Last Day

Today is the last chance to enter the name the tadpole contest. If you would like to try and win some prizes for you pet then click the tadpoles on the right and post your name choices in the comments.

Penny Pincher Parade

I have to tell you the book I got from the library helped to speed up my laptop. Not Super speed mind you be definitely an improvement. Now you might wonder why I'm mentioning this For the Penny Pincher Parade. Well if you are thinking about getting a new computer... your old one just isn't cutting it any more... Then consider getting a lap top these light weight wonders work just as hard as their desk top cousins but the use a lot less energy. Laptop computers draw only 15 to 25 watts during regular use, a conventional desktop computer and monitor uses about 150 watts. This will save you cash on your electric bill.

Slumps, Grumps, and I Wants

Last week was rather rough I spent the whole week feel exhausted. I was in a major slump. I didn't want to do anything. Though there were things I had to do.... Go to work, do the dishes (sometimes ..... when I ran out ), Get the kids to school on time. You know the usual adult stuff.

This of course led to the Grumps. You know what I mean with kids always needing something and the pets demanding to be fed. You just want to scream:

LEAVE ME ALONE FOR 5 FREAKING MINUTES.

Of course they never do and you just have to trudge on and be the grown up. But lets face even grown ups..... once in a while Don't want to be the Grown up. It's those times we look at are kids and say stop growing up so fast! Enjoy the time you have! Go Play and have fun!

The week ended of bad feelings ended on Friday morning with a very very very bad case of the I WANTS. I want a new laptop this one is way to slow. I want a swimming pool. I want to do more with my kids. I want to lose weight immediately if not sooner. There was more but it would probably take all day to type them.

I had to get rid of these negative feelings. So I started by throwing the leash on the dog and taking a walk. Getting out of the house helped though walking the neighborhood lead to a few other I wants. When I got home I started cleaning.... sorted some of the clutter and vacuumed the floor. (This always makes the house look so much cleaner even If I just vacuum the day before.) Then I headed over to the library to check out a couple movies for the kids. After selecting the movies I just wandered through the isles.

Thinking about some of my wants. The computer first came to mind. You see I'm using my hubby's old laptop and its rather outdated and slow. It makes visiting my favorite blogs time consuming especially when they have lots of stuff on them. Well I figured why not check to see what kind of books they have for cleaning up and updating old computers. I found one of the Dummies books and grabbed it up.

My next thought went to the swimming pool want.. you should know this want is more for a practical need. Swimming is the best exercise choice for someone of my size. I'm not hugh mind you but sizable enough that if I spend the day walking ...say taking the kids to the zoo.. then my feet are killing me that night and the next day. Anyway they don't make swimming suits for my size that are good for swimming laps. They are designed to HIDE the problem. So when I try to swim laps the top part pulls down and.... ummm..... well you get the idea. There is nothing I can really do with this want since we are currently renting and the yard is really to small for a pool. So I thought more about the wants I could fix.

Doing more with the kids. We are saving up so that when my hubby's tour here in NY is done we can buy a home. The plan of course is to try and get the next assignment some place we would like to retire. So what every I did with the kids had to be CHEAP. Well I found it and we had a great time. We went to the local Botanical Gardens. Cost... a little gas to get there. What we found well here let me show you ( I actually went and did the dishes while these uploaded dang slow computer):

This one was my daughter's favorite she said it looked like they were on fire

My son wanted some bird pictures so I got these for him.

And I thought this was cool... Though it would be more for the Lazy Green Notso Cheapskate

its a solar powered robotic lawn mower.

Now I'm feeling better also if you like wildlife photos I have some from the botanical gardens that I'm posting on my Cats and Dogs blog I though about posting them here but didn't want to make the load time any longer then it already will be LOL.

Today Is Earth Day.... What Will You Do To Celebrate?

Happy Earth Day Everyone. I wasn't sure what to talk about today. I will be heading out later to take a hike around our local park and take some Pictures. If I get any good ones I'll post them when I get back. So what will you be doing on this wonderful day to celebrate the Earth? Here is a little Song I found at http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/1133/earthday.html

I didn't see an authors name to sharebut there are Earthday poems there if you want to read them. Here is Working on The Trash.

WORKING ON THE TRASH

(sung to "I've Been Working on the Railroad")

We've been working on RECYCLING

All the trash we can,

We've been working on recycling,

It's a very simple plan,

Separate your glass and paper,

Separate your plastic and tin.

