The Philips AJL308 Alarm Clock Giveaway

Do you ever kind of wonder where technology is taking us? Used to be you had a cell phone, personal organizer and camera and now you have gadgets that wrap all those services into one. I anticipate that somewhere in the not-so-distant future we're all going to have ipods that will not only play music and videos but will be fully equipped to shave our legs, remotely start our dishwashers and microwave a burrito for lunch.

This gadget is kind of like that--it does all sorts of things that you wouldn't normally expect a mere alarm clock to do. Somehow things have gone from letting a rooster do all the work to having this sleek little box that can hold pictures and music, acting as a digital picture frame, video, FM radio, MP3 player and tell the time.

This is the Philips AJL308 alarm clock and it has a 7-inch color LCD display screen like you see above but what you can't see is that it has a spot for a SD card so you can show a mini slideshow or play your favorite MP3 files. The alarm feature itself can be set to start out soft then grow in volume so you can wake up without the lightning bolt of a jolt most clocks give you.

All in all it's quite a cute little gadget that makes a fun toy for the gadget buff in your life (hey, maybe that's you!) There are a couple things that should be kept in mind though. First of all there isn't any memory in the unit itself so to have any pictures (.jpg files only) beyond the little generic photo you see displayed above you have to keep your SD card inserted. Pull it out and your pictures disappear and you're back to Fred and Wilma there.

Also, the picture quality on the frame isn't of the highest quality. The resolution is 480 X 234 which isn't spectacular. It's certainly good enough but don't expect the top of the line digital display you might be looking for in a expensive digital picture frame.

Finally, there isn't any place for a battery. You know what that means don't you? Yea, if the power goes out in the middle of the night all your information is lost and you're resetting everything in the morning--if you wake up in time.

But still with these minor issues it's a fun little gadget and it seems to be about the only one of its kind yet so to find all these features in one place is nice. Give it another year and Philips will probably come out with a unit that will also despense milk for your morning Cheerios.

Thank you to Philips Electronics which has given me one of these lovely all-in-one alarm clocks to give away to one of you fine people. Just think, at this time next week you could be waking up to the growing sounds of your favorite ABBA tunes and pictures of your kids scoring the winning soccer goal--good luck!

Here's how to win:

Before 12 am Monday go to the giveaway entry form on this page and enter your name and email. I will pick one of the names at random, contact the winner via their email and publish the winner's first name and home town in next Tuesday's post. See the bottom of the entry form for more details.

I'm sorry but this giveaway is only open to U.S. readers.

Sponsored by Pak Naks--Back to school time is nearly here and these will send them back with cuteness.

Technorati tags: product reviews, giveaways, Philips, electronics

My New Haiku Messenger Bag

When Andrew asked me what I wanted for my birthday this year I said "a bag for my laptop."

Going to Blogher and toting my computer around would require a good bag and I was rather specific about wanting something big enough for my Macbook plus extras so I wouldn't need my purse on the plane. I also wanted a messenger bag style instead of a brief case style and I didn't want something that looked like it came from the Bat Cave.

When I opened his present last week I was very pleased, once again Andrew proved he has excellent taste because I swear I couldn't have picked out a better bag.

It's made by Haiku, makers of "poetically functional accessories," the name is "Wildflowers" Ultimate Messenger Bag and it comes in three colors (the bamboo green pictured above being my favorite--love the contrasting greens and stitching). It's got seven pockets including a padded one for my laptop, a clip for keys and rubber feet on the bottom for durability. The site says it's faux leather but it looked real to me in a lovely and feminine patterned suede.

And as a bonus? You can order it with a changing mat as an extra feature--for those toting more than just laptops. Fun huh?

Now the secret here is that the website lists these beauties at $99 but Andrew got mine at REI for $69 (sorry, I'm not supposed to know that but when you're the Accounts Receivable and the Accounts Payable department it's hard to hide things like that from me) so shop around if you like this.

You know how crazy I get for bags . . .

Sponsored by Kenarie's Presents and Paperie--Stationery, Gifts and Jewelry for Little Ones

Technorati tags: product reviews, Haiku, bags, accessories

July's Write-Away Winner

Greetings from BlogHer! I'm posting from San Francisco the rest of the week while the party's on down here. Thanks to everyone who took time from their busy work of lounging in the summer sun to participate in this month's contest--you're all wonderful you know? I'll send all of the honorable mentions the code for the winner's button just as soon as I can find a minute in the next day or two I promise.

There were 54 entries this month and Damselfly from Growing a Life has done a wonderful job doing her judgly duties and providing us with a winner. Come back later this month when I'll have a chance to give her a proper introduction.

