Bird Feeding Dog Noodles

I saw this on the news while using the Viggle app and I just had to share, it is really cute. This bird is feeding a dog noodles that it is dipping in sauce. Clearly the dog and the bird are very comfortable with each other. It was suggested on the news that the bird thinks it is feeding worms to it’s baby. I think that the bird and dog are just good friends.

My father used to have a dog he got from the pound named Midget that was very close to all of the animals that he lived with, he was a cross between a chow and a border collie. We had a rooster and some wild animal tried to mess with it, Midget took care of the animal very quickly. Dogs can be very sweet.

Viggle: A New iPhone App That Pays You To Watch TV

UPDATE – June, 2014 – I have not used Viggle for well over a year. The point values have decreased to a point where it no longer makes sense for me to use. Some people who watch a large amount of TV might benefit from it but the numbers in this original post are no longer close to the current earning potential.

Viggle Pays You During Your Spare Time

I have written about several apps that you can earn money with like Checkpoints and Field Agent but no other app provides the same amount of earnings for as little effort as Viggle. I downloaded Viggle a little more than a week ago and I have just been amazed at how great the earning potential is from this app. In the first 3 days, they had a special deal on amazon gift cards and I was able to pick up $30 worth. In few days since I have accumulated enough points to buy a $10 iTunes gift card and another $25 Amazon  gift card, that is a total of $65 in gift cards in just 9 days. I think everybody with an Android, iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad needs to try this app.

 

How To Earn Gift Cards With Viggle

Check ins

Viggle pays you points to check in and watch television shows at the rate of 60 points per hour. There are a large amount of shows that include an added bonus for watching them for at least 10 minutes that is paid in addition to the 60 points per hour. At the time of this writing the biggest bonus opportunities are The Voice and American Idol which offer 400 points each. Some of the other shows that currently offer bonuses are Smash (325 points), Alcatraz (250 points),  Gossip Girl (300 points), and The River 300 points, Just to name a few. I was lucky enough to check in during the Super Bowl and managed to make almost 10,000 points between checking in and playing their interactive trivia game.

Watching Commercials

There are various commercials and trailers available to watch throughout the app that usually pay between 5 and 125 points each depending on the length and how many times you have watched them. So far I have not seen any that are longer that 3 minutes and some of them are as short as 15 seconds. Sometimes the commercials don’t give any points and a few times I have watched 30 point commercials and received 100 points instead. Usually if you watch all of the available bonus commercials there are more after you check in to a show or leave the app for awhile.

 

Games

There are several different games to play in Viggle such as trivia and My Guy that pay you various amounts to play. Games are not always available and I have seen many different ones come and go.

Training And Reminders

There are random training sessions scattered around the app that pay you 15 points to look at a few screens telling you how to do things like get help and invite friends. You can randomly get paid 10 points to set reminders for your favorite shows.

Referrals

There is a referral program that pays you 200 points for every referral after they have done an initial check in.

 

Here is the link to download Viggle for free on Android in the Google Play Store.

 

What Are The Viggle Points Worth?

There are several different prize levels, they start at 7500 points for a $5 gift card available for Starbucks, Target, Hot Topic, Burger King, Best Buy, and others.  There is a 14000 point $10 level that includes iTunes, Sephora, Old Navy, And Sephora. The 21,000 point $15 level includes Best Buy and Target. The most expensive Gift Card is a $25 Amazon gift card for 35,000 points. You can also get an iPod shuffle for 100,000 or a Kindle for 175,000 points. If you prefer there are charities to donate points to as well. At this time you are limited to $550 in rewards per year not including any contest winnings.

Viggle Deals

So far I have seen 3 different Viggle deals, which are prizes priced way below the regular price for a limited time. The first one was Amazon $5 gift cards for 4000 points which lasted a few days. I also saw a $5 Fandango gift card for 4000 points, the current deal, as of this writing, is a month of Hulu Plus Service for 6500 points

Conclusion

Update July 30, 2012 –  I have made a total of $245 in Amazon and iTunes gift cards.

So far this app is amazing and I highly recommend it to anybody with an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. The amount of effort it takes to earn awesome rewards is negligible. There are a few bugs still that I am sure will be worked out when the app has been around for awhile. Sometimes there are issues checking in to shows and it seems like the times are of a little but please don’t let little stuff discourage you from this opportunity.

 

Also please check out appsthatpayyou.com for more information about this and many other apps that pay you.

 

 

 

 

Some Muppet Awesomeness

I Love The Muppets

I just wanted to take the chance, while I still can, to post a few Muppet clips.  I grew up watching the Muppet show, the Muppet movies, Fraggle Rock, and Sesame Street. I have always loved the Muppets and was a bit disappointed with some of their stuff after Jim Henson died, lately they have been doing some really awesome things, even though they are currently owned by Disney. I have not seen the newest Muppet movie but based on this trailer I would really like to.