Take the trash that you've recycled

To your recycling bin!

We've been working on REDUCING

All the trash we can.

We've been working on reducing I

t's a very simple plan.

Don't go wasting any products,

Use just exactly what you need.

Don't buy things in extra wrapping,

Reduce and you'll succeed!

We've been working on REUSING

All the trash we can.

We've been working on reusing,

It's a very simple plan.

If it's a paper bag you're using,

Don't use it once, use it twice!

Give old clothes and toys to someone,

To reuse them would be nice!

Tomorrow is Earth Day + My 1st Penny Pincher Parade Post

Spring is in bloom and what better way to start my first blog post for The Penny Pincher Parade then by offering some tips for cheaper gardening. This also makes a good post for my Tomorrow is Earth Day post since we are talking recycling and growing plants.

Since we currently rent our home I don’t want to spend tons of time or money keeping the areas around the bushes weed free, So I take newspapers or paper bags and recycle them by using them in place of those rolls of tarp they sell at the do it yourself store, This works in the veggie patch too. If you plan to use the newspaper contact them and find out what kind of ink they use. Some inks are toxic and you don’t want them leaching into the soil.

Need some free container to start those seedlings in. Save those yogurt containers, Egg cartons or soda containers or any other small food container that you were planning on throwing out.

Last do less work and have more types of veggies by getting together with other neighborhood gardeners and instead of throwing out those extra seedling when you thin them out trade them for other veggies. You can also do a more organic style by getting together and decide who will grow which type of veggie each year and rotate your crops to naturally help with pest control and soil health.

Now Stop on over to Small Town Louisiana Girl's blog today she will have links to all the other's in the Penny Pincher Parade.

Now I got up rather early this morning and when I stopped by at 7:19 EST her post wasn't up yet so I'll have to add my link to the list after work but go take a look. See those penny pinching tips and squeeze with all your might.

2 Day's until Earth Day

What do I have for you today........ Another Great Green Website and a couple of green contests I found while surfing the web.

First the Website. It's called The Nature Conservancy

Just click on the frog for a quick link or here is the url...http://my.nature.org/earthday/

The Nature Conservancy is another wonderful nonprofit website who's mission is to protect the diversity on Earth by saving the land and water they need to survive.

By visiting their website you can find nature near you or Get outdoor tips. You can also share your own photos of nature with everyone.

Now the Green contests I mentioned the first is the HGTV Green Home Giveaway. Yes that's right HGTV is giving away a home they built to be as green as possible. You can enter and take a virtual tour at HGTV. COM : http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv-green-home-2009-giveaway-enter/package/index.html or here is a quick link for you.

This is a much nicer house then the one they gave away at the beginning of the year. They call it their Dream Home but to a green gal like me its more of a nightmare. I entered once and realized I really didn't want to win that monstrosity

The second contest is over at Petco I saw it when I was over there looking at stuff for the frogs. It's called the Go Green and Win Contest. I can't enter since I started working there "Dang It" but that doesn't stop me from telling you about it. The prize is $100 green gift basket and a year supply of Natural Pet Food. Here is the url ...http://www.petco.com/Content/Survey/GoGreen.aspx?pc=gogreen&CoreCat=HP_Main4

and of course a quick link.

You might wonder why I bother to post the url if I'm giving you a quick link. Well I know there are some unscrupulous people who unfortunately would use such quick links to send viruses and spy ware to your computer. So even though I would never do anything of a sort I realize you don't know me and it would be a shame to have you miss out on the fun because your worried about clicking a quick link.

3 Days Until Earth Day

Ok lets get in the mood. Head on over to your local Library and check out one of these eco minded movies :


The Fire Next Time (1993)
2017: The greenhouse effect and global warming take their toll as droughts, floods, and hurricanes wreak mass destruction in a world gone mad, one family struggles to survive against all odds...

Call of the Hummingbird (2007) (Documentary)In the gorgeous setting of central Brazil, a rag tag of group of 1000 permaculture experts, Rastafarians, alternative health practitioners, Hare Krishnas, and NGO executives work towards a do-it-yourself action plan to make the world a better place in 13 days. The film takes us on a journey that ranges from the practices of permaculture and consensus facilitation all the way to the meaning of the Mayan calendar, which mysteriously ends in 2012—just a few short years away. In the process we are introduced to new ideas about politics, nature, and even time itself.