. . . And the winner is:

The Motherboard at Crazy Land with Wonder Woman. Have You See Her?

Honorable Mentions (there's a lot of them!):

Sherri at Our Place with I'm No Wonder Woman
T.J. Hirst with Wonder-filled Expectations
Mozi Esme with Nine Months with the Incredibles
Blog o' Beth with Does That Utility Belt Come in Black?
Summer at Summer's Nook with Misconception
Alice Wills Gold at I'm So Funny with Earning My Underoos
Cally at Calico with Darn. I Left My Boots in the Batmobile
Celita at The Spices of Life with A Wonder Woman's Bad Day Turned Bright
Robin at Around the Island with Bacon, Bringing Home and Frying Thereof
Stephanie at Adventures in Babywearing with No Solicitors
Chas at My Neurotic Spot with Wonder Woman

***

Here are a list of the entries in the order they were received:

Sarah at Que Sarah Sarah with Saving the World One Crazy at a Time

Sarah at Que Sarah Sarah with My Namesake and My Hero

Mother Earth Mender with The Fall of Wonder Woman

The Gremlin Wrangler with Grandma Diana Is Coming to Town

Sherri at Our Place with I'm No Wonder Woman

T.J. Hirst with Wonder-filled Expectations

Ronnica at Tale of a Kansas Girl with I'm No Superwoman

Lori at CommuniKATE with Dear Old Aunt Ruth--The Most Humbled Wonder Woman

Genesis Moments with Lessons from Wonder Woman

Chilihead at Don't Try This at Home with What's Your Management Style?

Michele P. at Creative Writings 101 with Does Wonder Woman Really Exist?

Mozi Esme with Nine Months with the Incredibles

Blog o' Beth with Does That Utility Belt Come in Black?

Beth Ann at TeamThornhill News with Am I Dreaming?

Summer at Summer's Nook with Misconception

The Motherboard at Crazy Land with Wonder Woman. Have You See Her?

Christie O. at Baby Tea Leaves with Life with Lupus

Alice Wills Gold at I'm So Funny with Earning My Underoos

Rani at Mommyville with It's Where I Live

Melanie at Life Is Not Final with We Are Wonder Woman!

Cally at Calico with Darn. I Left My Boots in the Batmobile

Daisy at Compost Happens with Did Superman Ever Get Headaches While He Was Saving the World?

Stacey at All Stace, All the Time with Ida

Michal at The Alagram Family with Who Is Wonder Woman?

Celita at The Spices of Life with A Wonder Woman's Bad Day Turned Bright

Mama Zen at The Zen of Motherhood with A Strange Tale

A Fantastic Family of Four with My Mother's Triumph: Survivor of Our Hometown Explosion

Jean at Working Mom 247 with Wonder Mom Defeats the Time Bandit

Deb at Mom of 3 Girls with She . . .

Sam at Balancing Wishes with Convoy of Urgency

A Wyn Wyn Situation with One Time Wonder Woman

The Dangling Conversation with A True "Wonder Woman"

Mannequin at Fractured Toy with "Wonder Woman" or "Wonder Floozy"?

Beth at Total Mom Haircut with My Baby Needs a Superman

Robin at Pensieve with A Woman of Wonder

Robin at Around the Island with Bacon, Bringing Home and Frying Thereof

Life As a Military Wife with My Kind of Wonder Woman

Code Yellow Mom with The Wonder of It All

Stephanie at Adventures in Babywearing with No Solicitors

Rebecca's Writing Practices with Betty Crocker

Nellbe's Scribblings with My Super Husband

Unexpected Bliss with Doing it Right, Some of the Time

Deanna at A Gathering of Days with Wonder Woman

Grace and Peace with Superheroes

Full Time in New Mexico with Wonder Women: Young Women As Exchange Students

Nicole at Naptime Optional with Embarrassing 101

Nicole at Naptime Optional with Will I Really Miss This?

Gilit Frank at No Sex in the City with The Wonder Woman Alarm Clock

Jane at What about Mom? with In Which WonderWoman Meets Her Match

Elaine Candeloro at The Candeloro Chronicles with Wonder Woman's Life in a Fishbowl

Jen Rouse at Jen's Page with Wonder Woman

My Menagerie with What Is Your Role in this World? I Know Mine!

Chas at My Neurotic Spot with Wonder Woman

My Ice Cream Diary with Wonder Women

Jane Hamilton at Ad Libitum with Help Me . . . I Am Wonder Woman

Charette at Divergent Pathways with Cavorting As a Caped Crusader

Housewife Hysteria with A Very Special Appointment

Sponsored by Dimples and Dandelions--See the beautiful Serena and Lily bedding collection for children.