Muppet Bohemian Rhapsody

The first video I really wanted to share is this amazing version of Muppet Bohemian Rhaposdy. I am a huge Queen and Muppet fan and I think this is one of the greatest performances ever. I especially enjoyed Animal’s solo. I can’t believe this video was released in 2009 and I just now found it. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Muppet Bashing By Fox News

The next video I want to share is the clip from Fox News where Eric Bolling and some guests accuse the Muppets of trying to “brainwash children.” At first when I watched this It seemed like it was a joke but it just keeps going on and on without a punchline. I think it is also important to mention that the head of Fox, Rupert Murdoch recently tweeted: “Seems blogosphere has succeeded in terrorizing many senators and congressmen who previously committed. Politicians all the same.” Regarding the countries concern about SOPA.

The Muppets Strike Back

This Video is just too Awesome not to share. It is a clip of Kermit and Miss Piggy addressing the ridiculousness of Fox News at a press conference on the 26th of January, 2012. I don’t think it could have been put any better.

Thank You Wikipedia, Google, Reddit, Mozilla For taking A Stand Against SOPA And PIPA

w:en:Creative Commons attribution share alike 	This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. 	      You are free:          to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work         to remix – to adapt the work      Under the following conditions:          attribution – You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).         share alike – If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one.
Wikipedia Blackout SOPA screenshot by JORM

A Big THANK YOU To Everybody Who Took A Stand

I am neither Democrat nor Republican because as far as I can see they are really just the same for the most part. Maybe the Republicans are a little more aggressive but they have both really lost their way. I personally don’t like to get involved in any political issues since it seems to me that big businesses and those with the money make all of the decisions, most of the time the voice of the people doesn’t ever seem to be a factor in creating new laws or deciding how government should be run. It seems that our rights and freedoms in this country are disappearing very rapidly.

That being said I am very appreciative that major websites like Wikipedia, Reddit, Mozilla, Craigslist, Cheezburger Network and many others decided to take a major stand today to create awareness of the dangers of SOPA and PIPA. Also thanks to everyone who took action about this. Although life without Wikipedia, even for a day, was  quite annoying, it was nothing compared to the reality we would face if this kind of legislation gets passed in its current form. I sincerely hope this will inspire more people to pay attention to what is really going on. Maybe we will begin eliminate the very real issue of serious corruption in our government. This issue really spotlights the blatant abuse of power by people like Congressman Lemar Smith who actually gets to decide which bills get heard and which ones don’t due to his position as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. I think it’s critical important for everyone to see the relationship between Congressman Smith’s sponsors and which laws get considered.

There were a couple of people who I feel laid out all of the issues very well and explained what exactly is at stake with SOPA and PIPA. The first one is Jimmy Wales the founder of Wikipedia, here is what he had to say. I also really respect the opinion of internet marketer PotPieGirl who has had plenty of issues with people pirating her works. Here is the blog post she made about SOPA. I also really liked what The Oatmeal had to say, I hope it stays up for a little while.

 

My Personal Copyright Experience

In 2002,  20th Century Fox attorneys attacked both me personally and my business when I tried to show The Rocky Horror Picture Show, one of my favorite films, in my music venue as a celebration of  my business’s first anniversary. After contacting their licensing agent, Criterion, I was told I could license the rights to show the movie in my establishment for $750. Criterion stated I could advertise the event however I wanted. I put a few thousand dollars total including the licencing fee into the event, only to receive a cease and desist by FedEx and fax on the day of the show.  This was my first time dealing with corporate attorneys and it was a horrible experience. Perhaps most disturbing were accusations by Fox’s attorneys that I was a thief attempting to steal multiple works belonging to their client. These accusations by Fox’s attorneys continued all day while they refused to accept my proof of payment for the rights.  Eventually the owner of  a local movie theater contacted someone at 20th Century Fox and involved them directly in the process. I received a call from someone,who’s name escapes me at the moment, who claimed to be very high up at Fox. That individual gave me verbal authorization to proceed with the show.

Unfortunately, by this time I had told nearly everyone that the show was cancelled. I decided to proceed with the show, despite having told everyone the show was cancelled, because Fox refused to refund the licensing fee. Due to this only about 20 people showed up and I was left with a loss of  several thousand dollars because Fox’s left hand didn’t know what their right hand was doing.  In my opinion Fox’s actions were the proximate cause of my business loss.  It was certainly a lesson about how viscous and ruthless the attorneys for these companies are and how little they care about doing what is right. Although there are certainly pirates that use these companies works illegally and deserve to be punished, they don’t seem to care enough to make sure they are not targeting the innocent. This is especially egregious when they do this to existing licensees.

