Office supplies

Since my foot surgery, I have tried to create a "home office" around the couch that I have been lying on with my foot propped up. This has led me to think about what items are REALLY necessary to have close at hand. I have come up with a few that seem to be indispensable to me:

1. Post-it notes
2. Telephone - of course!
3. Paper clips - always handy to have around
4. My 3-hole punch

The 3-hole punch seems to be the thing I am using the most. Who knew? Well, besides the telephone but then you probably could have guessed that!

What do you find indispensable?

Gluten free pasta giveaway

There is a new brand of gluten free pasta and you can sign up for the giveaway here:

http://www.5dollardinners.com/2009/08/gluten-free-pasta-giveaway.html


Check it out!

Pence or pound, anyone?

A couple of weeks ago, the treasurer of our church went up to one of my boys and had a British coin in his hand and asked my son if it belonged to us. Apparently, this same son had put a British coin in the offering plate the previous week and the treasurer (VVZ) figured it must be ours. Too funny!

I am in love

I found this fantastic website this morning that offers all sorts of creative possibilities for travel, camping, gifts, hospitality, etc.

www.minimus.biz

This would be quite helpful for my gluten free son for Boy Scout camp outs and for traveling. We could just purchase small packets of various food items for him to take on camp outs, on the plane (which we certainly could have used when Continental goofed and didn't have his gluten-free meal on a 10 hour flight!) or just even to go to any sort of outing! Lovely!

In the beverage section, there are individual tea packets, coffee, hot chocolate, hot cider,cappuccino, Gatorade, lemonade and more.

The condiments section is fantastic. We like condiments! Hubby would be happy on camp outs to have some 1/2 and 1/2. They have gourmet items as well as basics. It is lots of fun: honey sticks, small jars of jam and marmalade,(including my favorite brand Hero), all kinds of salad dressing packets, packets of peanut butter, tuna, and even smoked salmon. The list goes on and on. They even have small packets of spices. Yes, I could get a Ziploc bag, pour my spices into it and save some money but my time is valuable too! And how about oil flavored with black truffles in a 1.7 oz travel size. Woo hoo! Or Himalayan pink salt? And if you want your own Tabasco sauce, not to worry, they have 1/8 oz. bottles, both red and green! We can't forget crushed red pepper packets either!

Oh and did I mention they have gluten free crackers?

They, of course, have travel sizes of necessary toiletries but also some you hadn't thought might be necessary but sure would be fantastic to have, like Evian Facial Spray.

When we travel, we usually rent vacation apartments (the only way to go, in my opinion but that is a topic for another post!) and it would be lovely to have some of the items on this site to bring along. Then we wouldn't have to go to a store and buy a big box of laundry detergent, but could have small packets that we use up as we go along and not have to worry about throwing out, leaving behind or dragging along things.

They have "kits" as well for college students, military, hospitality, etc. I especially like the Out of Towner Welcome Snacks. They have a regular version and a Deluxe version. Fun!

Also, there are travel sized games. Fun way to keep the kids busy!

And you never know when you might need duct tape. Well, you can purchase 2 mini-rolls of duct tape. http://www.minimus.biz/detail.aspx?ID=7470

There have been several times when we have been traveling that I have gone out to buy packing or duct tape and spent lots of time looking for a store that carried it. I should have had this! Not to worry, on my next trip, I will be prepared!

Oh and free ground shipping for orders over $20!

Like I said, I am definitely in love!

125 years

Yes, it is time to celebrate the 125th year of the Swiss Army Knife, which is one of my must have travel items.

http://125years.swissarmy.com/

Kids say funny things

We were driving down the road the other day and one of my boys asked me, "Mom, why is it that you drive on a parkway but you park in a driveway?" I had to laugh!

Hygiene to a new level

This just makes me laugh. If you have ever been to Switzerland or Germany then you know how "clean" they are.

Check this out:
www.myswitzerland.com/en.cfm/home/sommerferien/page-Tab_Home-Home_Summer-330925.html

Is that a new form of flossing? LOL

I tried to insert this as a clickable link but it didn't work....

Staedtler - great customer service

A few years ago, while on vacation in Germany, I bought a few of the most fantastic mechanical pencils. This is definitely my favorite: Staedtler Triplus Micro Plus 0.5mm. It has to be the one that is all silver, not one with blue on it. Well, I can't find them in the USA and sent an email to Staedtler in Germany and guess what? They sent me a pencil from Germany. It was cheaper than flying to Germany for a pencil.

I love great customer service.

Go, Staedtler, go!

Log Cabin syrup

I am so very excited!!!! Log Cabin syrups are now making their syrups without high fructose corn syrup. As a matter of fact, they even have an article on their site about HFCS not being healthy.

Now, of course, I would prefer 100% pure maple syrup but I have at least one very picky eater in the house.

Go Log Cabin!!!!