Technorati tags: Write-Away Contest, contests, blogging, writing

Favorite Beauty Stuff

This seems like a rather girly post to put before you--where's my list of favorite Stallone movies or my tribute to grunge rock or a list of best moments in sports history? Sorry, not this week folks I'm needing all the beautification help I can get and here's my list of things that seem to do the trick for me.

1. Camille Beckman Glycerin Hand Therapy. I love this stuff because not only is it thick and rich but it doesn't grease up my hands and will stay in place, doing its wonders, for hours. There are a bunch of great fragrances but my favorite is Hyacinth-Bluebell which--horrifying to behold--has been discontinued as of May 2008. Where's the justice in that? Just as my jar runs out they discontinue my favorite scent. I'm going to have to find another favorite I suppose. Maybe I'll try the Passion Pear or Pink Grapefruit. I don't care for the stronger scents like Lime Leaves which I tried one time and it left me with big ol' Man Hands the way it smelled.

2. Clinique Blended Face Powder. A friend of mine recommended this stuff to me a couple years ago and I've used it ever since in total bliss. Even better? I've used the same jar for the entire time and it's like the miracle pot that never runs out, I've still got at least half a jar left. That's the best $18.50 I've ever spent--on my face at least.

This powder is a great all-purpose bronzing powder that gives my pasty flesh the sign of life it needs to keep people from sticking mirrors underneath my nose to see if I'm still alive-- I could not get paler if I lived in a cave. It doesn't take much of this stuff and it really gives a nice glow.

3. Large Velcro rollers. Now these aren't exactly some well-hid beauty secret but if you have long hair they're excellent for giving you body and enough curl to make your hair soft and shiny, I use mine all the time.

Blow dry your hair until it's nearly dry--pretty darn close to dry in fact. Then separate a piece of hair, spray a shot of root volumizer at the roots underneath and roll it up. Once you've got it all up (the first time or two you do it will feel pretty clumsy but it's easier the second time) finish drying it. But don't take the curlers out of the warm hair. Wait until the hair has cooled down or give it a blast of cool air to help it along but it will keep the curl better when it's been cooled around the rollers. That's all there is to it--well, except of course taking out the rollers and giving it all a good comb.

4. Sally Hansen Cuticle Oil. This too is pretty simple but my nails love it. It could be all in my head but when I regularly give them a brushing of cuticle oil they don't split as much and I don't get hang nails. The trick is to put a bit of the oil on and then rub a little lotion on your hands over the top and you don't get that greasy problem you would have if you just left the oil sitting on your skin.

5. OPI Nail Envy. Never figured what OPI stands for but I will swear on a stack of Bibles that this stuff is the best I've ever used. I have the world's thinnest, brittlest nails, they're just pathetic. I'm always breaking my nails--or rather they tear, they're not strong enough to break--and this polish which I wear all by itself in two coats will resist chips for days and has really worked for me. I told my Mom about it and she said she'd tried it but that it hadn't been as thrilling for her as it had for me but you can be the judge for yourself I suppose. I liked it.

6. Nail buffers. But when I'm not wearing Nail Envy I usually just buff my nails. I'm not really into wearing colored polish, even on my toes. Not sure why, I should try it some time--it would definitely shake things up around here--I usually just wear clear polish but wearing polish all the time can make your nails yellow. Seems like I read that it does that because it deprives them of oxygen but I'm skeptical because nails are dead skin cells and don't breathe or metabolize. Maybe I had the details wrong but at any rate they do turn yellow. You can fix this by rubbing some lemon juice on your nails and it will take away the stains (good also for removing garlic and fish odors by the way) but supposedly it's good for your nails to go without polish from time to time. I love my nail buffers that have multiple surfaces where you can file down the ridges and smooth out the nail and then buff them. If I keep my nails filed and buffed they are much stronger too--not sure why but I'll swear by it.

7. Clear mascara. This isn't so much for me but for my daughter. When she first started wearing makeup she started with clear mascara and it was such a great thing for her because it taught her how to apply it without the heaviness of a colored mascara. The clear coating gave her some body to her lashes and separated and defined them a bit but more with that "teary eye" look rather than the "I'm applying make up with a shot gun" look. Very helpful in first introducing her to the stuff and I'd highly recommend it.

8. Clinique Kohl Shaper for Eyes. I've become rather loyal to this eye liner for a couple reasons: first, the texture is perfect--not too "moist" (heh, like my word? I'm trying to break out of my shell here) and not too dry. Second, unlike some liners this stuff seems to last a good long time. The cap has a sharpener built-in and it helps to keep the point sharp every time you replace the cap.