I doubt my experience is unique. These companies seem to make an art form out of abusing the rights granted to them under current copyright law. While I do and always will strongly oppose piracy, it is my firmly held belief that granting those who behave in such a fashion cannot possibly be in the public interest.

 

 

Survey Apps That Pay You

Get Paid For Filling Out Surveys

Apps that pay you are a very convenient way to make some supplemental income in your spare time. They also help you to offset the cost of owning a smartphone and paying for internet. Here is a another list of apps that pay you, this time the focus is on getting paid for surveys. Although some apps are more lucrative than survey apps, especially Field Agent and Checkpoints, I believe surveys are a really good way to boost your online income with very little effort. The biggest advantage of using survey apps over typical online surveys is that the surveys from apps tend to be very short. It is easy to get burned out pretty quick with online surveys but the surveys from survey apps are usually the length of polls and pay amazingly well compared to the time they take to fill out. All of these apps are free for you to use and I have personally tested and been paid from each of them at least once, I recommend them all.

 

Surveys On The Go

Surveys On The Go is an excellent survey app that pays you between  for each short survey you fill out. It is available for iPhone®, iPad®, and Android. Surveys can pay as much as $5 and as little as .25 but most of the ones I have taken so far have been $1. I have been using Surveys On The Go for just a couple of months now and so far I have been paid the $10 minimum 1 time. They paid me directly to my PayPal account right away, they do pay by electronic check so Paypal holds the funds a few extra days.

So far I have only had 2 surveys that I didn’t qualify for out of 13, they don’t tell you that you don’t qualify ahead of time but the time to fill out a survey is much less than qualifiers at other sites . They just announced in the last few days that there should now be at least 1 survey every week. It is important to check this app often for new surveys because the slots fill up  fast and push notifications on phones are not always the most reliable. At this time there is no referral program but the company has told me they are working on one. Here is the App Store℠ and a link to the site:

http://www.surveysonthego.net/
Here is the free download link for Surveys On The Go  for Android in the Google Play Store.

 

Survey.com Mobile App

The Survey.com Mobile App is paid survey app for Android, iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. I have been using it for a few months and I have been paid $8.00 directly to my PayPal. The minimum amount to get paid is $7.50.

There are generally a large amount of mini surveys to take and they usually pay between .10 to .25 but the can pay up to $10. Sometimes there are surveys that are free but they are generally qualifiers to get higher paying surveys. Surveys are divided up by category and you can take as many as you want. They are usually available for several days once they are posted in the app. Here is a link to the Survey.com website.

 

Here is the link to download the Survey.com app free from the Google Play Store.

 

Here is the link to download the Survey.com App free from the App Store:
 

 

NPolls

Npolls is another good app that pays you to answer polls. The results of these polls are then used to provide data for Magic Numbers Magazine available at iTunes Newsstand. The polls are mini surveys that are usually between 10- 15 questions long and they are about a variety of questions. You can get NPolls on your iPhone, iPad,  iPod Touch, Android, or Windows Phone 7.  So far I have been using NPolls for the last couple of months  and  have answered 91 polls, I have been paid $10.00 Directly to my Paypal.

 

You are generally paid .20 for each poll that you answer but you can be paid more for polls about apps that require a download. When you reach the minimum payment of $10 you are paid automatically by through Paypal. The payments are sent in batches so it can take a few days to receive payment. It is important to make sure that you log in to the website to give them your Paypal email, you won’t get paid until you do. At this time there is no referral program but the company has told me they will include one in the next update. Here is the website and the iTunes link: http://www.npolls.com/
Here is the link to download Npolls For Android for free  in the Google Play Store.

Here is the  Npolls Windows Phone 7free download in the Windows Phone Marketplace.

 

Thanks for checking out my list of survey apps that pay you. I will add more as I am able to test more and they are worthy of a recommendation. In the mean time please check out this link for an excellent site with more information about these apps and many more apps that pay you.

Angry Birds Plush Toys

Angry Birds Plush

Everybody seems to love Rovio’s Angry Birds these days. Why not, they are cute, fun and appropriate for the whole family. I enjoy playing it on my iPhone from time to time. I was blown away by the response I got from my post about Angry Birds Halloween Costumes, the only problem was that most of the costumes sold out long before Halloween. I was also surprised to find out that even my parents are into Angry Birds. My stepfather tried to get his mom (who is 88) hooked on it while we were waiting for Thanksgiving Dinner. She seemed to enjoy a little  but it’s doubtful she will buy a smartphone to download the app any time soon. I suggested to him that he should also check out Fruit Ninja since he likes Angry Birds so much.

