December 3, 2008

Jennifer’s on top of things!

I know you’ve probably been wondering what Jennifer is up to, so I thought today might be a good day to visit Footprints on the Moon so we could all find out. What she’s been up to is … a lot of stuff! My sewing machine is still over in the corner under a layer of dust and piles of junk mail. Jenn’s has been getting a real workout. She’s making a beautiful quilt with some fun Christmas fabrics. The idea of making a quilt has always sort of intimidated me, but not our Jennifer. She’s just learning to sew and jumped right in with this tough project. You gotta admire that spirit of seeing something, wanting to do it and and then tackling it head on. We’ve seen before (when she decided to teach herself to cook) that she is not afraid of a challenge. What amazes me is that she does so well at developing new skills without an instructor or guide.

Last time we visited Jennifer she had just committed to posting regular updates on her financial plan. She’s been sticking to her budget and has managed to reduce the balances on all of her bills. She’s even added a debt-reduction graph to her sidebar so it’s easy to track her progess. Again, my admiration soars! I’m not sure which I admire more; that she’s able to exercise financial discipline or that she’s so bold about sharing her experiences for her readers’ benefit. Way to go Jenn! You’re an inspiration to each of us.

Jennifer is a pushover for a pretty face. Okay, not just any pretty face. There’s one, though, that turns her to mush. Her nephew Killian is getting to be a big boy, so I suppose we’ll have to start calling him handsome soon, instead of pretty or beautiful. He’s all that, though, and he’s got his Auntie Jenn wrapped around his little finger. She takes a self portrait every Sunday, (just like some other folks you’ve met.) There’s always a warm friendliness staring out of her portraits, but the ones with Killian have a magical quality. I think it’s that thing called love.

Lest we get to mushy here I’ll tell you something Jenn has done that is just downright heartless. I’ve never thought of her as a braggart or known her to be petty, but how else can she be described when she’s done something totally self-serving and then told us all about it as if she expects us to congratulate her? Just the telling of it is pretty much guaranteed to make the rest of us feel like slugs, but Jenn just couldn’t keep it to herself. I’ll tell you, but prepare yourself for a shock. While the rest of us are still making lists and trying to find money in our budgets, Jenn finished her Christmas shopping several weeks before Thanksgiving! Wouldn’t a friend have kept such news to herself instead of making all of the rest of us feel like totally disorganized, incompetent, unprepared jerks for not getting started yet? Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking. I’m also thinking we should all go over there and give her a piece of our minds. You go first. I’ll follow you in a little while, once I recover from the shock.

[tags]blog reviews, blogs, Footprints on the Moon, personal blogs, review[/tags]

November 22, 2008

The Clan McLeod has contests!

That Gina! She just keeps on winning Tuesday Teasers and I’ll probably never get caught up with her linky loves! I have to try though, so I went over to her place this morning for a visit and to see what she’s up to. What she’s up to is contests! Gina is turning 31 next week, so she’s celebrating by giving her readers 31 giveaways to enter & win! She’s been running a new contest each day in November and will continue until December 1st. Here’s just a sampling of some of the contests that are still open (she’s already had a slew of winners.)

Her lastest giveaway, posted today, is for a cleaning package worth over a hundred bucks. It includes:

Wright’s Silver Polish
Perfect Planet Floor Cleaner
Weiman E-Tronic Wipes
Weiman Leather Wipes
Weiman Cook Top Wipes
Libman Wonder Mop
Libman WonderFiber Cloth

It probably says more about me than anyone needs to know, but this package is a definite turn-on! Contest ends on December 2nd.

A Custom Blog Design from Doodlebug Designs Go take a look at Gina’s blog. Yep, it’s a Doodlebug! Their designs are beautiful and they do a great job of bringing the blogger’s personality into the artwork. Valued at about $70 this is a great prize for any blogger who wants to increase their appeal! This contest closes on December 5th.

Pop’rs This looks like great fun! Pop’rs are like Pop Rocks, but they’re made to put on food - especially on food your kids might be reluctant to try. They come in eight fun flavors: strawberry, raspberry, color burst, cinnamon, cocoa, taco, buffalo and butter. Gina is givng away a four pack and the contest ends on November 30th.

