Nerdy Stuff- Jing and Cooliris

Papa adores these two sites.

http://www.jingproject.com/ Jing Project allows you to:

1. snap a picture of your screen

2. record video of onscreen action

3. share instantly over the web, IM or email

This is more helpful that you realize. Being able to capture a page from a website and send as one document can really come in handy. The video of onscreen action is helpful when instructing someone on how to do virtually anything on the computer. You can even narrate these videos if you have a microphone. If sending a capture of a page- you can even highlight, arrow or create a textbox of what you are wanting to show. (as seen in the photo) This all may seem cumbersome and complicated, but the application is really user friendly and makes capturing and sending specific articles, photos or other information easy. Also, a lot of web photos and information is often copywritten and coded so that you cannot simply right click and save. I do not condone stealing people's stuff. But with this application you can "capture" photos that you would not be able to save otherwise.

Another one of his favorites is Cooliris http://www.cooliris.com/. It is a plug-in that takes you to a "3D" wall that lets you browse thousands of images, videos and more with ease and speed. (It works like the iPod touch) I think it only works with Firefox. So if you are searching for a photo or information on a specific item, you can type in a key phrase and have access to thousands of photos and subsequent sites relating to that subject matter. Their website explains it in great detail. You should check it out. P.S. This photo was made possible by Jing.

Free Music

imeem is addictive and fun. Let's say you are having friends over and want to play the latest Coldplay CD, or you are cleaning house and you want to dance to Whistle While You Work, or you wanna hear Mozart while you prepare dinner for 4, or you are getting dressed for a job interview and you need some Beyonce'. The scenarios are endless and imeem is your answer. It allows you to play just about any song under the sun. You can play entire albums too, so you are not constantly at the computer. There are some commericals in there at some point, but it is a minor nuisance, considering you have all this music at your fingertips. Plus, you can embed songs to your blog or website. I have done it a few times on my Days of Grace blog and have done so below. Some songs work, and some don't, but again, beggars can't be choosers. http://www.imeem.com/

My Favourite Things - Julie Andrews

Hershey's Piece of Cake Cake

This is my sister's recipe. It is one of my favorite chocolate cakes and it is very good and super easy. I have copied and pasted it exactly as she sent it to me. It reveals how little I know about baking and the fact that she knows this. However, I made it last night and it was a hit! (I baked it for 45 minutes instead of 30)

------------------------------

Hershey's Syrup Chocolate Cake

1 stick softened butter

1 cup self rising flour

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

16 oz or more Hershey's syrup

Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased 9X13 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. (do you know to cream the butter and sugar then add eggs, flour and last syrup?)

Icing:

1/2 stick butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup chocolate chips - I use semi sweet

1/2 cup nuts if desired

Combine first three ingredients in a bowl and melt in boiler. Allow to boil for 2 minutes. Add nuts and chocolate chips. Remove from heat and allow chips to melt. Pour immediately on top of cake. Allow some time for this to cool before eating. It tastes and slices better, but won't be awful if you have it warm.

Eat a slice for me.

Sleep Sacks

So we all know I am no expert on the field of babies. But if you have one, I think you should put it in one of these. I kept Punkin this weekend for 5 hours and have NO IDEA how mother's do it (one hour of which he was asleep). I don't know how you ever go anywhere or do anything? Babies are heavy and you can't just put 'em in a contraption and walk away. They fuss. They put stuff in their mouths. They spit. But even after I put him down for his nap...I couldn't wait until he woke up again so I could get my hands on him. I love these little sleepers. Europeans use them all the time. I don't know why we don't. They are supposed to keep the baby "covered" no matter how much they move around. They are safer and more comfortable than loose bedding in a crib. So rather than covering them with a blanket it, you zip them up in one of these. Plus they are just too cute. Punkin has this one with the monkey on it.

Workout Videos

Laura Steen loves this website. It has great workout Videos where you can learn basic strengthening techniques. Many of them, you can watch once and easily learn the strengthening and toning exercises to do them again on your own at any time. Laura has her computer set up in her workout room and I set my laptop up on the coffee table to best follow along. They are not hard and you can mostly listen to the instructions without having to strain to see the computer. Laura does her workouts in the mornings and I do mine in the afternoons. I used to find these not very productive, but like Laura says, "doing something is better than doing nothing" and these really do work. I am certain that a daily routine of these for a few weeks will yield results! Just the simple act of stretching, breathing and pumping the heart a little does a body good. And most of these are very short 5 minute workouts. www.fitnessmagazine.com