Angry Birds Rio Toys

I have also been surprised to find so many Angry Birds officially licensed products, you know that you’ve arrived when they put you on a Band Aid. I think that Angry Birds Plush Toys are going to be a Popular item for Christmas gifts this year, I just hope everybody that wants them has a chance to get them before they sell out. The

Rovio has done such an amazing job marketing Angry Birds, I am surprised that they don’t have a cartoon series yet (although I have heard there is one in the works). There are several limited edition Angry Birds plush toys with the main Angry birds wearing silly hats as well as Christmas stockings.  All of these items are eligible for free shipping if they are ordered directly from Amazon. Most of these plush toys come either with or without sound. I personally think I would prefer the toys that don’t have sound in my house but I’m sure Zoe would disagree.

There have been many visits to my blog by people concerned about lead in Angry Birds Toys. Every year it seems like there are rumors about one toy or another containing lead. I have researched this matter and the only reputable source I could find about this topic is this article from the New York times about the dangers of counterfeit Angry Birds products. The Angry Birds products mentioned on this blog are all officially licensed and there is no reason to be concerned about them. Any counterfeit items, however, should always be avoided no matter how good of a deal it seems.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/22/business/officials-seize-counterfeit-holiday-goods.html?_r=2

Beautiful Christmas Cards

Christmas Card Shopping With Zoe

I usually find myself searching through all of the Christmas cards at the store for hours to find the right ones to buy. I frequently get a little frustrated and just settle for cards I don’t think are great because I have spent so much time looking. Since I have a tendency to procrastinate, just a little bit, I usually only have the one day to decide.  It is especially difficult to shop for things like Christmas cards when I have Zoe with me. She always turns it into a game by running away and making me chase her all over the store, then tries to grab as many balloons as she can when I bring her back. As adorable as that is, it does make shopping a little more challenging.

Buying Greeting Cards Online

Last Mother’s Day, Zoe and I decided to buy a card for my mom (Zoe’s Grandma) online from Tiny Prints. We were able to sit down together at home to pick the perfect card online. There were so many options to customize Grandma’s card and we uploaded some beautiful pictures of Zoe on to it. You are able to edit the front, the middle, and the back of whatever card you choose to make it your own. After you decide what you want your cards to look like they print and send them. It was a great experience that I think everybody should try and my mom absolutely loved her card. This is the perfect site to buy cards for Christmas or any occasion.

Why I really Like Tiny Prints

This year I will use Tiny Prints for all of the cards I give. Their designs are beautiful and they offer all kinds of options you wont find anywhere else. The prices are comparable to getting cards at the store but without the hassle of having to deal with all of the people. There is also a membership plan to buy cards for even less. Here is a link to Tiny Prints Latest Coupons & Deals. They also give you the choice of getting your cards sent to you to sign or sending them directly to your loved ones, so you don’t have to bother with stamps or sending out mail. I felt that I saved lots of time, but the best part was Zoe and I were able to do all of this together at home without her getting frustrated and acting up.

LED Christmas Lights

 Why You Should Buy LED Christmas Lights

LED or light emitting diode lights first became commercially available in the 1960’s but they have been prohibitively expensive to buy until the last few years. LED technology has been rapidly improving in recent years making LED lighting affordable for nearly any application. There were some problems with early LED Christmas lights such as lack of color choices and problems with durability but most of those issues have been solved. LED Christmas lights are available in many different colors now including white, green, blue, red, purple, amber, clear and multicolor. You can get them rated for use indoors, outdoors, or both. There are a variety of shapes and styles, you can even get ones that flash just like incandescent lights. It is important, of course, to buy them from a reputable company and to make sure they have a decent warranty.

Benefits of LED Christmas Lights


The biggest reason to switch from incandescent Christmas lights to LED Christmas lights is of course the fact that they save you money. In addition to saving you money they are also much better for the environment, they don’t contain any toxic chemicals such as mercury which is found in CFL lights. The energy savings is substantial, they use about %15 of the electricity that incandescent lights use. With all of that energy savings you can afford more Christmas gifts.  The next most important reason is the longevity of the LEDs, If they are properly cared for they can last about 10 times longer than incandescent lights so you wont be replacing them for a long time.  LED Christmas lights don’t get hot like incandescent Christmas lights do so there isn’t a risk of fires, since they use such a small amount of electricity you are able to put more of them on your circuit. With LEDs you no longer need every bulb to function in order to keep your string of bulbs working. LED Christmas lights come encased in plastic so there is no glass to break.

Solar LED Christmas Lights

These are a really amazing idea, all the fun of Christmas lights with absolutely no electricity expense at all. They run on a rechargeable AA battery.The sun charges these lights during the day then they automatically come on at night for about 8 hours. The only drawback is that they tend not to have as much brightness as plug in lights. You can put them anywhere and you don’t need any dangerous extension cords to run them. These are great for decorating near roads or mailboxes or anywhere that you don’t have an electrical outlet really close.

The Server Migration Is Complete

My web host finally updated to a new server running PHP 5, which will give me much more functionality. Everything seems to be working ok now despite the fact that I couldn’t log in all day today, as far as I know there was no actual downtime. I am still going over everything to make sure it works ok. If anything doesn’t seem right please let me know. Thanks.

