Did You Know About Sobriety High Schools?

Did you know about sobriety high schools?

I just heard about these "recovery" high schools today, though the first one began in 1989. These sobriety, sober, or recovery schools help teens who have been addicted to drugs and/or alcohol and have completed rehab treatment. The schools are a safe environment for these teens to go to finish their academic career without having to get caught up in the same environment where they got into trouble in the first place. There are not many recovery schools in the nation, but the ones in operation are seeing benefits and good results for the students. There are also a few colleges which implement recovery programs as well.

Did You Know About the Poetry Coach Online?

Did you know about the Poetry Coach online?

I had never been very good at poems. Either at reading them or writing them. But as I began blogging, some of my online writing experiences did include some forms of poetry. Once I even tried to submit a couple of poems to be published. I got some good advice but neither were ever accepted. I could have used some advice from the Poetry Coach!

The Poetry Coach has a great looking website that will allow the aspiring poet to gain the added insight to getting his/her work(s) published. The Poetry Coach has lots of experience in writing, reading, and teaching. This looks like the perfect place to get that extra punch! And just maybe you too will find yourself a published poet!

Did You Know About the Sarcmark?

Did you know about the sarcmark?

Have you heard about the newest punctuation mark? It's called the "sarcmark" and helps to identify when you are being sarcastic. This is especially helpful when communicating through electronic devices. The mark looks like a spiral with a dot in the center. Kind of hard to explain but you can Google it to find an image. I don't know if the trend will catch on or not. But I am sure we'll start seeing the sarcmark appear in our electronic communications before too long!

Did You Know About Top Ten Lists?

Did you know about Top Ten Lists?

January seems to be the time for Top Ten Lists of every sort. I like top ten lists. For the most part you can find the favorite, most popular of anything in any category. Whether you want to find the top ten movies, the top ten books, the top ten best treatment for acne, the top ten baby names or anything else you can think of, I'd guess it's somewhere on the web!

Did You Know An Easy Way to Donate for Relief in Haiti?

Did you know an easy way to donate for relief in Haiti?

Many people all over the nation are eager to help provide relief for disaster victims in Haiti. Of course folks want to help through agencies who have a record of doing their jobs and providing the most relief possible. Our church is donating through Healing Hands International. This faith-based, non-profit organization has been around since 1991 providing relief internationally. I like that 91% of funds goes directly to those in need. They also offer the option to donate online using PayPal. If you have been looking for a way to donate, check their site and see if this if the right place for you.

Did You Know You Need to Replenish Muscles when in Training?

Did you know you need to replenish muscles when in training?

My husband and his friend have always said it's not just about eating right but also about when you eat. Particularly when in training and wearing your muscles out. Of course it's important to keep the body hydrated before, during and after workouts. But it's also important to keep them pumped with nutrition. There are lots of easy ways to do this. The right kind of shakes can be consumed both before and after workouts. Some folks like the www.noxplode.org supplement before a workout. There are shakes, gels, and blocks you can eat during workouts, depending on how long you are active. My favorite during a workout is HEED. After working out it is vital to replenish your body with the proper nutrition. Using recovery drinks like Recoverite or even chocolate milk are favorites with athletes.

Did You Know About Acronyms to Help in Getting Well?

Did you know acronyms to help in getting well?

My husband was telling his mom about how to get over his shin splints-RICE. This is an acronym used a lot in getting over sports injuries. It stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Then his mom shared one with us. It is to help remember what to feed a kid who's had vomiting and diarrhea. Her acronym is BRAT. Not that the kid is being a brat by being sick! It stood for bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. I've always thought acronyms are a great way to remember things!

Did You Know About Hair Loss Treatments?

Did you know about hair loss treatments?

i have seen the commercials for hair loss clubs. I have heard about implants. I have even heard about using olive oil in place of shampoo. But I did not know until today that testosterone cream has also been used a hair loss treatment. I'm guessing there are a lot of guys out there willing to give it a try.

