All Rileyed Up

Allow me to introduce the Master of Ceremonies for this week’s Carnival of Family Life:

Junior, The Fearless Robot.

Hi, I’m Junior the Fearless Robot. I’m a 5.9oz hand-carved (by Husband) boxcar that was painted and decorated by The Boy (see other handcrafted works by children at Magic Marker Monday). Over the weekend, I raced down this track in THE PINEWOOD DERBY:

Allow me to tell you about the magic that is THE PINEWOOD DERBY as we meander through the many categories of this week’s carnival.

Education

The Pinewood Derby is a boxcar race wherein men and their sons put together what they hope is the fastest car. Knowledge of physics, aerodynamics, and gravitational pull help, while the ability to answer the question ‘how do you get the wheels on just so in order to make the car roll in a straight line?’ is imperative.

Other educating posts:

Woman Tribune presents Get Your Kids Interested in the Environment posted at Woman Tribune.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Brain Teaser to Exercise your Memory and Reasoning Skills posted at SharpBrains: Your Window into the Brain Fitness Revolution. Are you familiar with these American and international proverbs?

Family Cooking & Recipes

At the Pinewood Derby, you might be able to snack upon burgers and french fries from the In-n-Out van parked outside. It’s a swell way to comfort sad little boys (and sometimes sadder fathers) when their cars don’t win.

Other cooking posts:

Cyndi Lavin presents Vegetable vindaloo posted at Busy Family Meal Planning. “Vindaloo sauce can be used to flavor meats,” Cyndi writes, “but we like it best as a vegetarian delight!”

Cyndi Lavin presents Top 10 Chocolate Gadgets posted at Cooking Gadgets. Who doesn’t love chocolate?

HowToMe presents How To Make “Cream of Chicken” posted at HowToMe.

Family Crafts and Activities

Preparation for the boxcar derby includes wood-carving, painting, drawing, then realizing the paint wasn’t dry enough, then fretting over smeared graphite, then repainting and waiting several days for the new paint to dry, then accepting that, in the end, dry paint is overrated. Then attending the event where everyone else’s car had no problem getting their paint to dry?

Other crafts and activities:

Riley presents A Faery Hunt at Griffith Park posted at All Rileyed Up.

DeeDee presents Five Recipes For Finger Paint posted at Things Your Grandmother Knew.

Stephanie presents Modeling Compound Magnets posted at Make It From Scratch.

The Smarter Wallet presents Nintendo Wii Review, Video Game System Pros and Cons posted at The Smarter Wallet. Considering purchasing a Nintendo Wii for your family? This review might help you decide.

knittsings presents Knitting Machine Manuals - Brother, Passap, Studio, Knitmaster, Singer, Silver Reed posted at knittsings, saying, “Is there a knitting machine lurking at your home in need of a manual? Here is a list of all the free downloads across the web, organized by machine manufacturer.”

Kevin Fleming presents Dish Network Family Package Review posted at Satellite TV Guru.

Dianne M. Buxton presents Some Highly Effective Tips For Ballet Summer Intensives Auditions - And The Nerves posted at Ballet Shoes and Pointe Shoes, offering “advice for aspiring ballerinas and young men in ballet to prepare for ballet summer intensive auditions.”

Family Finance

The Pinewood Derby is a realtively inexpensive way to have a good time with your children. To put it in a MasterCard ad:

$20 - supplies to make boxcar
$10 - In-n-Out food at Pinewood Derby
$1 — band-aids applied to children’s bodies after a little too much exertion in the bounce houses
$3 — vending machine waters
Free - comforting hugs to the fathers and sons whose cars didn’t advance on to the finals

A DAY OF FAMILY FUN? Priceless.

Other posts on Finance:

Richard Adams presents Save Money By Not Going Abroad For Your Holiday This Year posted at Reading UK.

