Homemade Birthday Party Ideas

Contributed by Alec Bates

I think it’s important to monitor what your kids watch on Cable TV even when you’re not around. The more you teach them what’s appropriate and what’s not the less they’re going to want to go behind your back and watch something you know they shouldn’t. my kids for example know they’re not allowed to watch Beavis and Butthead or The Simpsons. I don’t think either of the shows (even though they’re cartoons) have good messages for kids and I just don’t want them learning anything from them that I’m not already teaching them. I try to stick to educational program but basically as long as it doesn’t have cursing or drugs or sex or anything like that it’s fair game for my kids. Their favorite show is actually jeopardy which is about as harmless as it gets and I’m fine with that. At least they’re learning at the same time they’re watching TV – not many shows can say that they allow your kids that kind of double duty!

Guest post written by my buddy Royce Heath

There’s nothing like coming home to a nice clean house but I wouldn’t know what that’s like because I haven’t been there for years. We got this new house about a year ago and we immediately started working on it to get it back the way we had imagined it was in its glory days. We hired people to come in and take out all the popcorn ceilings and we had painting done and the kitchen totally renovated and pretty much just everything I could think of. It’s starting to look better but you know, I’m pretty sick of living in inches of sawdust and I just wish there was something I could do to keep this place neat. We’ve been looking into the final touches like ADT UT and a new mailbox and stuff like that so I know one day soon I’ll be able to come home and get it all organized. But until that day comes I guess I’ll go on living like this – in a pile of all our construction mess!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you’re shopping for teenagers then you are in for quite a challenge, but I hve the perfect gift idea.  yes, they can be picky and finicky and moody and whatever else, but one thing teenagers LOVE is connecting with friends over the phone, online and via text messaging.  If you have a teenager on your list, you might think it’s a bit expensive to sponsor their cell phone bill, but not with Straight Talk. We pay around $45 a month for my daughter’s phone and she’s in absolute heaven. She says she can  Feel Richer with Android because she can access the web whenever she wants and use the games and apps that her friends are enjoying, with unlimited access. Have you experienced The power of Android on a month-to-month, no-contract plan yet?  Once you do, you will never go back to those ridiculous phone contracts with their activation fees and re-activation and termination fees, it’s ridiculous.  These guys have the right idea. they do everything on a month-to-month basis and you only pay for what you use. It’s even good for Grandparents because light users can get the 1000 minutes and 1000 textx plan (I think it’s called “All you Need”) for only $30, which is such a bargain. In fact, I keep one as an emergency phone for when I travel because the Smart Talk coverage is actually better than the one my company pays for.  

Anyway, check out one of their videos if you’re still not sure. But really, there’s no reason not to. 

The getting richer effect has expanded… by LittleBard95

I feel like the very best Aunt in the world right now. My nephew just turned 13 and I had no idea what to get him. I noticed that he was wearing a T shirt with a band name on it (Drake), so I checked the music charts for the band and I learned that he must be into hip hop music, so I bought all of the top ten CD’s and then I learned that he had never even HAD a CD before, all his music has been purchased through iTunes, so he’s loving the printed lyrics, the jewel cases, the photos and other extra things you don’t get when you buy digital music. It was the sweetest thing, he feels like he has his own master copy, and I guess in a way he does because when you download music in your iTunes account you can’t share it with anyone else, but if you upload it from a CD, you can so he is having fun listening to all sorts of songs he didn’t know about before, he’s also enjoying sharing them with his friends. I don’t know if I can think of anything this cool next year, but I sure hope I do

Uncle Herman has been a nurse’s aid since the war, and he never acted like it was a lesser position, it was always a noble thing and we were always proud of him. His eyesight is getting bad and he’s in his 90′s now but he still has pride in the work that he does and the Office he’s with has been shifting his responsibilities around over the years to help him be effective wherever he’s at. Aunt Ethel had a meeting to go to for some charity thing she’s involved in and I had to pick him up from work and I was so surprised to see that his scrubs were a bit worn at the edges, so I bought him a new set for his birthday. He was so excited. I found some great deals online when I was checking for websites that sell scrubs. My favorite ones were at this site: http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/ I was so excited to learn where to buy cheap scrubs that I went a little overboard and got him like five sets. If I know him, he will still wear the old ones so he doesn’t wear out the new ones, but at least he has them now. If I had to bet money, I’m sure some of the women who work in his office would probably prod him into getting rid of the old ones, teasing him and flattering him until he blushed or something, he’s like that sometimes. Silly old guy, I don’t know why he needs to hear it from a pretty girl but it’s true. All you need is a pretty smile and a little bit of eye contact and he’s putty in your hands. THAT is why they have been married for almost 75 years, isn’t it? Oh well, life is good. So what about you? Have you ever found a better deal on scrubs? I didn’t think so…