The Best iPhone, iPad, and iTouch Protection

Protecting Your iPhone

Do I Need To Buy Apple Care?

My very first smartphone was an iPhone 3g I got as a Christmas gift from my mom in 2008. When I received it I had absolutely no clue how to keep it in decent shape. She also got me a $50 leather iPhone case from AT&T to go with it but the case turned out to be very flimsy and fell apart long before the first year was up on my contract. After that case disintegrated, I did some research about the best ways to protect my iPhone. Luckily, my friend and personal computer geek Tom, talked me into reluctantly purchasing
AppleCare, that was the best decision I could have made. The factory warranty from Apple only lasts for the first year of your 2 year contract. It cost me $69(one time) in 2009 but I ended up returning my iPhone3g for replacement a total of 4 times without any extra charge. I got 2 iphones with bad WiFi, one with faulty wiring, and one that didn’t work right when they gave it to me. Without Apple Care it would have cost several hundred dollars to for each replacement phone. I usually avoid any kind of extended warranty or insurance that isn’t necessary but this is one I think is critical. There are a bunch of extra benefits including free phone support and free replacement of the power cords and headphones that wear out. Now I have an iPhone 4 and I will be buying AppleCareagain.

Protecting Your iPhone From Scratches And Damage

How do I Protect My iPhone Screen?

Every time I went in for a replacement the Apple “Geniuses” filled out a form indicating the shape of the iPhone before replacing it. The first iPhone I had was in really rough shape by the time it needed to be replaced. I was lucky because the WiFi went out making it mechanically defective, even though my screen was damaged and cracked in multiple places, they replaced the iPhone at no charge because I had Apple Care. When I got the new iPhone I was grateful to have a second chance to have a nice new looking phone again. I immediately purchased an invisibleSHIELD by Zagg, they are amazing. The invisibleSHIELD is made of the same material that is used to coat military helicopter blades to protect them from high speed damage. It uses Nano-Memory technology to self-heal and resist abrasion. I found that it kept my iPhone screen in mint condition, free from wear and tear, while also maintaining excellent visibility. The invisibleSHIELD comes with a lifetime replacement warranty, and is available for most devices including: iPhone, iPhone3g and 3gs, iPhone4 and 4s, iTouch, iPad, iPad2, Blackberry, Android, and Motorola Droids to name a few. I found the installation to be pretty simple and it comes with everything you need to do it right. I have used this to protect every iPhone I have had since the second one and they have all had perfect screens the entire time I have owned them. You have the option of getting a full body wrap or just the screen. I have personally always opted for just the screen and used a case for the body.

How Do I Choose The Best Case?

Ultimately the best case for your phone is going to be the one you like carrying around and having people see all the time. Some styles are more durable and protect much better than others. There are so many different cases to choose from, don’t let the prices fool you. A very expensive case can be poor quality just like a cheap case. After my original $50 black leather case from AT&T failed in the first year, I decided to find a better case. In my opinion the best cases for protecting iPhones, iPads,and iTouches, are made of soft material like silicone to give it a nice cushion if it falls. I think using a hard case or shell is not a very good idea, unless it is well cushioned inside, since it does not absorb the shock of being dropped or bumped around. You really want your phone to bounce if it falls on the ground. My personal favorite cases are by Case-Mate. I like them because they fit perfectly, look good, and protect my iPhone well.  Casemate cases  are not big and bulky like Otterbox. I have nothing against Otterbox, I have heard great things about them, I just personally prefer a small sleek lightweight case, that is easy to carry around and provides excellent protection for my iPhone. I have never had any scratches or damage on the 5 iPhones I have put in Casemate cases with invisibleSHIELD screens.

Vegetarian Roasts for Thanksgiving and Christmas

Vegetarian Holiday Foods

Being Vegetarian can be extremely challenging at times. It is especially difficult when eating out or eating holiday meals with people who are not vegetarian. Of course most people have become very trained to eat turkey or ham for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have frequently been asked what I do eat at Thanksgiving and Christmas by people who don’t really understand the concept of not eating meat. Of course any dish that does not contain meat or meat by products is  suitable for vegetarians. In the last 10 years or so there has been some amazing advancements in healthy meat alternatives. It is important to make sure that any meat alternative you choose doesn’t have any scary chemicals that aren’t on the label such as Hexane (a neurotoxin also found in gasoline). Here are some of the most amazing vegetarian roasts that taste great and are healthy as well. These products are available in the natural section of most major Grocery stores and health food stores in the US. Even if you are not a vegetarian, I strongly suggest giving these vegetarian roasts and meat alternatives a try.

