Rock U Momma

Calling All Superheroes!!!!

2011-02-23T20:19:00.000-06:00

We are excited to be a part of an amazing event happening in Springfield, MO. Calling All Supeheroes will be taking place on March5, 2011at the O’Reilly Family Event Center on Drury University’s campus. Families will have the opportunity to visit with all kinds of local "superheroes"! They will learn about what kinds of characteristics a real superhero has, as well as how their own personality and talent make them a one of a kind superhero as well! Kids are encouraged to come to the event in their favorite superhero costume, or their own homemade cape.....how fun!! There will be lots of interactive displays as well as crafts, and Superhero inflatables,a parade of superheroes and of course 2 live Rock U Mentally Shows!!! All kids will go home with a Superhero Powerpack full of goodies!

This event benefits Community Partnership, a non profit organization, which focuses on creating relationships within a community to help facilitate positive change. They find new ways to use resources to help children and families, and address such important topics as abuse, reducing crime, creating activities to help children with brain development, as well as several other issues.
For more info check out this link: http://www.commpartnership.org/superheroes.php
We are so proud to have been asked to perform at this event!!!! We hope to see you there!!!

Help AJ and Fotsch WIN Dancing with the Stars!!!!

2011-02-02T21:35:00.000-06:00

I was given the opportunity to perform/compete in Dancing with the Stars of Branson! My "Star" partner is the wild and zany J.Fotsch from Springfield's Power 96.5 Morning Buzz! Needless to say it is going to be a huge amount of fun for us!!! The event is being held in Branson at the Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater, Feb. 16th at 7pm!! We hope you will come out and support us!!We will be competing against several other Branson celebrities and professionals, but the person we are most out to beat is of course my husband Bucky Heard!!! I just don't think it would be right if he beat me in a dancing competition!! (Sorry Honey!!!)So this is whee I need your help, the competition is decided by who can raise the most money for the Branson Arts Council and the Branson High School Project Graduation. The Branson Arts Council , which is responsible for many programs and activities that focus on the youth in our community including, art and cultural school programs, children's literature conference, art classes for the Home schooled children, pottery classes,and a Children's Theater Workshop. Not only do they promote these wonderful programs, they also support local artists by supplying gallery spaces,and promoting local concerts, art classes, festivals and exhibits as well as providing scholarships to support the study of arts and culture, and BHS Project Graduation is an all night lock in immediately following graduation each year. The purpose of this activity is to keep the students in a safe and fun atmosphere away from the temptation of drinking and driving to celebrate their graduation.Two great Causes!!! One great night!!!
Here are some of the ways that you can help!
GEN ADMISSION TICKETS - Minimum Donation $10 All tickets sold by Fotsch and I will count toward our vote tally!
VIP TICKETS - Minimum Donation $50
There will be a VIP Mixer the night of the show. It is on Feb 16th beginning at 5:30pm , in the VIP! upstairs section of the Dick Clark Theater. The food will be spectacular. The Catering Divas are preparing a "Red Carpet" worthy array of delectable delights presented with creative flair and gourmet flavor. There will be beverages and a cash bar as well. The Stars and Pros will mix with the VIPs for approximately 45 minutes before going backstage to prepare for the contest. This donation is tax deductible

For ANY donation of $100 or more, the donor will receive a FREE DVD of the entire Dancing with the Stars provided courtesy of The Vacation Channel

DANCING COUPLE SPONSOR - Sky is the Limit
Want your name or your company name to be named as our sponsor....announced in front of what could be a sold out ...captive, audience!! Just contact us to set it up! You can also pre-purchase admission tickets and then donate them back to the event. It is a common practice for fund raising. You will receive recognition for the donation as well as a, tax deductible, receipt for your kindness.

BUSINESS CARD SIZE AD IN THE PROGRAM - Minimum Donation $50

They will print 1000 programs for the event. The Business card ads will be presented as sponsors for the event. These can include printed messages of support for the couple being sponsored if they wish. This donation is tax deductible.

STUFF THE BALLOT BOX - At the event, there will be a "Ballot Box" faced with our photo. Stuff this box with dollars all the way up through the end of intermission. Once the second half of the show beings, the voting will officially close and the final tally will begin. The couple with the most votes will win the coveted 2011 Mirror Ball Trophy to keep. .

Alright there are all of the ways you can help us!!! If you want to buy tickets you can contact me at aj@rockumentally.com!
Thanks in advance for your support!!!

Holiday Hoopla

2010-12-07T23:14:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone! The Branson Arts Council and Rock U Mentally Entertainment have joined forces with GIFT OF HOPE to bring you Branson’s first annual “HOLIDAY HOOPLA” and “Warm Clothes Drive”! The fun will run from 9-11:30am, Saturday, December 18^th, at Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theatre, and will feature exciting festivities and entertainment for kids of ALL ages! Most importantly, it will give parents an opportunity to reinforce the importance of GIVING! This event is FREE to the public, however, GIFT OF HOPE, a wonderful charity that focuses on benefiting children and the families of those that find themselves in less than ideal circumstances (especially during the holidays), will be accepting donations of warm clothes (coats, scarves, hats, socks - all sizes needed!) that will go directly to children right here in Taney County. Here’s what’s on the agenda:

9-9:30am: Gather in the theatre lobby for face painting, balloon animals, close up magic, meet and greet with the cast and characters of, “Rock U Mentally“, and many other surprises!

9:30 - 10:00: We will move into the theatre for some great pre-show entertainment featuring some of our community’s finest performers!

10-11:30: “ROCK U MENTALLY, LIVE!” a wonderful musical adventure for kids of all ages, will hit the stage with an amazing show that features creatively designed skits, exciting original music, energizing choreography, “larger than life” costumed characters, colorful puppets, innovative music videos, two zany mad scientists, mind blowing magic and a powerful message.

Your family will have a very special time experiencing this wonderful holiday event together. Make plans to attend our “HOLIDAY HOOPLA”, and help make a difference in the lives of children this holiday season.

Halloween Costume Contest winners!!!!

2010-11-11T13:11:00.000-06:00

We are ecstatic to announce our 2nd Annual Rock U Mentally Costume Contest winners!!!!! It was great to see some families getting involved in creating an original costume! For these families, some great memories were made, while working on these costumes.
And so......drum roll please.........The winners are!!!

First Prize goes to: Sam Horton!!!! The Leprechaun!!! Sam told us all about how he and his family worked hard to find the clothing pieces at thrift stores and yard sales, and then they distressed them using a few different techniques, they "styled" the wig, and used some creative make up techniques to create the Scary Leprechaun!! Good Job Sam!!!

Second Prize goes to................Ty Bennett! Ty is 4 years old, and went as a train!!!! They made the costume from a card board box and duct tape. (one of our favorite things to use...duct tape that is!) The back has a smaller box for his candy and the smoke stake and face are made from a Folgers coffee can and a Quaker oats tub. Very creative!!! I'm sure he will remember this costume for years to come!!!

Third prize goes to the Horn Family!!! Jamison, Leah and Halle. The Cat in the Hat costume utilized some recycled items, such as the black clothing, and the Thing 1 and Thing 2 t-shirts were a gift that inspired Jamison to suggested that they use them for Halloween costumes. Some fun accessories were added and Voila!!! A Fantastic Family Costume!!! Great Job Horn Family!!!

Thank You to all of you that entered the contest!! We hope you enjoyed creating some fun family memories while you worked on your costumes!!! Can't wait to do it all again next year!!!

Election Day!!!

2010-11-02T09:53:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you don't want to hear any more about how important it is to vote! We have been hearing it for months on tv and you have probably been getting plenty of phone calls etc. The message is everywhere!! Still, it is important, and not only do we need to make sure that we vote, but teach our children about how necessary it is no matter what your political view is!! Take them with you if you can to see the process and explain it along the way. That may not be so easy if you have a young child, (like a crazy, never stops talking 4 year old), so talk about it with them at home!! I found some printables that you can give them to color while you tell them a bit about the process. They are never too young to hear about it! You don't need to drill political ideals into their heads, but at least explain the process!
Here are some links: .......Enjoy!!
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/election-day/printables/
Looked around a little more and PBSkids has a great interactive site!! Check this out!!!The democracy project!!
http://pbskids.org/democracy/
Here is another one with a lot of resources.
http://www.teacherplanet.com/resource/electionday.php

Great memories for Halloween!!!

2010-10-25T16:42:00.000-05:00

How different are your Halloween memories from those of your kids? I remember the focus was much the same, Candy!!!!! and Costume!! The procedure is still pretty much the same too. Wait until dark, go out in costume and yell Trick Or Treat at your neighbors doors, and get candy. Go home let parents check candy for bad things like razor blades, then eat as much candy as your parents would let you, and hide the leftovers from the rest of the family! There is one thing that seems to be different to me, and that's how you came up with your costume. Pardon the expression but "back in the day", if you wore a store bought costume you were probably wearing a pretty cheesy plastic mask with an elastic string around the back, and an even worse plastic dress like thing on which was printed the body of whatever character your were trying to be. Now when you walk into a store during this season there are costumes of every type complete with wigs, wings, accessories and of course full on fabric outfits that will survive much longer than just one night of candy grabbing. This is great stuff, but it has taken all of the fun out of putting a costume together! Whether you were crafty or not, you had to create the costume. Find stuff in your closets, get out the paint and cardboard boxes and make something up! Mom's clothes were always great princess dresses! True the costumes may not have been as elaborate, sparkly, or quite as close a match to the original character that they are intended to be, but it sure was a lot more fun using your imagination and a good bit cheaper!!!
That's why we started our costume contest! To try to encourage families to spend some time together creating their costumes!! You would be surprised what you can come up with once you start thinking about it!! It doesn't have to be anything over the top! It just gives you and your kids a certain amount of pride when you do it yourself!!! And you might create some new family memories!!
Here is the link to the info about our contest!! http://rockumomma.blogspot.com/2010/10/2nd-annual-halloween-costume-contest.html

2nd Annual Halloween Costume Contest!!!

2010-10-04T12:05:00.000-05:00

We are thrilled to announce our 2nd annual Halloween Costume Contest! We want to challenge everyone to make a costume this year instead of going out and buying a pre-made outfit!!Better yet maybe you could make it out of recycled materials!!! We encourage you to look around your house, or your neighbours, and find things that you could recycle into a costume! We used this concept to create some of the costumes from our show......like our Space Man costume or the yellow submarine and race car for our mascots! We used duct tape on some old suit jackets to make our "Bee" costumes, and towels for chaps for our Cowgirl. Check our website Rockumentally.com to see photos of all of the costumes.
First prize will be: a $50. Target gift card, a DVD of "Rock U Mentally Live", A Rock U Mentally CD and a Rock U Mentally T shirt!!!!
Second Prize will be: a" Rock U mentally Live"DVD, A Rock U Mentally CD and A T shirt
Third Prize will be: a "Rock U Mentally Live" DVD
All you have to do is email your photos of your costumes to info@rockumentally.com.
Contest deadline is Nov. 5th. Prizes will be awarded on Nov. 15th.
So start looking through your closets, your recycle bins, and maybe even the trash, and see what you can dream up..........or as we like to say it........"Imagine What You Can Do!!!!!!"