9. Duralash by Ardell False Eyelashes. Doesn't this just seem so Lucille Ball? Well I'll tell you that I love these little fake guys. Actually, to be more accurate I don't wear the false eyelashes as a full set, Ardell makes trays of eyelash pieces like you see here where you can glue a section of eyelash in to fill out your own set. They come in brown and black and three different sizes: short, medium and long--some are combo packs with all three sizes--and I've worn them happily for special occasions ever since my college days. The glue keeps them in place and you just gently rub it with a little baby oil on a cotton swab when you want to loosen it at the end of the day. They stay in place pretty well. Except for that one time I was on a date to El Azteca and right in the middle of the appetizer I felt my eyelash take a dive and suddenly in the middle of the conversation I was trying to explain why I was doing this gimpy eye move and picking things out of my salsa.

10. NovaLash Eyelash Extensions. This might take some explaining so make yourself comfortable. A couple of years ago my cousin--who is a beautician--told me about the latest thing: eyelash extensions and how they can make your eyelashes longer the same way hair extensions can make your hair longer, by gluing fake pieces of hair to individual pieces of real hair. She liked the idea so much she took classes to become trained in this procedure.

Well as good fortune would have it she moved back to Anchorage just recently and has brought her new super-cool skills with her so that after all my moaning and groaning about the sad, sparse, thin, pathetic little eyelashes I was born with I can finally do something about it.

Tuesday I got the extensions put on and they're sweet. They'll last about 4-6 weeks and it can be rather expensive to have them put on the first time--I've heard as much as $250 or $300 but that's from rumor and not confirmed fact and Emily charges about half of that. Once you have them on they'll require touch-ups much the same way that acrylic nails require filling but the follow up visits are much less expensive because they don't take as much time as the initial visit.

Anyway, how was it? Well she had me laying down, listening to relaxing music so I wouldn't twitch while she quietly applied the hairs and though some people might have a problem with lying still for nearly two hours when comparing it to what I could have been doing at home it was a like a day at the spa. If you go to the NovaLash website it will show you pictures of what the extensions can look like and I'll tell you mine aren't nearly so whopping huge as that--what you end up with will be determined by what you start out with naturally and as I said my lashes are thin but now they're fun and I really like them. You can wear mascara with them but not the waterproof kind and you're not supposed to get them wet for the first 12-24 hours.

Anyway, now that I've told you about them you'll notice women here and there who have these gorgeous long lashes that look so real and you'll think to yourself "Now I know their secret!"

***

I'll finish my list of favorites with a couple extras: I was recently sent a some other lotions to review, Skin MD, Curel Youth Defense Moisture Lotion and T'Fivve Anti-Aging Moisturizing Hand Treatment and I picked up the new Vaseline Intensive Care Vitalizing Body Gel with Brazlian Nut and Almond Oils after reading about it in a magazine.

I didn't like the Skin MD because it was thin and didn't smell particularly good. It didn't smell bad but I usually like little bit of something for fragrance and this had no smell at all. If you're someone who prefers unscented lotions that could be a bonus. As for protecting my skin it did a fair job though I had a hard time seeing any significant moisturizing or shielding going on. A small bottle can run $25 so I thought it didn't seem to be worth it but then I've read other reviews that were favorable so take your pick.

The Curel was fine, it reminded me of the Camille Beckman lotion I've already extolled and worked well. The price was a lot more reasonable than the Skin MD--around $6 or $7 at the drugstore--and the lotion seemed to do the job.

T'Fivve was fine too, thick and creamy (though quite expensive at $35/tube) but I don't know that I could tell any difference between the effectiveness of the Curel, T'Fivve and my own Camille Beckman favorite--except that I liked the way my lovely Hyacinth Bluebell lotion smelled.

As for the Vaseline with the ENORMOUSLY long name? Hated it. After applying that stuff I felt so greased up I could audition for Baywatch--and I smelled just like the beach too because it smelled like tanning lotion with all that cocoa butter in it.

So the moral of the story is? I'm a dunce when it comes to reviewing lotions and will go for the pretty smelling one every time.

Sponsored by jaC Jewelry, Arts and Crafts--Jewelry with lovely earth colors and themes.

Technorati tags: lists, beauty products, motherhood

Tiny, Insignificant Second Post

I'm leaving tonight for BlogHer (I hate to mention it because I remember how painful it was to hear about last year when I wanted to go but couldn't but there's a purpose here in mentioning this so be strong . . . ) I'll be speaking Friday morning on a panel with three blogging experts: Nelly Yusupova, Shazia Mistry and Melanie Nelson about beginning blogging issues. Specifically, I'll be fielding the Blogger group while the others tackle issues in other blogging platforms and as Melanie said in her post today I'm having a hard time preparing for this because it's dependent on what questions people are likely to ask.

