Jerky Gun Giveaway

Still on vacation. I miss my house and my reliable high speed internet. Anywho, instead of a real post I'm going to cop out and do a giveaway. And I'm going to giveaway a  Nesco jerky gun because jerky is a must for road trips in our family and having a jerky gun makes it sooooo much easier. (I've done it without and I don't recommend it.)   You don't have to have a dehydrator to make jerky, the gun comes with spices and instructions for making it in the oven, although if you do have a dehydrator, by all means use it.  All that you need is some extra lean ground beef. So here's the deal: 1. Become and follower and post a comment or 2 If you are already a follower and want this nifty kitchen contraption, just post a comment 3 You can get an extra entry for following me on Twitter. Giveaway ends 6/25 at midnight. The winner will be announce 6/26. Good Luck.

A Few Random Traveling Tips

Still on vacation. Here are a few things that I've learned in my travels.

• If you want to save money, leave your wallet at home. Occasionally I see souvenirs that I might buy, but I never want them so bad to track down my husband and get him to pay for them. (I didn't plan this one, but sure is effective. Still don't recommend it because it's such a pain.)
• Never purchase the kids meals from Taco Bell. A kids meal consists of a cheese roll-up, cinnamon twists and a Caprisun- $4.49 (and it doesn't come with a toy). Separately, a cheese roll-up is $0.89, the cinnamon twists are $0.89 and I have a bunch of Caprisuns in my cooler that I got for $0.10 each.
• Have change ready for tollways. This is a new thing for us Utahs. We had a small amount of cash ready for them, but we weren't expecting the one last night that wanted 30 cents.
• Have small prizes for the kids. We have been driving across the country and we don't own a portable DVD player. (Shocking, I know.) Every morning my kids get a small prize to play with. If they behave well they will get a second one in the afternoon. I've been a little surprised at how well this one has been working. Some of the things I've packed in the "prize bag": coloring books, picture books, small cars, blow-up pool toys, hair ribbons, and sticker books. On the first day they each got a bigger prize to play with on the trip (a Barbie and a firetruck sound puzzle).
• Being trapped in the car is a great time to just enjoy your kids. We discovered that my son can give a hilarious 15-minute rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle". Yesterday we played a game with my daughter where each person took turns making up part of a story. (What's that game called anyway?) It was fun to hear the things that she came up with.
• Be flexible. We've made changes to our plans as we go, and it's all good.

Denver Downtown Aquarium

We love the Denver Downtown Aquarium. I have been to several aquariums, and this one is by far the best I've seen. If we lived less than nine hours from it, we would definitely get a membership and visit more often than our once a year. (No one is paying me to say this, we just really like it.) It's a little pricey- Adults- 14.95 each, Children 2-11- 9.25 each, plus you have to pay $7 for parking. But there is a printable coupon at this link for $5 off a child's pass with the purchase of an adult. Although it can be expensive, I think that it is worth the price. There's also an opportunity to swim with the fish, or if you're scuba certified with the sharks. (My kids aren't old enough, so we haven't tried these.)  If you go on a Friday night (we didn't) the kids get in for $5 each (no coupon required) plus free face-painting, animal shows, scavenger hunts, prizes and free parking. Even without these extra things we had a great time. My two-year-old kept squealing "There are lotsa fishies!" They have some enormous fish, plus a large variety. Even without swimming with them, you can get some great views of the sharks. And for some reason there is a tiger exhibit in the middle of the aquarium. This place is awesome. My pictures don't do it justice, but here they are.

 Mermaids

Stingrays

Sharks

Turtle

Purple, Blue & Red Starfish

Tiger

Look at that enormous fish! (My shot of their 350 lb grouper didn't turn out.)

 This one makes my daughter look like "Cousin It", but I included it so you can see how close you can get to the fish.

Bounce house

Myths About Asthma

Yesterday was a kind of a slow day at work so I decided to brush up on my asthma education. I found several debunked myths about asthma that I thought were interesting.

Myth: Children usually outgrow asthma

Reality: How asthma effects a patient varies throughout their lifespan. Even if the symptoms go away, the tendency towards asthma is still there and can flare-up with stress and triggers.

Myth:Asthma treatments don't work.

Reality: Newer treatments are actually very effective. But in order to be so you have to have proper inhaler technique, take your medications as prescribed and be aware of environmental changes.

Myth: Mild asthma doesn't require treatment.

Reality: Asthma is a chronic disease without a cure that should be taken seriously. Even if you usually don't have symptoms right now, it is important to take care of yourself to prevent flare-ups.

Myth: The best time to give a child an inhaler is when they are crying, because they get more medicine in the lungs that way.

Reality: If you give a child an treatment while they are crying most of it stays in the upper airways, not deeper in the lungs where it is needed most. It is best to wait until they are done crying.

Myth: Steroids aren't safe.

Reality: Inhaled corticosteroids are actually very safe, even for very young children. They are great for helping to control asthma.

Myth: If you can tough it out and not use your inhaler you're better off.

Reality: Going without your inhaler when you really need it does microdamage to your lungs which decreases your lung strength and capacity over time.

If you have asthma or your child has asthma, it is important to stay on top of it. Don't wait until it gets out of hand to act. Be persistent when giving medications to your child.  If they know that it is important to you, eventually they will stop resisting. Don't make your child feel like their condition makes them weird, it's just a problem that they have that can be overcome.