A Successful Weekend!!

2010-09-07T14:25:00.000-05:00

What a great weekend we had!! A great way to close our 2010 season!! We held 2 fundraisers for the Branson Arts Council, one Friday night which was an 80's Dance Party, featuring the band "Retro"! We had a contest for the best costume, and the biggest hair! Throughout the night we also held a number of live auctions!! So many local companies were extremely generous, and donated everything form hotel stays, restaurant gift certificates, rounds of golf, passes for attractions and assorted merchandise! The auctions were a huge success, well received by the crowd. Then on Saturday morning we held our final show of the season at the Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater, and we charged $5 ticket prices for everyone, with a portion of the proceeds going to the arts council. Both events were an enormous success and we managed to raise well over $1000.! These funds will be used to support the children's programs "Hands on Clay", as well as "The Educational Youth Symphony"!
We strongly believe in supporting the arts in the community, and especially through the children's programs! A lot of children don't have the opportunity to explore their creativity through the arts unless they can participate in programs like these! These types of programs are constantly being cut from the school's budgets, so the community is needed to jump in and do what they can to pick up the pieces!!
So Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to all that participated!! You are greatly appreciated!!

Fundraiser For the Branson Arts Council!!!

2010-08-30T16:48:00.000-05:00

Come and see the last Rock U Mentally show of the 2010 summer season, and support the Branson Arts Council!! We are proud to announce that, for every ticket sold $1 will be donated to the Branson Arts Council!! We have also arranged for a special ticket price for this event of only $5/person for everyone!!
The BAC is responsible for many programs and activities that focus on the youth in our community including, art and cultural school programs, children's literature conference, art classes for the Home schooled children, pottery classes,and a Childre's Theater Workshop. Not only do they promote these wonderful programs, they also support local artists by supplying gallery spaces,and promoting local concerts, art classes, festivals and exhibits as well as providing scholarships to support the study of arts and culture.
We feel that one of our mottos, "Imagine What You Can Do!" , which we use to encourage kids to let their creativity shine through, is a perfect example of what the BAC is striving to do in our community! So to help them continue on with their valuable programs come out and enjoy the show with the kids,watch them create some of their own artwork at the end of the show, and feel good about helping out our community!
For more info about the Branson Arts Council:
http://bransonartscouncil.com/
For more info about us:
http://rockumentally.com/
If you can't make it to the show, we are also having an event the night before at Club 57! It will be an 80's party featuring the band Retro!!! It will include a live auction and prizes awarded for best costume etc. We will post more info about this soon!! So even if you don't want to come to the kids show you can support the Arts Council by coming out to have some fun the night before!! There will be $3 cover at the door.
We hope to see you at one of these events!! It is a great way to help out the youth and the artists in the community!!

"Stimulate your Imagination; Rock U Mentalize your Education!"

Long Distance Birthdays!!!!

2010-07-03T16:46:00.000-05:00

We just finished a fun little project!! It seems that we are not very good at remembering birthdays especially in enough time to send gifts to far away places......which happens to us often! So we just had some fun that actually turned into a great little way to teach our daughter about geography and how the internet works!! I had Cydney make a birthday card for our niece Grace who is celebrating her 9th birthday in Germany! When she was done with the picture we scanned it and sent it in an email to her cousin!! Now she was able to spend a little time thinking and talking about her cousin who we don't get to see very often. Then she was amazed to see how her very own picture magically jumped onto the computer!! We got to talk about where Germany was and about where we lived, and even looked at a map to see how far away they are. Now our niece knows we were thinking about her today (Amazon email gift cards help too) and we had a fun time working on this little project, and actually learned something too!!!

Homemade Ice Cream!!!

2010-06-29T19:07:00.000-05:00

Ooh we had some fun last night making ice cream!! We had never tried it before and I found this easy way to do it on a website I get a newsletter from Kaboose.com (I highly recommend this website for great ideas for things to do with your kids!) It was also a great way to recycle some old coffee cans! I love that!! The other great thing is that the whole family can be involved at the same time!! The link to the recipe and instructions is below, but this is basically how it goes: You need 2 coffee cans 1 bigger and one smaller that will fit inside the big one with room to spare. Put the ingredients to make the ice cream inside the small can put on the lid and tape it down. Put that can inside the big can and surround it with ice and salt! Tape the lid onto that can and now all you have to do is kick it around!! After about 10 minutes you open it all up and stir it up, then reseal it and kick it again for another 10 minutes or so! Ours was still a little soft so we put it in the freezer for a little longer but it was excellent!! It was a lot of fun and we could make our own flavor. It was also nice to know what ingredients were being used so there weren't as many chemicals! Excellent treat and a good time was had by all!!! Give it a try! It's kind of addicting! Think we might try a different flavor tomorrow!!
http://crafts.kaboose.com/ice-cream-in-a-can-or-kick-the-can.html
PS ...Cydney wore socks on her hands to keep them from freezing!

Newest Cast Member!!!

2010-06-18T16:51:00.000-05:00

We have another new announcement for our summer season!!! First let me remind everyone that we are in fact returning to the Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater for the 2010 summer season!!! We open July 17th, and do shows every Thursday, Friday and Saturday through September 4th!!! 10AM!!! Be There!!!! Now for the announcement.......We would like to welcome Jeanna Kilbane to the cast!!! You may already be familiar with Jeanna if you have been around Branson for a while. She started out as a back up dancer for "The World Famous Platters" and from there went on to become the MC and featured vocalist for Branson's "2000 show of the year", "50's At The Hop"!!!! After 4 years with that show, she and her husband Jimmy made the decision to join the US Army!! She was accepted into the USAREUR Band and Chorus in Heidelberg, Germany as their choreographer and featured vocalist. In 2003, she won she won “Best Female Vocalist” and 2nd runner up overall in the, “All Army Stars of Tomorrow”, contest in Washington, DC.

In 2006, her stint with the Army ended, and she came back home to Branson where she now performs for the long running, successful show, “#1 Hits of the 60’s!” We are so happy to have Jeanna as our newest "Rock U Mentalist", we look forward to having a lot of fun with her this summer!! And we hope you will to!! Make plans to come and see us, or better yet bring a group!!! And remember......."Stimulate your imagination, Rock U Mentallize your education"!!!

Big Fun This Weekend!!!

2010-05-11T12:12:00.000-05:00

We are privileged to be a part of a fantastic event this coming weekend, so if you haven't made plans yet now you know what to do! Head out to Area 57 (right between Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater and the Ramamda) in Branson of course, to A Day For Shay & Pals! This event is created by a local group of moms to raise awareness about autism and to raise money for the families of Taney County dealing with the cost of therapies that are not covered by insurance! On Friday night May the 14th there will be a drive in movie and picnic featuring the Pixar movie "Cars", and then on Saturday there will be all kinds of fun events! Everything from face painting and raffle drawings to appearances by "Buzz and Woody", bounce houses, and performances by local entertainers!!! Oh yes and of course we will be performing as well! Be there at 11am Sat. to see us! We have another new cast member joining us for this event!! Please welcome Jeanna Kilbane!!! You may have seen her most recently in the #1 Hits of The 60's Show but she has performed in several other venues in Branson over the years. We will tell you more about her later, but come out and meet her and catch up with the rest of us!!!
We hope to see you there this weekend!! Come have fun and support this great cause!!!

Earth Day!!!

2010-04-20T10:43:00.000-05:00

Earth Day is coming up on April 22, 2010. In case you are unaware this is a day set aside to express ourselves about our concerns for the future of the planet! Now in this day and age this sound like yet another political agenda, and so it made me curious to see why this event was originally created. It seems it all started back in the 1960's, Senator Gaylord Nelson noticed that there was an increasing outcry from the citizens of this country about the state of the environment, but it was not being acknowledged by politicians. It took him several years of trying , but he finally came up with a clever idea. What if the energy of "anti-war" protesting could be used to make an awareness of the problems that the environment was facing! He announced the first Earth Day would take place in the Spring of 1970! Even though it was a gamble it was a huge success! At this point in time the concerns about the state of the planet were seen everywhere. Factories polluted the air with smog with no consequence, air pollution was just something we had to live with, toxic dumps were no secret, and the loss of the forests and certain wildlife were just accepted as the price we pay for prosperity!
This movement has continued to grow over the years and been more popular some years than other. It seems though that whether you think this is about Global Warming, or some type of political movement, there is still a need to continue to be aware of what we do and how it affects our environment. It seems like over the years people are a lot less likely to throw trash out of a moving car, and more likely to do a little recycling! Laws have been passed to regulate air and water pollution and issues about the environment are definitely a part of many politicians platforms.
So regardless of where you stand on climate change, etc. it seems to me that this is just a great opportunity to take a day to celebrate this wonderful planet we live on! So go plant a tree, or even a seed, take a walk in the park, or just stop and smell the flowers! Most communities have Earth Day events of some sort so get your families out there and teach your kids about how wonderful this planet is! We are blessed to live here! So let's enjoy it!!!

Cast and Character Luncheon!!!

2010-03-12T10:15:00.000-06:00

OK we are lest than a week away from our first show of our Spring Break Bash!!! We have been very busy getting ready, and we can't wait to see everyone who has been supporting us at the shows! We have another announcement that we think is very exciting!! After every show we will be having a Cast and Character Luncheon at the Uptown Cafe!!!! It is not only a great opportunity to meet the cast and characters but it also a great deal for your family for lunch!! For $7 you get the entree, with a choice of side a beverage and a mini sundae, and tax and tip is included!!! I don't think you can beat that! Not to mention the atmosphere at the Uptown Cafe is fun and inspired by the 1950's. It is also conveniently located at the corner of Hwy 76 and Hwy 65!! Follow the link below to find out more about the menu choices and more info! Our website is currently being worked on by our friends at Redhead Web Development so you can see that we have made a few changes, but we are still under construction so some things are not working just quite yet, but you can see how fun it is going to be when we are done!
Here is the link for Uptown Cafe:
http://www.rockumentally.com/pages/Rock-U-Mentally-Cast-and-Character-Luncheon.html
We can't wait to see all of you so please make plans to come and see us!!!

Big News for the Spring Break Bash!!!

2010-03-08T09:54:00.000-06:00

We are very excited to start the 2010 season on Rock U Mentally Live! The response after we announced that we would be returning for a second season has been overwhelming! We have been blessed with much encouragement from friends, family. and the community! It seems a lot of people are happy to support our cause to educate kids about social and environmental responsibility in a fun and exciting way! Yaaayyyyy!!!