So all you Blogger bloggers out there--help me out! What kinds of questions do you have about blogging?

And can I mention that I'm an absolute ball of nerves right now? I have been sick to my stomach with worry for a week which is odd because I've done plenty of public speaking and teaching and I expect I'll survive this as well but something about traveling by myself, meeting up with strangers who aren't strangers and traveling all night (I can't sleep on planes) then being expected to be witty and perky for camera and company is making me very nervous.

Thank goodness for great roomates like Loralee, Amber and Jill who will be the highlight of the trip. Loralee could make anyone feel at home. Let's hope I don't snore . . .

How to Make a Mini Pool Table

When I helped my boys make this little game last week one of the first things Spencer said was, "Mom, isn't pool a betting game?"

It kind of made me chuckle. Apparently I'm introducing my boys to a life of uninhibited gambling with a crime spree not far behind and they're nervous. I wonder where he figured that out? But at any rate I assured him that no, I wasn't trying to get him to sell his soul to the pool hall but to just make something that might be kind of fun some afternoon. No betting necessary.

So with that reassurance we made this little table top pool table and had a fine little game of mini pool. Here's what you'll need for your own set:

• 3 pieces of green 12-inch by 9-inch felt
• 2 straws
• 11 marbles
• 2 unsharpened pencils
• Tacky glue

To make it up:

1. Take two of the pieces of green felt and cut each into thirds so that you have six pieces of 4-inch by 9-inch felt. The third piece will be the playing surface.

2. Stack the strips on top of each other and glue them all together so you have this large stack of felt measuring 4-inches by 9-inches.

3. Cut the stack into four long 1-inch by 9-inch strips for your table bumpers. Two of the strips you should then cut in half down to 1-inch by 4.5-inches, round the edges and glue in place as your four bumpers on the long edges of the remaining piece of felt. Then use the two remaining strips and cut each down to make a bumper for the short ends of the playing surface. Glue all bumpers in place

4. Take two straws (snip off the flexible ends if they have them) and insert the ends into each other to make a triangular rack for the ten marbles.

That's all there is to it, the pencils are your cue sticks and you're ready to play some pool. No betting allowed.

***

Thinking about entering this month's Write-Away Contest? Prize is a Zune MP3 player and the theme is "Wonder Woman." The deadline is today!

Sponsored by Identity Theft Shield--Professionals helping people to protect their identity.

Technorati tags: crafts, kids, activities

Enough Is Enough. I'm Moving to Sitka

Sitka is a town in southeastern Alaska and I'm posting a picture of Andrew's recent trip there out of sheer spite. Jealousy, irritation, frustration, whatever you want to call it it's starting to rear it's ugly head because our summer weather has stunk. We've had nothing but clouds and rain and gray and drizzle since April, with the exception of two days where we actually had sun the whole day--but still it hasn't reached 75. In my book it's not legitimate summer weather until you at least give me 75. It's in the contract or something. I haven't had to water the grass because it's been so damp and gray. Do you all know how you're killing me with your sunshiny vacation photos and running through the sprinkler? Do you??

So Andrew came back from Sitka, possibly the rainest, dampest part of the entire state, with pictures of sunny harbors. It was beautiful the whole week he was there while I sat here picking the moss out of my toes. I'm getting bitter I tell you.

The kids think it's my fault and have griped that I won't let them run through the sprinkler and that I've been really mean this summer. I tried to explain that it isn't me it's the fact that one dash into the water and they'd be victims of hypothermia but they'd prefer to blame it on me. I can understand that, I've been patiently waiting for things to improve and now I'm starting to get ugly about the whole situation. I'd like to have someone to blame for it myself. Where's global warming when you need it??

Technorati tags: Anchorage, Sitka, Alaska

He's Ready for the Olympics

I'm not sure why but my kids have got the running bug. I mean Andrew loves to run and goes out jogging all the time but I kind of figured that my "I'd pretty much rather do anything than strap a pair of running shoes to my feet" genes would beat his into submission where my kids were concerned. Apparently I was wrong because every time I turn around lately one of them is telling me they're going out "to run."

Huh?

Then I figured it out. It's not the exercise, the exhilaration of the wind in their hair, the thrill of following in their Dad's footsteps it's the ipod.

Because my kids have begged for ipods and I really haven't felt like giving into all the pressure an 11 year-old boy can dish out (as if I care that he thinks I'm the meanest mom on the planet). As soon as I did I'm pretty sure I'd never be able to hold a normal conversation with my son again and our dialog would be limited to me making frantic hand signals in front of his face. It ain't going to happen folks, at least not while there's breath in this body.