Did You Know the Kids Already Have another Holiday?

Did you know the kids in public school already have another holiday?

I really think the school calendar is crazy! Kids were out for Christmas break (2 weeks) and then went back for a review week then exam week, which is a shortened day for high schoolers (if they have transportation.) Younger kids were let out early on Friday and tomorrow is a school holiday. Then next week high school has late arrival. February brings no holidays or late arrivals. Then March has a late arrival, spring break (one week) and a teacher inservice. April has Good Friday off. May has Memorial Day off, before they go back for 4 1/2 days! AAAGGHH! It really is all crazy to me!

Did You Know I Feel Like I am Falling Apart?

Did you know I feel like I am falling apart?

I have always like to exercise. And as I've trained for triathlons and a half marathon, I have put lots of stress on my aging body! I have long suffered from knee pain and found no real joint pain relief aside from wearing a knee brace when doing any running and some cycling. I have suffered foot injuries, with this go round being the longest and most dejecting (here's to hoping my orthotics come in SOON!) And with this bout of stomach bug, I have hit the wall so to speak. It is so dejecting to think that I am not getting stronger with all my exercise, but just wearing myself out! After spending the last two days in bed, I am glad that I got in a good workout today. Hopefully, my body can recover and move on to getting stronger now!

Did You Know How to Make Rice Porridge?

Did you know how to make rice porridge?

After being sick earlier this week, I still have not regained an appetite. But after being in bed for two days I was ready to try to work out this morning. Which meant I really need to eat today. My mom tried suggesting a couple of things and then reminded me about rice porridge. That sounded good. So I called my friend who grew up in Singapore. She told me basically add lots of water and keep stirring the rice.

I used chicken broth to start. I added 1 scoop of rice and 2 1/2 scoops of broth. After about 10 or 15 minutes I could see this would not be enough liquid. So I just began added more broth or water as it cooked away. My friend told me to add some carrots, which I did along with a bit of spinach. I still was not up to adding chicken, which would be good too. The porridge was ready in about 40-45 minutes. Now I am ready to eat!

Did You Know We Tried to Get in an Academy Commercial?

Did you know we tried to get in an Academy commercial?

Even though they were looking for people who look "fit to extremely fit" I still fit inside their range and so did the kids. The best part was the pay. We went ahead and submitted our photos, knowing we likely would not get chosen. I figured I am too heavy and my son said he has too much acne. (Guess we should read the latest acne treatment reviews!) At any rate, it didn't hurt to submit. At this point, we are pretty sure we didn't get chosen, but it was worth the effort to send in the photos anyway!

Did You Know About the Book I've Been Keeping for 17 Years?

Did you know about the book I've been keeping for 17 years?

I started writing in a journal seventeen years ago, just before my son was born. I have been writing notes to him ever since. Glancing back through it, I see the first year I wrote every month. The second year every few months. It has gotten now that I write in it only on his birthday, unless there has been something "big" to write about. I reminded him about the book yesterday. I've never been able to decide just when to give it to him. I asked him when he'd like to get it, on his 18th birthday or his high school graduation. He wasn't sure, but thinks on his 18th birthday. As I was writing in it this time, I thought perhaps I should have let him read parts of it each year on his birthday. At any rate, I've got a small treasure trove of snapshots of his life to share with him. I have been keeping one for my daughter too. I hope it will be a way for them to glimpse some of the thoughts and feelings I've had throughout their lives.

Did You Know We Need the Cheapest Insurance We Can Find?

Did you know we need the cheapest insurance we can find ?

A friend of ours has a daughter a month older than our son. Our friendship goes way back, so when their daughter started driving, they warned us how much insurance would be, and reminded us it would be about double for a boy! Of course, the more our son drives, the more we see the reason for that! He is not a terrible driver, but is pretty much the average boy looking for excitement, adventure and fun. And sometimes that leads to things we-he-would rather not pay for. He has already learned one lesson. And came home from school the other day asking if we would be mad if....

