyFun.com have become my favorite sources for kid friendly meal ideas. My son happens to enjoy eating pasta and it seems to be one of those foods that not only is yummy but is actually fun for him to eat. Keeping his attention long enough to have him actually ingest the food instead of flinging it on the floor can be tricky.

I decided to prepare the Lasagna soup featured on page 95 of February FamilyFun Magazine and used my family as the human guinea pigs. I did make some variance in the recipe. Instead of using Fusilla pasta I used a whole grain enriched Rotini. Rotini is slightly bigger and thicker so it keeps its firmness a little better in a soup than Fusilla. I also replaced the Italian sausage with turkey sausage and the ricotta with cottage cheese. I'm not to fond of pork products so I usually tend to replace that ingredient with a poultry product.

Preparation was fairly easy. I used my food processor for the chopped onions, chopped basil, and shredded mozzarella which saved some time and possibly my fingers. The whole prep from beginning to bowl serving took roughly about 35 minutes. Not to bad considering how many ingredients are actually included in the soup.

The verdict. The whole family loved it! Even my sweet food shooter actually enjoyed it. I did drain the soup broth from his portion so it was easier for him to eat and better for me during cleanup. The only thing else I would change in the recipe is to heat the ricotta/cottage cheese before pouring the soup over it. It tended to cool the soup slightly and did not blend as well as I would have liked. Besides that it absolutely was a hit and a make again recipe!

Recipe plus picture borrowed and credited to FamilyFun Magazine and FamilyFun.com

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
	2 teaspoons olive oil
	1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed)
	2 onions, finely chopped
	4 garlic cloves, minced
	2 teaspoons oregano
	1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
	2 tablespoons tomato paste
	1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
	6 cups chicken broth
	2 bay leaves
	8 ounces fusilli pasta
	1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
	8 ounces ricotta
	1/2 cup grated Parmesan
	1/4 teaspoon salt
	Pinch of pepper
	2 cups shredded mozzarella

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and sauté, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pot. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and sauté until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
2. Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package. Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil. If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.
3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the Parmesan, the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pinch of pepper. To serve, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture in each bowl, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and ladle the soup on top. Makes about 13 cups.

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ROSES A Poem by Kylie

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7 SIMPLE STEPS

Well its that time of year again where I dread going into the stores and grocery shopping is more like playing dodge ball except the ball happens to be the nasty flu virus coming at me from the coughing, sneezing, flu infected individuals who are also shopping. If I hear someone cough or sneeze in the same isle as me, I fast dart my kids and self as far as possible from that area. If I could dress my children and myself in a biological chem suit and not look like a nut case I would!

Avoiding the stores and crowded areas are the best way to not come in contact with the nasty virus but becoming a hermit all season just isn't practical or sensible. I still have to buy the groceries, attend school concerts, and maintain the household activities so becoming sick or letting the flu bed rid me is not an option.

There are some steps I can take to help avoid getting the flu, strengthen our immune systems to help our body's fight the virus or recover faster from illness.

1. Get plenty of Vitamin A. Bacteria and Flu can be fought with Vitamin A and it has shown in several experiments conducted by the National Institutes of Health to enhance the immunological response of the body. It actually works by stimulating the body' s own immunity system. Eating foods such as Spinach, Collards, Kale, Mixed vegetables, Turnip greens, Instant cooked and fortified ready to eat cereals are all great sources of the protective vitamin A.

2. Wash your hands frequently with hot soapy water for at least 20 seconds. Washing your hands helps prevent spreading the virus. Using paper towels to dry your hands can alleviate passing the virus on to others and also prevent those who are getting over it from becoming re-infected.

3. Exercise regularly. Exercising regularly, at least 30 minutes a day helps increase the body's natural virus-killing cells.

4. Get plenty of sleep. Poor sleep lowers your immunity making you more vulnerable to infections. Most adults need between seven to eight hours of sleep a night. Older children and teens need more rest and should get between nine and 10 hours every night.

5. Avoid sugar. Sugar depresses the immune system. Try to maintain and control proper blood sugar by avoiding added sugar and highly refined starches such as pasta, rice, potatoes and breads.

6. Use saline nasal spray to keep your passages moist. Keeping your nostrils moist can help in warding off a cold and flu.

7. Eat Garlic. Garlic contains hundreds of minerals and nutrients that are beneficial to your body. It has powerful antibiotic, antiviral and anti fungal characteristics. Garlic has been found to be as effective as many antibiotics, without the dangerous side effects.


Hopefully taking these simple steps will combat the nasty viruses! If my children, husband or I do get attacked there is several homeopathic remedies for cold the flu and some great websites that offer information on to relieve the symptoms safely!.

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A February Picnic

I always look forward to Valentines Day and all the little special goodies that it brings. I want to be able to enjoy the holiday this year with minimum costs but plenty of memories. This year I have decided to bring a favorite summer activity inside into the frigid cold month of February and warm it up with the sweet smiles of my little angels. The afternoon can be spent doing simple fun crafts found on Familyfun.com. I found several fun craft ideas and printable decorations there to assist in our card making. In the oven, heart shaped sugar cookies will bake filling the air with their sweet aroma. I am going to use the Pillsbury Ready To Bake Heart Shaped Cookies for easy preparation and to save time.

Then later in the early evening we can all take a quick trip out to the local Redbox and rent a movie the whole family can enjoy. Redbox has a wide variety of movies available in a vending machine that only cost $1 per rental. Its definitely a money saver, really fast and user friendly.

Dinner is going to consist of wide variety of well liked snacks that will be prepared by my daughter and myself. This way we all have are favorite food to share and enjoy. I'm going to pack the snacks in my picnic basket, spread a blanket out on the floor in front of the TV, and have a picnic in February while watching the movie together. After the movie we can exchange our homemade cards!

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