Give Smiles For the Holiday

We spend most of our time rushing here and there to complete various personal and business related tasks.  Counting time with family sometimes as a rare luxury.

During this season of love and light, Let's slow down and share joy, create lasting memories and honor family traditions.  The legacy of strong families is one that CANNOT be lost.  Strong families build strong neighborhoods. Strong neighborhoods make strong cities...

A wonderful project this holiday would be to create a unique holiday greeting for family and friends. Elf Yourself These greetings always bring smiles to the recipient. The grandkids can show their grandparents some new computer skills while working together to create a unique holiday greeting.  The youngsters are always able to help me with computer functionality :)

I hope that Peace and Love are the guests that come to your home and never leave :)
My Gift To You :)

You Can Do Anything - Check out On-line "How-to" Videos

I had a conversation with a friend last week.  She was telling me that she would love to decorate cakes but didn't really have time in her busy schedule to attend formal classes.  I suggested that she go on-line and find a "how-to" video on cake decorating.  This tool would allow her to watch the video on her schedule and also help her to determine if cake decorating was really something she wanted to commit time to.

How-to videos can be found on just about any subject on the planet.  With the holidays approaching, How-to videos can help a non-cook get rave reviews on the meals THEY prepare, being able to watch videos during the entire process.  Bake a Turkey. From appetizers to dessert, name it and you can find a video for it.

Want to decorate your home like a professional...there's a video.
Build a Color Pallette for Your Home

Want to get over your fear of public speaking...there's a video.
10 Public Speaking Tips

Want to learn how to take care of a house plant...there's a video.
How to Care for Houseplants

Did I mention that these videos are free?  We LOVE free!  You will find below just some of the sites that offer How-to Videos.  Happy viewing and learning.

You Tube
How Cast How-to Videos
Monkey See How-to Videos
Video Jug How-to Videos

For the New Blogger - Search Engine Optimization

I am a new blogger.  It's not only easy to do, but it's a lot of fun.  Presently, I am attempting to increase traffic to my blog. In researching search engine optimization I found the following article by Sean R. Mize.  It was helpful to me so I'd like to share it with you.  

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_R_Mize

I am writing this article for those people who are considered newbies in the field of SEO writing. You see, I was once in your shoes. Back then, I was very desperate to find in-depth information as to how I can do the process right. Good thing there were people who were more than happy to help me learn the whole process. Now, it's payback time. Let me share with you the things I've learned in 5 years of writing my SEO articles. These are the following:

Work together with SEO experts. One of the most important things that I've learned is that the requirements of major search engines (particularly Google) can change any minute and they do not make announcements about these changes. It will really help if you maintain an open communication with other SEO experts. Join them regularly on SEO blogs and forums. In here, they usually share what they've tried and what worked when they're pulling their page ranking. I am sure you'll benefit from knowing what they know.

Explore new topics. Both search engines and online users do not care about old topics. Why would they waste their time on something that they already know, anyway? If you want to capture their attention, you better give them something fresh. I suggest that you explore new topics related to your niche. Its better if you're the first and the only one writing about these specific topics as it will surely lead to instant recognition.

Learn different white hat SEO techniques. Contrary to popular beliefs, writing SEO articles isn't all about stuffing your content with a lot of keywords. Optimizing your articles means using several different approved SEO techniques to make them more valuable to the eyes of search engines. Research these techniques and make sure that you use them the next time you plan to write new articles.

Produce 100% unique content. If you think that there's a possibility that you can get away with copying other's work, you better think again. Google and other search engines are now using more sophisticated technology that can easily determine if your articles were copied from other online resources. If you don't want to get slapped with complaints and if you don't want to put your ebusiness in jeopardy, you better make sure that each article you use is 100% unique.

Offer useful, in-depth information. Search engines will surely appreciate it if you do your part in giving online users great learning experience. Exert more effort and put in more time when doing research and when writing your articles. Ensure that they're exceptionally informative. Your readers should walk away with "AHA" look on their faces. If you do this, your articles will become more popular in the online arena and you will surely not have a hard time securing better rankings from Google.

