Did you know that Americans are only 4.5% of the world's population, yet consume nearly 20% of the world's energy? The amount of energy Americans use doubles every 20 years. Overall, nearly 30% of the energy used in buildings is unnecessary or inefficient. In 2012, the energy wasted by the U.S. could have powered the United Kingdom for 7 years! These are scary facts! Want to help make a difference and save yourself money at the same time? Try the HomeSelfe App! I was asked by HomeSelfe to try the app in my home and share my thoughts with you. Though I was compensated for my time, the opinions are mine. The facts above were provided by Homeselfe. I thought I had to be home to do the app but I was wrong. You can take a HomeSelfe anywhere you are. The only thing you will need to get started is the average cost of your energy bills. It's a question they ask when you sign up so that they can get an idea of cost savings at the end. The app takes you through various mock … [Read more...]
Save 60% Off ROBOTS-4-U Summer Camps
Are your kids into Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math? Do they love robotics? I've go the perfect summer camp for them: ROBOTS-4-U Summer Camps - Where Fun, Thinking & Learning comes to Life! Campers will have a BLAST, learning about Robotics and Science in an independent and exciting way while playing in a dynamic environment. ROBOTS-4-U Summer Camps are geared toward boys and girls ages 7-14 and are offered June, July, and August. Each camp is Monday through Friday either 9:00-11:30a.m. or 12:30-3:00 p.m. Learning is hands-on, self-paced, and goes beginning to expert. Camper ratio is about 1 Instructor to 16 participants. You and your kids can choose from: Robotics--basic design, building, programming, and mechanics Dynamic Art--the experience of making moving sculptures Battle Robots--building robots that are specifically designed to compete against those of other campers Drones--learn navigation and common aerodynamic concepts and … [Read more...]
Pixies Boudoir Photography (Because I Could)
A few weeks ago I saw a posting in my blogging community asking for bloggers to do a boudoir mini-shoot for a local company. I've always been intrigued by boudoir photography but it's a bit out of my price range for something only my husband and close girl friends will see. The opportunity for a free mini-shoot with Pixies Boudoir Photography, in exchange for me sharing my experience, was something I could not pass up! So...one evening I met up with 4 other female bloggers for one of the most fun photo shoots I've done in a long time! Seriously, so much fun! Despite all my talk lately about weight loss, I really am comfortable in my own skin. Plus, I'm a pretty open person. Some of the other girls, not so much. Doing the mini-shoot at Pixies Boudoir Photography was way out of their comfort zone and they did it to test the boundaries of their zone. None of us regretted the choice to do the shoot. We were all excited by how we looked after our make-overs. If you want to … [Read more...]
10 Spring Break Staycation Ideas
If your family is like mine, you neither have the time nor money to spend on a vacation for spring break. Though it would be fun to go somewhere warm and relaxing, it's just not feasible. Try these 10 spring break staycation ideas to help you and your kids feel like you had a vacation get-away even though you didn't. 1) Have a dance party I'm not talking about a small, spur of the moment dance party. I'm talking a full-blown dance party. Invite some friends over, blow up some balloons, find some funky lighting, and crank up the music! Turn your house into a dance club! 2) Put together a large puzzle It usually takes my family at least a week to put together a 2000-3000 piece puzzle. Ton of fun, entertaining, and a great bonding experience. 3) Do science experiments We've got some great science experiments right here on Toys In The Dryer. 4) Go camping inside Though it's spring, in MN it's still too cold to camp outside. Instead, grab some blankets and chairs and make … [Read more...]
Weight Loss – What I’ve Learned
It's been a month and a half since I made the decision to take care of myself and join Weight Watchers. I thought I'd give an update in the form of "weight loss - what I've learned". Believe me, I've learned more about myself in the past 1.5 months than I ever have in my past efforts at weight loss! 1) Weight loss is a mental challenge I can't emphasize that enough. Weight loss is a mental challenge. The mental part is, in my opinion, the hardest part of losing weight. Learning to CHOOSE to be healthy is hard. Let's face it, it's a CHOICE to eat donuts and candy instead of fruits and vegetables. Keeping up with the program and not beating yourself up when you have a bad day or even a bad week is hard too. It's easy to say "screw it" when you don't lose as much as you had hoped, or God forbid, you gain that week. Pick yourself up, tell yourself it's ok (because it really is ok), and get back on track. Learning doesn't happen without some failures. 2) Lose weight for … [Read more...]
Barley + Vine Restaurant Opened in Lakeville
Last week Hubby, I, and two of our friends had the opportunity to attend Barley + Vine Restaurant's soft opening. We were very much looking forward to checking out the new place in town as we live within walking distance from it and have seen the building change venues way too many times. We were not disappointed with our visit! Only the name has changed on the outside of the building, but the inside is better than the previous restaurant. Gone is the crazy blue tile behind the bar, replaced with a real copper penny backsplash and a subtle ceiling. The layout of the dining room seating seemed less crowded and the overall atmosphere was inviting. Our server, Emily, was knowledgeable on the menu and helpful in deciding what we wanted to eat. The staff we talked with seemed genuinely excited about working. As with all opening nights, there were a few kinks but I'm not going to dwell on them. The staff will get into their groove. The food was delicious! We started with a … [Read more...]