We actually have a few changes planned for our Spring Break Bash!! The biggest news is that due to scheduling conflicts, we are sad to say that Chris Skillern will not be able to perform all of the scheduled shows. However we are very excited to announce that in his place we will be bringing in someone who has been a huge supporter of our cause....... Justin Clark! Otherwise known as Elwood Blues!!! So yes in essence the "Blues Brothers" of Branson's Legends in Concert will be performing in Rock U Mentally!!! So if you are a fan of this duo, you are really going to love this show! In case you aren't familiar with the legends family, Bucky and Justin have been performing together as the Blues Brothers for the last 9 years, and they always have a lot of fun! Justin produces all of our videos, and he also ran lights and video for the show last summer so he is already very familiar with the project. So you can see why we are excited that he will be filling in!
We are also adding a new section to the show called "Embarrass the Parents"! I won't tell you too much about it, except to say that any kids that have a grudge against there parents will now have a way to get even!! All in good fun of course, and a valuable lesson will be learned!
We hope to see you all at our Spring Break Bash!!!!!
10 AM. March 19, 20, 26 and 27!!!
If you haven't seen the show yet, here is a clip of what you have been missing!
Jammy Jam!
Find a Grown Up You Know Before You Say Hello!!!

Help For Keeping New Years Resolutions!!!

2010-01-05T12:50:00.000-06:00

OK so whether you said it out loud or not we all make some sort of a New Years resolution. In general it seems the most popular are losing weight, working out, better money management and spending more time with family. It all sounds really good at first, you start making plans to make it all happen. You join the gym, get the diet books, stock the fridge with salad, make plans for family outings or game nights. All is well for maybe a week, maybe a month, but then life happens and it gets tougher and tougher to make it all happen. We've all done it. So I have been looking around the internet a little and found a few fun websites to help keep us all on track for maybe just a little bit longer.
The first one I found was great for helping with calorie counting and making good food choices by following the food pyramid.My food-a-pedia is pretty fun, all you do is type in a food, and it tells you calories and how many portions of the food pyramid it equals. You can also add in extras like salad dressings, condiments, and other fun stuff. It also helps you make some good choices by allowing you to compare two foods.
The next one I found was good for everyone that is trying to exercise more. Tips for exercise haters
is a list of the basic tips to help keep you moving. I like this website because even though it has a lot of advertisers on it, it also has a lot of info on different exercise and healthy eating tips, and you really can't see results from one without the other. Alright enough of that, I'm no personal trainer!
Another fun website I found was http://www.moneyinstructor.com/ . It is a great way to teach your kids about money. How to count it how to use a checkbook, saving and investing, even career planning! It has worksheets and even printable play money for lessons! What a great way to get your kids to learn about how money works and encourage them to make good choices with money in the future. This is even a great snow day activity, and maybe your kids can help to encourage you to make better choices with money! Actually the reason I found this website was I was looking for tips for spending more time with family, so be sure to look at those tips as well.
Finally my favorite website is a great find for keeping track of any kind of resolution , habit, or task!
http://rootein.com/ is fabulous for making sure that you keep up with any new habit or task you want to accomplish. It is basically an online calendar but it sends you alerts for whatever task you want to remember. Anything from watering the plants to working out or eat more vegetables. It even has a slack detector to help keep you on track.
Well now that you have all of this info you should be able to keep your resolutions on track for at least a little while! They say (whoever they are) that it takes 30 days to form a habit.....although I also saw some things that said 21 days......so let me know how it goes!
Happy New Year!!!!!!

What do we do with the old electronics!?

2009-12-27T14:10:00.001-06:00

Electronics are some of the most popular gifts to give for Christmas, and with all of the new "toys " coming into the house, we have to find something to do with the old and unwanted things. Here are 2 great services to check out!
You can get paid for qualifying electronics at Gazelle
and they pay for shipping if it has any value. If it is not worth anything they will let you know and offer to recycle it for you. You just send it to them. Considering it usually costs you to recycle electronics, this looks like a good deal. They even claim that they will let you know if there is any value to an item that you send to be recycled and they will send you a check, or gift card of your choice. They have a recycle network to help you find a place to take larger items. You can even use it as a fundraiser for your charity by creating a personalized gadget drive web page !! They guarantee that no objects will end up in landfills.
Of course if you don't want to pay the shipping you can take many used electronics to Best Buy! They have a recycling program that accepts most household electronics. Some items require a $10 fee to be recycled but in return you get a $10 gift card. Check the Best Buy website for info.
Let us know if you use any of the services, or find any others!

Rock U Mentally Live 2010!!

2009-12-17T14:44:00.004-06:00

It is official!!!! " Rock U Mentally Live " will be back again for 2010!!! Here is the Press Release......pass it on......tell all of your friends.....make plans to come and see us!!!

Branson, MO. - What do you get when you combine creative original music, energizing choreography, “larger than life” costumed characters, innovative music videos, a mind blowing magician, two zany mad scientists, a chorus of harmonizing birds and a powerful educational message? You get a hip, educational, musical adventure for kid’s of ALL ages…

“Rock U Mentally LIVE”, announced today that they will be returning to Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater, in 2010, for their second exciting season! This highly acclaimed children's variety show will be performing an 8 week LIMITED ENGAGEMENT, beginning July 17th and running through September 4; Thursday - Saturday at 10am. In addition, the Rock U Mentally gang is also proud to announce their first, “SPRING BREAK BASH!" Four special shows that will coincide with the Branson and Springfield school system's Spring Break; Friday/Saturday; March 19th 20th, 26th and 27th; at 10am! Special student rates available!

“Join us, and some of our very special friends, as we learn how to deal with bullies, unlock the power of the imagination, find out what to do if a stranger approaches, and explore all of the things we can do to protect our extraordinary planet", said Rock U Mentally creator, Bucky Heard. "Our show is a labor of love for kid's everywhere! We truly are a "one of a kind" in the Branson entertainment market!"

Jeannie Horton, General Manager for Legends in Concert at Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater said, “We love the educational and environmental focus of the show. Families will have a very special time experiencing this unique show together!”

Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $10 for kids 4-12. They can be purchased at the Legends in Concert box office or by calling 335-STAR. Group rates and lunch packages are also available for groups of 10 or more.

Media Contact: Melody Byrd, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater 417-339-3003 ext. 3016

To learn more about this fabulous show; visit: www.rockumentally.com

Our Friends at Bicycle Recyle!!!

2009-12-01T12:09:00.001-06:00

We have some wonderful friends, Jen and Brian Lilley, who have started a ministry called Bicycle Recycle of Branson MO. We have become close to them as we share a traumatic experience; we both lost twins late in our pregnancies. So much like we created Rock U Mentally to help us through the grieving process, they have created Bicycle Recycle. Brian and Jen are strong Christians who dove deeper into faith when faced with such sadness, and in doing so wanted to share their journey and beliefs with others. At the same time they were aware of a desperate need in the community to help the homeless and those who have fallen on hard times. They need transportation........Bicycles!!!!! Their mission statement " to promote sustainable transportation, poverty mitigation, street chaplaincy, and bicycle recycling in Southwest Missouri. We rely on community donations of bicycles, supplies, funds, and talents in order to offer affordable bicycles to impoverished individuals without other transportation." explains what they are all about!! They take old bicycles and fix them back up and then give them to someone who needs transportation. "From the scrap heap in someone's backyard, we reclaim something beautiful; an iconic piece of moving art, a reliable vehicle, a chance for someone to move ahead."Having a bicycle means that someone without transportation now has a chance to get a hot meal across town, find a secure shelter for the night, go to a job interview, accept a job, access medical care, or attend school. They also plan to donate bikes to kids in need, and I think we all have fond memories of how liberating a bike was as a kid. They also have the chance to fellowship with those in need Great idea right!!!!! Of course as like any ministry starting out, they need help.......donations of old bikes, donations for supplies and tools, or you can physically help them repair the bikes!!!
We were just blessed by them this weekend as the gave their first bike to our little Cydney!! A very cool bike at that...a tot strider bike (no pedals or chain makes for quick learning without the need for training wheels). There are some pictures on their blog: http://recycleyourbicycle.blogspot.com/
Please check them out! They have such wonderful hearts, and this ministry can touch so many lives! You can also follow them on twitter http://twitter.com/bicycle_recycle
Or join their Facebook group bicycle recycle facebook group
They also make some beautiful crosses out of rusted bicycle chains that they give with this message: "Many bicycle chains come to us rusted, broken, and unwanted. The world has been hard on them, and they will never be able to power a bicycle. With love and patience, we transform them. In a more magnificent way, Christ can change us. In spite of our brokenness, He can create in us something new and beautiful. We pray that you will look upon these old bits of metal and rejoice in the new life we have in Christ!"

Magic Elves???

2009-11-20T11:00:00.000-06:00

My sister in law just told me about a super fun thing for a family to do during the Holiday season! It is called the Magic Elves!! Your child leaves out some treats that attract elves right around Thanksgiving time, then one night they actually appear! He or she brings a poem to explain their visit as well as some snowflakes that the child sprinkles over the elf each night to bring them back to life. That is when the elf goes on adventures. When the child wakes up they find treats left by the elf or see what kind of "elfcapdes" he went on during the night. Some elves move cars around, some leave little notes, some are found in strange places after an obvious night of mischief, all kind of fun stuff. On Christmas Eve they have to go back to the North Pole to help make toys for Santa again! Oh so much fun!!! The website explains it all as well as gives a lot of examples of what kind of adventures other elvs have gone on!!
We can't wait for our elves to get here!!!
Check out The Magic Elves

Great Deal @ Leap Frog

2009-11-19T11:35:00.000-06:00

We love Leap Frog products! We have been using the Tag reader for a year and love it!! It helps your child learn to read and love books, while it also has games to play within the books, and you can hook up to the website to track your child's progress! They also have a lot of other new and fun looking products that would make great gifts for any kids on your list!! They have a deal right now at leapfrog.com: thru 11/24 for 25% off + free shipping over $50. promo code FFGIFT25. A great way to get your Christmas shopping started!!!

Fun Holiday Crafts!!

2009-11-18T09:32:00.000-06:00

I just ran into this blog that has a few great crafts for the Holidays!! I love the special gift box I think that would be a fun craft to do with Cydney...she is almost 4....it might get messy but I think that wil be more fun. Also love the turkey centerpiece, I might have to try that out too!! I think I remember doing the melted crayon thing too and I always loved doing that when I was a kid, but it may be better for older kids!
Check it out and tell me what you think!
She also makes beautiful jewelry, and sells it on her blog so maybe you can do some Christmas shopping at the same ttime!
http://www.artfire.com/users/CapriciousAdornments/blog

Contest Winners!!!

2009-11-16T14:16:00.000-06:00

Sorry we are a day late announcing the winners of our costume contest, but here they are!!!

First prize goes to.......... Jenna Anderson-Richards for her fabulous dragon costume!!!The fabric they used was new, but the frames for the wings and mask were made from recycled wire hangers, the mask was then built up with papier mache from old newspapers and incorporated old swim goggles, the feet were built over canvas sneakers from Goodwill, the tail was stuffed with plastic grocery bags (with another mutilated hanger for stability, the black material for the paws, claws and inside of the ears came from excess trimmed from a bridesmaid dress and the paint was all leftover from her store of crafting supplies. They also used a pattern for animal costumes, that they had for 20 years as a jumping off point for the suit.

Second prize goes to......... Mason Hendrickson!!!!

Mason dressed as a pirate for Halloween(thanks to his favorite show, Peter Pan, for inspiration!).