The deadlline is fast approaching for the Pillsbury “Home is Calling” contest. The is a wonderful prize for this time of year when we’re all in the kitchen making holiday meals. The package includes:

A coupon for Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls
A magnetic coupon holder
A house-shaped mouse pad
Pot holders
A cookie sheet
A bread basket
And a loveable Pillsbury Doughboy figurine.

Make sure you read Gina’s entire post so you’ll know how you can team with Pillsbury to help feed the hungry! Contest ends November 25th.

There’s more - lots more! - and there will be a new giveaway each day until December 1st, but I’m going to make you go over to The Clan McLeod and check the rest of them out for yourself. Give Gina your Happy Birthday wishes while you’re there, and don’t forget to tell her that skeet sent you!

[tags]blogs, contests, reviews[/tags]

September 13, 2008

Meet The Jilly Bean

I’ve always been a country girl at heart. Maybe that’s why I’ve liked The Jilly Bean since the first time she wandered in for a visit at skeet’s stuff. The Jilly Bean is a country girl and blogs about her life over at The Post-It Place. How country is she? Well, she knows that a tractor and overalls can make a man incredibly sexy. She’s recently started raising chickens and even brought in a chicken whisperer to help her out. She blogs a lot about the doings in Hick Town, which sounds like just the knid of place I’d have liked to have raised my son. Her son and daughter make appearances on the blog from time to time and are just the sort of wholesome and well-rounded kids you’d expect in such a nurturing environment.

Things have been a little rough for Jilly Bean and her family just lately. Like me, she recently lost her computer and all of the archived information it stored. Her mother’s fiance is approaching end stage with Renal Cell Carcinoma. Living out in the country, though, they’ve been really blessed with lots of help from some good neighbors. I’m sure she’d appreciate a neighborly visit from you, too, with a few encouraging words. Just don’t mention the Maytag man while you’re there, unless you want to jump on her Maytag-bashing bandwagon. They picked on the wrong woman when they mistreated our Jilly Bean. Take my word for it: you dont ‘t want to get on her wrong side!

Despite recent and ongoing events, Jilly Bean is an upbeat gal and likes to share her wit and humor. Go visit on a Thursday and join in on the Treasure Hunt Thursday fun. I’m thinking that Jilly Bean should be looking at jobs in logistics. She lines up a series of facts and writes very clever riddles for each treasure hunt. I think you’re supposed to visit several blogs and collect puzzle clues as you go, but I couldn’t find post that explains exactly how it all works. Maybe she’ll do one soon and make it easier for everyone to join in. There are no categories or tags to help with navigation either, but just scrolliing through the posts is a rewarding experience. Don’t limit yourself to just Thursday visits, either. There’s a little something worth smiling about in almost every post at The Post-It Place. Jilly Bean is warm and welcoming and her blog reflects that. I’m predicting you’ll all feel right at home from your first visit. Check it out and let me know, okay?

[tags]blog reviews, blogs, country living[/tags]

September 8, 2008

The Clan McLeod

The Clan McLeod chronicles the daily life of a homeschooling, Christian family. Like most homeschooling bloggers, Gina is generous with her experience. She blogs about the lessons she’s doing with her girls, about the study materials they use and the field trips they take. She also does an excellent job of reviewing some of the tools and training materials that help her stay on track as a teacher. If you’re homeschooling and haven’t discovered The Clan McLeod yet, I recommend that you check it out. You’ll probably want to add Gina to your blogroll of online homeschooling resources.

Gina first appeared at skeet’s stuff a couple of months ago - I think she found me through Laura Williams’ weekly contest listing (button in my right sidebar.) She’s become a weekly regular for my Tuesday Teasers and has won several times in the last month or two. In addition to being smart enough to crack my brain teasers, she’s got a sharp wit and compassionate heart. She sometimes donates space on her blog to worthy causes. She had a donation button up right now for a family that recently lost their home to fire. If you have a couple of extra bucks in your jeans this week, this would be a great place to spend them.

There’s almost always a contest or giveaway going on over at Gina’s place. Her current contest closes today so you’ll need to check back soon to see what her next giveaway is.