 If your child's medication isn't helping, they're having a hard time breathing, they can not walk, talk or play, they're lips are blue and or their peak flow is less than half their personal best, take them to the emergency room. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to the ER. The only other direction is downhill.

For more information about asthma go to intermountainhealthcare.org/asthma. This site has lots of information and it can refer you to more resources.

Shopping Online 101

The other night as I was leaving work I was talking to a friend and she said that I needed to teach a class on shopping online. I don't think that I know enough that I could talk about it for more than half an hour, but I certainly know enough to write a blog post. These are things I have learned through much trial and error. So this is for Teri and everyone else who would like a few pointers on saving money on your online purchases.

• There is almost always a coupon code. If there is not a coupon, there is usually a discount or rebate. It is always worth looking. Thirty seconds of searching usually saves me at least $5.
• Places to look for coupon codes: Upromise, Coupon Mountain, RetailMeNot There are many others out there, but these are the ones that I've had the most success with.
• Places to get rebates: Upromise, Ebates and ShopAtHome.com. These places often have sign-up bonuses too. If having to use between a coupon and rebate I usually choose the coupon. But if there's no coupon and I planned on spending the money anyway...why not get a rebate?
• Compare prices. The internet is the fastest way to do this. I usually use Google Product Search. Even if I'm probably going to purchase an item in the stores, I often do a quick internet search so I have an idea of what a reasonable price is.
• Look at your employee discounts. I can only speak for my employer and my husband's, but using these discounts has saved us at least a few hundred dollars in just the past year. (My favorites are the 22% off my Verizon bill and perpetual B&N.com discount.) And look both places if you're both employed. For example, for some reason my work gives a great deal to DisneyLand   ticketsand his (which is smaller more local employer) to DisneyWorld. I have no idea why this is, but it has been handy info. Some employers will also extend discounts to extended family. My husband was able to share his discount with his siblings. Ask your family members if they have discounts that they can share.
• I love Amazon.com. At least half the time they have the best prices. Their site can keep track of what you buy for who and give you suggestions for other gift-d on giving occasions based on your previous purchases. You can also make a "wish-list" to make it a little easier for friends and family who never know what to get for you. Or when you come across something that you think someone will like, you save it in a gift-idea list for a future occasion. (Or you can look and see if they've made a wish-list and if there is anything on it that will fit the bill.) Also love their free shipping on $25(+). Plus you can really buy almost anything at Amazon. Some of the many things I have bought there- movies, books, music, baby clothes, a playpen, candy, a comforter, electronics, ace bandages, toys, kitchen tools and spices. Problem is they seldom have coupons that are actually of use to me.
• I also love Barnes&Noble.com. Their online prices are quite often less than their store prices, plus then you can stack coupons with employee discounts or Upromise rebates. I've also snagged some great deals on music, movies and children's toys from there. Again free shipping  on $25(+), but it's significantly faster than Amazon's free shipping.
• I find that looking at something online and then coming back to it a day later if I really want it significantly decreases my impulse purchases. Whereas if I bother to drive to the store I am far more likely to make a purchase, because I don't want to drive there again when I decide that I do really want said item. There is less time invested in the purchase this way.
• Making your travel purchases online can save you so much money! If you plan on taking a trip, at least compare rates online before making a purchase.
• I do a lot of shopping online because there is no babysitter required and I don't have to feel rushed because my children are throwing tantrums. My computer will still be there when the kids have calmed down.
• I always use a credit card. I have in fact had my credit card information stolen on a couple of occasions. (I do A LOT of online shopping.) But I just had to call my credit card company and tell them that I didn't make said questioned purchases and every time they have given me the full credit and promptly issued new cards and my credit was not harmed. So nothing lost. Things may not be so easy if they were to snatch your bank account info. (It depends on your bank.) Credit cards also often give extended warranties on products like electronics.
• I often buy non-perishable grocery items at Alice.com because they automatically apply some of the available coupons, offer competitive prices and free shipping and I don't have to drag my kids to the store. They will also email you reminders when you're nearly out of certain items if you wish. Last fall they had gift cards for 30% off, which means I'm essentially getting 30% off everything I purchase.
• Shopping online for birthday gifts and Christmas presents saves me a lot of time and money and significantly reduces my holiday stress. (Why fight the after Thanksgiving crowds when I can sit in my pajamas eating leftover pie and get as good or sometimes better deals?)
• Shopping online is just one of those things that can make your life easier. Give it a try. You may be amazed at what you might find. And it's always fun to get packages in the mail.

Anyone else have any other effective online shopping tips?

Pink: The Easiest Jello Salad EVER

This great recipe comes from my mother-in-law. It's not exactly healthy, but it is very delicious and easy. It has become a tradition for all summer gatherings.

Pink

1 (24 oz) container of cottage cheese
1 (8 oz) container of whipped topping
1 (3 oz) container of red gelatin

1. Dump all ingredients into a bowl and stir until evenly pink.  Let set for 15 minutes.
That's it. It's so simple a child can do it. In fact below is my 4-year-old making it. For a twist, when making a double batch use one package of raspberry or strawberry and one package of lemon gelatin. So good, I think I am going to go and eat some right now.

Giveaway Winner

The winner of the "101 Things To Do With A Slowcooker" cookbook is Eunice B.  Congratulations! Thank you everyone for sharing your recipes. The winner was selected using a random number generator from random.org.