Television

PBS Masterpiece Classics is showing Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility again this February 1-8. It is in two 90 minute episodes on Sundays at 9:00pm. Set your DVR! Put the kettle on. It is so good! I love this adaptation. Wuthering Heights is playing now. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/schedule/index.html

Photography

Christine Davis discovered this wedding photographer years ago. Ruth Rackley is from Clinton, SC. We both go to her site about once a month, just to view all the weddings and watch the slideshows. A lot of them are along the coast and you can get great ideas. She pays so much attention to detail that you feel like you where there. I have actually spoken on the phone with her and want to use her for our next family portrait and would LOVE to be able to use her for my wedding one day. She really is the best I have seen. She has a general website and a blog. The site takes a bit to load because of all the content, but I highly recommend taking a look at her stuff. Grab a kleenex.

http://www.rackelyphotography.com/ www.rackleyphotography.com/blog

Mascara

I am still open to suggestions, but this is my old standby and remaining favorite.

It applies well, whether applying a little or a lot, dries quickly and is easily removable. And it is under $5.00.

Lunch- Bonna Bella Yacht Club

Sometimes when I close my eyes and attempt to teleport myself anywhere but the ATL, I find myself sitting on the patio of the Bonna Bella Yacht Club in Savannah, GA. Rebecca Grizzle, Elizabeth Glenn Howell and I spent a summer Saturday there and didn't want to leave. We could have easily shown up for lunch and stayed until dinner. Menu items include a shrimp and grits appetizer & low country shrimp cakes with cucumber salad & curry aioli. Entrees feature grouper, yellowfin tuna, sea scallops, 1.5 lb Maine lobster, and save room for the Hazelnut Gellatto for dessert. Or just go sit on the patio and drink Red Stripe and eat oysters. Many visitors arrive by boat and there is always a colorful array of characters lurking about. It is a fun place to people watch. White collar retirees pull up in their spotless refurbished Chris Crafts in Sperry topsiders and local Blue collars arrive by Chevrolet in fliplops. It has all the charm and character of a local coastal dive, with excellent food and a discerning beer menu. And guess what else? The owners are huge wine connoisseurs and travel all over California, Francy and Italy, searching for great wines, which they offer to you by the glass or by the bottle. Remember to stay for the sunset. http://www.bonnabellayachtclub.com/

Running Pants

As long as I am living, my thighs will touch. I could starve myself to near death, and my thighs will still touch. In the world of running, sweaty thighs and nylon, polyester or even cotton are not a good combination because of...chaffing. There was once a time in my life, before I was a runner, when I didn't know what chaffing was. Let's just say, now I do. Ouch. There is not just thigh chaffing, there is sports bra chaffing too, but that's another problem entirely. A second problem I face is being cold. I am always cold. I have such a hard time getting motivated to go run when I am cold. If it's cold inside, it's gonna be cold outside! I have stood out in the freezing cold with women in itty bitty running shorts and sports bras, and I am in long running pants, gloves and a stocking cap and cold! Those are just two reasons why I love these running pants. They are the Mizuno Exodus 3/4 Tight. They are better than shorts, because of the chaffing issue discussed earlier. My friend Truitt calls pants, "long pants" and I laugh at him and say, "as opposed to short pants?" But here is actually an occassion where there is a difference and they need distinguishing. These are short pants. They are better than full length pants because you can still wear them in the heat of summer. Once you really start running in cooler weather you really warm up and longer pants can actually get hot and flap around your ankles. These are made of "moisture management" fabric, have a back pocket and a small one inside the waistband. Their website boasts a Gusset Crotch and I am laughing as I type that and haven't a clue what that is and really don't even care to find out. But they are sleek and I promise, they make you run faster!

Running

I really like this! I won this a few months ago and have just now taken the time to get it out and play with it. I purchased a simple $10 velcro pocket device at Phidipiddes and inserted the sensor on the laces of my Brooks shoes. (Yes, $10 is a lot for velcro, but even if you order one online it will cost that with shipping and I would not trust a homemade device). At first, I had the device upside down and I ran for two miles and it told me I had been .47 miles! But then I switched it to the correct side and it seems to worked perfectly! It can easily be calibrated, so I plan to take it to a track sometime soon. I was impressed with how user friendly it is. You simply plug the receiver into your iPod, place the sensor on your laces (closest to the toe and as tightly snuggled in as possible). You use the screen on your iPod to select your goals. Today I did a 4 mile run. You can choose a time or calorie goal too. You can select which playlist you want to listen to and even select a particular song to play at any time during your work as a Power Song for motivation. I was impressed with how user friendly it is! I love having the man speak in my ear and tell me how far I have been and at what pace. I didn't realize how consumed I had been, looking at my watch and being concerned about getting the correct mileage in AND figuring in my mileage back home. With this in my ear, I simply run. The man (or woman), comes in over your music and tells you how fast you are going at each mile. I love being able to just put it in, set a goal and start running! I like hearing my current pace at each mile (or when you press the center button) as it lets me know when I am a little sluggish so I can pick up the pace. There is no need to get the Nike Plus running shoes. If you own an iPod, you should get one. It will make you BE a runner or a walker or a jogger. Simply plug it in and start walking, it is a great motivational tool. I love to chart things and this does that for you too. You can upload all your workouts and set large goals, like marathons and it will plan work outs for you. That is a bit much for me and time consuming. But the ease of this device for my daily runs is just what I have been needing.