I’d like to see Gina add some categories or tags to the blog to make it a little easier to locate contests or homeschool posts or whatever you might be looking for. Her posts are well written and flow smoothly from topic to topic, but right now you have to do a lot of scrolling if you’re interested in a particular subject. The Clan McLeod has a lovely custom theme and is attractively arranged. The real treat, though, is Gina’s easy style. Many of her posts read like a conversation you’d have with a friend over a cup of coffee in a country kitchen. Her welcome mat is always out, so meander on over and get to know her.

[tags]blog review, blogs, bloggers, homeschool blogs[/tags]

August 26, 2008

Let’s talk about Jenn!

It’s been a while since I last updated you on my friend Jenn who blogs over at Footprints on the Moon. She’s doing something right now that I admire greatly, so I thought I’d tell you about it. Y’all know about my epic struggles with clutter. The reason I haven’t given you an update on that lately is that there’s nothing much to report. I’m easily distracted - what can I say? Jenn, though, makes up her mind to do something and then she makes it happen. She set some goals for herself and has been working diligently ever since to realize them.

One of her most important goals is to pay off her debts. Like most of us (well, me, anyway) she’s spent money that she doesn’t have and is left with the bills to pay. I love the way she’s organized her debts into a bar graph that she has to see every day, thus keeping herself motivated to take care of them. She can see a visual of her progress every time she makes a payment. Smart, Jenn! I’d copy that idea, but past history tells me it would end up being just another embarrassment staring me in the face.

Jenn hasn’t limited her goal-setting to her finances. In July she committed herself to do 101 Things in 1001 Days. I know a couple of other people who are doing this, too. Again, something that I admire greatly. It takes a lot of stick-to-it-ivity to set the one or two goals that many folks set each New Years. Most fail to reach those goals. I’m going to make a bold statement right here, right now: Jenn will reach her goals. She’s got the focus, the motivation and the desire. She has a plan. I believe that she will stick to that plan and allow her motivation to carry her to each and every goal she sets. I owe her several more linky-love posts (she’s a frequent winner of Tuesday Teasers.) We’ll check back in with her from time to time and I’m betting there will be signifigant progress to report each time. Don’t wait on me, though. Hop on over to her place and give her a little encouragement. Not that I think she needs it, you know, but everyone appreciates an “Atta girl!” every now and then. Hey, Jenn - atta girl!

Photo credit: froggybluesock

[tags] blog reviews, blogs, Footprints on the Moon, personal blogs[/tags]

August 19, 2008

Wild West Quest - hidden object game

After finding some of your grandfather’s belongings in an old trunk, you’re magically transported back in tme to his era in the the wild west. Grandpa hasn’t been seen for a while, so you turn detective and begin to gather clues that will help you locate him. That’s the premise which kicks off Wild West Quest, available as a free one-hour demo from Big Fish Games. You’ll talk to town characters and visit different settings as you go about your task. In each scene you visit you’ll be provided with a list of objects to find, or with a menu of sillhouettes to match with items in the scene.

If you enjoy searching for hidden objects that have be subtley woven into a scene, this is not the game for you. Most of the items you’re asked to find in Wild West Quest are not really hidden. They are “in plain sight” but each scene is so cluttered that it’s a challenge to pick out any given item. Sillhouetted items are a little tougher to find and some will require some willd guessing on the player’s behalf - when there are half a dozen circular items in a scene, your only recourse is to click on each until you get lucky. Question marks are hidden within each scene. Each one you find provides you with a hint, so collect them as you go along, but you won’t need many, so don’t sweat it if you miss a few.

I prefer a higher level of challenge in hidden object game play, but I have several games that I keep handy for those days when I don’t have a large chunk of time for a more absorbing game. I know that I can use them for a brief break from a busy day without being sucked into wanting to spend hours with them. Wild West Quest falls into that category for me. If you’re looking for a real challenge, this might not be the game for you. If you select games of different intensity to suit different occasions, label this one “relaxed play” and give it a whirl. The demo is free, so you’ve got nothing to lose.

You can find other hidden object game reviews in the games category for skeet’s stuff. Each review offers my thoughts on the game and provides you with a link so you can check it out for yourself.