But Andrew recently got a new ipod which left his little ipod Shuffle without a home and somehow the boys realized that if they asked me to let them use it while they jog I'm a pushover and I hand it over without argument (I just figured that out, like, this week--obviously my mom skills are slipping).

Anyway . . . David went out jogging and when he came home I asked where he'd been running and how it had gone and all that mom-type stuff. "How was your run?" I asked.

"Fine. Except Dad's ipod wasn't working."

"What?"

"The sticky pad things that keep the things in your ears are gone."

Translation: I've lost the ear bud covers.

"Oh. But was your run was good?"

"Well it was hard running when the ipod was broken."

Still not quite understanding the situation I prodded, "Why would that matter?"

"Well without the black spongy things the ear things wouldn't stick in my ears, they kept falling out."

"So you couldn't listen to music?"

"No I could hear the music, it just made it hard to run."

"Why?" I asked, still completely lost on this train of thought.

"Because I had to run with my hands over my ears to hold the ear parts in."

At which point he demonstrated his new technique by jogging in place while covering his ears with his cupped hands.

Let's hope no one I knew saw him. They'd have to wonder what freakish punishments I'd been handing out when they saw my son running around the neighborhood with his hands over his ears. Bound to be questions about that one.

And in totally unrelated news . . .

***

Congratulations to Rachel of Keller, Texas (I seem to get a lot of winners from Texas--must be a lucky place to live) who won this week's giveaway of a Navigon GPS system. She said "My husband would die if I won this for him." Let's hope he survives the experience!

Sponsored by Rick Rack Attack--Real, bona fide vintage aprons. Why try to duplicate when you can get the real thing?

Technorati tags: motherhood, parenting

How to Build a Go Cart--and Survive

Early this summer I published our list of goals for the summer and number nine was "build a soapbox racer" (otherwise known as a go cart). Well we can check that one off the list because last week we fulfilled our Nascar dreams by hosting the first ever Go Cart Grand Prix and fun was had by all.

So I've got pictures and instructions should you have the inclination to try it yourself. It was an easy project and the kids and I had lots of fun planning and building our sweet ride.

We called our creation "The Wind Scorpion" (which you might remember is another name for the camel spider). There were some issues about whether a "Ninja Wind Scorpion" were more fearsome than a mere "Wind Scorpion" but in the end we figured the simplicity and elegance of "The Wind Scorpion" would promote a general fear among our competition. The kids were even cocky enough to stick a sign on the back reading, "If you can read this you're losing."

Of course that was all a bit premature and our competition had a ringer in the pit crew. Apparently the other driver's grandfather is an Air Force mechanic who works on the F-15s so I guess if anyone knows anything about building machines for speed it would be him and we lost miserably. No worries, just wait until we build the next one, it's going to rule the pavement.

Here's what you'll need:

• Some friends who have as much time on their hands as you do. Unless you want to race by yourself. Of course you may not want to invite friends who have much MORE time than you because ten-to-one they'll build a machine guaranteed to leave you in the dust.
  
• 1 1-inch by 10-inch main board five feet long. This will be the main board for the chassis.
• 2 cross pieces to support the axles. We used cross pieces that were 2-inches by 3-inches--one 3-feet long for the back axle and one 2-feet long for the front.
• A Lazy Susan swivel for the front steering joint.
• 2 1/2-inch diameter, 3-foot long steel rods for the axles. Don't let the guy at Lowe's tell you that you need threaded rods, ignore him, you'll definitely need smooth rods for speed. Take it from us who learned the hard way.
• 4 wagon wheels to fit on the 1/2-inch rods, the ones with ball bearings in them are probably best and this will be the most expensive part of the project, running about $8 a piece.
  
• 2 small eye bolts for attaching the steering rope to the front cross piece plus two yards of steering rope.
• 4 1/2-inch cap nuts plus washers for securing the wheels on the axles.
• Wood screws of various sizes to hold it all together--plan for plenty of them because they'll get dropped and lost along the way.
• A trash can for the body--and some 1/4-inch stove bolts with washers to secure it to the chassis without tearing the plastic.
  
• I also used white Contact paper for decals that the kids designed with permanent markers.
• A 1-inch by 2-inch board for a pivot break fixed to the chassis with a 3-inch lag bolt.
• Metal plumber's tape to secure the axles to the cross pieces (and metal snippers to snip it).
• And finally you'll need a street where you can race. Preferably one that's a dead end, paved, gently sloped and without pot holes. I'd give you the name of the street we used but I'm guessing the people who live there might not appreciate me turning their street into The Fast and the Furious.

