Nate and our Frigidaire Refrigerator

In June, we received a beautiful, stainless steel, Frigidaire refrigerator and I was officially a Frigidaire Test Drive Mom!  It's been great fun this summer sharing my thoughts and information about our refrigerator with my readers. I've showed you pictures of the fridge -- but today I bring you a video!  My sweet son, Nate, helped me out with the video and I think he did a great job sharing our favorite feature (the ice and water in the door!)






Don't you wish he could come over and clean the front of your refrigerator?

Pledge Your Time with Frigidaire

I've been thrilled to be a Test Drive Mom for Frigidaire these past few months (watch the blog for a video soon of my new fridge!), and I'm excited to announce that Frigidaire teamed up with Jennifer Garner for the Save the Children campaign.  Visit the site, pledge to make time for a child, and enter for a chance to win a new double wall oven.

For every pledge made, Frigidaire will donate $1 towards the $250,000 they have pledge to Save The Children.  I made my pledge today -- how about you?

Money Saving Monday #26 - Free Events

Outings as a family of five can be tough on a budget.  I try to keep costs under control by watching for free event.  This past Saturday, the Smithsonian magazine sponsored free museum admission for museums around the country.  This is a great way to visit a museum, but there's a chance that it might be extra-crowded since it is a free event.

Our county started a program last spring where library-card holders could receive a 4-person pass for a local museum. During the summer, those passes were hard to come by, but now that school is back in session, I've been able to grab two in the last couple months.

We headed over to the Heard Museum a few months ago, and the Arizona Science Center yesterday.  The number of passes is limited, and each one is good for just 7 days, so you have to plan carefully once you borrow a pass. I love this program, though, and will definitely continue to use it.  I hope that they extend the program beyond April!

Another thing to look for are free museums, or free places to visit. We had lived here for a few years before we discovered the Riparian Preserve.  During the cooler months, it's a great place to visit, spot local wildlife, and enjoy a wonderful walk.

We also enjoy geocaching -- which does require a GPS -- but once you have a GPS the cost is just gasoline for your car and maybe a few small trinkets.  My kids love the search for each cache, and it's a great way to be outdoors!


Getting out of the house doesn't have to mean spending lots of cash.  What resources do you use your area to save money while still visiting new places?

Lower Price on the Wii

Did you hear that Nintendo finally lowered the price on the Wii game system? We have so much fun with our Wii! We've had ours a few years now, and our entire family has had a great time playing a variety of games.

Right now, the boys love playing Mario Super Sluggers. I think it's partly because they've been playing fall baseball, and partly because it's a fun game that has them up, moving and breaking a sweat!

We know I was a EA Sports Active drop out, but I still think it's a good program and will probably get back to it someday. The fact I didn't stick with it has nothing to do with the quality of the game!

Oh! And Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2 with Dance Mat is a complete riot -- and I'm so glad that nobody other than my family watches my clumsy moves! That game is so much fun!

If you have been interested in a Wii but held back because of the price, these new savings may be the ticket to an amazingly fun Christmas present!

Tell Me Thursday - Family

Yesterday's Wordless Wednesday photo was of my sweet oldest child and my sweet youngest sibling. It was taken 2 years ago when we visited Wisconsin.  We took a trip to Wisconsin Dells while there, and my boys (sons, husband and brother) enjoyed a great time on the go-kart track.

We don't get to see my brother often enough, as he lives in Wisconsin, but he's always in our thoughts!

Did you play Wordless Wednesday? Be sure to tell your story through Tell Me Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday - Family

Wordless Wednesday is always followed up by Tell Me Thursday!  Come back tomorrow for the story behind this picture.

Emily's Potato Corn Cheddar Chowder

I realized I haven't posted any recipes in a long time! Lori, over at Book Lady Online, is looking for some new soup recipes, and I thought about this Potato Corn Chowder that my family likes. I first found the recipe on another blog (I thinks she has a friends-only blog these days), so I call it Emily's Potato Corn Chowder, since it is her recipe!

oil, butter or water for sauteing
1 large onion
red, yellow, and green peppers, chopped (frozen is fine)
1 cube bullion or canned soup stock (optional - use veggie stock to make it a vegetarian meal)
4 to 8 good size potatoes, diced
1 can (or small bag frozen) corn
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk (fat-free, soy, whatever)
1 8 oz package of cubed or shredded cheese
salt and pepper to taste
extra milk if you like a thinner chowder

In large soup pot, saute peppers and onions until soft in water or oil. Place potatoes in pot and cover with water one inch higher than potatoes. Add bullion if desired and boil potatoes for about 15 minutes (less for smaller pieces), until potatoes are soft enough to chew but not dissolving, and turn heat down low.

While potatoes are cooking, melt butter/margarine in separate small sauce pan and stir in flour, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth. Add milk and stir until mixture thickens (you're making a white sauce at this point.) Add cheese and stir until melted. Add undrained corn to soup pot (and a bit of water if using frozen corn), and heat through. Add cheese sauce to soup pot and stir thoroughly, adding milk if necessary to achieve desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with oyster crackers.