Hoot (2006)
The story of a young man moves from Montana to Florida with his family, where he's compelled to engage in a fight to protect a population of endangered owls.

Arctic Tale
Set in the vast snow kingdom at the top of the world, Arctic Tale is a real-life adventure from the people who brought you March of The Penguins. This family film follows two very different arctic creatures, Nanu, the polar bear cub and Seela, the walrus pup, through exciting and harrowing struggles for survival. Armed only with their natural instincts and mothers' guidance, these inspiring animals face countless trials and challenges in a beautiful icebound world that is rapidly melting beneath them.

Free Willy
A 12 year old street kid. A 3 ton orca whale. A friendship you could never imagine. An adventure you'll never forget.

Gorillas in the Mist
Sigourney Weaver stars as Dian Fossey, in this true story about Fossey's study of gorillas, and her efforts to stop the decimation of the endangered apes.

March of the Penguins
Each winter, alone in the pitiless ice deserts of Antarctica, deep in the most inhospitable terrain on Earth, a truly remarkable journey takes place as it has done for millennia.

MicroCosmos (1996) (Documentary)
MicroCosmos captures the fun and adventure of a spectacular hidden universe revealed in a breathtaking, close-up view. Your family will marvel at a pair of stag beetles dueling like titans. The kids will stare bug-eyed as a magnificent army of worker ants race to stock their larder ... while trying to avoid becoming a feisty pheasant's dinner. And you'll have a front-row seat to witness an amazing transformation from caterpillar to butterfly, the remarkable birth of a mosquito, and many other minute miracles of life—all leaving no doubt that Mother Nature remains the greatest special effects wizard of all

Erin Brockovich (2000)
Erin Brockovich is an unemployed single mother, desperate to find a job, but is having no luck. This losing streak even extends to a failed lawsuit against a doctor in a car accident she was in. With no alternative, she successfully browbeats her lawyer to give her a job in compensation for the loss. While no one takes her seriously, with her trashy clothes and earthy manners, that soon changes when she begins to investigate a suspicious real estate case involving the Pacific Gas & Electric Company. What she discovers is that the company is trying quietly to buy land that was contaminated by hexavalent chromium, a deadly toxic waste that the company is improperly and illegally dumping and, in turn, poisoning the residents in the area.

Incredible Shrinking Woman, The (1981)
After being exposed to a bizarre mixture of household chemicals, Pat Kramer begins to shrink. This baffles scientists, makes parenting difficult, warms the hearts of Americans, and captures the attention of a group of people who want to take over the world. This evil group plots to kidnap Pat and perform experiments on her so that they can eventually shrink everyone.

Day After Tomorrow, The (2004)
This movie takes a big-budget, special-effects-filled look at what the world would look like if the greenhouse effect and global warming continued at such levels that they resulted in worldwide catastrophe and disaster, including multiple hurricanes, tornadoes, tidal waves, floods and the beginning of the next Ice Age.

Logan's Run (1976)
Logan, a Sandman (police assassin), is forced to search for "Sanctuary" - a place to which people have apparently escaped from the sealed city of the future in which he lives. Jessica is caught up along the way and becomes his companion fugitive as they are both pursued by Francis, a fellow Sandman. Sanctuary is not what they expect.

Fast Food Nation (2006) (Docu-drama)
Based on the acclaimed book by Eric Schlosser, this film traces the birth of an everyday, ordinary hamburger through a chain of riveting, interlocking human stories—from perilous work in meat-packing plants to life behind the fast-food counters to the dirty secrets of fast-food corporations. What exactly are we biting into?

Guardian of the Wilderness (a.k.a. Mountain Man) (1976)
Based on the true story of Galen Clark, who, along with John Muir, worked to preserve America's greatest natural wonders, most notably Yosemite National Park.

Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (1992)
The fairy people of FernGully have never seen humans before, but when Christa sees one, Zak, she accidentally shrinks him down to her size. But there is trouble in FernGully, for Zak is part of a logging team who is there to cut down the forest.

Lorax, The (1972)
A young boy goes to meet a ruined industrialist in a treeless wasteland and hear his tale of what happened to him. His tragic story is about how he began a thriving business with a useless fashion product derived from the trees of a forest. As his business booms, the forest and its inhabitants suffer as he wantonly clearcuts without regard to the warnings of a wise old creature called the Lorax about the dire consequences of his greed.

