Yum! Fresh Herbs!

Last weekend, I took a trip to the garden center and purchased basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary and cilantro plants. I potted them and now they're outside on my deck. They look wonderful and I'm already using them for our meals!

It's fantastic to have fresh herbs handy when you need them, and a lot less expensive than having to purchase them at the grocery store each week.

Note: I bring the plants inside when the temperature is in danger of dropping below 50 degrees, which happens on some evenings where I live in Wisconsin.

P.S. Speaking of plants, I just received this note from one of my newsletter readers:

I just wanted to say that I love your site and the monthly checklist and newsletter! I found you just a couple of weeks ago online, and already I've tackled several of my major clutter bugaboos!

I live in Northern California, so it is spring here. We had a beautiful day yesterday, so I took all of my houseplants outside for some fresh air. Then I thought, why not re-pot them with fresh soil? I just thought this might be something worth mentioning to your readers.

Thanks so much for all of your good work!

Gratefully yours, Marguerite Bryant

... and a big Thank You to YOU Marguerite for your most excellent suggestion.

Happy Mother's Day!

Just wanted to take a moment to wish all of the moms reading my blog a very happy Mother's Day.

My husband and daughter took me out to Mother's Day dinner on Saturday night, to beat the Mother's Day crowds on Sunday. It was a lovely dinner at The Golden Mast Restaurant. Our table was right by the window and we enjoyed each other and the beautiful view of Okauchee Lake.

Before we started eating, I managed to get the hiccups. My 4-year old daughter, Amanda, promptly said, "Mama, just hold your breath for 10 MINUTES!" The fact that she chose 10 minutes, instead of 10 seconds, just cracked me up--and reminded me of how thrilled I am to be her mother.

Have a super day!

Children Don't Hear Fire Alarms

This is an alarming news clip, but definitely something I felt was worth sharing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XKedodF2pk

Latest Read: Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas

I just finished reading James Paterson's book, Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas. In a nutshell, without telling you the entire story, Katie's boyfriend unexpectedly dumps her. He leaves behind a diary written by his former wife, Suzanne, for their son Nicholas. Katie proceeds to read the diary, along with its loving and painful details.

If you're looking for a quick beach read, this book would do the trick. I managed to read it in only 3 fairly short sittings.

On a scale of 1 to 5 (one being low, 5 being high), I rated this book a 3. The other book club members gave it an average rating of 3.5.

The reason I didn't score it higher, was because it was very predictable for me--I usually like more of a surprise ending. Plus, the Suzanne character in this book made some decisions that I just could not relate to.

However, if you're looking for another story about how precious life is, this one fits that bill. Warning: grab a box of tissues before reading!

It's worth it to ask

Thanks so much to all of you who have graciously offered suggestions and ideas on hotels and activities for my upcoming Philadelphia family trip. Your input has been so helpful.

Speaking of input, wow, the Internet has done wonders for being able to get honest-to-goodness, real-life information.

As a consumer, I always want to make the right choice-- especially when it comes to big purchases.

For instance, I want this trip that we're taking to Philadelphia to be a pleasant one. Who better to ask advice, than those who live in Philly or who have vacationed in Philly?

We're currently in the market for buying a new camera. My husband, Joe, has been diligently researching high speed cameras that have the ability to take great shots, even in low light. While we can learn about the features from the camera companies, who better to ask advice than people who have purchased the cameras we're looking into buying?

What so many of us are always looking for is 'information.'

Yes, there is lots of information to sift through on the Internet, but I feel that since it's come along, with diligent research, we've been able to come up with good answers for many of our purchases.

It's worth it to ask around, rather than just taking your chances.

Buckle Up - It's So Important

When driving near home last week, a young man swerved to avoid hitting a flock of turkeys. Unfortunately, another car coming from the opposite direction did the same thing. Both cars hit head on.

The young man was not wearing his seatbelt and his airbag did not deploy. He was killed instantly. He was only 32, and he was the brother of a dear friend of mine. I attended his wake this past Saturday. What a tragedy for him and his family members and friends.

The passengers in the other vehicle were unhurt. They were wearing their seatbelts.

Accidents happen in the blink of an eye. They often happen close to home. Some people think to themselves, 'I'm only going out for a short drive. I'll be fine.' This can be deadly thinking.

