Record Catch

There is a new record for a yellowfin tuna fish and it belongs to Guy Yocom. The massive tuna weighed in at over 420lbs.  That is a lot of tuna sandwiches by the way. Not only does Guy get to gloat to his buddies about his huge catch he may be able to get 1 million dollars for a fishing competition he was in for the largest fish. Talk about a great day of fishing. Congrats Guy Yocom!

Happy Friday
Dale

The Crayons Have It

Lately, I've been noticing myself looking in our fridge at leftovers wondering how long they've been in there. I know I end up throwing out food that's still good and eating food that I really shouldn't be. I've tried lots of different methods of keeping track, but none of them seemed to work longer than a week. A while back I thought it would be a good idea to use masking tape on the food containers to mark when it was made. I had a roll of masking tape hanging on the fridge with a little pen next to it, but it never got used either and now I'm not even sure where the tape is.

A month or so back we started teaching The Toddler at home and had to buy school supplies. I wanted to get her some dry erase markers, so she could reuse a lot of her worksheets, but they were pretty expensive and only had a few colors. I continued shopping for the remaining items on the list giving up on the idea of reusing worksheets. That is until we got to the crayon aisle... Did you know there is such a thing as dry erase crayons?! I was so excited when I found them! They're way cheaper than the markers, non-toxic, odorless, washable and come in so many more colors than the markers do. I have The Toddler's worksheets in page protectors now and the crayons wipe off great! Couldn't have asked for a better solution.

Last night while I was putting away dinner and preparing my lunch for work today, I noticed The Toddler's dry erase crayons on the floor. I thought for a second, picked one up, wrote on my container, wiped it off and eureka!I can use dry erase crayons to mark the dates on leftovers! Works great. No tape, no calendars, no organizational system to keep up with in the fridge, no more wasted food and no more risk of tummy aches.

If you have leftover woes, too, you should definitely pick up a box of dry erase crayons and give this solution a try. I think this one is really going to work for us :)


-Shala-

Bobo Update

Afternoon All,

I thought it would be nice to provide an update on the company mascot - Bobo.  He's still feverishly loyal, but this week he has had some anxieties about going down the stairs unless Mom is behind him.  This morning I took the liberty of snapping some photos of Bobo in action -

Smile!

Deep in Thought

Performing Weekly Inventory

Whoof!
Allison

Uses for that left over vinegar

Hi All,

I don't know about you, but I never seem to use up that bottle of vinegar I bought last year.

Here are some helpful, and environmentally friendly ways to use it up.

Clean chrome and stainless steel (for your new scale)

To clean chrome and stainless steel fixtures around your home, apply a light misting of undiluted white vinegar from a recycled spray bottle. Buff with a soft cloth to bring out the brightness.

Unclog and deodorize drains

The combination of vinegar and baking soda is one of the most effective ways to unclog and deodorize drains. It’s also far gentler on your pipes (and your wallet) than commercial drain cleaners.

• To clear clogs in sink and tub drains, use a funnel to pour in 1/2 cup baking soda followed by 1 cup vinegar. When the foaming subsides, flush with hot tap water. Wait five minutes, and then flush again with cold water. Besides clearing blockages, this technique also washes away odor-causing bacteria.
• To speed up a slow drain, pour in 1/2 cup salt followed by 2 cups boiling vinegar, then flush with hot and cold tap water.

Clean windshield wiper blades 

When your windshield actually gets blurrier after you turn on your wipers during a rainstorm, it usually means that your wiper blades are dirty. To make them as good as new, dampen a cloth or rag with some full-strength white vinegar and run it down the full length of each blade once or twice.

Keep car windows frost-free (we are going to need this one soon)

If you park your car outdoors during the cold winter months, a smart and simple way to keep frost from forming on your windows is by wiping (or, better yet, spraying) the outsides of the windows with a solution of 3 parts white vinegar to 1 part water. Each coating may last up to several weeks — although, unfortunately, it won’t do much in the way of warding off a heavy snowfall.

Soak away aching muscles and take the edge off of stress 

Got a sore back, a strained tendon in your shoulder or calf, or maybe you’re just feeling generally rundown? Adding 2 cups apple cider vinegar to your bathwater is a great way to soothe away your aches and pains, or to simply to take the edge off a stressful day. Adding a few drops of peppermint oil to your bath can lend an able assist as well.

Stop reds from running

Unless you have a fondness for pink-tinted clothing, take one simple precaution to prevent red — or other brightly dyed — washable clothes from ruining your wash loads. Soak your new garments in a few cups of undiluted white vinegar for 10-15 minutes before their first washing. You’ll never have to worry about running colors again!

Brighten your loads

Why waste money on that costly all-color bleach when you can get the same results using vinegar? Just add 1/2 cup white vinegar to your machine’s wash cycle to brighten up the colors in each load.