Turns out a friend of his ran over to my son's car and jumped in while waiting to leave the parking lot. (The busses all get to leave first, so all drivers are just hanging out or lined up waiting to get out of parking lot-yes, there is only one way in and one way out of this high school of 2000+ students!) So the kid runs over and jumps in, then they begin to horse around, yelling at friends, throwing stuff at other kids. The other boy is leaning waaay out the window during all these escapades. So my son gets in trouble with the school cop. Anyway, he is being "watched" and if things don't improve, he will get a ticket.

Suffice it to say, anyone who is letting their teenage son drive needs to find the cheapest car insurance they can!!

Did You Know How to get A Data Transfer for Every Account?

Did you know how to get a data transfer for every account?

My husband noticed that not all our information had been transferred over onto our new computer. I asked today about that. Come to find out, if you have different accounts on your computer, you must ask to have each one transferred over, as that is not automatically done. We did not know to ask this nor were we told about it. So not all our info got transferred. Instead of taking the computers back in for another three days, we were told it would be easier to just transfer the info ourselves using a flash drive.

Did You Know About Free Apple Workshops?

Did you know about free Apple workshops?

I have found in addition to the One to One classes I can take at the Apple store, they also offer free workshops nearly everyday. Log on to your local Apple store to see what is offered in your area. Locally for me, there are workshops for those thinking about buying a Mac, classes for the beginning Mac user, ones to learn to use iMovie and iPhoto, using Snow Leopard, using Keynotes and others. These are offered in the store and do require reservations. They are classes with just a few people (we had two others besides us) and best of all, they are FREE!

Did You Know How Mac Users Can Use Paypal Plug In to Generate Secure Card?

Did you know how Mac Users can use Paypal PlugIn to generate secure card?

After getting my new Mac I wanted to install the Paypal PlugIn so I can use my Paypal account to pay anywhere online. So I just went in and started downloading the function. When I couldn't find it, I started looking around at info a little more and found that Mac users cannot install the plugin right to the toolbar. I found a couple places that stated Mac users can still use Paypal to generate a secure card and copy and paste the info into the payment field. It's not so hard to do. Here is what I did:

Log in to your Paypal account. This should take you to "your account" page. On the right look for the Paypal Plugin link. Click on it. This should take you to the Plugin page. Look on the left for the "secure cards" link. Click the link. This will take you to a page that will allow you to generate a secure card. Click the "generate a new card" button. This brings up a window allowing you to choose a single use or multiple use card. Make your choice and your new card will be generated. Then you can copy and paste the proper info to put into the payment fields at the site from which you are purchasing.

A few more steps, but at least I know I can still use my Paypal account to pay for online purchases!

Did You Know After Christmas is a Good Time to Clean?

Did you know after Christmas is a good time to clean?

Everyone says spring is the best time to clean but for us, we did some good cleaning after Christmas. Even my husband got in on the act! He is really a better cleaner than I am, when he gets motivated. And we did clean out. The garage got an overhaul, furniture got moved and somewhat shifted a bit. Now mind you, this is not modern furniture, but just above newlyweds furniture. It's pretty heavy but my daughter and I were able to move the couch and do some serious sweeping and vacuuming! Even though we have a fake Christmas tree, it's older than my son, and lost quite a few needles this year. I guess that just adds to the illusion of a real tree! Even our old school room got some of my husband's attention. After all is said and done, we still have too much stuff, but for the most part, it's all a bit cleaner now!

Did You Know My Daughter's School Won't Function on a Mac?

Did you know my daughter's school won't function on a Mac?

I finally got my Mac back. I was trying to catch up on the items I needed to log in for my daughter's virtual school. I can't even log in to it from here! Her online school is not configured to run on a Mac computer! I guess it's a good thing we are also using a loaner from the school!