Mason's Mom started with an old pair of black pants, a white dress shirt and a vest then replaced the buttons on the vest with some fancier ones that she collected through the years. To make the shirt "piratey", she used men's white handkerchiefs to make the ruffles on the end of the sleeves and for the collar, she found scarves for his head and belt and a piece of plastic covered in black electrical tape for an eye patch(and a little white paint!) The most challenging part was the boots. She took a pair of black women's boots(50 cents at the thrift store!), cut off the soles, and just used elastic to keep them on his shoes.

A store-bought hook completed his look, and he'll never know that it was the only thing "new" on his costume. Now he wants to wear it all the time!

Third prize goes to........ Sarah and William McKinney!!!! Sarah's clown costume was worn by her aunt Luticia and William's hat was his Uncle's and the wig was his Grandma. They used some old crepe paper around his arms and legs.

We thank you all so much for your entries!! We plan to have many more contests in the future, so keep watching for updates!!

Think Sharks are cool?

2009-11-12T10:20:00.000-06:00

If you or your kids think that sharks are cool, you need to check out what some of our friends are doing!! We are dedicated to teaching kids about important environmental and conservation issues that they will carry with them for a lifetime. We have known Sean and Brooks Paxton, are doing some amazing research that will help conserve and protect our shark populations. Check out their unbelievable videos
Adventure and Wildlife Highlights
NBC interview with the Shark Brothers
as well as sean's blog at http://www.seanpaxton.com/ What these guys are doing to help protect our planet is ...of the utmost importance. Take a moment and check it out and please, leave great feedback for them. It would mean the world to us.

Teach your kids about the fun of Giving!!!

2009-11-05T12:27:00.001-06:00

Operation Christmas Child is a fantastic charity that we have just learned about through our church! As soon as I saw the information about it I knew I wanted to be involved. It was created by an organization called Samaritan's Purse, and it helps kids all over the world, who are suffering due to war, natural disaster, or economic problems. They deliver shoe boxes packed with small toys, candy,school supplies and other fun stuff that you put together! Doesn't that sound like fun? All you have to do is find a shoe box, or you can buy a plastic one, and find a bunch of fun little things that a kid would love, put it in a box and wrap it up! It would be a great thing to do with your kids to help them learn about giving, and to teach them about how other kids around the world live. You can add a note and a picture of your family, so it is more personal gift. I mean, what a great excuse to buy a new pair of shoes!.....for the box of course! Below are some links to tell you where you can drop off your shoe box, and another one to tell you what you can pack. There is also a video that shows you how the project works through the eyes of some kids who have helped! To top it all off it is a Christian organization that makes sure that each child gets information to teach them about Jesus! How rewarding is that! It is a global program so you can take part from anywhere, just find you nearest drop off location from the link below! In Branson College of The Ozarks is our local drop off spot! So get out there and start packing a box!!!

VIDEO FOR OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Samaritan's Purse | Operation Christmas Child | Drop-Off Locations
How to Pack a Soe Box

Great costume Ideas

2009-10-21T10:12:00.001-05:00

Ok it is getting closer and closer...Halloween that is! You are probably starting to think about what kind of costume you are going to come up with for kids or yourself. There are some great ideas below to get you started!Don't forget about our costume contest! The deadline to send in your pictures is Nov. 1st! 1st prize gets a $50 gift certificate to Target, and our new DVD "Rockumentally Live" as well as a few other goodies. Send your photos to info@rockumentally.com. Now get out there and use your imagination!

kids "deviled egg "costume
raining cats and dogs costume
ceiling fan costume
awesome tetris costume

Great Pumpkin Ideas!!!

2009-10-19T10:10:00.000-05:00

I think I have said it before, but I lve Family Fun Magazine!!! They should pay me!!They also have a great website. So here is a link to all of their Halloween ideas, starting with pumpkin carving ideas. Once you go to this link you will find everything you need to find for a great Halloween! I think we are going to try carving a pumpkin tonight so I will post some pictures when we do!
Go check it out, and tell us what you made!
http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/pumpkin-carving-decorating/

Interesting Facts about Plastics!

2009-10-12T09:11:00.002-05:00

I have been curious, but never took the time to look into, the truth about which plastics are safe and healthy to use. Luckily I just read a convenient little article in Kiwi Magazine that explained it all quickly! It is pretty interesting but brief, so I thought I would pass the info on!
First of all, the info is categorized by the #'s on the bottle usually on the bottom, inside the recycle symbol.
1. these are mostly containers for water,soda, peanut butter, salad dressing etc........it is safe, but don't reuse the! (I have for years....gulp) they can release toxic phthalates, especially if they get warm.......they can be recycled,and are often made into things like fiberfill, carpet and new containers.
2. These are like laundry detergent bottles, milk containers,bleach bottles and grocery bags......they are safe.........they can be recycled and made into new containers,or plastic lumber or pipes.
3. Plastic pipes, shower curtains, cooking oil bottles, some baby bottle nipples, plastic wrap.......These ARE NOT SAFE.....they contain phthalates......can not usually be recycled. (yikes when we renovated we switched to plastic pipes!)
4. Grocery bags,sandwich bags, some clothing and furniture......it is safe....easy to recycle either at a recycle center or your local grocery store
5. Reusable plastic containers, ketchup bottles, diapers, medicine bottles and straws.......they are safe....sometimes recyclable, check with your local center
6. Styrofoam, like cups plates food containers and egg cartons......NOT SAFE.....it contains styrene a known carcinogen........not usually recyclable, but some shipping companies reuse them as packing materials.
7. CDs,DVDs, eyeglasses,some baby bottles, and nylon....NOT SAFE it contains BPA a toxic chemical that can leach from the plastic..... sometimes you can recycle them depending on your recycle center.
So now we know what is safe and what isn't. Making just a few small changes, like not reusing plastic bottles- go buy some of those BPA free cute travel bottles. Maybe try to stop using Styrofoam. Sometimes we can't avoid these things, but if we make an effort to make different choices when we can, we can keep our families healthier, and our planet a safer place!

Costume Contest!!!

2009-10-04T22:11:00.003-05:00

We are very excited to announce our very first contest!! We are going to have a Halloween costume contest, but this one comes with a twist. We want to see the best costumes made from recycled materials!!! We encourage you to look around your house, or your neighbours, and find things that you could recycle into a costume! Once you start looking at thongs a little differently you will be surprised what you can make. We used this concept to create some of the costumes from our show......like our Space Man costume or the yellow submarine and race car for our mascots! We used duct tape on some old suit jackets to make our "Bee" costumes, and towels for chaps for our Cowgirl. Check our website Rockumentally.com to see photos of all of the costumes.
First prize will be: a $50. Target gift card, a DVD of "Rock U Mentally Live", A Rock U Mentally CD and a Rock U Mentally T shirt!!!!
Second Prize will be: a" Rock U mentally Live"DVD, A Rock U Mentally CD and A T shirt
Third Prize will be: a "Rock U Mentally Live" DVD
All you have to do is email you photos of your costumes to info@rockumentally.com.
Contest deadline is Nov. 1st. Prizes will be awarded on Nov. 15th.
So start looking through your closets, your recycle bins, and maybe even the trash, and see what you can dream up..........or as we like to say it........"Imagine What You Can Do!!!!!!"

Knitting By the Campfire!!

2009-10-02T09:58:00.001-05:00

Knitting By The Campfire!!
This is by far not the way that I usually start the day! The norm is usually once the feet hit the floor and the coffee is made you start the breakfast do a little cleaning and attack the pile of paper work, or laundry, pick up toys etc. or get ready to leave the house. Today, however, we are camping. I have no TV, which is also the first major change. We kind of have an addiction to TV at our house. There is one in almost every room, and there is usually at least one on at all times. We even sleep with one on in our bedroom, (I know a very bad habit-it started back when we worked on cruise ships and it was our only link to the real world). So this morning when i woke up and din't have any news channel on or other morning talk show, I had to find something to actually do. Of course there was coffee to make.....thank God for that.....but then just peaceful silence. The rest of the Heard clan is still asleep so I stepped outside of the camper,and realized that I had ME TIME!!!! I started a fire so we could cook breakfast, and then sat and drank my coffee and did some knitting. What a wonderful time. My mind got to venture in all sorts of directions as it was not being filled with stuff from the idiot box, as my dad would call it.All I could hear was the sounds of nature and the occasional camper going about their business. I had time to talk to God about lots of stuff, and just actually clear my head and feel....Peaceful!!! So this is what it was like in the "good old days". I started to think about how different it would be if every bit of news that we did...or didn't want to hear was being broadcasted 24 hours a day into our homes. How different would our perspective be on the world if we didn't hear 12 opinions about one subject before noon. Maybe, I could even get more done if just once a week I could start my day like this, even if it is just a little knitting. Most of all I think I would be a better Mom and wife if I took just a little time to enjoy "the view" and I don't mean the TV show! As our parents and Granparents all say it was a different world back in their day. They may have had a few good ideas, simple may be the way to go.....at least once in a while.

UPDATES!!!!

2009-09-23T09:26:00.003-05:00

Oooh, I have not been writing for quite a while......shame on me....I had promised myself to keep up with this! So here we go....I will update some past posts that have been left unattended like a poor little lost puppy.
My garden. It is pretty much done. We had lots and lots of tomatoes but definitely had a bug problem which I didn't address as I wanted to keep it pesticide free, but there were still plenty left to make a lot of salsa, sandwiches, salads and many other dishes......salsa was the best though.....and thanks to the Kelly family who stayed with us this summer and made the first batch. I also learned the power of squash! You don't need to plant that much of it, it will grow, grow fast and produce much squash. We gave away a lot of it as you can only eat so much.I will definitely plant less of that next year. Although we didn't have as much luck with zucchini we did get 1 plant that produced a mysteriously large sized zucchini that took great planning to actually use, as you had to be prepared to make a lot of dishes with it once you cut into it.( 4 complete dishes with some left over) We loved the arugula while it lasted,and the lettuce went well too. However I completely missed the beans and peas as I got to busy to get out and pick them so they just dried up on the plant. That was sad! My sunflowers were beautiful and now they are feeding the birds so I guess that is like another source of recycling. Corn and melons were a big disappointment. The corn just never really produced and seemed to be rotting on the stock. Someone told me too much rain. And the melons all just started to rot before they had a chance to ripen so we didn't get any of either thing.I do have a good amount of butternut squash though so at least they worked!! I definitely learned a lot about what to plant and what I need to learn about over the winter, and I am excited to plan new things for next spring. I think I will add a pumpkin patch, maybe some strawberries, and maybe a few more fun things ......definitely some flowers!
The dogs...... you know it isn't like I don't love the dogs, but the switch to the expensive food was definitely hurting the pocket book. At close to $50 a bag that would last almost 10 days so close to $150 a month. We just weren't noticing a big difference in their health energy or coats. They still shed crazy amounts of hair ( well with 3 of them in the house it seems like crazy amounts), they didn't have weight problems before and they have more than enough energy. Plus Sterling was still licking her paws even though we tried 3 different types of food and stayed with that brand long enough to see a change. So I am embarrassed to say that we have gone back to good old Dog Chow! Everybody seems healthy no more licking, and Zoom is still jumping for Frisbees at the ripe old age of 8 (actually he will be 9 next month). So I think we will stick with it at least until one of them needs some extra support from diet.
Cydney seems to be enjoying her new classes. Although we are having some discipline problems, which I think may be a post for another day. She is definitely a strong willed little girl I will say that...I wonder where she got that!
OK, that should have everyone up to date for now. If you have any suggestions, or comments about gardens or dogs .....or anything else, I would love to hear about it!