Now here's how it goes all together:

1. Screw the Lazy Susan swivel to the front of the long board then screw the cross piece on top of that. Your front board should swivel and steer quite nicely now.

2. Screw the back cross piece onto the main board.

3. Using strips of plumber's tape and wood screws, secure the axles to the undersides of the cross pieces.

4. Put the wheels on with the washers and cap nuts--you might also want to get some lubricant in there while you're at it.

5. We used an extra board as a back rest though this is optional, ditto on the rubber dish rack mat we used as a seat. If you want these now's the time to screw them in place.

6. Attach the break to the side with a pivot joint. You might have to experiment with this because we all felt that after our race the side break wasn't as effective as foot pedal breaks would be. Not sure how they'd be designed but you might give this some thought and come up with your own ideas.

7. Screw the body (trash can) in place. Our friends even had a grill and headlights on their car. I had the boys put decals made from white Contact paper they'd decorated with permanent markers and self-adhesive reflectors on the back. Be creative--our friends went to an auto parts store and asked for automotive parts stickers and the store gave them out for free.

8. Attach the eye bolts to the front cross piece near where the feet will rest. String the rope through the eye bolts and tie it so you have a loop of rope to steer with--if it's nylon rope you can burn the ends to melt it and make it more secure. When riding, keep this rope taut.

And finally, if you'd like to see video of the race here's the clip I put together to capture the experience. It was wise to require the kids to wear helmets and pads because the steering rope had to be held taut or they'd flip. The cars had a hand break on the side but the kids found it more effective to drag their heels off the front cross piece where they rested their feet.

***

Thinking about entering this month's Write-Away Contest? Prize is a Zune MP3 player and the theme is "Wonder Woman" but the deadline is this week so you'll have to hurry!

Sponsored by Pak Naks--Back to School is around the corner and their charms are so cute!

Technorati tags: cars, kids, go carts

Nancy's Asian Chicken Salad

Nancy is my aunt and she made this salad years ago for a family picnic and the crowd went wild. It's really about the tastiest salad I've ever had--probably because of the noodles, I'm a sucker for noodles.

Anyway, it's a terrific potluck creation and is nice and cool on a hot summer day. I make it all the time and never get tired of it.

3 packages Top Ramen, broken in pieces and cooked
2 grated carrots
3-4 green onions, sliced
1 cup peanuts
3-4 chicken breasts, grilled and sliced

For dressing:
1 cup rice vinegar
8 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons sesame oil
4 minced garlic cloves

Combine all of the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl. Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing in a bottle and shake to mix. Pour the dressing over the salad and you're good to go.

***

Thinking about entering this month's Write-Away Contest? Prize is a Zune MP3 player and the theme is "Wonder Woman" but the deadline is this week so you'll have to hurry!

Sponsored by: Dimples and Dandelions--Serena and Lily Bedding for Children

Technorati tags: recipes, Asian, salads

Navigon GPS System Giveaway

Are you going on the road this summer? Maybe with gas prices high enough to draw blood you're planning on staying closer to home but whatever you're doing, today's giveaway will help with your travel plans.

Navigon, a company specializing in GPS systems, recently released their 2100 max unit and asked if I'd take a look at it and see what kind of fun I could come up with to share.

Unfortunately there was a snag. A big snag called "Alaska" because while the Navigon 2100 max comes preloaded with maps of 48 of the United States, it doesn't have maps of Hawaii or Alaska, only the "contiguous" states. If you haven't noticed this word before it means "connected to each other." It's not accurate to say "continental" United States because even though Alaska and Hawaii may not be touching the rest of you guys we are, quite thoroughly, part of the continent. Please forgive the vocab lesson but I find this little point to be kind of funny when you see a site that says "We only provide shipping to the continental United States."

At any rate, no maps, no first hand review. Which is too bad because I liked the screen and how easy it was to stick up on your car and was able to view the sample maps and see what this little baby is capable of and it looks very handy--we really could have used this when we were driving all over Florida last March getting lost and paying out a fortune in tolls.

You can of course get basic info like your altitude, latitude, longitude, direction and speed and you have maps to take you to the nearest restaurant, gas station or hospital. The Navigon 2100 max can talk to you, giving you directions and once you're there you can hit the "take me home" button to save locations for future reference and the return route.

Anyway, it's too bad we northern folks are out of the picture on this one, I've written to the folks at Navigon and asked if there is a way around this limitation and will update as I gain more information. In the meantime here is a post at GPS Tracklog that does a review which you might find more helpful.