David presents Citi PremierPass Elite Review posted at Credit Card Offers IQ. “My family and I recently took a trip to Guatemala and saved thousands using a travel rewards credit card,” David explains. :The Citi PremierPass Elite is one of the best travel cards available for family travel.”

singlemomsrock presents 7 Steps to Economic Empowerment: It Begins Between the Ears posted at Rich Single Momma.

Raymond presents Review Of ING Direct Savings and Electric Orange Checking Accounts posted at Money Blue Book.

Jim presents Best Money Market Account (MMA) Rates posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. “It’s important to keep up to date on the best rates when it comes to your savings,” Jim opines.

Finance Tips 101 presents Identity Theft Prevention Tips posted at Finance Tips 101.

Family Health and Wellness

A healthy family is a happy family and it’s good for the family to do things together, like check out the competition together and analyze how to sabotage them:

I’m definitely worried about that one on the left.

Other posts about family health and wellness–

Matthew presents Home Safety Information for Alzheimer’s Disease posted at Fast Medical Information. “If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, you face many challenges everyday life,” Matthew observes. “These tips will help keep your loved one safe and free you from worry.”

Shen-Li Lee presents Infant Food Allergies on the Rise - What’s the Real Cause? posted at Babylicious.

Shamelle presents Ways To Regain The Hours Television Steals From You posted at Enhance Life.

Donald Latumahina presents 8 Essential Life Lessons for True Success posted at Life Optimizer.

Aparna presents Are our eyes ageing faster than our bodies? posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming. “Compared to our ancestors, we enjoy better health,” Aparna tells us, “but we might be outliving our eyeballs say the Australian researchers working at The Vision Centre in Australia.”

Janine presents Parents with Purpose posted at Why Homeschool, sharing what she has learned about brain development in children.

Family Humor

This boxcar didn’t win, but it sure made me smile:

My boxcar has a first name, it’s O-S-C-A-R!

Other posts to make you laugh:

Nicki presents Things I Say To Kids, But Never Adults posted at Domestic Cents.

Shawnee Rivers presents Of Dust Bunnies, Spiders & Natural Selection posted at Kinsanity - Real Life Family Dysfunction.

Family Pets

I suspect that if the dogs had been allowed to participate in the Pinewood Derby, they would have carved a boxcar of the animal services truck and made sure it went extra s-l-o-w, so that they could laughingly outrun it.

Check out Matt M., who presents Winter Blues for Dogs posted at The Pet Haven.

Family Relationships and Self-Improvement

Y Guides is a great way for Husband and The Boy to spend one-on-one time together sans ladies. They camp, they carve, they sing, they howl (or so I’ve heard). I hope The Boy always has fond memories of spending this time with his Dad.

Kate presents Cherish the Time posted at Advice on Love, Life, and Everything Between, saying, “A look at how to cherish the time with loved ones and create long lasting memories”

Alessia presents 13 Signs You?re In A Toxic Relationship posted at Relationship Underarm Stick.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Family Life In America: Report on Lifestyle, Economic Trends From The Trenches posted at The Digerati Life, a “look at how last year shaped up for one family.”

Isaac Yassar presents How To Realize Happiness posted at Isaac Yassar’s Overture. “People study and work to achieve success. Is happiness achieved by amassing money and massive personal consciousness?”

AEDINSY presents Tips for Finding the Love of Your Life and How to Have a Lasting, Happy Marriage posted at Everything You Need To Know About Getting Married and Staying Married. “Finding the husband or wife of your dreams is possible if you have a good attitude,” this happily married couple writes.

Family Spirituality/Belief/Worship

And since this is Y-Guides and all, the Pinewood Derby began with a man wearing a headdress reading an invocation to the Great Spirit. All the kids go by special Y-Guides names, like Howling and Growling Wolf Who Carved The Winning Boxcar.

Other posts on spirituality, belief, or worship:

Concerning Kids presents Healthy After School Snacks For Kids posted at Concerning Kids.

Jason Isbell presents Interview with D. Barkley Briggs posted at Tired Garden. In this interview, Dean Barkley Briggs talks about his life as a pastor, husband, father and widower and how he has forged a career as a writer.