The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks

My youngest child has developed a love for reading with this series. I am looking for them everywhere, the library, ILL, Paperback Swap and local bookstores...Love it!

Quote on Education

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil. ~C.S. Lewis

What happened?

Anyone have any idea why my background disappeared?

Very strange....

Our beloved Love

Yesterday was a sad day in our household. It started off great. Hubby and the older 2 boys set off for a Scout Merit Badge Fair. We were so excited that Thomas, after being mostly in bed for a month, rallied up the energy to go!

Charles and I went out to run errands, including a stop at Petsmart to buy a new hamster cage for our hyper hamster, Cookie. We also bought a new Beta fish to replace the one that died while the kids and I were in Europe. Dad forgot to feed it. Oops!

I digress...we got home and Charles eagerly began to assemble the cage for Cookie. We decided to do a thorough cleaning of Thomas' room since it hadn't been really cleaned for a month. We were cleaning off his desk, where the hamsters and fish reside. Oh yes, we had put the new fish in his vase as well. So we were cleaning and arranging the desk and I wanted to show Love (the other hamster) the new cage we had gotten for Cookie. Alas, when I lifted up her igloo (little thing she sleeps under) I realized she looked way too peaceful. Charles confirmed it...poor thing had died. We were discussing, just this week, that she would probably die soon. She moved slowly and quite wobbly, she had bald spots, she didn't exercise much anymore and she just mostly wanted to sleep. We were sad that we had to greet the older 2 boys with the news when they got home.

Thomas immediately went into his room, upon arriving home, and was thrilled with the new cage for Cookie and the new fish but then we had to break the news to him and James.

We had a funeral service last night. The boys wanted to bury Love and then they had a service, including Scriptures about life and death, hymns, and praying. They made a little memorial out of big rocks and wood and even wrote "Love R.I.P" on it.

Love was a sweet little thing and her name fit her quite well. This is really the first animal to die for us that had special meaning to the boys. A fish, well, you really don't cuddle a fish...or a hamster crab. But Love was just that...love...

A U.S. road trip?

We are actually considering taking a US road trip. Isn't that shocking?

Sisterchicks

A new Sisterchick book, Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes, comes out in May. Should be fun!

1/2 equals 2?

I went for a haircut yesterday and my hairdresser said she would trim it about 1/2 inch. I got home and had about 2 inches cut off. Oh well...it grows!

Delight Gluten Free Magazine

I am so excited. There is a new gluten free magazine, Delight Gluten Free, and it looks fantastic.



Subscribe to Delight Magazine!

Just thought I would share with my gluten free friends!

A Glorious Day

Wow! This is the type of day Houstonians love! Sunshine, crispness in the air, low humidity, 60 degrees. It is LOVELY!

Thank you, Lord, for such a beautiful day! Woo hoo!

It is like springtime in Europe. LOL

Post it notes, gotta love 'em

I found a new use for Post-it notes. You can take one, rub the sticky side between the keys on your computer keyboard and be astounded at all the "gunk" that sticks to them. I wish I could remember where I read about this but I think it is just splendid!

I changed my background but I am not sure how much I like it. What think ye?

Anyone know how to change the color on the title for each post? It doesn't really show up on here.

Why didn't I think of that?

Since I have written something about Europe, chocolate and books, I thought it was time I write something about coffee. I went to Starbucks yesterday and bought a latte and asked for one of their new "splash sticks." I just kept thinking, "Why didn't I think of that?" It is this very simple little stick that goes into the opening at the top of the lid so that you don't "splash" the coffee as you go out the door and to wherever you are going. This was especially helpful yesterday because my car is being worked on and I am driving hubby's car, which is a standard. Although I learned how to drive on a standard and drove them for the first 12 years or so of my driving life, I am a bit rusty these days and don't shift gears so smoothly. Thus, the "splash stick" was very nice so as not to spill any of that precious coffee in hubby's clean car!

What neat little gadget do you wish you had invented? Does anyone have something nifty in mind to invent? I have one idea....

Charles Spurgeon quote on books

“My books are my tools. They also serve as my counsel, my consolation, and my comfort. They are my source of wisdom and the font of my education. They are my friends and my delights. They are my surety, when all else is awry, that I have set my confidence in the substantial things of truth and right.”

I only thought it appropiate that I should write something about books since they are part of my blog name. I have already written something on chocolate. Coffee and Europe will come next!

Conundrum

When we were in Germany this fall, I bought a few packages of almonds to bring home with us. It is so strange to me that almonds from California, bought in Germany, cost about 1/4th the price of buying them here in the USA.

Any thoughts as to why this is? I found it very odd!

Euromom arrives

It looks like I am finally making the switch to Blogger. I wanted the same title as my blog at Xanga, Euromom, but there is someone here on Blogger that sells illegal substances that already has that name. Too bad!