Archive for March, 2008

Happy Friday: Bubbles & Bubbly

It’s time for Bubbles & Bubbly. Put the kids to bed early, mix yourself a drink and run yourself a bubble bath and relax. YOU DESERVE IT!!!!

Alcoholic Drink Recipe

Quicksand

1 oz Bacardi® Select rum
1 oz Bailey’s® Irish cream
1 oz Kahlua® coffee liqueur
2 scoop vanilla ice cream (ie. Breyer’s)
handful ice cubes
1 dash (small glop) Hershey’s® chocolate syrup
1 stick Kit Kat® chocolate bar

Blend all (very well) except the Kit Kat. After pouring into glass, add Kit Kat as a decorative stirrer before serving.

Non-Alcoholic Drink Recipe

Golden Glow Punch

6 oz orange juice concentrate
6 oz lemonade concentrate
1 qt chilled apple juice
2 qt chilled ginger ale
1 pint lemon sherbet
ice

Pour the concentrate and the apple juice into the punch bowl. Stir the ginger ale into the bowl. Spoon in sherbet or add an ice ring. Serve immediately.

Quote of the Day

"Your character is who you are when the lights are out. "

–Julie Bowen, insightful ingenue

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TSP Show #12: Going to School as a Single Parent

Listen to Show #12

Going to school to finish a degree and to get an advanced degree is no easy feat, especially when you’re a single parent. I should know. I got my bachelors and masters while working full time and raising two kids on my own. It was by far one of the most difficult and challenging tasks I’d ever done. I know how draining it can, but the key is; it can be done. There are many single parents who’d like to get a bachelors or get an advanced degree, but feel it is impossible. I am here to tell you it is possible; it is an attainable goal. There are many options for non-traditional students (that’s us single parents) who want to go back to school. Show #12 talks about going to school as a single parent. You don’t want to miss out on this show….

Grab Bag items of the week:

Bag Borrow and Steal

What a unique idea. Can’t or don’t want to buy a brand name designer bag or piece of jewelry; why not Bag Borrow or Steal it? No, seriously… Bar Borrow and Steal lets users rent designer handbags and jewelry for a monthly and when you’re done using it, you send it back. Pretty clever huh…

The Freecycle Network

Who ever thought you could help the environment and get free stuff at the same time? Freecycle is an entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them’s good people). Membership is free. Now, how cool is that?

List of Regional Institutional Accrediting Agencies


Music credits:

Break #1: Easy by Aceyalone

Break #2: Luv Don’t Live Here by 1st Supper

Outro: Shoes by Toussaint

Memories

Just had a flashback to when my now 11 year old found my moms razer and shaved off her eyebrows. She was 5 or 6 at the time. Every morning my mom drew her eyebrows on with an eyebrow pencil until they grew back.

Oohhh, the memories. I don't know what made me think about that.

Good times, good times……..

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Science Project Time (YUCK!)

Am I the only one who is totally not in the mood to ‘oversee’ the kids doing science projects? Although I must say I am happy because this year I don’t have to ‘oversee’ both of my kids doing science projects because my high schooler doesn’t have to do one. So my 5th grader is working on her science project, but this year I am so NOT in the mood for this. Usually I am all psyched about the experiment and really excited to see what the outcome is - not this year. I plan on having my daughter wrap this puppy up over this weekend and spring break so we can get it out of our hair. Dammit, I am tired…

Seriously counting down to the last day of school……..

Hapy Friday: Triple Headbanger Bubbles & Bubbly

It’s been a while since I posted some drink recipes. So here are some extra recipes. Don’t make and drink ‘em all at once - pace yourself.

Alcoholic Recipes

357 Magnum recipe

1 oz Bacardi® 151 rum
1 oz vodka
2 oz amaretto almond liqueur
2 1/2 oz 7-Up® soda

Pour the Bacardi 151 rum into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Add the vodka and amaretto. Fill with 7-up, and serve.

Suicidal recipe

1/3 oz vodka
1/3 oz Everclear® alcohol
1/3 oz Bacardi® 151 rum

Pour ingredients in equal parts into a shot glass, and serve.