I might be crazy!

2009-09-09T11:33:00.003-05:00

First off I'm already aware that many of you will think that I am crazy for even suggesting this, but all I can say is don't knock it 'til you try it! About a week ago Cydney found my ipod touch sitting around and she picked it up and started figuring it out! In a few minutes she had figured out how to look through all of our pictures, which prompted us to talk about past events and family, and find a variety of music including her favorite Rock U Mentally songs.Then she started scanning through some of the apps that I have downloaded. (mostly for recipes and fantasy football) and that was when I realized that this might be a life changing experience! Instead of having to carry around a purse full of distractions, like small toys, books, and who knows what, I could just use my ipod to entertain her while we are at restaurants, grocery shopping,etc.! How wonderful!!! So I checked out the apps and found out that you could get little books that she can "turn the pages on" and a TINKERBELL game! So now we are in heaven. I just found this article that lists some more apps (some of which are free) so as we check them out I will let you know how we like them.
Check out article Best iphone Apps for Kids
Just be prepared for your screen to be a little stickier than normal!

Labor Day Weekend with the Heards!!

2009-09-07T11:56:00.006-05:00

The Heard family (except for the part of us living in Germany.....who was sadly missed) had a fun filled Labor Day weekend! However it was a little different than most people like to spend there holiday, and it was a very spur of the moment event! We were all gathered at Papa and Grandma's house and the plan was really simple and it mostly revolved around college football, the kids playing around the house, and of course Papa's famous steaks for dinner! A good time was to be had by all. However, on a whim, the manly men decided that the furniture arrangement around the large TV was just not conducive to all of them being able to watch the game.....which was very true and had been a problem in the room for quite some time. And so the challenge began. At first it was just going to be about moving the computer desk against the wall and moving one sofa, but then it took on a different direction. As things were being moved around, questions like "do you use this?" or even "what is this?" started to come up. That's where the rest of the family got involved. The room was pretty full with both needful and unwanted things, as well as a few displaced items. I think a lot of people have a room like this. That kind of "catch all" room where things go when they can't find a home elsewhere in the house. Now to some people this may sound like work which is not the best idea for celebrating Labor Day, but it actually turned into something fun to do with the family. There were things that were discovered that prompted discussions about old family stories, some before our time, and and sense of relief that something had been accomplished that had been put off for a long time! We all claimed a few things that were meant to be passed on to the next generation, (we took pictures to send to the family that wasn't present so they could pick what they wanted) and the rest was taken to the local thrift store, so it didn't sit in a pile in the garage waiting for the next yard sale that may never happen. Once all of the clutter was gone we could put the furniture back in a way that made the room a place where everyone could hang out! There was room for the kids to play, and a table to eat at, as well as ample seating for everyone and the computer was in a place where you could also see the TV (which was also one of the original goals) and on top of all that the room looked good and felt great! We were done before dinner, and before the Auburn football game (which was the main focus for the evening!). If you had told any of us that we were going to be cleaning and organizing a whole room for the day we would have groaned and maybe even run far far away, but I have to say, and I think all involved would agree.....A fun time WAS had by all!!!!

A Parent's Dream!!

2009-09-03T10:37:00.006-05:00

I love this website/ Magazine!!!! I have been subscribing to it for a couple of years and it always has such wonderful ideas for crafts and fun snacks, party ideas, and games and activities! It is a Parents Dream!!!! This link has a video player that has some fantastic craft ideas that are so easy!! I also highly recommend checking out the recipes! They are all family friendly but no the same old thing you see everyday! They have great games and activities for kids of all ages, fun printables, and all kinds of other stuff! Check it out! Itis worth your time! You won't be disappointed!!!! Here is the link: (OK I am having trouble getting to the exact page but when you get here just click on featured playlist to see the video!)
http://familyfun.go.com/utilities/global/feature/fftv-archive-video-player/fftv-archive-video-player.html?dl_section=channel&dl_channel=FamilyFun%20Minute

Survival of Pre-School!!!

2009-09-01T17:21:00.005-05:00

We Did It!!!!! We all survived the first day of Pre-School!!!! Ah The beginning of a new era! For this family that means a big change to our sleeping habits!! We get home from work late, so we are ALL used to being up late and sleeping in! So that is the first big change! Good thing it is only two mornings a week. Plus we are adding in a Dance class and a Gym class! So we are off to the races! Today went well, Cydney doesn't have a problem leaving us so she didn't really look back once we got into the classroom and she saw the toys and kids. Our problem came when it was time to go! At the end of the day the kids were all outside on the playground, and she did not want to leave! A small fit was thrown but good old Dad swooped in and cut it off and all was well! She has yet to really tell us about what all they did, except I think the teacher read them one book that she already knew, and she also seemed to have conquered her fear of going down slides! That was what we couldn't stop her from doing at the end of the day, and until now she wouldn't touch them unless it was really small or a water slide! I'm sure we will hear more details soon as I think it was probably a little overwhelming!
While Cydney was a t School wedecided this would be a good time to get ourselves back into the gym, and actuallyuse the membership that we have been paying for for the past few, well more like several months. That seemed to go well too, but Bucky and I are both pretty sure that we won't be walking so well tomorrow!
So this was our adventure with the first day of school, I think I can safely say that a good time was had by all!
We would love to hear your stories! You can just write them as a comment so that others can read them too!

A Little Time ff Makes A Better Mom!!!!

2009-08-24T18:40:00.005-05:00

I do work outside the home, I work in a show in Branson, Mo called The Hamner Barber Variety Show. I dance and sometimes sing. Performing has always been my passion, so it is a job that I enjoy very much! I only work in the evenings so I am home with Cydney during the day.We often take time off at the end of summer when the kids go back to school, and the town gets a little slower. This year we are off for 4 days! It comes at a good time, as we are just about to start getting ready for Christmas shows, if you can believe that! This is the first time I have taken a break and wasn't obligated to travel anywhere. This was a shorter break than we have taken in the past so there just wasn't time to go anywhere! So instead I invented my own "Staycation"! I made plans with friends which I usually feel like I don't have time to see, and even made a little time for myself! This has all been wonderful, but I noticed something that is beginning to transpire......I am a better Mom to Cydney! I am more patient because I don't feel the impending deadline of getting ready for work. I have time to plan a few little activities, crafty things, and cook some healthy food! This is nice!!! Now don't get me wrong, I still want to go back to work.....I know I would be lost and a little miserable without it, but this has been very good for me! And the family! Even melted ice cream all over the back of the car and those famous words "Oh Oh I tinkled" did not send me into the crazy rage that may usually follow such an event. OK I may have vented to my husband on the phone, but I did get right over it!
I know we all get a little time off, weekends, vacations, but consider planning your own Staycation. That way you actually plan some activities for your family and friends without the stress or money of a real vacation. You don't even have to leave the house if you don't want to....But I highly recommend it as cleaning is usually not high on the list of things to do! It might even be better than a real vacation!!!
Let em know if you try it!

Fun TV Show for Moms

2009-08-21T09:21:00.004-05:00

I found a really fun show for Moms today,and it's called

The Mom Show so it is pretty self explanatory! They touch on everything from little tricks to get your kids to eat healthy foods, decorating ideas, introducing siblings to the family, and just showing some of the problems that the 2 hosts and their guests have with their own kids that make you feel like maybe you are not so crazy after all. Who doesn't love to hear that! It is on the WE network on Friday mornings 9am central time! It is actually a Canadian production (some of my people) so some of the info may be a little different like certain products or info about laws and regulations, but for the most part it is the same. (If you are in Canada, it is on the Slice Network)
Here is the Synopsis I found for it:

If Sex and The City was the single girl's guide to life, The Mom Show is the hip place to be for the latest "in" craze: being a mom. For those that are new moms, wannabe moms, or moms with years of experience that want a place to talk "real" about their lives, relationships, themselves, and their kids, tune in daily and catch The Mom Show.

This series will dish up a fresh, frank, and funny take on the world of motherhood five days a week. It's definitely not your average parenting show. No topic is sacred. Hosts Laurie Gelman, mother of two, and Catherine Marion, mother of four, will be joined by an audience of real moms and their kids and will be ready for a no-holds-barred approach to everything about being a mom, being a woman, what's hot in fashion, the latest trends, sex (or lack of it), marriage, children, and men. The hosts will be joined by a "dream team of experts" who will provide a daily dose of advice about taboo topics you thought would never be discussed on daytime TV.

Don't miss everything you always wanted to know about motherhood and more five days a week on The Mom Show.

If you don't have a chance to catch it be sure to Tivo it or program the old VCR! We all need a little support from time to time, and this show is a great find!

Check out the post below for a video link about the show!

Enjoy!!

Tips - What is The Mom Show?

2009-08-21T08:35:00.000-05:00

Tips - What is The Mom Show?

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Reuse!! and Recycle!!!!!

2009-08-13T15:56:00.004-05:00

For all of you that have been following our Recycling Challenge, we are hoping that by now you have a nice little place that has taken up residence in your home to store your plastic bottles, glass, aluminum cans, old magazines and catalogs, and maybe a few more things. Just like every month we will add to our list of recyclables; this month it shall be CARDBOARD. This means collapsing all of those cereal boxes, snack food boxes or any other packaging that you run into during the month. You should also be noticing the benefit of having a lighter trash can, and hopefully you don't have to empty it nearly as often! Nice perk!
We also hope that you have at least 1 or 2 reusable shopping bags and you are getting into the habit of using them. If you have you probably noticed how handy they are for all kinds of things, just like those ugly plastic grocery bags, except these actually hold more, and some are down right attractive to carry around. So if you don't have any I highly recommend that you get some!! They are available at the checkout at most large stores,and even some specialty stores.
Now you know we had to talk about more than just cardboard and shopping bags. We are also going to challenge everyone to start reusing as many products as possible. We seem to live in a world of convenience where it is easier to toss something in the trash than to clean it and reuse it.What if we washed and reused sandwich bags, old or mismatched socks are great for dusting,I remember growing up in a house where margarine containers rarely held margarine , they were more likely to hold leftovers from dinner, or lunch to go! Coffee cans were always useful for holding nails or screws, and egg cartons, milk containers, and toilet paper rolls were like building blocks for kids. So now we challenge you to not only recycle, but REPURPOSE!!!! Here is a great link to some other ideas about re-purposing: http://www.cawrecycles.org/living_green/reuse_tips
Let us know if you have some good tips for reusing or repurposing.....we are excited to see what everyone can come up with. Just think of all the money we can save!!! Woo Hoo!!

