How do you plan to cope with the heat?

Just heard the weather and for those of us in PA, the temperatures will be in the 90’s most of the week and near the end of the week, closer to 100 degrees.   That is pretty warm.  Temperatures you would expect in  Myrtle Beach or Disney World but not in the mountains of Pennsylvania.     I’m wondering how people will endure the temperatures?

I guess there are some that love the heat and the hotter the better.  Can’t imagine anyone could be comfortable in 100 degree heat.  But I guess it is possible.

We have air conditioning in our bedrooms and our basement is very cool.  But some people have no relief.   Their houses are in the sun and no air conditioning.  Many of these people are elderly or sick.  How will they deal with temperatures pushing 100 degrees?

How will families with small children provide relief?  Will they get the hose and sprinkler out?  Head to the nearest pool?  Plan indoor activities at an air conditioned place?  

How do you stay cool on excessively hot days?  Please give me some tips to share with friends.

Can you afford your child?

Childrearing is expensive.  I remember how I couldn’t wait till I didn’t have to pay for childcare and though it would be like getting a raise.   And when I didn’t have to buy pampers anymore.  But no raise…the money just went for something else he was growing into.  According to a 2009 estimate by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a parent will spend $160,000 to $369,000, based on income level, to raise a child from birth to age 17.  That is a staggering amount when most people I know don’t have six figure incomes.  

As children get larger their toys get more expensive and their outings cost more.  Slinky action zone was cheap compared to Tennis Camp, Ziplining, and White water rafting.  I used to complain that my son didn’t eat enough to keep a bird alive, and now he is a teenager and I can’t keep groceries in the house.

Are you experiencing the same thing?

If you would like to check out the actual cost of your child, use this handy calculator. http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/savings/raise-child-calculator.aspx

So children are expensive.  But I still think they are worth it.  The rewards of parenting are far greater than any expense I could ever have. 

What are your thoughts about parenting  in this economy and the cost of raising children today?

7 Essential Sites for Beginning Bloggers

7 Essential Sites For Beginning Bloggers

Are you thinking about starting a blog?  Or have you started one, but are sort of stuck, not sure what to do next?  If so, take a few minutes to check out the sites listed below for beginning bloggers.  They have been very helpful to me as I began blogging and I continue to use them as a resource.   Lots of free information to help you get started successfully.

Blogging Basics 101 What do you want to know?  

Very basic to more advanced information.  Starts with “How do I start a blog?” and covers social networking, blogging etiquette, website and blog maintenance and more.

Decisive Minds, LLC How Entrepreneurial Women Do Business. 

Michele Scism provides blogging advice as well as business advice.  The site is full of information.  Michele also co-organizes the Ultimate Blog Challenge which is a great way to commit to posts and get traffic to your blog.

Simplifying Online Business Chaos: Websites, Blogging, Marketing & More

This site holds a wealth of information for the beginning blogger.  Info on obtaining websites, blogging ideas, working at home, starting a business and more.  Her information is easy to read and follow. She also has a variety of how to videos.  Don’t be put off by the hot pink font and decorations on her website.  It is full of great stuff.  She is also a co-organizer of the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

 Aliventures

Ali Luke provides information on writing in general, blogging, and freelancing.  Great site for beginners and includes lots of helpful tips.

Blogging with Amy  How anyone can build a business around a blog 

This covers blogging and monetizing your blog.  Very easy to read and understand.

Dumb Little Man: Tips for Life 

This is a wonderful site about all sorts of stuff.  Mostly self help.  Some days focuses on blogging, but mostly it is just how to have a better life in general.  Great for beginners.

Lorelle on WordPress

This site is full of information related to using WordPress.  She focuses on providing content to help you learn more about blogging and WordPress with help, tips, advice, and techniques. 

Take a few minutes and follow the above links.  Let me know if you found them helpful and if you have any sites of your own to suggest to beginners.  Just leave them in the comment area for everyone to check out.  Don’t forget to sign up for the blog so you know when the next post is live.

Sparklers and Fireworks!

Hope your July 4th was special. I promised you some pictures of our July 4th celebration! I hope you enjoy them.

Every year we decorate the place for the July 4th holiday. This year was no different.

There is always lots of food, all kinds, and lots of great conversation. My Parents provided the meat - this year it was sliced ham and pulled pork for sandwiches. Our family provides all the paper products, drinks, and several side dishes. Everyone brings their favorite dish and we have a huge buffet. Everything was delicious. Special hits at this year's festivities included Mom's Pork Barbeque, Kim's Calico Beans, and Donna's Pnut Butter cookies hand-dipped in chocolate.

The most special thing about our Independence Day celebrations are the guests that attend. Every year new people come and the regulars are there. It just keeps growing and we enjoy it more every year.

Around 9:00 we all head over to the hill with our lawn chairs to watch the fireworks. Our neighbor puts on a spectacular show, Pinchot Thunder.

If you want to see more, check out the slide show I put together. There is music so you might want to turn your speakers on low.

Make your own free picture slideshow

Happy 4th of July!

Why am I starting a blog?