Exterminate dandelions and unwanted grass (Pet friendly and no chemicals!!!)

Are dandelions sprouting up in the cracks of your driveway or along the fringes of your patio? Make them disappear for good by spraying them with full-strength white or apple cider vinegar. Early in the season, give each plant a single spritz of vinegar in its midsection, or in the middle of the flower before the plants go to seed. Aim another shot near the stem at ground level so the vinegar can soak down to the roots. Keep an eye on the weather, though; if it rains the next day, you’ll need to give the weeds another spraying.

If you want more ways to be environmentally friendly, and inexpensive ways to clean you can find a total of 150 ways to use vinegar: from Readers Digest at:

http://www.rd.com/home/150-household-uses-for-vinegar

I Gotta Get One!

Apple has announced the latest and greatest iPhone, The iPhone5. Staying at their usual $199 price with a 2 year contract is a bit shocking considering the features included in this phone. The iPhone 5 is only 7.6 millimeters thick, and still they crammed in an amazingly good camera. The camera will have a whopping 8 megapixel sensor. You will have the ability to take panoramic shots, which is really cool. Another cool feature, which I'm wondering if it will work, is the noise-canceling earpiece. It would be pretty awesome if that worked well. The features go on and on, and I'm not going to run through all of them. Good luck getting one on the 21st if you're going to try, the lines shall be long.

On another note, Google is announcing the first official fiberhoods tomorrow. I'm hoping like crazy that my area is on the list. It would be so nice to have unrestricted internet speed. I can only imagine what that would be like. Make sure to check tomorrow to see if you one of the lucky ones.

~

A Day in Pompeii

When I was a kid I used to love this book about Pompeii...I have no idea what the title was - but I remember having to choose an event in history to give a speech about in middle school so I chose Pompeii.  I was obsessed with learning about the tragedy and volcanoes in general.  This week I learned there is an exhibit coming to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science called "A Day in Pompeii." Here are the top ten things the museum suggest you experience at the exhibit -

1. See a statue of Venus and beautiful frescoes as you are transported to Ancient Rome and welcomed to Pompeii.

2. Meet and interact with a historical enactor tending the counter and sharing stories at the thermopolium -- an ancient fast-food restaurant.

3. Encounter more than 250 exceptional artifacts that once lay buried in Pompeii's ruins, including room-size frescoes, marble and bronze sculptures, jewelry, gold coins, and everyday household items.

4. Examine casts of the volcano's victims frozen in their last moments.

5. Discover the power of volcanoes past and present.

6. Experience the daily life of ancient Pompeii through a model home, touchable objects, and a re-created storefront.

7. Watch a digital re-creation that depicts 24 final hours in Pompeii, beginning the morning of August 24, AD 79.

8. Touch and examine reproductions of everyday items, including mirrors, dice, spoons, and more.

9. Learn about Roman mythology and take a quiz to see which god or goddess you would have worshiped.

10. Consider whether you would have stayed or fled Pompeii.
 
Sounds like a pretty cool exhibit to me, check out the CBS4 rundown here: http://denver.cbslocal.com/2012/08/22/get-advance-tickets-for-a-day-in-pompeii/

Allison

Are you lookin?

Are you new to town? Looking to broaden your friend list?  If so, I may be able to help with a suggestion. I came across an article titled "9 Proven Ways To Meet Someone" and thought it offers good information for those of you looking to meet someone. So if you're a looking, give the advice in the articla a try. You never know who you'll meet.

http://living.msn.com/love-relationships/love-sex/slideshow?cp-documentid=253402935

Happy Friday
Dale

High Altitude Deliciousness

Over the long weekend my family and I battled the holiday traffic for over two hours to barely make it onto the famous Cog Railway. It was so stressful trying to get there, but it was totally worth it. Once we got on the train, we made our way up to the tippy top of Pike's Peak. The ride was awesome and the scenery was beautiful. As the train climbed higher, the temperature dropped like crazy. It was so cold at the top, people were wearing hats, gloves and coats. I didn't even think about the temperature. I was in a t-shirt and shorts and The Toddler only had on a dress. The cold wind hurried us into the gift shop at the top where we quickly purchased a hoodie for the little one and a blanket for the trip down, but those weren't the only things we bought.

The left side of the shop is a restaurant that sells snacks, coffee and the most delicious donuts I've ever tasted in my life! Apparently, it's a recipe that only works at 14,114 feet. Bummer!

I'd buy a whole mess of them, but they don't taste as awesome once you start getting closer to sea level. Bummer again!

I guess those precious little puffs of dough will have to remain a special treat that can only be enjoyed at the top of Pike's Peak.

Until next time,

-Shala-