Autism, ADD, & ADHD are TREATABLE!

2009-07-31T17:59:00.008-05:00

For the first time I am having a guest writer!!! She has been working with kids on the Autism Spectrum doing a unique therapy called " Floor time Therapy" that she has had great success with. When she explained to me how it works and why it is different than conventional therapies it seemed like something a lot of parents would be interested in learning about. Also, it seemed like a perfect fit for our whole Rock U Mentally mission, which is to help educate kids in a unique and fun way! I Hope you enjoy her story, and what she has to offer to kids who have been diagnosed as ADD, ADHD, or Autistic. Also check out her link,The Neotypicals which tells more about her story, and the music she and her husband have written about their journey.
Hello, my name is Angie Skillern and I am a proud "Rockumentalist", wife, mother of three and a child therapist. I graduated with honors with a B.S. degree in Psychology & Sociology and I have specialized training in FLOOR TIME THERAPY. My youngest son was diagnosed with autism 3 years ago, and after a year of searching, trials, tears and errors, we found this approach to be a significant missing piece to the puzzle that helped to bring my boy back.

FLOOR TIME therapy is a child-centered therapy, designed to help children on the autism spectrum learn how to interact emotionally and socially through the use of toys and play. FLOOR TIME engages children AT THEIR LEVEL by determining their interests and using them to motivate speech, imaginative thinking, and spontaneous engagement of others. Best of all, FLOOR TIME is designed to instruct the parents in its' implementation so that "therapy" can continue even after the sessions are over. Many parents take over implementation completely!

If your child has difficulty with making conversation, making eye contact, staying on topic, focusing, following directions, making friends, playing with toys "appropriately", then FLOOR TIME may be just what you and your child have been looking for. And I would love to help! Feel free to email me with any questions or concerns at angieskillern@suddenlink.n

et or call me (417)593-1163.

Autism, ADD, & ADHD are TREATABLE! They are REVERSIBLE! RECOVERY is POSSIBLE!!!

Ever Heard of Nursemaid's Elbow??

2009-07-30T15:02:00.005-05:00

Ever felt like you a bad parent, well maybe this will give you something to make you feel better. We had horrible little incident happen the other day. Cydney has been refusing to walk sometimes and prefers to be carried; sweet, but a little annoying when your hands are full or you are extremely tired yourself. So anyways, we were leaving a restaurant, she was tired, and was insisting to be carried. We are trying to teach her to walk on her own without running off so we held her hand and asked her to walk. She took a few steps and in absolutely perfect toddler fashion she threw herself down in a fit of rage. So we gave in and carried her to the car. She kept crying, but we really just thought she was tired and emotional, and she is a little bit of a drama queen! When I got her to the car she had stopped crying and mentioned that she had a "boo boo" and pointed to her elbow. I didn't think much about it as she had a few scrapes and bruises at the time, so I thought she was just talking about something she had already done. She fell asleep on the way home and stayed asleep until just before the babysitter got to the house. That was when I knew that something was wrong. She wasn't moving her right arm at all, yet she was laughing and playing and acting fine. She had actually had this happen once before and she was fine the next day, so we let it go until the next day hoping it would go away. But this time it didn't! In the morning she still couldn't move her arm, so off to the doctor. Of course my doctor was out of town, so we went to an Urgent Care, where the had to do an x-ray. That was horrible as they had to rotate her arm to get a good picture, and she screamed and screamed!! So then they are able to diagnose that she has a dislocated elbow, also called "nursemaid's elbow". Unfortunately this doctor had no experience in putting it back in place, so we had to go to another doctor. Poor little girl has already been poked and prodded way more than she needed to be, but we have to get her fixed. Now we have to go to the emergency room (due to a long struggle with the insurance people) so we have a long wait, but finally get to see a doctor who very gently but, according to the screaming, with much pain, managed to get it back in place. They gave us a sling, and sent us home with the instructions that if she didn't start using it within 24 hrs to come back. She really didn't use it at all for the rest of the day or most of the next, but just when I thought we were going to have to go back, she jut started using it. Actually she had come to my show with some friends and she started clapping! She didn't even realize it at first, but once we pointed it out to her she took that sling off and never looked back. Thank God!!
http://pedclerk.bsd.uchicago.edu/nursemaidElbow.html
This link explains what nursemaid's elbow is and how it is treated. I hope it never happens to your little one, but if it does at least you will know what you need to do, and you won't need to panic they will be OK!!!!!

2009-07-21T11:08:00.007-05:00

Here are some pictures from the show as promised!! We are so very proud!! The cast is so incredibly talented, and has done such a wonderful job of making the music and script come to life!! And of course I can't forget to thank Justin Clark for his wizard like abilities with all of the video and print work! We would be lost without him! Thanks also to Skip for his wonderful lighting design, and Scotty for stepping in to help at the last minute!Thanks to Derek for the fantastic sound engineering,and all of the technical staff at the theater for pitching in when needed. We also would not even be in the theater without the amazingly supportive, and always optimistic, Jeanie Horton, not to mention all of the theater staff! OK I think the band is playing me off from our acceptance speech!! Just enjoy a few pictures!! AND COME SEE THE SHOW!!!

We Are Open!!!!

2009-07-18T17:23:00.003-05:00

We did it!!!! I don't have pictures yet, they should be in my hands shortly, but we put the show up!!! The response has been overwhelming! Thanks to all of our friends and family for all of their support! We Love You Guys!!Chris, Bucky and Angie did such a great job with the script and vocals and I would have to say that Ken and I were very energetic the dancers/ assistants! honey Bee, Big Al, and recycle Ben were also exceptional in their sections. The Mad Scientist has become Cydney's favorite part of the show; she has been repeating the dialogue for days now. Some of the other kids we talked to loved the Jammy Jam, (my personal favorite),while some thought Big Al the crocodile was pretty fantastic, and some said that Honey was just too cute. We also had a lot of positive feedback from parents. One Mom was so pleased that her 2 year old made it all the way through a show for the first time, while many others were impressed with how much their kids learned while they were having fun!
One of the best rewards came at the end of the show. We close with a song called "Imagine What You Can Do!" and it is a result of a story that Bucky tells about an experience from his childhood where he received an award for drawing a green snowman simply because he was using his imagination! We always ask the kids to come down and help us decorate some "imagination boxes" when we looked at the boxes at the end of the show there was both a pink and a green snowman!!! The kids got the point and did their own version!! That felt good!!!
We still have lots to do to keep the show rolling! Mostly just letting people know what we are doing. We could use some help with spreading the word about the show! Tell everyone you know!!

So Much!!!!

2009-07-06T11:50:00.003-05:00

We have so much going on right now!! The show opens in less than 2 weeks! 10 days to be exact!! It is exciting and a little nerve racking. The costumes are coming together, product is starting to come in, friends and family are putting up posters, soon the Vacation channel commercial will start airing, we are really doing a show!!! we start some rehearsals tomorrow, Buck and Chris have been running lines for quite a while, so we may actually be ready! Well not ready but prepared! We had Ryan from Rottix (a graffiti artist from Springfield) Paint our "brick wall" set piece yesterday, and it looks awesome!!
Here is the link to our Vacation Channel promo that is posted on You Tube!! Let us know what you think!!!!
http://bit.ly/WLFZ

Update on Dog Food!

2009-06-30T17:01:00.002-05:00

I just realized that I did not report back about how things went with the big dog food switcheroo. Maybe because it was rather uneventful! We ended up going with Nature's Recipe, which seemed to have all of the good stuff and none of the bad, at a reasonable price.(approx $38 for a 35lb bag). Quite honestly, I did not notice any change in the dogs at all after going through 3 bags, so back to the store! This time I met a lady who actually works for the Nutro Company and she suggested that I try "Natural Choice" so I will give it 3 bags to see a difference. She did say specifically that she noticed a difference in her dogs coats when she started them on this and mentioned less shedding which would be a huge plus!!!!! I will keep you posted!

Braces are off!!!!!

2009-06-23T18:37:00.004-05:00

After almost 21/2 years my braces finally came off!!! Thank God!! That was one of the more miserable experiences of my life. There were a lot of days that I wanted to personally rip them off, but I was afraid I would rip out a tooth or part of one, and that certainly wouldn't help. There were some days when things were going rather badly that I would look in the mirror and say "Seriously?", do I really need this extra challenge on top of everything else! However, when I came home from my appointment to take them off and flashed a smile for my husband and daughter it was suddenly all worth it when my daughter; who would not remember me without braces, looked at me and said"Wow Mom I like your teeth!" Now all of the pain, inconvenience, and embarrassment just disappeared and was forgotten! It feels so good to be able to smile and not be conscious of my "weird" teeth!So to all those kids out there, or adults, it is worth it! It is not fun, but it is worth it!

Rock U Mentally is now on Twitter!!!

2009-06-18T11:48:00.003-05:00

We are now on Twitter!! You can follow our progress of what is going on with the production of the show, and any other random thoughts we might have!!!
FOLLOW US:
http:/twitter.com/rockumentally

A new First!!

2009-06-13T16:03:00.003-05:00

So we (Cydney and I) are doing some drawing, this time on a roll of leftover paper from a construction project, and usually I find myself making shapes for her to color in and me making pictures (quite pathetic ones), but this time was different! This time I made a circle and instead of her coloring it she made it into something!! How fun to see what her imagination would create! Maybe a face or a cat or a flower, but wait, no, she just keeps adding "legs" and finally proclaims "look Mom a spider". Yay!!! so I am very excited that she has made this progression, however that is all that she will draw now. Lots and lots of spiders. We will be well prepared for Halloween. Just thinking about it makes me want to go call Terminix!!

Finder of Lost Things!

2009-06-09T10:55:00.002-05:00

Why oh Why is it that I am the only person in my little family that can find things??? I have been used to this problem with my husband for a long time, we even tried to work on it as he got tired of hearing the rather large sighs when he would ask me the whereabouts of some item. But it just never seemed to improve and even if I could just tell him where "it" was for some reason" it "would be covered with some sort of invisible sci fi like cloaking device and something in plain sight could not be found. So now that my dearest Cydney(3) has mastered language a lot better (something I thought she might never do) it seems now one of her favorite words is "where" and again I tell her to go look here and there, it never seems to work, and I always have to stop what I am doing and go find "it". Maybe this will be my eternal weight loss program.

Far Away Family!!

2009-06-08T17:40:00.004-05:00

From the time I left home at 18, most of my communication with my family was over the phone. Every 6 months to year I would be able to fly home, or someone would come to visit me and that became the norm for me and still is to this day. But now we have a child and I think about how when I was her age I had aunts and uncles and cousins around, not to mention 2 sets of grandparents. Now not only is my family even more spread out than before, but my husbands is as well. So now the challenge is how to keep the presence of family in our lives without them being physically here. Of course we will all plan trips here and there, but now we are talking about traveling to Germany, and of course Canada. Not exactly quick weekend trips. We did just get all of the family together on my husbands side and took a picture of all the kids, which will probably be the last time that happens for several years. Of course Facebook helps keep us all in touch, but some of the kids are too young and some of the family is a little technologically challenged. So that puts us back to good old fashioned letters,and snail mail. We are talking about trying Skype out so we will let you know how that goes, apparently with that we can talk and see each other at the same time. That may not always be a good thing: guess I will have to do my make up for that! If anyone has some suggestions about how to keep far away family feel a little closer I would love to hear what you do! We need Help!!