Family Travel

The Pinewood Derby didn’t take place too far away from my house, but attending it and seeing how happy it made The Boy was otherwordly.

Tom Tessin presents Travel Websites That Save you Money posted at FAC Travel Blog, a list of websites you can access to plan your trip and save money.

Parenting Tips and Advice

In the event should you ever attend your own Pinewood Derby, make sure you are *very* clear that the fact that your car won a heat DOES NOT mean you’re taking home a trophy. Much sadness upon this realization… I cheered The Boy up by reminding him that he would receive a patch to put on his vest.

Other tips and advice:

Kim presents A Little Perspective Never Hurts posted at kimworld.com. “Finally! The baby moved to the crib. Mom thought she’s be throwing a party…” Kim explains.

Super Saver presents Teaching Delayed Gratification Skills posted at My Wealth Builder.

More than just a mother presents Having a dog and barking yourself posted at More than just a mother.

T. Dalia presents Lesson Learned posted at Daily Dalia.

Stephanie presents The One Bite Rule posted at Stop the Ride!

Kevin presents Teaching Children Respect posted at More4kids.

Vee presents Thought for the day posted at Tom Zirpoli’s Blog.

Becca Glouzstein presents 5 Things to Tell Yourself when Angry with the Kids posted at Inspiration for Mothers.

Hope you enjoyed learning about my little Pinewood Derby excursion over the weekend! Thank you for participating in and supporting this edition of the Carnival!

Next week, the Carnival will be making a stopover at The Expanding Life! Susan will be hosting for the first time, so click here to submit the link to and relevant information about your post. Should you have questions, be sure to review the Carnival guidelines before submitting your post.

Would you like the Carnival to pay a visit to your site? Check out the hosting schedule, select a date, and then drop a line advising what week you would like to host.

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Did you know…

I’m calling this week’s Carnival of Family Life the “Did You Know…” edition because I’m treating you to a barrage of holiday trivia, courtesy of Wikipedia and Google?

Education

Did you know…

Perth College has a program called Courses for Christmas, wherein one can buy education courses for their loved ones?

Mark Montgomery presents Elements of a Good College Fit, Part One: Academics posted at Great College Advice. “Finding the right college is like finding a good pair of shoes,” Mark writes. “You have to know what you need and want — and shop around.”

Alvaro Fernandez presents Torkel Klingberg Helps With Overflowing Brain Information Overload posted at SharpBrains, explaining “why attention is a critical component of learning.”

Shen-Li Lee presents Learning New Words with Signing Time posted at Babylicious.

Brigid presents Brain Fitness posted at New York Public Library. “After attending a recent staff training session offered by the library’s Office of Staff Development, I decided to return to a habit of my childhood — eating sardines,” Brigid announces.

Terri Mauro presents Special-Education Director Takes Handicapped Space, Gives Attitude posted at About Parenting Special Needs.

Family Cooking & Recipes

Did you know…

Kwanzaa was created by Maulana Karenga in 1966, and got the name from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits,” and at a Kwanzaa feast, you might find yourself eating jollof rice, yams, and coconut pie?

Kelly from Almost Frugal presents Apricot Dijon Chicken posted at Almost Frugal Food.

Momma presents Cheap Homemade Baby Food. . . with ingredients you would never guess . . . posted at Engineer a Debt Free Life, describing “an inexpensive idea for baby food about which many families aren’t aware.”

Joanne presents Candy posted at Fun Easy Recipes for Kids.

Family Crafts and Activities

Did you know…

That the results of the 16th Annual National Gingerbread House Competition are on display at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville , NC?
(Try here or here for details and cool photos).

Chief Family Officer presents Works for Me: Use masking tape to label plastic containers posted at Chief Family Officer.

Annette Berlin presents Easy-To-Make Lollipop Kids posted at Craft Stew. “Lollipop Kids are a great craft to enjoy with your kids before the holidays . . . or any time of the year,” according to Annette.