1964 Car Bomb recipe

2 oz Jim Beam® bourbon whiskey
12 oz Budweiser® lager

Pour the Jim Beam bourbon whiskey into a beer mug filled with Budweiser, and serve.

Non-alcoholic Recipes

Brazilian Milk Shake recipe

1/2 avocado
equal amount of vanilla ice cream
1 tbsp dutch processed cocoa
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup milk

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Add up 1/2 cup more milk, if desired, for a thinner shake. Pour into glasses and serve.

Safe Sex on the Beach recipe

3 oz cranberry juice
3 oz grapefruit juice
2 oz peach nectar
1 maraschino cherry

Pour over ice in a chilled glass and stir. Garnish with a cherry.

Virgin Raspberry Daiquiri recipe

3 oz raspberry puree
2 oz pineapple juice
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 tsp caster sugar
1/2 oz raspberry syrup

Blend briefly with half a glassful of crushed ice in a wine goblet. Garnish with raspberries, and serve.

Stimulus Payments: Show Me the Money

In case you didn’t know (I didn’t know about this being approved until the last week), here’s the breakdown for Single (Head of Household) with Children.

Single (Head of Household) with Children

In most cases, payments will range from $300 to $600 for individuals and $600 to $1200 for joint filers. Taxpayers may receive $300 for each qualifying child. Payments could be less, depending on tax liabilty and Adjusted Gross Income. Phaseout reduction begins at $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for joint filers.

Examples of how the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 may effect taxpayers who are single, file as head of household and have children who qualify for the child tax credit payment:

Head of household with children:
1) Single parent with two children, wages of $4,000, no federal income tax liability before child tax credit.
Individual rebate is $300
Qualifying child credit is $600
TOTAL is $900

2) Single parent with two children, no wages, veterans’ payments of $2,000, social security benefits of $2,000, no federal income tax liability before child tax credit.
Individual rebate is $300
Qualifying child credit is $600
TOTAL is $900

3) Single parent with two children, no wages, no social security benefits, veterans’ payments of $4,000, no federal income tax liability before child tax credit.
Individual rebate is $300
Qualifying child credit is $600
TOTAL is $900

4) Single parent with two children, no wages, no social security benefits, no veterans’ payments, AGI is $20,000, federal income tax liability before child tax credit is $195.
Individual rebate is $300
Qualifying child credit is $600
TOTAL is $900

5) Single parent with two children, AGI is $22,000, federal income tax liability before child tax credit is $395.
Individual rebate is $395
Qualifying child credit is $600
TOTAL is $995

6) Single parent with two children, AGI is $60,000, federal income tax liability before child tax credit exceeds $600.
Individual rebate is $600
Qualifying child credit is $600
TOTAL is $1,200

7) Single parent with two children, AGI is $90,000, federal income tax liability before child tax credit exceeds $600.
Individual rebate is $600
Qualifying child credit is $600
Phaseout reduction is ($750)
TOTAL is $450

Source: Internal Revenue Service
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179166,00.html

Babygirl Turns 11


The Birthday Girl

My youngest daughter turned 11 yesterday (March 4). Time just flew by and I really can’t believe that my babygirl is 11 years old. I was telling my best friend that when both my girls were little, it seemed like it took forever for them to pass the age of 3, but once they entered school, time just ran away from us.


The Birthday Girl and Her Big Sister (my 2 sweeties)

So we have a nice event planned on Saturday for her birthday. I am taking the girls to this dinner theater by our home to see Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie. They are really excited because this will be they’re first time going to a dinner theater.

Quote of the Day

"You need not feel guilty about not being able to keep your life perfectly balanced. Juggling everything is too difficult. All you really need to do is catch it before it hits the floor!"

–Carol Bartz, high-tech CEO

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Bubbles & Bubbly TRIPLE HEAD BANGER

I haven’t posted any Bubbles & Bubbly drink recipes in a few weeks, so this Friday is a Bubbles & Bubbly Triple Head Banger. I’ll post at least 4 drink recipes.

I know majority of you like the alcoholic ones, but I’ll be sure to continue posting the non-alcoholic recipes for the 1% of listeners who don’t drink alcohol (darn, is that 1% just me?)

So stay tuned…….