When we were in Denver, we happened to stop into a store that was the oldest furrier in the city and they had some beautiful fur vests for sale. I had never even tried one on before, but I definitely think I want some fur vests in my winter wardrobe. They even had fur jackets for sale, some were long and some were short. I tend to like the longer ones the best. I didn’t realize how heavy they were. Have you ever tried on a real fur coat? I understand why people get upset about fur, but honestly…are these same people upset about fried chicken? it’s ridiculous. Humans wouldn’t have evolved into the creatures we are today if it weren’t for high-protein foods like meat and the ability to live through more than 30 winters, thanks to FIRE and keeping warm in animal furs. As long as the animals are treated kindly (hello.. abuse damages their fur…) then its not a big deal. A good, healthy animal whose fur is used for a lovely coat isn’t dying in vain. Fur is an art, it’s clothing, it’s not immoral or unethical, but bossing people around is and if you don’t like fur don’t wear it. I didn’t know I liked it until a few months ago and I can’t wait to return to Denver to pick out MY personal fur coat. Life is good!

Via: Wpromote
When I saw that image, I was so blown away by the awesome things that are happening in the world thanks to social media. What an awesome company they must be, the search engine marketing firm that was able to accomplish all of that as Easy as 1 2 3… right? So what about you, what do you know about social media? Or even about Internet marketing, for that matter? I think the world of digital media is fascinating and I love watching companies like wpromote grow because it’s really witnessing history in the making, right? Out with the old methods and in with the new. What an amazing time we’re living in

If you have people you’re buying gifts for in Austin, Texas, you should totally check out http://www.thesteamteam.com/. I know steam cleaning isn’t a traditional gift, but honestly as a woman I can say that I would LOVE it if someone were to pay for some steam cleaning services for me, what a treat that would be. It’s like a spa treatment for your house, that’s what it is. And even if I wasn’t a woman. Did you know that they can steam clean your stucco and your outdoor tiles, so they’re not weathered or blackened or rust-stained anymore? A man would appreciate that too, right? Especially if they’re the type of couple who likes to entertain. That would make the entire back porch look like new, wouldn’t it? I should think so.

Anyway, you should definitely check out this Austin carpet cleaning company because they do a lot more than just carpet and the aforementioned tiles. They do water damage cleanup, fire damage, Asian rugs, draperies, furniture, tiles, grout, driveways, walls, stucco, concrete and just about everything, really. i guess they can’t help with the laundry or the kids’ toys but it seems like everything else they can do. They even clean your air ducts, which is really important for preventing fires, improving your heating and air conditioning efficiency and increasing the life of your filters. No one wants a house fire because their dryer duct is full of lint, that would really suck and a shopvac can’t always reach as far as it needs to.

So what sort of things would you have steam cleaned if someone gave you such a silly gift? I should make a list now, huh.

OK, I have recently stumbled upon a gift idea that absolutely everyone on the planet would enjoy. Are you ready? I can tell you’re skeptical, so let me be precise. An old lady would like it, an old man would like it. Teenage boys and girls would like it. Grown men and women would like it… children would like it…. Have you figured it out yet? of course not because I haven’t given you any real clues yet, but here it is… arcade machines. And sure, you could spend upwards of $10,000 and get some shiny sparkly noisy new game but I’m thinking like vintage pinball games, those are so much fun. We used to have one when we lived on Opal Avenue in Palmdale. I’m not sure what ever happened to it. It was mint green, I don’t even remember what it was called. Oh well, do you agree, though, that a vintage arcade game would make a great gift for just about anyone? I honestly can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t find it awesome. My Dad, maybe… Oh well, What about you, have you ever stumbled upon something that would make a great gift for just about everyone? ideas like that don’t come along very often. I’m off now, to check Craigslist and the thrifty nickel to see if anyone is selling a used pinball machine because I know my husband would absolutely love one.