My online research indicates that another model, the Navigon 2120 max fills in where this one lacks and contains maps of the missing states as well as the Canadian provinces (much better, eh?) If I'd known the full picture when they contacted me I would have requested this model instead.

But . . . good news for you because I'm giving away this Navigon 2100 max that I can't use to one of you nice readers. If you're planning on hitting the road this would be a great thing to use for your trip--avoid the toll roads, plot the straightest route, find the nearest pit stop. You'll love it.

Here's how to win:

Before 12 am Monday go to the giveaway entry form on this page and enter your name and email. I will pick one of the names at random, contact the winner via their email and publish the winner's first name and home town in next Tuesday's post. See the bottom of the entry form for more details.

I'm sorry but this giveaway is open only to U.S. readers.

***

Thinking about entering this month's Write-Away Contest? Prize is a Zune MP3 player and the theme is "Wonder Woman" but the deadline is this week so you'll have to hurry!

Sponsored by Kenarie's Presents and Paperie--Handcrafted paper goods for one-of-a-kind gifts.

Technorati tags: product reviews, giveaways, navigation, GPS

Would You Like Some Caviar with Your Fruit Loops Sir?

My sister Melissa received a catalog that she brought over to show me. We both puzzled about how she could have got on their mailing list until we remembered that her name was probably still there leftover from when she was married to Tom Cruise. You know, way back when.

But that's all water under the bridge now and there we were with a catalog brazenly calling itself Posh Tots. Yes, Posh Tots--and no, they're not a round, fried potato product they're a company presumably catering to the babies with money, you know the kind whose parents go into pregnancy interviewing wet nurses, governesses and headmasters?

Well you wouldn't believe the stuff they have in there. Many of their products aren't much pricier than what you'd find in PB Kids but then there's the Fairy Tale Bed for $9,500 (which is admittedly quite cool) or the Chuckwagon Toddler Bed for $13,995--plus shipping (probably via Air Force One). Does it strike anyone else as odd to have the only kid on the block sleeping in a replica Louis XV four-poster bed? That's the kid that's going to rock the hockey team. Somehow I'm thinking that my little heathens wouldn't appreciate have a Catherine de Medici bed set--unless maybe they could use their Sponge Bob sheets with it.

For $6000 you can book Collleen Phelon Hall, a certified Posh mural artist, to come and paint a mural on your child's wall. I didn't realize murals were such a hot commodity--maybe I shouldn't have washed all that crayon off the kids' walls after all and just passed it off as a Jackson Pollock tribute.

But it goes up from there. If the Fairy Tale bed is too proletariat for you can always upgrade to the Fantasy Coach pictured above for $47,000. You know why they call it a "fantasy" don't you? You'd have to be delusional to even consider buying one even if you could afford one. It's the kid's bed that's cost more than my car. And my husband's car. Combined--and then doubled.

But the best I'm saving for last. If purchasing small Caribbean nations has begun to bore you consider turning your thoughts to playground equipment because you can now purchase the Tumble Outpost play set for $122,730. Plus shipping. It's the playground set that comes with it's own time share plan.

I quote from the catalog, "Call for custom options and shipping information. Assembly required." Because $122,730 doesn't include shipping. Is it me, or for that price would you expect Posh Spice herself to fly out the pieces on her private jet and put it together while you sipped a Dr. Pepper on the veranda? Apparently that's extra. Hurry and buy now because supplies are limited.

And how on earth did they arrive at $122,730? I mean if you had your heart set on a Richie Rich playground couldn't you hire a craftsman to build one just like it for--what? $5,000? $10,000? So obviously there's a bit of markup on this thing and I'm curious how they arrived at such a random number. Maybe they're trying to convince you that it's actually worth the price by being so specific and outrageous--you know, normally it would only be $100,000 but the extra $22,730 gets you the 24 carat mulch nuggets underneath--which they recommend to a depth of nine inches for optimum safety.

I'd expect that Post Tots' clientele pays cash for their purchases because I'm having a hard time seeing someone taking out a mortgage for a playhouse. Hey--that's a good question, would it qualify for municipal property taxes?

I'd be curious, too, to meet the person who decides to spend a hundred and twenty grand on a jungle gym from flipping through a catalog because the thing is, if you're putting in a playground that costs at much as a Maserati you probably wouldn't be looking in a catalog, you'd be paying someone else to look through catalogs for you--like Mr. French or Alfred or something--or you'd at least pay someone to lift your arm to turn the page.

Sponsored by: jaC Jewelry--Beautiful custom-crafted jewelry you'll love but that costs much less than the Tumble Outpost.

Technorati tags: children, furniture