Preserves

Tart Cherry with Sherry, Organic Red Raspberry, Strawberry and Triple Berry, Spiced Apple, Cherry Pomegranate, Blueberry, Rhubarb Ginger, Seedless Black Raspberry, Apple Butter, Apricot and Balsamic Sweet Onion are a sampling of these delicious preserves I recently discovered from Braswell's. Those of you from around here have most likely seen their line of salad dressings, some made with Vidalia sweet onions. The also make pickles, relishes, honey, jellies, syrups, rubs and more. But my favorite are these sweet, flavorful, yummy preserves! They come in these adorable reusable European Old Fashioned glasses, in either 13 or 15 oz. The Balsamic Sweet Onion one would be great over a block of cream cheese with crackers. And the Seedless Black Raspberry would be so good on 9 Grain bread. I had some over the holidays at Mama Deane's. The shiny clear glass made me select it from the cabinet and I had no idea how delicious it would be. It was not too sweet. I thought for sure that this would be impossible to find and would retail for $10. But no! Kroger sells the preserves for $3.99! They retail for $6.25 on Braswell's website. And guess what? They are made in Statesboro, Georgia! All the more reason to try it. They look so pretty stacked in a pyramid on my kitchen counter. They make excellent gifts, make your breakfast table look elegant, and they make my mouth water just thinking about them, so tart, so fresh, so sweet, so good. http://www.braswells.com/

Canned Goods

I don't know why I am on this food kick lately. And I don't want to admit that "j'adore" canned goods, but this stuff is really good! I love the Hoppin' John and serve it over cauliflower, doctored up with a little bit (and I mean little bit) of sour cream and good-for-you butter. I often eat at my desk and on the go. These Margaret Holmes products are perfect for a quick meal and a great alternative to a Lean Cuisine. Oh! and they are completely Southern, grown and canned in South Carolina and Georgia.

Oatmeal

I love oatmeal! I recently pointed out to my mother that most all of my favorite foods are things that I didn't have growing up, such as oatmeal, sauteed spinach, and portabello mushrooms. I think my mother was insulted. But I LOVE oatmeal. I think, growing up in the South, we just didn't want to take away from grits or somethin'? Oatmeal was Yankee food and don't even think about Cream of Wheat. I used to point to it in the grocery store having seen those commercials of a piping hot bowl of warm Cream of Wheat and I wanted to try it. My mother would have nothing of it. And I always wondered just what the heck was porridge. I knew it was not good too cold or too hot, but I had no idea what it was? I think this is pretty much it. And it is so so so so good. You can add berries or honey or agave nectar or cinnamon or butter (shh) or bananas and have a different breakfast every morning. Carla gave me this brand for Christmas and I LOVE IT! It is NOT instant, but so worth the wait.

Boots

I have to admit the UGG boot craze drove me nuts. I could understand if you lived in Banff, you get to wear suede shearling boots, but not if you live in Atlanta! In my opinion, if you are wearing sheepskin boots in Atlanta, you look stupid. Chances are it is not even cold, and there is a greater chance it is raining. So if you can't wear them in the rain, or in weather over 45 degrees, your days of wearing them are really limited. Plus, I just think they look dumb. Unless you are Hannah Montana, don't put on a denim mini skirt and these boots and think you are all that. Until, I tried them on. I never realized that my toes are always COLD. Suddenly, I fell in love with these warm, soft, comfy, rubber soled boots! I always remove my shoes at the door, but my boots feel like slippers and keep my constantly cold toes really warm. I bought this pair instead of the UGGs as I still refuse to invest a whole lot into them. So now I say you can get a pair. I won't judge. http://www.bearpawshoes.com/

Cookies

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. These are good. So good. Obviously, like an Oreo, but pepperminty. They are better than I thought they would be. This indulgence is worth it. I am pretty sure they are seasonal, so get them before they are gone. Or call me, I have a box and will share.