Feeds 4 - 5

Money Saving Monday #25 - Dual Uses

I never seem to use as much conditioner as I do shampoo, and I like to change shampoos every time we need a new bottle. While I could continue to use the conditioner with a new shampoo bottle, then they'd never match up and the scents would be off. (I thought I was crazy that this bugged me, until I read in Oprah recently about how it doesn't matter if you choose shampoo & conditioner from different lines, but if you do you might have a scent clash.)

In order to use up conditioner, I use it to shave my legs! Conditioner is a great substitute for shaving cream, and the entire bottle gets used up, no matter what I'm using on my head!  This tip goes right along with my tip from long ago about shaving daily.  I still do that, and it definitely still makes my life easier!

What products perform double duty for you? 

Review: Baby Einstein World Animal Adventure

As I've mentioned in the past, I'm a fan of the Baby Einstein digital board books (dvds).  I was happy ours would see more use when Lydia was born, and have been thrilled at the chance to review new ones as they've come out.  Mom Central and Baby Einstein sent me a copy of their latest dvd that's due out September 29, 2009.


When I opened the package and pulled out Baby Einstein: World Animal Adventure, Lydia immediately recognized the monkey on the cover and wanted to watch it.  We had to eat lunch first, but as soon as lunch was over, she had the wrapping off our new dvd!

This dvd (or digital board book) follows the same format as the ones before, but it's a great formula.  There are kids, there are puppets, there are moving toys -- and the best addition since Disney purchased the brand is the amazing videography.  This dvd is full of wild animals from all over the world. 


Lydia surprised me by recognizing a couple that I didn't realize she knew (like the kangaroo!) She loved guessing what animal would come next, and laughed at the puppet shows.  I wish they would have included the text for each animal, instead of only choosing a few animals to include text on the screen.  I also wish they would let the images linger just a bit longer -- as Lydia wanted to talk about the animals and got a bit frustrated when the tiger was gone and replaced by a fox.

I do like the fact that there is no plot to these dvds.  It's perfect for a toddler / preschooler as there is plenty to talk about and no worries about missing part of the plot.  The music is typical to the series, and not unpleasant to listen to.

After the first viewing, Lydia watched it again and went to find 2 of her Baby Einstein board books to look at while it played in the background.  She is very interested in animals at the moment -- especially wild ones so this came at a great time for her. I know she will enjoy it for quite a while yet! 


“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Baby Einstein and received a World Animal Adventure DVD to facilitate my candid review.”

Review: Internet & Families

When I saw that Catholic Parent Know How: Internet & Families was available for review from The Catholic Company, I wanted the chance to read it and see what information was being shared.  Kids and the Internet is a popular topic, and parents seem to be on every side of it -- those that refuse to let their children spend time at all on the Internet, those who let their children have free reign, and those who limit and monitor the use of the Internet by their children.  As an instructor who offers classes in Internet use, including social media and blogging, I receive many questions about what my thoughts are.  (My personal thoughts?  Kids should be allowed to use the Internet, under supervision by parents.  As they get older, they have more freedoms, but still use only with supervision.)

Many Catholic families I know struggle with how to approach their children and the wide myriad of social media available today.  Our local Catholic newspaper had an article in it by someone who compared social media to pornography!  Based on this, I was very interested to see what Our Sunday Visitor would have to say about Kids & the Internet.

This is another 8 page pamphlet, which states on the cover that it provides "Practical Pointers, Scriptures & More"  The pamphlet also included a page about the use of cell phones and children. Throughout the pamphlet, the advice was that parents should be aware and active of what is out there.  The pamphlet encouraged open communication  and provided tips about Internet safety.

I was happy to see that it never stated that the Internet should be avoided, and it talked about the many good things and positive interactions that can come from the Internet. That must be tempered with caution and prudence -- and while I would never encourage a parent to allow their teen unlimited and unmonitored access -- I do believe that they should be provided with the opportunity to explore and learn about the variety of information out there while still at home, under the added protection of their parents.

Personally, one of the first podcasts I ever listened to and downloaded to my iPod was that of Father Roderick, a wonderful priest from the Netherlands who embraces technology every step of the way (and is quite a gamer & sci-fi freak as well!)  In fact, he started SQPN, which is an entire company dedicated to Catholics in new media.  I've learned so much about our Catholic faith from him, and without the Internet I never would have known he existed!  I also have an app on my iPhone which helps me say the rosary!

I was also glad to read encouragement for parents to be involved in social media and new technology, so they can know what their teens are talking about.  In a number of social media classes I've taught, I have parents of teens who don't have a Facebook account, but their kids do.  I always tell them to go home and sign up and immediately "friend" their child.

Not much can be covered in 8 pages, but I felt it was a good introductory pamphlet to some of the new technologies that are available between cell phones and the Internet. I especially liked the prayer that graced the back cover:

Prayer to St. Isidore

Dear St. Isidore of Seville,

Guide us in our use of the Internet,

You were a poor student,

You gave this problem over to God

and became one of the most learned men of your time,

writing dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a history of the world.

O Servant of God, we are poor students:

while we celebrate the wealth of information we can find online,

keep us wary of the dangers that exist there, too.

Pray for us that we might seek wisdom, protectino,

and right judgment at the feet of Christ our Savio,

O Patron Saint of the Internet, pray for us!

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. In exchange for my honest review, I received a copy of this pamphlet. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Catholic Parent - Internet & Families-Pkg of 10.