HELP - UPDATE

****UPDATE****

OMG chloesmama, you are AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot believe I might actually find this book. You have NO IDEA how EXCITED I am. I'll try to hit Borders this weekend and pick up these books!!! I REALLY, REALLY appreciated you finding this for me. You can't believe how happy I am right now!! (I'm pretty sure it's the five brothers book) YEAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*******

Okay, I need your help finding a childrens book. (this is a wierd one) When I was young, maybe 4th or 5th grade, we read a book in class. I fell in LOVE with it. I don't know the title or the author...but I've been casually looking for it for some 20+ years. Maybe someone out there know the book I'm talking about????

Okay, so it has an Asian flare with pagodas and stuff and a young boy and his grandfather. The jist was how the young boy wished the sea away and what was left was all the riches it left.

It was soooo long ago and I might have some facts mixed up. The part of the sea going away and the riches left behind are the premise.

Can anyone help or know of a resource that might be able to help me? Thanks. : )

Laptop Travel Tips

"With the holidays right around the corner, many of us will be packing our bags and bon voyaging to visit friends and family. If you are planning on packing your laptop, there are some precautions you should take to make sure your laptop is in tip top shape when it arrives at your destination.

Be sure to carry your laptop in a bag designed for laptop computers. If you accidentally drop your laptop while it is in a good carrying case, you have a good chance that it will not be damaged. Most laptop bags have extra padding for added protection.

Sometimes hotel rooms have devices like alarm clocks, hair driers and televisions containing magnets that can damage your data. Do not store memory sticks or zip disks near these devices for extended periods.

For more tips, just

Keep those holiday cocktails away from your laptop and try to avoid using small base glasses as they can easily tip over. Spilling liquid into a laptop can ruin it.

Avoid checking your laptop as luggage on an airline, bus, etc. Always carry-on your laptop to avoid damage and theft. Keep your laptop in hand at all times when in public areas. Be extra careful in busy locations like airports, where many laptop computers are stolen.

X-ray machines at the airports will not damage your computer or your media and files. However, many people have had their computers stolen as it comes out of the conveyer belt. Be sure not to leave your computer unattended.

Make sure you know the power type and the plug type requirements for the country you are traveling to. You will need to get the necessary adapters if you are going to be using your computer while plugged into a power source (other than battery power). "

This article found here.

Grilled Asian Orange Chicken

Ingredients:
Crisco® No-Stick Cooking Spray
2 tablespoons Crisco® Pure Canola Oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup Smucker's® Sweet Orange Low Sugar Marmalade



Directions:

Remove the cooking rack and heat grill to medium high. Spray the cooking rack with Crisco Cooking Spray; replace on grill.
Combine Crisco Pure Canola Oil, soy sauce, lime juice, and ginger in a bowl and mix well.
Add chicken; marinate 30 minutes. While chicken is marinating, melt Smucker’s Orange Marmalade in microwave at 50% power.
Place the chicken breasts on prepared grill; brush with half the melted Smucker’s Orange Marmalade. Cook about 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and brush with the remaining marmalade; cook another 5 to 6 minutes until done.
Yield: 4 servings

Grab & Dry Gloves

Regular kitchen towels tend to twist, slip and wrap around objects, making the job of drying or polishing cumbersome. Grab & Dry is an ingeniously designed pair of highly absorbent gloves that allows you to safely and securely dry fragile dishes quickly and easily without dropping them. With Grab & Dry, both hands are covered, so handling is easier and no fingerprints are left on glasses and dishes. The outer layer is made from a special type of highly absorbent terrycloth and can dry up to 100 items in one cleaning session, while the silky soft inner lining is waterproof so your hands stay dry.

Each glove can be worn on either the right or the left hand, so you can flip them over when one side gets wet. Great for drying delicate items like wine glasses, Grandma's China or heavy vases; polishing; and even car detailing!

• Made of 100% cotton
• Machine-washable
• One size fits all

Available in white with red trim.

$14.95 find them here.

"Gotcha" ???

***update***

I just want to clarify my stand a bit more. I don't hate "gotcha" and I was fine with it during most of the wait. After all, it's just a word and it's the intent that counts. I feel you/family/friends can say anything as long as the intent is good. However, a small part of me always did feel that Gotcha was the same as snatched. It wasn't until I started reading adoptees thoughts on the word. It's their voice that is making me rethink this. I'm an adult and I find this topic easy to process. On the flip side, our children aren't coming from our point of view, they are coming from theirs...the only one they know. I'm trying really hard to understand their point of view and help them in anyway I can. :)

I've been thinking about the term Gotcha Lately. For those of you in the IA world, I'm curious to your thoughts. Personally, I'm not into the term and I'm looking for an alternative. I do admit that when I am speaking with an IA parent, I use it because it's such a quick reference but like I said, I'm looking for an alternative term.