[tags]games, hidden object games, Wild West Quest[/tags]

August 8, 2008

True Aloha

I love sharing stories about Hawaii with my readers. Many of you have come to count on the occasional slices of local life, photos and recipes that I dig up. Hey, I’m in Hawaii! What’s not to love? There are limitations on the way that share the aloha, though. I blog about events and people in my own backyard. I’m not too heavy into research, so I don’t have anything to say about the outer islands or festivals I haven’t been to or trails I haven’t hiked. That’s because skeet’s stuff isn’t about Hawaii. It’s all about me. If it doesn’t cross my path and I don’t happen upon it, you won’t find it here. Those of you who want a broader picture of my beautiful paradise just won’t find it amidst my clutter. You need to go to a Hawaii-centric blog for that. I recommend True Aloha for your steady diet of Hawaiiana. Anele is all about Hawaii, and she’s a lot more willing than I am to work at bringing together the big picture for you.

I talk about our ono grinds (delicious foods.) Anele wants you to know how to make them for yourself, so she features local foods every week in her Aloha Friday Recipe feature. Do you know what the local favorite dessert dish is? I’ve never thought to tell you, but Anele featured it recently. It’s called Haupia and it’s a coconut pudding that’s to die for! Check out Anele’s Haupia With Pineapple recipe. It’s quick and easy to make and oh, so ono! Follow her directions and you can serve it the next time you want to throw an authentic Hawaiian luau. Bento fans? Check out the cutest little Spam Musubi in the world in Anele’s Bento Musings!

I’ve been here for fourteen years and there are so many things I’ve never checked out yet. I haven’t gone hiking in years, despite some of the most beautiful hiking trails in the world being available to me. Many folks carry a GPS with them when they hike now, and that means lots of geocaching opportunites in Hawaii and anywhere else you care to hike. Anele keeps you up to date on Geochaching in Hawaii, so make sure you check her out before you plan your Hawaii vacation agenda. For the less athletic among you, she’ll point all of you armchair travelers to the best Hawaii programming on TV, with an up-to-date widget so you’ll never miss a thing. Whatever you want to know about Hawaii, it’s probably already on Anele’s blog. If it’s not, ask her! She’s the expert on travel and vacation planning and has done a great job of covering music, local events and pretty much everything else Hawaiian. Bookmark True Aloha, or, better yet, add it to your feeds. If you want to know all about me, you already know where to come. Now you know where to find True Aloha, too!

[tags]blog reviews, blogs, Hawaii blogs[/tags]

August 4, 2008

Aftershocks

Jade is a Southern kinda gal, a twenty-something college student. She’s silly and sassy and I think I’d enjoy sitting down to share a cup of cofee and some conversation with her, because she’s also got a head on her shoulders. Her personality bubbles through to the surface in everything she writes. She has opinions. She likes to share them. That’s what Aftershocks is all about.

I don’t get her taste in music at all, but that probably has something to do with us being on opposites sides of a generation gap. (My son is almost old enough to be her father, so it’s a big gap!) She gushes occasionally about her favorite group, Lifehouse, but mostly she talks about the quality of music and the memories and emotions it evokes. Check out her Remember Wednesday weekly feature, which I like, a lot! You might like to join in and post your own music memories. I’d do it if I thought there was still anyone alive who could relate to the songs that stir special memories for me.

While Jade’s musical musing are sometimes a mystery to me, her food reviews aren’t. They’re pretty much all convenience foods, and who among us doesn’t like to keep quick meals and snacks on hand? What makes them special, though, is that most of the foods she likes the most qualify, for me at least, as comfort foods. Who doesn’t like to talk about pudding and mac & cheese? Did you give Chili’s another try, Jade? Try thinking of it as slightly-upscale fast food and maybe you’ll judge it a little less harshly.

Jade also reviews books, telelvision shows and games, health and beauty products and household stuff. If you can buy it, eat it, use it or give it as a gift, Jade probably has a review for your consideration. You won’t find the typical “someone paid me to say nice things” reviews on Jade’s site. If there’s something wrong, she spots it and voices her opinion. I think what comes through the stongest for me is the honesty with which she approaches each review. It’s refreshing and has the skeet seal of approval. Check out Aftershocks. I think you’ll like it, too!