GrrlScientist presents The Psychology Behind Wrapping Paper posted at Living the Scientific Life. Ever wonder how gift wrapping impacts the gift recipient? Is it worth the expense and effort?

Catherine Eagleson presents Puzzles Save the Holidays posted at Crosswords For Fun, explaining how “good old crossword puzzles can save you from bored children!”

Stephanie presents 5 Simple Christmas Crafts for Kids posted at Make It From Scratch.

Stephanie presents A Handmade Grandparent Gift posted at Stop the Ride!.

Joanne presents Personalized Gift Baskets For Christmas posted Personalized Gift Baskets.

Holiday Shopping and Family Finance

Did you know…

That the PNC Christmas Price Index Report annually determines the cost of purchasing all the gifts in the 12 Days of Christmas, and it’s soooo not cheap?

Loraine Lawson presents Family Gift Idea posted at Time for Family, asking, “If you’re looking for a way to cut down on the holiday hassle and possibly save money, why not consider giving family gifts this year?”

Credit Shout presents Common Sense Ways to Protect Your Credit Cards During the Holidays posted at CreditShout.

MoneyNing presents 32 Sensible Tips for the Holiday Shopping Season posted at Money Ning, wishing you “a safe, happy and frugal Christmas!”

Raymond presents Tips For Buying, Giving, and Using Discount Gift Cards posted at Money Blue Book.

Heather Levin presents When Does It Pay To Buy Organic? posted at The Greenest Dollar.

Lauren Rose presents Credit Card Skimmers - Keep Your Eye on Your ATM card posted at No Debt Anymore.org. “With the holiday season in full swing, credit card and ATM theft is increasing at an alarming rate,” according to Lauren, so she explains “three common ways thieves may try to gain access to your  personal information using a skimmer device, as well as ten tips to protect yourself.”

Donald Latumahina presents Diversify Your Income to Prevent Financial Problems posted at Life Optimizer.

Polly Poorhouse presents Santa Strategies posted at Economic Crunch, assuring the little Poorhouses that “there is a Santa.”

Cap presents Five Quick Reminders for the Holidays: Post-it Notes Style posted at StopBuyingCrap.com, providing some “quick financial reminders for the holiday season about what’s truly important — and what’s not.”

Silicon Valley Blogger presents 8 Lessons I Learned From The Cheapest Family In The Nation posted at
The Digerati Life.

Heather Levin presents How To Have A Green Christmas posted at The Greenest Dollar.

Tom Tessin presents Top 10 Most Affordable Vans for 2008 posted at FGC Auto Blog, saying, “Looking to tow your family around in the family van? See what we recommend as the top 10 affordable family vans in 2008.”

Family Health and Wellness

Did you know…

That although Charles Dickens never specified what ailment Tiny Tim suffered from in A Christmas Carol, some suspect it was renal tubular acidosis or rickets? Or that there is an organization in Longmont, CO called The Tiny Tim Center that was founded to help parents of children with disabilities and later expanded to help educate all children?

Alvin Hopkinson presents Foods for High Blood Pressure - 6 Healthy Tips to Control Hypertension
posted at High Blood Pressure Treatment and Medication Reviews, explaining that “foods is instrumental in maintaining a healthy blood pressure and minimize the affects of the annoying side effects caused by medications.”

Aparna presents Teeth Whitening Remedies posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming. Teeth can be naturally dark or discolored by repeated exposure to tea, coffee, red wine, smoking, medications, decay or
trauma. Aparna offers treatments and remedies that will adorn you “captivating smile with a row of glistening pearly white teeth” just in time for all those holiday season photos.

Carole Fogarty presents Upgrade Your Level Of Self Care posted at The Healthy Living Lounge, inviting you to “give yourself permission to upgrade your level of self care on a regular basis. 2009 is going to be the year I
honor the importance of relaxation, deep rest and self care even more.”

Jody DeVere presents eBay Auctions 2008 Dodge Challenger to Benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children posted at Ask Patty - Automotive Advice for Women.