Once Upon a Forest (1993)
This animated wildlife film provides an environmental friendly message that humans are a malicious, careless breed. Three chrubic little animals hacve to rescue their friend who has been overcome by poisonous gas.

Medicine Man (1992)
An eccentric scientist working for a large drug company is working on a research project in the Amazon jungle. He sends for a research assistant and a gas chromatograph because he's close to a cure for cancer. When the assistant turns out to be a "mere woman," he rejects her help. Meanwhile the bulldozers get closer to the area in which they are conducting research, and they eventually learn to work together, and begin falling in love

Category 7: The End of the World (2005)
Super-severe tornados and hurricanes set about wiping out the world's major cities. Is global warming to blame?

Six Degrees Could Change the World (2007) (Documentary)
NASA climate scientist James Hansen cautions that a global temperature increase of even two degrees Celsius represents a tipping point into a catastrophic climate scenario. This film ups the ante from there, postulating the effects of a six-degree increase—in sync with the higher range of scientists' warming predictions. Six Degrees explores the likely expansion of bad trends that are already troublesome under today's minor temperature increases: increasing desertification, forest stress, wild fires, and drought-stricken farmlands; disappearance of glaciers and ice caps; deforestation in the Amazon; increasing frequency of killer hurricanes like Katrina.

Silent Running (1972)
In this far-looking, speculative film, Bruce Dern is a crew member on a specially designed "biodome spaceship" that harbors Earth's last nature reserve—intended to refurbish an Earth devastated by nuclear war. When he is instructed to jettison his beloved forests and return home, he goes renegade. Accompanied only by three robots, he ponders the fate of his last pocket of nature and the murders of his fellow crew members.

Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk (2008) (Documentary)
Directed by two-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Greg MacGillivray and narrated by Robert Redford, this IMAX 3D film takes audiences down the Colorado River, through the Grand Canyon , on an exhilarating river journey that calls attention to the world's growing water shortage and the mega-drought now threatening the American Southwest

4 Days Until Earth Day

Want more information on how to help the Earth Go on Over to The Earth Day website. This is a wonderful website with everything you need to have a great Earth Day.

Need to find something to do? Just put in your location and see what is going on around you.

Nothing Close By? Click on Earth Day in a box and get something going.

You can even read up on the history of Earth Day and calculate you ecological footprint. Mine.....

Well apparently if everyone lived like me it would take 3.2 Earths to support us all. Unfortunately a lot of that I can't change since I'm renting a home at the moment. The suggestions it gave me was things like installing solar panels. It also didn't include things like how much do you walk or whether your home is new or old. Which I think makes a difference. If everyone went out and build a nice new green home from scratch... sure they are using Ecologically friendly materials but they are still wasting open land and resources. Where as the home I'm in now has been around for at least 50 years and though I personally can't fix it up since its not mine. If you buy an old home and make it more earth friendly isn't that recycling?

Anyway I'm digressing LOL It's a great site to visit to get you ready for Earth Day.

Maybe if we all work at it we can make every day Earth Day.

Here's the web address or just click the pic above for a quick link: http://earthday.net/

Earth Day

It's only 5 days until Earth Day and 2 more days and its Arbor Day.


Want a great way to celebrate both?

Plant a tree or 10!


The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit organization who want to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. To this end when you join for $10 you get 10 free trees. If you have no room for trees in your yard then they will Plant 10 trees in a national park in your name. Their wonderful site is full of information about different kinds of trees. They also make it easy to find the perfect tree for you. Whether you want a pine, fruit, or flowering tree (or any other type) just put in the type of tree and then your zip code and they will give you a list of the trees that will work best in your zone. They also have a youth educations section so you can share the love of trees with your kids. Visit http://www.arborday.org/index.cfm or just click the tree for a quick link.

Come back later for some more Earth Day Ideas.

New Pets and a Contest

Guess what we got in the mail today.....

Tadpoles! Yep they finally arrived. They are soo cute and the kids are very excited about them. I decided not to put them in the tank I made for them just yet they are in the original tank that we had. It was part of a grow your own frogs kit you get at a toy store. The fish that will be sharing the tank with the frogs are a little big and we don't want them picking on or eating the tadpoles. We figure once they become frogs they will be ok.