[tags]Aftershocks, blog reviews, blogs, consumer reviews[/tags]

June 26, 2008

Scrabulous - my latest obsession

A friend sent me an email invitation to play Scrabulous with her a few days ago. We’ve had a game going ever since. I also have games going with several other people. The really nice thing about this game is that you play when it’s convenient. You don’t have to be online at the same time as your opponent. You’ll get an email when they make a move. When you make your play, they’ll be notified.

Some additional features: A handy drop down box gives you access to your choice of the two dictionaries used by serious Scrabble® players. I especially like the list of all two-letter words. Very useful when you get in a bind. When you close the dictionaries you’ll see a message box. You can use it for live conversation if you and your opponent are online at the same time, or leave a message for them to find later.

I can never get enough word games, so I’ve been playing with a robot to fill some time between live-people games. The computer generates some really oddball words, so I’m learning a lot. I haven’t been motivated to find out what all of these strange words mean. It’s enough right now just to add them to my store of available ammunition for future games. I’m playing at level ten and winning maybe ten percent of my games against the computer. I got a bit frustrated and considered setting the level a little lower, but I’m enjoying the challenge and feel like it really means something when I beat the robot at this level. I’ll stick with ten for right now.

If you’re interested in starting a game with me, go to Scrabulous, enter your email address and follow the directions for setting up a game. Once you’re registered you can create a screen name. I’m skeeterbess over there and use the RoadRunner email address that some of you have. If you use a name that I’ll recognize you won’t even need to notify me - the website will do that for you. The set-up makes it possible to have a dozen or more games going at once, so bring it on. I’m game!

[tags]games, online games, Scrabulous[/tags]

June 20, 2008

Hidden Expedition: Amazon - new hidden object game

I knew before I donwloaded the demo that I would be buying Hidden Expedition: Amazon ™. The previous incarnations of the Hidden Expedition series are that good. Hidden Expedition: Amazon did not disappoint. I was up playing until two this morning and I’m a responsible working gal who doesn’t do that when I know clients will be waiting in the morning. Bah! Who needs work when there are great games to be played?

As anticipated, the artwork for Hidden Expedition: Amazon is stunning, having the quality of fine paintings. The placement of hidden objects is devious, with some worked into the scenery with such subtlety that you don’t realize you’re seeing them when you’re staring right at them. The player’s mission is find a professor who has gone missing while searching for the legendery Beetle Temple in the Amazonian rainforest. You’ll find bits of a map and other clues as you progress along your way. Some of the items you’ll find will go into your inventory for use in later searches - for instance, a key in inventory will be needed to unlock a drawer containing a hidden object.

The level of challenge is high, but Hidden Expedition: Amazon employs fair play principals. There’s no trickery. Hidden objects are well-defined, but finding some of them may have you pulling your hair out. Each time you find five beetles you’ll be rewarded with a hint. Try to collect them from each screen because you’re likely to need as many of them as you can stockpile.

The mini-games are not mere filler between hidden object searches. Each is an intricately woven puzzle. These are real stumpers and you’ll feel a sense of victory when you finally solve each one. Some of the objects you’ve found on previous searches will be needed in order to solve these logic puzzles. There’s a Hidden Expedition: Amazon Strategy Guide available as a separate download those who need some help. I haven’t downloaded it yet, but probably will. I’m reasonably intelligent but lack the ability to make the intuitive leaps that are sometimes needed to crack these brain-benders.

Hidden Expedition: Amazon ™ is an exclusive from Big Fish Games Studios. You might as well go ahead and purchase the full version instead of bothering with the free demo. If you’re a fan of tough hidden object games, you really need the full version. Purchase price is $19.99, but, as with all Big Fish Games, you’ll pay as little as $6.99 if you’re a Game Club member.

The previous Hidden Expedition games are also available as free one-hour demos or to purchase from Big Fish:

You can see all of my hidden object game reviews in the games category for skeet’s stuff. Each review provides my observations on the game plus a link you can use to get a free download so you can check it out for yourself. Enjoy!

[tags]Big Fish Games, game reviews, Hidden Expedition: Amazon, hidden object games[/tags]