By the way, do you want to learn more about using articles like this to drive traffic to your website and increase online conversions? If so, I suggest you check this out: article marketing traffic. Do you want to learn how to build a big online subscriber list fast? Click here: Secrets of List Building

Microsoft's Xbox 360 Kinect - A Gift for the Entire Family

Xbox 360
Kinect

I confess...I don't get enough exercise.  I think I worked out for a total of 5 minutes last week. Tell the truth, shame the devil. But, at 52 years old, I am changing my attitude about moving my body.  Exercise sounds so hard, moving is a more fluid concept.

I saw a brief demonstration of Microsoft's new Kinect system for the Xbox 360.  I was immediately impressed.  It's FUNtionality takes the boredom out of the normal workout and gets you in motion. Kinect's technology uses full body motion capture, making joysticks obsolete.

The Kinect also uses voice recognition and will respond to voice commands to, for example, change viewing channels. One less remote control device, Whoo Hooo!!! One less thing to lose. :)

Kinect is also, a wonderful tool for bringing the family together.  Kids will surely want to challenge their parents, giving everyone involved a chance to relax, laugh, and create precious memories. During these challenging economic times, families are trimming their budgets and searching for ways to be entertained at home. Kinect would be a perfect addition to your home's entertainment system.

Kinect is so much more than a gaming system.  It's the new world of entertainment technology. Please click the following links for information on the excitingly new Xbox 360 - Kinect.

Xbox Kinect - Get Started

Best Buy Kinect Video

I have been told if you want something, ask for it, so I'd like both the Xbox and Kinect.  Santa, I sure hope I'm on the nice list, even though sometimes I was a little naughty. ;)
Great news for current Xbox 360 owners.  Kinect is compatible to all versions of Xbox.

Taco Bell XXL Chalupa - From Fast Food to Delicious Casserole

I admit it. I am a junk food LOVER. Yes, I try to make good food choices most of the time, but sometimes I succumb to my cravings.  So, "Food Police" I understand your concerns, but every now and then... Hey, I added fiber by the including brown rice and beans in the recipe. I'm just saying, no need to leave a comment about the fat and sodium content.  That's not what this is about. Believe me, I will balance this post with a healthy recipe.  Stay Tuned.

I recently tried the new Taco Bell XXL Chalupa and found it to be surprisingly tasty. Considering myself to be a boot-legged Food Network Chef, I came up with a recipe for a mexican casserole, using the Chalupa as the base. I kept the recipe simple, using items normally found in your pantry, it also took very little time to prepare, which is helpful for the busy Mom.  Prepare it, put it in the oven and help the kids with their homework.

My Mom, whom I use as my taste-tester, gave the dish two thumbs up, so I know that my recipe is good enough to share with You. I really think that this will be a hit with the kids. Served with a salad and you've got a pleasing meal.


Hey, Taco Bell, can we get a chicken version of the XXL? I know some people that don't eat beef that would love this dish. 

 XXL Chalupa Casserole

1 bag of Brown boil-in-bag rice

3 XXL Chalupas, no lettuce (unless you like warm lettuce)
   For the non-beef eater the Grilled Chicken Enchilada can be used instead of the Chalupa

1 can refried beans (or black beans, drained)

1 small can chopped green chilis (heat intensity is your choice)

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1 C salsa (heat intensity is your choice)

1 1/2 C shredded Mexican Cheese

Preheat over 350 degrees.

Prepare rice according to directions on package.  Drain.  In a large bowl, combine rice, beans, chilis, chili powder and cumin. Mix well.

Spray casserole dish with cooking spray.  Place Chalupas in dish side-by-side.  Spread rice/bean mixture over Chalupas.  Pour salsa evenly over rice/beans.  Sprinkle cheese over salsa. (see photos below)

Bake for 35 minutes or until well heated.  

Makes 4-6 servings. Enjoy.