Do I think people will want to read my blog?   I hope so, I mentioned yesterday that I wondered if anyone would want to read anything I wrote….my life really isn’t any more interesting than anyone elses.   But I think that is the secret to success….people like to know what other people are dealing with.  They like to know they are not alone.   They want to hear about other people’s issues.   Our grandparents watched soap operas and listened in on party lines, our generation watches reality tv shows and reads blogs.  In both cases we compare our lives to others.  Sometimes we look better, sometimes worse, but it gives us some comfort in knowing others deal with the same issues.  But bottom line…I’m writing because I want to and I’m sure some of the things I write about will be enjoyable for my son to read in the future!

Do I think that I will someday be famous because I’m writing this blog?   NO, but I do think I will make some people smile, I will make some people shake their head, and some might even get mad at some of the things I write.  There is always the chance that I could be like Ree Drummond of the Pioneer Woman Blog and get tv and book offers.  But that would be a surprise to all and not the reason I am blogging.  I do think I will reach people outside of my little Saxton/Hollidaysburg world.  I think somehow, someway I will make a difference with this blog….if no where else, at least in my own life.  And I’m happy with that.

What are my goals?  My goals are simple…to make you smile, to make you laugh, to make you think, to inspire you, and to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone at times.

Our family (whatever yours may look like) are the most important people in our lives.  Sometimes we get so busy taking care of them we forget to take care of ourselves, and I hope through this blog, I can remind myself and my readers that we are OK, we deserve a break, we deserve to give ourselves permission to take care of ourselves.  We all have so much to give, but we need to nurture ourselves to be able to give to others.

How long will the posts be?   Some days posts will be about this length, some days maybe a few sentences, some days a picture, some days, when I’m on a roll, the posts might be longer.  Feel free to comment if you think they are too long!

How often will I post?   At least once a week.  Hopefully at least 3 times per week depending on what is going on in my life.

How will you know when I post something?  Several ways….you can sign up to get a copy via email.  You can sign up for RSS feed.  Or sometimes I will post on facebook.  Or you can just look my page up when the mood strikes.

So tell me....do you think I'm crazy for starting this blog?

New Blog......Finally!

Can you believe this……a blog.   I’ve finally bit the bullet and started a personal blog.  This was one of my New Year’s Resolutions and here it is, the year is half over and I’m just getting this thing started.   But that is O.K.   The important thing is I’m started!  Woo Hoo!

So now you are probably asking yourself WHY?  Why would she want to do this?   That is sort of hard to answer.  My mind works in mysterious ways at times.  I guess you could say, this is a challenge.   I have wanted to do this for several years but wasn’t sure how to go about it.  I had lots of questions.  Would anyone want to read something I wrote?   I wondered if anything in my life would be interesting enough for someone else to read.  Would I be disciplined enough to commit to writing when I needed to?   Could I find the time in an already busy schedule to write?  Would I even know what to write?   Then I realized I didn’t care if others read what I wrote.  I wanted to do this for ME!   I wanted to challenge myself and grow.   This was a way I could do that.   I also have a long list of other things I want to accomplish while I am on this earth and blogging may help me to finally get to those things.  (More about those things in other posts!)

  

I started with a work blog on technology and found I could easily keep up with 3 or 4 posts per week.  Yes it took time, but it was manageable.  Many of the people that read my tech-bytes blog were encouraging and that gave me the courage to move forward with this more personal blog.  

I knew I wanted to start a blog, but wasn’t sure what to write about.  I thought about lots of things…parenting, technology, social networking, recipes, relationships, family, eating, losing weight, fun things to do, etc.  But had a hard time settling on just one.  So I decided I would write about lots of things.  Whatever inspires me each day.

Then, deciding whether I wanted to write my blog on a blog hosting site, and if so, which one.  That decision seemed to take forever.  So I decided to test two systems and this one is part of the test.

Then trying to figure out a name was the next challenge….every name I liked was taken!  I went through hundreds of names till I finally found one that worked for me and was available.

I will be writing about my family, the silly things that happen to us, the boring things, our travels, what inspires us, what makes us mad at each other, etc.  This will be a written record of our existence. I also hope to write about some items of interest to readers and get your opinion on things.   Hopefully I will have some interesting things to write about so you keep coming back.  Check back tomorrow to learn more about my goals for this blog.

So lookout blogosphere....I'm here!

How will you celebrate the July 4 weekend?

How will YOU celebrate the Independence Day Weekend?   

I am very much looking forward to some extra time off.  

Our plans include lots of yard work, cleaning, and then enjoying lots of family time.  Swimming, picnics, fun food and making some great memories.

We have a big picnic planned for Sunday night..   About 70 people and lots of great food.  After we eat till we can't hold anymore, we will take our lawn chairs across the hill and watch some good old-fashioned fireworks.  

In case you haven't guessed....I live in the country.   The hill is some land that my father owned till he sold the farm, but the new owner still allows us to set up our lawn chairs on top of the hill and watch fireworks that our neighbor puts off each year.   They are as good as any around.   The whole valley enjoys them.

We will enjoy the fireworks and then maybe some sparklers.  I'm 51 (guess I shouldn't be publicizing that) and I still enjoy doing sparklers!  We have been hosting a 4th of July party since Neal was a few months old.   A few years we have been away on vacation and my parents hosted it.   This year because of my dad's health, we are having it at my parents home so my father can attend easily.

  

We go all out with decorations and red, white, and blue food, dishes, etc.

I hope you are planning something special on this Independence Day.  Please comment and tell me about it.  It is great to hear about other's ideas and events.

Check back next week for pictures of the event. 

So what big plans do you have for the holiday?  What are your favorite July 4th memories?