If you want to see some pictures go visit Cats and Dogs Turtles and Frogs my pet blog. I'm also having a contest there for all you pet lovers. It's a Name the Tadpoles contest. So if you love pets and love contests go check it out. There will be two prizes.... one for each Tadpole.

Container Garden slowly taking shape.

I don't have any pictures to share yet. But I do have several different kinds of containers and seeds. I'm going to use the egg cartons from Easter to start the seedlings in. I wanted cardboard ones but couldn't find any in the store.....Weird HUH.

Tomorrow afternoon when the yard has dried out a little and it warms up the kids and I are going to dig up the flower bed that the landlord let us have. I have some edging that a neighbor gave me to use along the edge. I was hoping to raise it up but can't find anything cheap to do it with. I guess I have to use some type of cheap fence to keep the dog out of there.

There is enough room between several of the bushes that line the on side of the yard to place a couple of the pots. and the others I'm placing in front of the garage they should get plenty of sun in those locations.

I'm also going to try an experiment. Have you seen those hanging bags for tomatoes... the one that grows the plant upside down. Well I was debating on buying one to try it out but they are rather pricey for what they are. While I was considering the purchase I saw a similar product but instead it has a hanging basket with a hole in the bottom. It shows the large tomatoes growing out the bottom hole and cherry tomatos growing on the top of the basket. It was also rather pricey but I figure I already have a hanging basket so why don't I just pop the bottom off it and drill a hole in it just large enough for a tomato plant. So that's what I'm going to do.

Well the best laid plans of mice and Mommy's often go awry.

Here is the post I planned for Saturday but didn’t get a chance. My hubby left on a trip Saturday and while I was helping him take boxes out to the car I managed to bash my hand on the door frame. It was hard enough to slice my thumb open. I probably should have gone and gotten stitches but I didn’t. Every time I tried to do something it would start to bleed again. So I spent the day watching movies with the kids. I spent lots of time with them but didn’t get a lot done. So here are the rest of the March tips and I hope all the tips have helped you save some money.

My first are to help you rethink about the things you through away.

Cereal Box Recycling: Don’t just chuck out the cereal box when you are done. The box can be used to protect you work surface when doing arts and crafts projects. Don’t chuck those wax paper bags on the inside either they have a multitude of uses too. They can be uses in lunch boxes for large sandwiches. You can pull the seams apart and use the liner for cooking lining shelves or drawers. Cut it into squares and use it to cover food in the microwave to keep the splatter off the walls.

Those thick rubber bands they put around bunches of broccoli and other veggies can be useful too. Use them to wrap cords in a bundle to keep the unsightly bundle out of the way. Put them around the lid of a jar to help you get a grip and open it easier. Save the rest for any other need that pops up.

35 mm film canisters are useful too. Though with the popularity of digital cameras who knows how long these will be around LOL. I used one in our cricket keeper to get the crickets out to feed the frogs without having to catch them. You can also to store small small parts in them or pins and tacks. They are great for storing seasonings for camping trips.

A friend showed me this one. Take a soda pop top and attach it to a picture frame and hang it as usual instead of paying $2 to $5 for a hanging kit. This works great for light pictures.


Now other tips :

Consider slowing down you Internet. For most people the slower speed won’t affect their surfing but it can make a hugh difference in their wallets.

If you have a cell phone consider getting rid of your home phone. It’s silly to pay for both. If you really feel you need both fro emergencies then consider reducing you service to the absolute minimum.

Shut the vents in unused rooms. In the summer we shut the vents in the basement it stays cool down there in the summer so it is a waste of electricity to pump air conditioning down there. We do heat it in the winter because you can feel the cold come through the floor.

Lose weight. Not only will this save you money on your life and healthy insurance but also your clothing bill. Since smaller size clothes tend to cost less.

Keep your tires properly inflated. Your car will run better and you will spend less on gas.

Well those were all the tips I had saved up for my tip fest.

Still here

We had a bad case of tummy yuck going around. I will be posting more info on my garden tomorrow but wanted to stop in for a quick hi.

I'm Still Here

We had a bad case of the tummy yuck going around our family. It hasn't been fun. I'll be posting the last of the tips I had for last month tomorrow then I'm going to catch up on my blog reading. I just wanted to stop in and let everyone know I'm still around.