Quorn Turk’y Roast


Quorn is My absolute number one favorite of all the vegetarian meat alternatives, before I stopped eating meat I preferred Quorn over chicken or turkey. Quorn has been made in England from mycoprotien (from the mushroom family) since 1985. It is low in fat and high in fiber and protein, and although it is vegetarian, Quorn is not vegan since they do use non battery eggs as a binder. Quorn is one of very few vegetarian meat alternatives available that is not made from soy. There was a controversy in 2002 when Quorn first launched in the US. Gardenburger an inferior competitor who; to my knowledge, still uses hexane to process their soy, was threatened by the obviously superior competition and tried to have Quorn removed from the marketplace. Luckily they were unsuccessful at this attempt. Quorn is available year round in many forms not just Turk’y Roast, some of my favorites are: Chik’n Nuggets, Chik’n Patties, Beef-Style Grounds, Turk’y Burger, and when I really want a treat I get the Gruyere Chik’n Cutlet.

Tofurky Roast

It’s kind of funny sounding and when I first heard of Tofurkey Roasts, I have to admit, I thought they was some kind of joke. The first time I had a Tofurkey Roast back around 2001 or 2002, I was a bit disappointed. They have improved substantially since then, I now tend to eat several of the roasts every year. Tofurkey Roasts were introduced in 1995 and are made by a small independent company from Hood River, Oregon called Turtle Island Foods. Tofurkey is made with soy but they use organic non GMO soy and no nasty chemicals. Tofurkey Roasts all come pre-stuffed with a wild rice and whole wheat bread crumb stuffing and are best when roasted with your favorite vegetables. They include directions of the packages for a couple of different baste options. My favorite is the incredibly simple:

3 tablespoons olive oil (or other vegetable oil)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground sage

I usually double the ingredients of this baste  and use it for both Tofurkey and Quorn roasts. There are a large variety of Tofurkey products available year round. All of them are vegan and amazing. My absolute favorite Tofurkey product is the Hickory Smoked Tofurky Deli Slices.

Field Roast


Field Roast is a vegan meat alternative made from grain. It is based on the Chinese vegetarian meat alternative seitan which is also known as “wheat meat” or “wheat gluten”. Field Roast was created in 1997, and is made by a small company in Seattle Washington called Field Roast Grain Meat Co. The Celebration Roast comes with a stuffing made from butternut squash, apples, and mushrooms.  My favorite Field Roast products that are not Celebration Roasts are the Mexican Chipotle Sausage and the Smoked Apple Sage sausage. I really enjoy Field Roasts but they are much more difficult to find than Tofurkey and Quorn, even here in Washington State.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Another Amazing Legend Of Zelda Game For The Wii

 

I’m very excited! The latest Legend of Zelda game, Skyward Sword, is due to come out in less than a month on November 20th, just in time for the Christmas rush. It has been 5 long years since the last installment of the Zelda series Twilight Princess came out. Nintendo knows that The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario are the reason they became so popular in the first place, so they put some serious effort in to new releases. They are definitely the reason why I have personally only bought Nintendo consoles. I have yet to miss a Legend of Zelda console release since The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past came out on the Super Nintendo. They even manage to get me to buy a new console whenever I need it to play the new Zelda game coming out.

Pre-order Bonuses

I usually don’t pre-order games because they are almost always available on the day of release but this year I might do it for the Gold controller since it is only available as a pre-release. I was able to purchase Twilight Princess easily on the day it came out, it just took a few extra days to get a Wii to play it on. My only concern is that I want to buy it from Amazon since I have lots of Amazon gift cards, but they don’t seem to be selling the gold controller bundle pack yet. All pre-orders come with a limited edition Zelda music CD regardless of where you get them from.

I have never been disappointed in any Legend of Zelda game. I am sure this one will be amazing.  This is supposed to be Nintendo’s biggest game project ever. Skyward Sword is supposed to be a Prequel to the Ocarina of Time, it’s interesting how they manage to pull off the Zelda timeline. The swordplay is supposed to be much more precise with this game because of the Wii motion plus. All of the players movements will be exact in the game. Gannondorf will be absent for the first time.

Rent Skyward Sword Before You Buy It

For anyone who is not sure whether they want to buy Skyward Sword or any other game, here is a free trial offer for a Gamefly membership. They have all of the top games for PS3, PS2, PSP, Xbox 360, Xbox, Wii, GameCube, DS and GBA. Use Coupon Code TENDAY To Start Your 10-day Free Trial Today To GameFly! After the free trial for a flat monthly fee, you can rent as many games as you want, without any due dates, any late fees, with pre-paid mail both ways. If you decide you really like a game, you can keep it for a low pre-played game price.

Free Promo Credit From Amazon

I just thought I would let everybody know that when I ordered Skyward Sword from Amazon I received a $10 promo credit good toward anything Amazon sells. With the promo credit and the free shipping it was less expensive than any local stores. The only trade off is having to wait a few extra days. I didn’t see any advertisements for the promo credit so it was a really nice surprise. I’m not sure if they are still doing this or if it was a limited time thing but it is sure a nice thing to get.