Matthew presents Allergies posted at Fast Medical Information. “An allergy is a reaction which is exaggerated in our immune system in response to a foreign substance that is harmless to and does not trigger a response in a non-allergic person,” Matthew explains. Allergens include dust mites, mold, danders, foods, and pollen.

Alvin Hopkinson presents Key to Successful Weight Loss - 6 Tips to Get You There posted at Fat Loss Diet Blog - Effective Weight Loss Tips. “Many people are looking for that one diet scheme that will actually work,” Alvin opines as he offers six tips to help you lose weight and keep it off.

Family Humor

Did you know…

Santa Claus also goes by these names: Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas or St. Nikolaus, Sinterklaas, Kris Kringle, Père Noël, Joulupukki, Babbo Natale, Weihnachtsmann, Saint Basil and Father Frost? And that David Sedaris wrote an essay about the Santa Claus story as told in Holland, which you can read here?

luvmy4sons presents I am Safe and Warm. You Need Help. posted at Do You Weary Like I Do? ”Teens make your laugh at yourself . . . a little!”

Family Pets

Did you know…

That many pets under two years of age brought into shelters or euthanized because the owners couldn’t take care of them were originally Christmas gifts? Think before you buy a pet! And adopt instead of buy!

Carole DeJarnatt presents A List of Hatcheries posted at Fowl Visions.

Jim presents Total Cost of Owning A Dog posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

Family Relationships and Self-Improvement

Did you know…

Back in the late 1100s, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine led a revolt against her husband, King Henry II, and as a result, was locked away in a prison for a number of years, during which she was only let out on special occasions like Christmas?

muse presents Wheels posted at me-ander about her eldest son’s favorite mode of transportation.

Suzanne presents Christmas Wishes to Melt Your Heart posted Adventures in Daily Living.

Leticia Velasquez presents Reasons to give thanks at my house posted at cause of our joy, sharing details about “Thanksgiving at my new home with my entire family.”

Susan Gaissert presents Are You a Bridge Burner? posted at The Expanding Life “about how my husband has changed me for the better.”

Ian Peatey presents Meeting Tom posted at Quantum Learning - nonviolent living. “There are some moments that are reserved for the father. Meeting Tom (my daughter’s first boyfriend) is one of them,” Ian explains.

Shamelle presents Are You Constantly At The Mercy Of Circumstances? posted at Enhance Life.

Family Spirituality/Belief/Worship

Did you know…

The letters on the Dreidel are an acronym for Nes Gadol Haya Sham, which means “a great miracle happened there”?

Jennifer presents Christmas Music: Annie Moses Band! posted at Diary of 1.

GP presents EnLightening Gifts posted at Manely Montana.

luvmy4sons presents Repeat Performances posted at Do You Weary Like I Do? The mother who authors this blog is finding out that teens and toddlers are “remarkably similar!”

Yvette Nietzen presents Ministry opportunities are right in front of you posted at Fresh Wind Ministries, Int´l.

Parenting Tips and Advice

Did you know…

According to a The Baby Website survey, the most common white lie told by parents (at 84 percent) is that Father Christmas only brings presents to good boys and girls. The second most common white lie is that Father Christmas only visits homes on Christmas Eve where the children went to bed nicely.

Gil Ortiz presents Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl posted at gilocafe.

karen alonge presents My daughter is scared to be alone posted at advice for parents.

pearl mattenson presents Name Your Mommy (or Daddy) Monsters: Parenting Tips posted at Carrie and Danielle.

Ronit Baras presents Teen Mocktail Party — Family Matters posted at Family Matters, saying, “Why do people think kids are trouble at parties if they never have parties at their own house?”

mary presents Potty Training posted at A Mom Learning More Everyday.

Becca Glouzstein presents Inspiration for Mothers . Com: 3 Steps to Attracting the Life you Really Want for
You and Your Family posted at Inspiration for Mothers.Com, asking “How do you want 2009 to look for you and your family? As you approach the New Year use the Law of Attraction to bring your life into line with your dream for your family.”