Rock U Mentally Recycle Challenge!!!

2009-06-02T09:15:00.004-05:00

Rock U Mentally successfully completed our second Recycle Challenge!! We started off slow with only one item (plastic), and then added aluminum cans. We had a great response and now we are increasing the challenge! This time we are adding paper! Any catalogs, magazines, news papers or even junk mail! Even if you don't live in the Branson area we challenge you to take on this task in your neighborhood and teach your children the importance of recycling. Here is some imporant facts that will help everyone remember why we need to do this:
On average, each one of us produces 4.4 pounds of solid waste each day. This adds up to almost a ton of trash per person, per year.
A typical family consumes 182 gallons of soda, 29 gallons of juice, 104 gallons of milk, and 26 gallons of bottled water a year. That's a lot of containers -- make sure they're recycled!

Paper Recycling Facts

To produce each week's Sunday newspapers, 500,000 trees must be cut down.

Recycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times would save 75,000 trees.

If all our newspaper was recycled, we could save about 250,000,000 trees each year!

If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25,000,000 trees a year.

If you had a 15-year-old tree and made it into paper grocery bags, you'd get about 700 of them. A supermarket could use all of them in under an hour! This means in one year, one supermarket goes through 60,500,000 paper bags! Imagine how many supermarkets there are in the U.S.!!!

The average American uses seven trees a year in paper, wood, and other products made from trees. This amounts to about 2,000,000,000 trees per year!

The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50,000,000 homes for 20 years.

Approximately 1 billion trees worth of paper are thrown away every year in the U.S.

Americans use 85,000,000 tons of paper a year; about 680 pounds per person.

The average household throws away 13,000 separate pieces of paper each year. Most is packaging and junk mail.

In 1993, U.S. paper recovery saved more than 90,000,000 cubic yards of landfill space.

Each ton (2000 pounds) of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4000 kilowatts of energy, and 7000 gallons of water. This represents a 64% energy savings, a 58% water savings, and 60 pounds less of air pollution!

The 17 trees saved (above) can absorb a total of 250 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air each year. Burning that same ton of paper would create 1500 pounds of carbon dioxide.

The construction costs of a paper mill designed to use waste paper is 50 to 80% less than the cost of a mill using new pulp.

Plastic Recycling Facts

Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour! Most of them are thrown away!

Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year!

Americans throw away 25,000,000 plastic beverage bottles every hour!

Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator.

American throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam coffee cups every year.

Aluminum Recycling Facts

A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf as a new can, in as little as 60 days. That's closed loop recycling at its finest!

Used aluminum beverage cans are the most recycled item in the U.S., but other types of aluminum, such as siding, gutters, car components, storm window frames, and lawn furniture can also be recycled.

Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours -- or the equivalent of a half a gallon of gasoline.

More aluminum goes into beverage cans than any other product.

Once an aluminum can is recycled, it can be part of a new can within six weeks.

Because so many of them are recycled, aluminum cans account for less than 1% of the total U.S. waste stream, according to EPA estimates.

An aluminum can that is thrown away will still be a can 500 years from now!

There is no limit to the amount of times an aluminum can be recycled.

We use over 80,000,000,000 aluminum soda cans every year.

At one time, aluminum was more valuable than gold!

A 60-watt light bulb can be run for over a day on the amount of energy saved by recycling 1 pound of steel. In one year in the United States, the recycling of steel saves enough energy to heat and light 18,000,000 homes!

Ok that is a lot to know!! But we should all think about this and just take the extra time to collect and take your items to your recycle center!! Teach your kids about this, it will help them be more responsible to our communities, and it can be a lot of fun!!!!!

Another Great Website!!

2009-05-28T17:36:00.003-05:00

OK Thanks to my other new favorite website themotherhood.com I learned about a great website that will give you info about what products are healthy safe and green. It rates all kinds of products from food, personal care, household products, toys, cosmetics and toys. If you ever have a thought about weather something you use everyday is good for you and your family, now you can check it out!It also lists current issues, and news including recalls. You can even find out where you can buy some of the products, and they even help you compare prices. How awesome is that! Oh yah here is the link (I was so excited I almost forgot to include it):
http://www.goodguide.com/

Searching for Dog Food!!!

2009-05-26T16:32:00.005-05:00

Now I love our 3 furry beasts, but it seems that their hair has taken over the house! Now I could understand this if the were say sheepdogs, or even a golden, but they are weimaraners, and have short hair!!! Everyday I start out by sweeping the floor and everyday there is a giant hairball that could fight any small dog piling up on my floor.It has come to the point that we have given them one couch that is all theirs (only because it is to hairy for any one to sit on) but I just can't handle all of this hair EVERYWHERE! So I am going to try different food. We use to feed Pedigree, but after my sister in law (who is a vet) told me that they're annoying habit of licking their paws incesently was probably from a food alergy, which oftened happened with dogs who were on that diet, we switched to good old Purina Dog Chow. This stopped the licking(yay) but now we are noticing the massive hair loss(Boo). Our oldest boy is also almost 9 and we notice him limping a little here and there, so I did start them on a little caster oil, but we have almost fifished a bottle and I haven't seen any change. I know that will take longer to notice a difference so we will keep that up. So now I will try to upgrade their food and see if that helps their coat, which will obviously make them healthier. The challenge comes in the price.With 3 large dogs we go through a 20lb bag in about 5 or 6 days, so it gets pretty costly. We don't feed any table scraps, and the only treats they get are cheerios. So I am off to Petco to see what looks good for the price. I have done some online research and it looks like either "Blue Buffalo"or "Wellness" are the brands that seem to be most highly recommended. Stay tuned and I will let you know if I can see a difference, or at least stop sweeping so much!

http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/bestfood.html
http://www.rateitall.com/t-353-dog-food-brands.aspx

Restaurant Deals!!!! WOW!!!

2009-05-25T20:06:00.002-05:00

OK I just found this website Restaurant.com that is incredible! You can buy gift cards for restaurants at a huge discount. Like $25 gift certificate for $10, or $10 for $3. Holy wow, how can you not take advantage of that for yourself or gifts for family and friends!
Check it out!!! NOW!!!!

It's Growing!!!!

2009-05-25T17:51:00.005-05:00

Just to update, even though I was afraid my dirt was too much like clay, it seems my garden is actually growing!!!! I had to add a little "moo-nure" just to make sure there was something good in it and now less that a week after all the seeds were planted, they are all sprouting!!! How very exciting.Excuse me for being a little philosophical and even a little bit theological, but how fascinating is it that when you place a random seed in some dirt (not even perfectly balanced evenly mixed soil) a beautiful little plant begins to grow. And from that plant you will be able to feed your family and many others. I'm sure a scientist could safely explain away this process step by step, but to me it is a sure sign that God is all around us!!

favorite new magazine!

2009-05-20T20:46:00.000-05:00

Ok so I have a slight magazine addiction!and now I have a new favorite! Food Network Magazine!it is full of fantastic recipes and tips for saving money and entertaining! There are some of the best burgers I have ever seen! I can't wait to start trying them out! I'll let you know how it goes!

She is on the Loose!!!

2009-05-20T17:37:00.003-05:00

My dearest darling 3 year old has pretty much informed me that she will no longer be riding in any type of grocery store cart! Now she is not the kind of kid that will happily stay by my side,in fact she is the type that will go running off in any random direction that looks even remotely interesting. I was never very interested in using one of those leash/harness contraptions, but it is starting to look a little inviting! I am now that annoying parent in Wal-Mart that you hear up and down the aisle repeating their child's name every 5 seconds, which is always followed by "come here" in varying volumes and tones! I'm sure this is just one of those phases that will pass, as some of my sweet friends and family reassure me, but to know that the years of containment are practically in the past his a harsh reality! I am proud of her for asserting herself and being independent, but I am afraid my sanity is the price to be paid.Thanks God pre-school starts in the fall, and I will miss terribly, but will be able to get groceries in peace! Ahh just to linger in the vegetable department makes me warm and fuzzy!

Sad For The View

2009-05-16T18:13:00.003-05:00

So every weekday morning I like to find some way to have some coffee and enjoy watching "Hot Topics" on the view. Well on this past friday one of the topics was do you believe in the after life. It was amazing to me to hear 3 out of the 4 (Elizabeth was not there on that day, so I am sure this would have gone a little differently if she was) said they did not fully if at all believe that there was such thing as an after life! Sherri who is a Christian did state that she did believe in Heaven and that she would be there one day and see all of her loved ones....good for her. Both Barbra and Joy said they absolutely did not believe and Whoopi just stick to I believe in all of it.(huh???) I just felt so sad for them. How do they deal with everyday life and even more so the worst of times without some sort of belief that God will fulfill his promise to us that we will have everlasting life in Heaven. It should be no surprise to me as I have listened to their view points on a variety of subjects for quite a while and it is obvious that they are not Christians but usually those who are not admitted Christians usually have some sort of belief like, "if I am good I should go to Heaven". So I say WoW !
Then I started to realize something else, this is why I have begun to feel like a minority in this country, just because I have strong Christian beliefs! If the most popular media in the country is fed by people that share their thoughts on this subject, they get to be the loudest voices because they have the most microphones! So unless I am listening to some "conservative" news channel or a Christian preacher on TV,I am made to feel that I don't seem to line up with what is going on in this country!
However, I do live and work in Branson, MO, which is a tourist town in the middle of the country where most of the 100 and some shows openly talk about the Christian faith, and our love and respect for this country and the Military that serve it. Now this strange little small town attracts 12 million visitors a year, and our economy is expected to grow again this year! So I must not be in the crazy minority! There are a lot of people who feel the way that I do! But why can't we see them in the media, without them being portrayed as oddballs!
Alright that was my first real rant. I will try to get back to recycling, crafts, cooking and raising a kid. Just like everyone else!

Great Website for Recipies, and such!!!!!

2009-05-15T14:00:00.001-05:00

I just keep coming back to this website for all kinds of great info, and I signed up for the newsletter so it helps me come up with good stuff to do or cook!! LOVE IT!!

The Big Announcement!!!!

2009-05-12T23:05:00.004-05:00

OK Here it is The Big Announcement!!!! Rock U Mentally will be debuting it's live theatrical show this July at The Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater!! We are so excited!! This is going to be the first of it's kind in Branson! A show that is totally geared towards kids! At a great price! And it is educational!! Here is our video promo!! Enjoy!! And come see us!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUfHiOWazd8

Rainy days, Sad Dogs

2009-05-05T16:50:00.005-05:00

So we have 3 dogs. Weimaraners at that, which if you aren't familiar with the breed, they are not happy if the have not been running their little tails off for a large portion of the day! So when we have 2 straight weeks of nasty, rainy days we have some very sad and pathetic beasts roaming around the house! So luckily today I found buried deep in the back of a closet, the Treat Ball!!!! I highly recommend one of these for your dogs. We bought it at Wal-Mart for about $8, and it sure does help! You can put regular kibble or even cheerios in it and they roll it around until the treats come out! You can make it easier or harder depending on how agressive your dog is with the toy and they are entertained for a good long while, and the miserable pacing was put to an end!! Go get one and save your dog, and your piece of mind!!!!
Here are some links to some similar balls:
http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-25203
http://www.alphadogtoys.com/crazy-ball-treat-dispenser-dog-toys.html

Ha Ha! I tricked her!!!