I read an article today and here is a little piece that I wanted to share. (Get Rid of "Gotcha" by Karen Moline)

It didn't surprise me to find that adoptees have a slightly different feeling about all these gushing gotchas. Eight-year-old Becca Lampman, who was adopted from China, said, "It sounds weird to say that—call it ‘Adoption Day' instead." Her 17-year-old sister, Elena, adopted from Romania, agreed: "I wouldn't like hearing ‘Gotcha Day' used in my family. To me, it sounds like someone snatched you away from your birth family, or almost like you are a prize that was won...it has a gloating, ha-ha tone to it."

"We celebrate my Adoption Day, and I like that," she added. "Being adopted is worth celebrating, and ‘Adoption Day' is respectful sounding."

Adult adoptee Hanna Sofia Jung Johansson pointedly asked, "What is being celebrated [on Gotcha Day]? Parenthood and the new family, I guess. But do adoptive parents acknowledge their child's losses at the same time? ‘Gotcha' for parents means ‘lost-ya' for children who have been separated from familiar faces, smells, and surroundings."

As of now, I think I want to call that day "Mommy Daughter" day. Obviously this wouldn't work if there was a daddy involved. Since there is not, this is what I would like to use. I also don't see this day as a great loss of my child's biological parents, rather a loss of and orphanage, caretakers, and a country...familiarity. Let me explain. Her GREATEST loss of her biological parents happened before she entered the orphanage, not on "gotcha". Not to discount what she looses on "gotcha" but they are not as grand and her first loss. I do believe that my MD Day will be joyous day in spirit... a day where a motherless daughter finally gets a mother that will spend her days loving and taking care of her daughter and vice versa. I have hopes that every year on that very day we'll play hooky and do something fun. (at least until she get's older and starts the eye rolling) That's my hope anyway....

So, what do you think of "Gotcha Day"? Will you use this term or another? If so, what are you using?

What would you think if you went to grab a beer in your friends garage fridge and saw this??? Which leads to the question...

How well do YOU know your friends???

LOL!!!

Her husband is a hunter and this is just one of those things that goes with the territory! I told her I was going to take a photo and blog it...much to her horror!!!

She doesn't ever read my blog though and it's not like I'll put her name out there!!!

Okay, so here is the story. I'm on the phone with one of my best friends and she's running around doing housework that day and just happens to be on the phone with me while she's stocking her garage fridge. All of us sudden, she's like, "oh crap!" and is laughing. She's like laughing at the fact that her husband has this in the refridge and if anyone saw it they wouldn't know what to make of them. LOL. My guess is they've always had wierd stuff like this. They just recently moved into their new home that only has one extra garage fridge instead of two. Their last house had two and one was just for her husbands hunting paraphernalia and meat. You know, all the kind from hunting deer, ducks and fish.

Anyway, until that 2nd fridge appears, I'm sure I will continue to find interesting stuff next to the beer!!!

Charice

OMG, have you heard this girl sing!! She's incredible.

Children's Day

Just read an article online and here are some snipits I wanted to share.

“With both parents working long hours, preparing balanced meals at home becomes difficult. So salty snacks and fizzy drinks have become the main meal of cranky, pampered kids. This is fomenting a health crisis in Japan, the home of sushi, seaweed and world's longest life expectancy. The US food chains are helping it to rear a generation of young sugar addicts spending their adolescence fighting obesity and acne. India unwittingly boasts of being the largest snack market in the Asia Pacific region. Emotional stress is linked with junk food faddism. Only if could make our kids skip the fries and go hard on soft drinks. Housewives could take this as a business opportunity to supply tasty wholesome homemade food to working parents and school canteens.”

“Only if we would not treat our kids as our prized possessions whose achievements alone are to be showcased as trophies. They need our love and assurance the most when they deserve it the least. Let them know that failures are as much part of growing up as success. Let us consciously try to remove the imbalance of power (still prevalent in most Indian homes) which makes the sons believe that they can get away with everything. Let us give them a sense of belonging and not expensive gifts. Let us respect the law and not indulge in a sick display of opulence. “

“We may have our own dreams about our children but as they grow older we need to respect (rather than kill) their interests and choices in life”

“On this coming Children's Day let us try to gift our children their 'Age of Innocence' sans junk food, TV/internet abuse, conspicuous consumption, sedentary lifestyle and an insensitive couldn't-care-less attitude. Let us guide them lovingly yet firmly on their path of self discovery.”