I'm using my blog this week as a reminder of the importance of seatbelt use. It's likely you're already wearing your seatbelt in the vehicles you drive or ride in. If you aren't, please reconsider. In addition, please urge your family members and friends to buckle up.

If you can save just one life with this recommendation, it will be well worth your efforts.

TV TurnOff Week

This week, April 21st through April 27th, is TV Turn Off Week. Did you know that the average American watches 1,672 hours of television each year? That's nearly 5 hours of television each day!

Why not try turning off the television this week, and using that time to exercise, spend quality time with family members, work on your hobby, walk around town or anything that does not involve the tube?

Just can't bear the thought of not watching TV each day? At minimum, try to cut viewing down to an hour or less at least 5 days each week.

Don't want to use this particular week as TV Turnoff Week? That's OK too. Designate any week(s) or days of the year to do so.

You'll be amazed at how much extra time you'll have for other things!

Send Them An E-Vite

One free web service I've been using and enjoying for the past few months is evite. If you regularly host parties and you're not familiar with this service, I recommend you try it out.

In a nutshell, it works like a personal party planner, without the cost of printing or mailing invitations through the regular postal service. It allows you to work out your party specifics, invite guests who receive your email invitation, organize who is bringing what--just to name a few of the many features. It even helps you send eCard thank you notes after the event.

You are able to choose from tons of very nice looking pre-made invitations. For example, I recently hosted a book chat at my house, and was able to find an invitation specifically for that theme!

Guests simply respond online and their RSVP and message are posted.

One of the features I really like is you know what guests are bringing if you're having a potluck, which helps guests avoid coming with duplicate treats. Everyone who is invited gets to see who's coming, who's not, what they're bringing and other information you ask for. Therefore, everyone is informed.

I'm not in any way affiliated with this service. I've just found it useful and I'm sharing with you. I think it's a super FREE organizing tool!

Advice on Philadelphia Hotels?

I'm planning a trip with my family to NJ this spring, and will be making a 3-day trip-within-a-trip to Philadelphia, PA. If you live in Philadelphia, or are very familiar with Philly, I would love your advice.

We plan to do all the tourist things -- Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross House, etc. -- and would like to stay at a hotel right in the middle of the action (so to speak) or as nearby as possible.

What hotel(s) would you recommend? We prefer a name brand hotel, such as a Loews, a Hyatt, a Marriott, etc. We're looking for a 3 to 4 star hotel in a safe area.

If you can offer any advice, I would greatly appreciate it!

Would You Like Paper or Plastic?

I recently was at a wonderful Go Green! seminar put on by my good friend Robin who is a Shaklee representative. She shared tons of great tips to help all in attendance make the world a more environmentally safe place to live.

One (out of many) interesting and disturbing fact she shared was that the plastic bags many of us use to carry home our groceries from the supermarket, get buried in landfills and may take up to 1,000 years to break down! As they are in the process of slowly breaking down, they separate into small toxic particles that contaminate our soil and water. In addition, plastic bags, like all plastic products, are made from petroleum. Americans use over 380 billion bags every year, throwing away millions of barrels of oil.

Even more disturbing was the fact that using paper bags isn't much better. Once used, paper bags are unlikely to be re-used as they tear easily. Plus, more than 85% of paper bags end up in landfills, where they often do not biodegrade due to lack of oxygen.

What is the better solution? Reusable, eco-friendly canvas tote bags. Many supermarkets carry these for purchase. Pick N' Save where I live sold me 6 for $1.50 each. Another benefit is that these hold twice as many groceries as the plastic bag alternative, and they have handles for ease of carrying. Be sure, when you get yours, that they're wide enough to carry a gallon of milk easily.

One challenge, when switching to reusable bags, is remembering to bring the tote bags into the supermarket with you. I keep mine in my car to ensure they're always with me. I tie a green ribbon around my purse strap the day I put my grocery list in my purse. Most of the time, this helps me remember to bring the bags in the store with me. My 4-year old daughter is also great at reminding! Like anything else, it's a habit you'll get used to after shopping with reusable bags for awhile.

Next time the supermarket cashier asks 'Paper or plastic?', please respond with 'Neither. I have my own thanks!' You'll be doing yourself, your family and friends and your planet a favor!