I have been playing Skyward sword for a few days now and I can definitely say I really like it so far. It is very similar to previous Zelda games but completely different at the same time. The movements have to be much more precise with the Wii Plus than they did in Twilight Princess. Link and Zelda are from Skyloft up in the Clouds, they ride giant birds around the sky. Zelda seems a bit crazy in this game, she tried to kill link early on by throwing him into the sky then saves him. Zelda and link seem to be teens and romantically interested in each other. Zelda gives link a Sailcloth which prevents injuries from any big falls, It is also a means of transportation in various areas and back into the clouds when needed. While they are flying around something happens to Zelda and link wakes up and has to go find her. One of the more interesting things that they put in this game is Link using the toilet then washing his hands, I don’t think I have actually seen any video game characters do that before. At this point I have gotten past the woods to the first dungeon where Zelda is supposed to be. I liked all of the giant Mushrooms and it was nice to see a Goron right away. Some of the enemies were reminiscent of the enemies from The Wind Waker but they are less cartoonish.

L-Theanine For Natural Anxiety and Stress Relief

Reduce Stress and Anxiety Naturally

It’s almost time for the holidays and this time of year can be a lot of fun with celebrations and family. I think everybody would have a much better time if we could just relax and enjoy ourselves and our families instead of stressing out. We all go through times of excess stress and anxiety, a little bit can be positive, too much can be overwhelming and unhealthy.  Unfortunately there is also a lot of extra stress and anxiety that goes along with the Holidays.

Supplements vs Drugs

I would like to share some of my favorite natural supplements for dealing with stress and anxiety. The reason I prefer natural supplements over drugs to deal with these kind of problems is that I believe supplements have much less side effects. I have been using all of these supplements personally for many years and have never experienced any adverse effects from them.  The first natural supplement for anxiety and stress relief  I’m going to share is L-Theanine.

L-Theanine

L-theanine (gamma-glutamylethylamide) is my favorite natural stress reliever. Theanine is the most abundant amino acid found in green tea, and to a lesser extent, in black tea. It is also found in the Bay Bolete mushroom. L-Theanine can cross the blood brain barrier and is able to block L-glutamate from binding to the brain’s glutamate receptors. L-Theanine is able to increase Dopamine, Serotonin, and  GABA (our brain’s natural opiate). It also increases alpha brainwave activity (Brainwaves in the frequency range of 8–12 Hz) which are associated with relaxation and meditation, and decreases beta brainwaves (brainwave activity between 12 and 30 Hz) which are associated with waking consciousness. This change in brainwave activity provides us with a very relaxed, serene feeling. Here is a coupon from Bodybuilding.com Take $5.00 Off Your $100 Order! Use coupon code 5off100.

NOW L-Theanine - 200mg/60 Vcaps

L-Theanine and Caffeine

I helped to create one of the original relaxation anti-energy drinks several years ago using l-Theanine and it was one of my favorite beverages ever.  I found that mixing this beverage with alcohol increased the effect of both the Theanine and the alcohol while decreasing the amount of alcohol needed for the desired effect. L- theanine also works synergistically with caffeine helping to achieve the desired alertness and mental sharpness from caffeine. It is also a great antidote for times when you have had too much caffeine, which seems to happen to me a lot.

Suntheanine is the best brand of  L-Theanine, in my opinion, because it is the only brand to use a patented bio-fermentation process mimicking the natural process of green tea which ensures that their L-Theanine is pure. Suntheanine achieved GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status in 2007, allowing  it to be used as a food and beverage ingredient in amounts of up to 250 milligrams per serving, without any limit on servings.  Other brands of theanine can be either chemically produced or made as an extract of green tea and are generally less expensive than Suntheanine , however they are usually a mixture of both the L-Theanine and D-Theanine isomers, making them unable to be absorbed properly.

The next natural anxiety and stress relief supplement I’m going to share to share is Gaba.

Disney Princess Costumes

We had a princess themed party for Zoe’s second birthday and she had a really good time but she didn’t really understand what a princess was yet.  Zoe is now 4 and has become very fascinated with Disney princesses, she really seems to want to be a princess for Halloween this year, I think she is going to be Cinderella. One of the nice things about princess costumes is that girls love princess dress up anytime, not just on Halloween.

I think most people are very familiar with the majority of Disney princesses. Most of them are fictional characters from traditional Fairy Tales many of which appeared in Grimm’s Fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm. They started marketing them as in 1999 as the Disney princess brand and it has been an amazing success. So far Disney has 10 different princesses in their lineup.