Emergency Smartpack

American Red Cross Emergency Smart Pack
Modular System for Basic Preparedness

This 65-piece Emergency SmartPack Modular System for Basic Preparedness comes in a backpack and features five individual modules filled with supplies to improve disaster safety and preparedness.

It's totally cool. I'm going to add a few things to it, like a second rain poncho and emergency blanket. I'm going to keep it under my front seat! I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff! You should see the Emergency Bags I made after 9-11. I still have them in my shed in case of an emergency. I know, I'm nuts.

Tag Album

I happened to find a gem of a project on Dare to Scrap, who found the idea on Rikki's Blog! OMG, is it not the cutest thing you've ever seen! I'm just amazed. I'm going to make one for Giorgia!!!

Clutter-Free Giving

I found this great post...

Clutter-Free Giving
By Carmen Coker

"Clutter-free Giving is the act of giving someone a present that will not, in turn, clutter their home, office, or life! It is a reciprocal philosophy; it applies not only to the act of giving gifts to others but also to listing presents that you would like to receive.

If you are really creative, it's not too hard to come up with a gift idea that will enrich someone's life without causing physical clutter. Here are some options for Clutter-free Giving to get you started…

One last note - contrary to popular belief, gift cards to department stores do not count as Clutter-free Giving! While the card itself may be small and un-clutter-like, the person will use the card to buy something for themselves, for their home, or for their office - and that something will eventually turn into clutter!”

Please read her post for the entire content here.

Some of the gifts that I like are…

Netflix Subscription http://www.netflix.com/.
Lawn Mowing Services
Car Wash and/or Detail
Grocery Store Gift Card
Gas Gift Card
Spa Treatments
Flowers
Babysitting
Restaurant Gift Certificate
Savings Bonds
Online Magazine Subscription
Event Tickets (Theater, Concert, Movie, Sports)
Gym Membership
iTunes Gift Card
Classes (Self-defense, Singing, Language)

I would like to add...
Costco Gift Card for printing of digital photos
Gift Certificate for fun classes/lessons for a child (anything)
Yearly Passes/One Visit pass to Zoo
Pool membership
Cruise (yeah, like that'll happen! LOL hey, it's clutter free)

LOTS of MOVIE PASSES!

Gift certificate for one of those Super Meals places.

"Set limits on the gifts for kids. It’s so tempting to give your kids lots of gifts. But when you do, you are actually teaching them to expect that every year. The best gift you can give your kids is to teach them that the true meaning of the holidays is to give of yourself to others, be with people you love. It’s not supposed to be about how many gifts you get.

2. One of the biggest sources of holiday stress is overspending. Make a list of everyone you want to give a gift to and set a budget that allows you to celebrate the holidays without creating a financial hardship.

3. Create your gift list based on what you know people really need and use. If you aren’t sure, find out their favorite stores, restaurants, activities or service providers and give them a gift certificate. Even better, give a clutter-free gift of an experience or something consumable like food or ink for their printer! Do a Google search on "clutter-free holiday gift ideas" for lots more ideas." (from here.)

Please post if you have a great idea for a clutter free gift!!!

Door Organizer

I WANT!!!

"I start every morning out with a mad search for my car keys. It doesn't matter where I put them the night before by the time I get up in the morning they have myseriously disappeared.

The Doorganizer from See Jane Work is just the ticket. Just put everything right on the door the night before with your keys, checkbook, and to-do list to save yourself a few precious minutes in the morning.

Made from sturdy canvas and available in black, pink, red, and camel. Price: $15.00"

FOUND THIS AT http://thechicmom.blogspot.com/

Travel Tips to Beijing

I stumbled across this article while surfing by Arun Gupta. Read the entire article here , there are photos.

"Shopping is a LOT of fun in Beijing. There is a great variety of clothes, toys, gadgets, etc. at local shops. And no shopping is complete without bargaining and that too HARD bargaining. For example when shopping at touristy places, such as street-side shops near Great Wall, bargain HARD. The rule that I followed was to quote the price to 10% of the original. Here are some examples:

Tee-shirts quoted 1 for 130, paid RMB 3 for 50 RMB
Cashmere Scarf (can't be original ;) quoted 1 for 160 RMB, paid 5 for 80 RMB
Great Wall Memento quoted 350 RMB, paid 20 RMB
Refrigerator Magnet quoted 20 RMB, paid 5 RMB

Generally the shopkeepers will give a counter offer but be straight-faced and maintain your price. To keep it easy, just stick to your price and pretend walk away. In all the cases, I was approached with my quoted price :) "