2009-05-04T14:05:00.003-05:00

BaHaHaHa!!!!!! I did it I tricked her! Her being Cydney the 3 year old that won't eat a vegetable at all no way no how!! Believe it or not she just ate a whole piece of a frittata and it had Zucchini Squash and red Onions!!! I actually didn't expect her to eat it but,we called it egg pizza and after we bargained for the first bite she decided she liked it and ate the whole thing! Yay!! It was shaped like pizza, it had cheese on top and ketchup (organic now that I am on the look out for that nasty high fructose corn syrup) and it did look like pizza!
Give it a try if you have a piccky eater, it just might work!
Here is a basic recipe that I used:

Things You'll Need:

* Eggs
* Milk
* Oil
* Salt
* Whatever vegtables you want to use, or want to get rid of.
* Cheese (If you want)

Step 1

This Frittata Recipe is very versatile, so gather around what vegetables you want to use. You can also skip the vegetable part. (In this case skip step 3 as well) **Look out for the asterisk, they are additional things you can put in if it sounds good to you**

Step 2

Preheat your oven at 400 degrees. If you are making a frittata in a small pan use 3 eggs and three spoonfuls of milk. If it's a normal to large pan use 5 eggs and 5 spoonfuls of milk (This makes it easy to remember as well, a spoonful of milk for each egg). In a bowl whisk the eggs, milk, and salt together. ** you can also put grated parmesan cheese, black pepper, paprika, oregano, chili flakes, thin slices of garlic**

Step 3

If you are using left over vegetables throw them in the bowl of eggs and milk. **boiled or left over potatoes that are diced go great with frittata' s**

Step 4

Let about a tablespoon of oil heat in a pan. Stir fry whatever vegetables you are using. Remember each vegetable has its own cooking time. Cook them until they look soft and ready. (some people like their vegetables on the raw side, your the chef!)** You can use Zucchini, asparagus, potatoes, onions, carrots, pepper, tomatoes, ANYTHING!**

Step 5

Place the vegetables in the bowl of eggs and mix 'em up! Reheat the pan you used for the vegetables and add some oil. (make sure you tilt the pan so that the oil touches the sides of the pan so that the eggs don't stick later)

Step 6

Pour the eggs in the pan once the oil is hot, if you're not sure then drop just one drop of the egg mixture. If you hear a sizzle, it's hot enough. Once the eggs are in the pan, keep them there for one whole minute on medium heat.

Step 7

DECORATION! This is your chance to add grated cheese (or cubed if you like). If you want to decorate the frittata you can slice a tomato thinly, or save some vegetables from earlier and place them in a pattern. (potatoes on outside, asparagus in a circle in the center). Have fun!

Step 8

Once the minute is up then place the frittata in the oven and keep it there until it looks ready. Trust your eyes! The frittata is cooked on the bottom, you're just waiting for the center and top to finish off. Enjoy!

Recycled Spring Flowers!

2009-05-02T16:46:00.006-05:00

I have started to feel extremely responsible for everything that we put in the trash since I started our Recycling Challenge with Rock U Mentally (see prior post). We have only begun our challenge and to keep it simple we are just starting with plastic bottles.Every scrap of plastic, Styrofoam,and glass that has not yet made it to a recycle bin is attached to a serious amount of guilt. So in an attempt to relieve some of that guilt I thought I would hold on to a few things and at least see if we could do something crafty with them. So we made FLOWERS!! And a Vase!! It was really very fun and easy! We (OK I) cut the top off of an empty milk carton, and then used a glue stick to cover it with colorful paper, which we then painted. Then I cut the egg cups out of the carton and pushed pipe cleaners through them to make stems and flower centers. Cydney painted the flowers too and then we put the stems into a square of Styrofoam that I cut from the top of the carton and Voila!!A beautiful vase of fresh cut flowers! I hope you make some too to brighten up some of these very rainy spring days!!!

Here are some links for more ideas on recycling crafts:
http://www.kinderart.com/recycle/
http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/earth-day/reusing-materials-make-new-crafts.html

High Fructose corn syrup

2009-04-28T18:11:00.002-05:00

Today we had a little scare that turned into a little bit of a blessing.( I am always reminded that God does tend to work this way if you are paying attention.) I was off at a lovely hair appointment where I was looking forward to a little "me" time discussing local gossip etc.. About one hour into my little visit my husband called me to tell me that he had taken Cydney over to our business partners so they could work on a jingle, and suddenly Cydney began throwing up. He had given her some grape juice before they came and she had found the extra grape juice he had stashed in a bag. My friend ..the Mom on duty... said that she had become very pale and her lips were blue and she had dark circles under her eyes, but within a fairly resonable amount of time she seemed to come back to her usual self, smiling and talking about SpongeBob. My friend then also told me that she thought it was probably a sugar overload, as she had seen the same reaction in her own child in the past. Then she gave me some very interesting information! She told me all the info about high fructose corn syrup,like how it is harder for the body to process than regular sugar and it is linked to diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. If that isn't bad enough there are now reports that this stuff has been contaminated with mercury and the FDA has known about this since 2005!!! Can you imagine! This is the same toxin that has been linked to all sorts of dissorders including problems with brain development and of course Autism.
So now we all need to run to our pantries and refrigerators and throw out everything with that wretched stuff in it! Rethink what snack foods your children eat and drink and make a big change now!!!

2009-04-26T20:22:00.003-05:00

I have my garden tools. I have some garden gloves. I started seeds several weeks ago, and now I have garden beds!! Well boxws anyways. Now I must find dirt! And apparently it has to be the right kind...or you have to add stuff. But this isn't going to be easy. I hear stories of mixing topsoil with compost, manure, peat etc. and that does not sound as appealing as stirring a cake batter. At least I get to let Cydney help with this project, she loves digging in some dirt! Any advice for dirt to poop ratio would be appreciated. Otherwise I will post the progress as it grows!

2009-04-23T15:02:00.002-05:00

Rock U Mentally wants to challenge all of our friends to join us in our efforts to teach our children about recycling! Recycling papers and containers reduces the amount of trash filling our landfills. Each person in a household generates an average of 4.0 pounds of waste per day. That's almost 1500 pounds per year! At least 40% of that waste is recyclable which means each individual can recycle 600 pounds of material annually.For those who live in the Branson area, we are asking you to start recycling plastic bottles! If we just start with one type of item it is not so overwhelming! Get your kids involved by having them check for either the #1 or #2 symbol on the bottom of the bottles, rinse them out, and explain why recycling is so important! We will meet at the Branson recycling on the first tues. of every month starting on May 5th. More details to follow! Hope to see you and your trash on May 5th at the Branson Recycle Center ,601 Compton Rd.
For those of you who don't live in the area, start recycling in your own neighborhood with your friends and family!

Grandma Rosie

2009-04-19T21:05:00.003-05:00

I had expected my next entry to be about something fun and exciting like our trip to see Disney on ice, but instead we took an abrupt turn in our weekend. Today at approx. 4pm our dear Grandma Rosie passed away. Her health had been declining for quite some time, and our usually vibrant and active grandmother had been bed ridden for over a year, so this didn't come as much of a suprise, however it is more difficult to accept than I had expected. This is certainly not anything new to our family, as a matter of fact we kind of feel like experts on the subject of grieving. My husband's Mom passed away 9 years ago, and both of my parents within the last 2 years, then we lost our twin girls 2 weeks before they were to be born, not to mention several friends over the years the last one was in a shocking car accident in Dec..This one is just different though. This feels like it marks the end of an era. I am afraid that all of the history of our family just dissapeared! It makes me wish I had paid more attention along the way. I know the basics, like that my grandparents came accross from England after my Dad had come accross by himself, I don't know what year or how hard it was to make that decission for any of them.I know the area they were all from but none of the relatives. I have always been a little proud to have family with an English accent, it made us a little different and my grandparents were so proud of their heritage that they even opened an English bakery. But now I don't have some of the legendary recipies,and am ashamed that I didn't ask more questions. So I guess I write this as a wake up call to everyone else! Go and talk to your family! Write things down!!Take pictures!! Face the fact head on and unashamed that there will be a time that some of the people that you love won't be there to answer the questions or re-tell the stories that you love!! My daughter is only 3 and she will only know what I can tell her about my parents and their parents, and that is a whole other difficult issue for another day.

Adam Walsh Child Protection Act

2009-04-15T17:49:00.001-05:00

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act was passed on July 25, 2006—20 years after Adam Walsh's abduction. The act established a National Sex Offender Registry law, but recent news reports reveal most states will not be in compliance with the law by the upcoming July 2009 deadline. If senators and state representatives don't comply with and fully fund the act, it will expire.
Today on Oprah John Walsh let us all know that it is up to us to make sure that action is taken so that this Act does not expire! Without this law and it's enforcement you will never know if a sex offender is living in your very own neighborhood . Below is a link from Oprah's website that gives you a letter already written, all you have to do is sign your name! It also gives you the links to find your representatives, and you can even just copy and paste it to one of their online forms. What could be easier! Please take a few minutes to check this out, if the government has the ability to save our failing companies they can definitely save our children!!!
letter on Oprah's website
Ok so this bottom link does not work but if you click on "AdamWalsh's abduction" above it will get you there. Sorry I will get this link stuff figured out!
Our music project for kids that we call Rock U Mentally has a song that we think teaches kids one of the most valuable lessons that they can learn, and that is what to do when approached by a stranger. You can hear a sample at our website rockumentally.com

Rock U Mentally's first music Video!!! WOO HOO!!!!

2009-04-14T16:35:00.001-05:00

Jumping In!!!!

2009-04-14T15:23:00.000-05:00

Ok here I go! I have thought about doing this for a while, and finally decided to jump in the pool and start blogging! My family is on an interesting journey that has already had plenty of ups and downs, so this may be a good way to spread the news, good and bad, get advice and maybe help some other people on the way!
My husband and I have been married for 14 years, and we have a beautiful 3 year old daughter. We also have 3 beautiful weimaraners who were the children before the child! We both work in the entertainment industry as performers, and have been doing so for most of our adult lives. Currently we are working on a project called Rock U Mentally, which is music developed to teach kids about environmental and social issues using hip music that parents can also enjoy. This summer we will be debuting the project as a live theatrical show in Branson, MO. We are very excited!
Needlessto say the usual drama of life with a 3 year old and 3 large dogs, can be enough to make someone crazy, but this year I hope to take on such extra projects as a garden, learning to live a "greener life", and some adventures in decorating, organizing, and crafting!
Let's Just see how it all goes!!!!