Right now there is a big Halloween sale and all of these costumes are 30% to 90% off for a limited time

The 6 original Disney princess costumes are:

Snow White Costume

Snow White – is the main Character from the very first Disney animated feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which came out in 1937. This is an officially licensed Snow White costume. This Deluxe Snow White Costume for girls comes with the blue and yellow princess costume dress and petticoat, a detachable red cape, the character cameo and the red bow headband.

Girls Deluxe Snow White Costume - Snow White Costumes

Cinderella Costume

Cinderella – Is the main Character from Disney’s 12th animated film Cinderella, which was based on the  French story Cendrillon by Charles Perrault. This officially licensed Disney Girls Deluxe Shimmer Cinderella Kids Costume includes the deluxe sparkly blue dress with peplum and roses, the petticoat and the blue headband.
Girls Deluxe Shimmer Cinderella Costume - Cinderella Costumes

Aurora Costume

Aurora– Is the Main character from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, which came out in 1959. Sleeping Beauty was also a story from Originally from Charles Perrault and later the Brothers Grimm. This officially licensed Disney Girls Deluxe Shimmer Aurora Costume includes the deluxe sparkly pink and white dress with peplum and roses, the petticoat and the headband tiara.

Girls Deluxe Shimmer Aurora Costume - Sleeping Beauty Costumes

Ariel Costume

Ariel-is the main character from Disney’s The Little Mermaid which came out in 1989 and is based on the Hans Christian Anderson story of the same name. This Storybook Ariel Prestige Edition Costume for children includes the dress with glittered character art on the skirt, a fishtail, headband and character cameo.
Girls Prestige Ariel Costume - Disney's The Little Mermaid

Belle Costume

Belle – is the one of the main characters from the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast, which came out in 1989. This Storybook Belle Prestige Edition Kids Costume includes the dress with petticoat and glittered character art on the skirt. It also has a character cameo and matching headpiece.

Girls Storybook Prestige Belle Costume - Disney's Beauty and The Beast Costumes

Jasmine Costume

Jasmine- is one of the main characters from Disney’s Aladdin Movies: Aladdin, The Return Of Jafar, and Aladdin and the King of Thieves. This Storybook Jasmine Prestige Edition Girls Costume includes the top with character cameo, full-leg pants with glittered character art and the bejeweled headpiece.
Girls Prestige Storybook Jasmine Costume - Disney's Aladdin Costumes

Some of the newer Disney princess costumes include:

Tiana Costume

Tiana – is the main character from the Disney movie The Princess And The Frog, that came out in 2009. This officially licensed Girls Deluxe Shimmer Princess Tiana Costume includes the deluxe green and white sparkly dress, petticoat and the sparkling tiara from Disney’s Princess and the Frog movie.
Girls Deluxe Shimmer Princess Tiana Costume - The Princess And The Frog Costumes

Rapunzel Costume

Rapunzel– is the main character from Disney’s 50th animated feature film Tangled, which came out in 2010. This officially licensed Girls Deluxe Shimmer Tangled Rapunzel costume from the Disney Tangled movie includes the pink and purple princess costume dress with peplum, cameo, petticoat and the jeweled headband.  Wig available separately.
Girls Deluxe Tangled Rapunzel Costume - Rapunzel Tangled Costumes

Fun Candy Ideas For Halloween

I’m going to take a little break from writing about Halloween costumes so I can focus on the other really important aspect of Halloween a little bit, and that is of course, Halloween candy.  Without the excitement of getting all different kinds of candies while we trick-or-treat, it wouldn’t be nearly as fun to do all of that dressing up as kids. Finding all of the cool and unique candy in your bag and sorting it is just as fun as eating it, if not more.

I used to ownPop Rocks - strawberry - 0.33 oz pkg - 1 piece a really cool soda store that sold a large variety of different sodas including nostalgic favorites like Nehi and Nesbitts. I would also stock retro and nostalgic candies. I saw that most people really liked sodas and candy products that they had when they were kids. I found a store that sells lots of different retro and nostalgic candy, including penny candy.  The retro candy is  grouped it by the decade from the 1920’s all the way to the 1990’s, Old Time Candy Company, home of Candy you ate as a kid®. They have pre-made assortments and you can create your own.

Wax Lips - 1 piece

Here is the current promo code: 10% Savings at OldTimeCandy.com in October – use Promo Code 25761

In addition to classic candy  they have plenty of newer candy, sugar free candy, kosher candy, and even organic candy. The harder to find candies like Nik-l-Nips, Mary Janes, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Abba Zaba, Beemans Gum, BlackJack Gum, Clove Gum, add a lot of variety and nostalgia to any occasion. I was able to find several types of candy that is nostalgic for me such as: Mega Warheads, Pop Rocks, and Jelly Belly. Of course they have a section of candy specific to Halloween that includes Wax Lips, Wax Fangs, Jack-O-Lanterns, and Candy Corn. In case you were wondering the Snozberries do taste like Snozberries.