Kathryn presents Kids and Christmas posted at Living the Proverbs 31 Life, opining that “there really is something about giving that makes the Christmas season all that more special.”

Melitsa presents Overlooked creative toy posted at Play-Activities.com, saying, “the best toy for the season might be right under your nose.”

Melitsa presents Play, Rhymes with baby posted at Play-Activities.com, saying, “having fun with baby.”

Did you know…

…that we are at the end of yet another Carnival?

…that next week’s Carnival will be hosted at Destroy Debt?

…that if you would like to participate in next week’s edition of the
Carnival, click here to submit?

…that if you you have questions, you can review the Carnival guidelines before submitting your posts?

Would you like the Carnival to pay a visit to your site? Check out the hosting schedule, select a date, and then drop a line advising what week you would like to host.

For those of you visiting here for the Carnival of Family Life, it will be coming out later today. In the meantime, feel free to meander around my other posts.

I’ve done a movie theatre carnival and a quotes of the day carnival, now here’s a carnival with quotes from movies. Can you guess which movies these lines came from? (answers at bottom)

Education

1. “I’m a teacher. All I need are minds for molding.”

Tammy presents Is Deschooling All that Important? posted at Life Without School.

Heather Johnson presents The Changing Face of Pedagogy posted at Et cetera.

Family Cooking & Recipes

2. “Dessert! Chilled monkey brains.”

Jennifer presents Summertime Recipes From the Family Cookbook posted at Diary of 1.

Expat Chef presents What’s for Lunch? Lunch Packing Tips posted at The Expatriate’s Kitchen, saying, offering a few lunch box tips to keep things fresh and healthy during the upcoming school year.

Family Crafts and Activities

3. “Good news, everybody, we’re extending arts and crafts time by four hours today.”

K presents Your Own Seaside Resort posted at Almost Frugal.

Modern Parent presents Summer Fun: Splish Splash He’s Not Taking a Bath posted at Modernparent.org.

Tip Diva presents Top Ten Tips - Throwing A Decade-Themed Party posted at Tip Diva, explaining,”Decade-themed parties are a nostalgic, fun way to celebrate a special occation. Here are fun ways to bring back the ‘good ol’ days.’”

Yi Hui Chang presents Picking blackberries for free posted at The Simple Wealth.

sWenchypoo presents TV D-Day: Will You Need a Converter Box? posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo’s Mental Wastebasket. She says, “If you television viewing is a family activity at your house, be forewarned.”

HowToMe presents How to Sew Toddler Bedding posted at HowToMe.

Patricia Twitchell presents Bear Collecting; what’s the thrill? posted at Just Bears and Stuff. Patricia notes that “collecting things, like teddy bears, is the passion of countless numbers of people around the world” and she’s interested in understanding why.

Family Finance

4. “I’m so rich, I wish I had a dime for every dime I have.”

Matthew Paulson presents 5 Ways to Find Back to School Bargains posted at American Consumer News.

Lauren Rose presents Tips on How to Teach Your Kids to Save Money posted at No Debt Anymore .org. Lauren says that the “concept of buying something tomorrow instead of today is a difficult concept for kids to master. Exaggerating your explanation of the benefits derived may help them understand.”

Debt Freedom Fighter presents Why Personal Debt Is At Its Highest Level Ever posted at Discover Debt Freedom!.

Money Answer Guy presents Should I consider buying a motor scooter to save money? - The Money Answer Guy posted at The Money Answer Guy.

Lazy Man and Money presents Ways Not Having a Job Impacts Our Personal Finances posted at Lazy Man and Money.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Avoid A Bitter Family Feud: Estate Planning To The Rescue! » Silicon Valley Blog About Money posted at The Digerati Life.

Family Health and Wellness

5. “Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops.”

Batya presents “Old age is not for sissies” posted at me-ander.

Fiona King presents 25 Ways to Make an Organic Lifestyle More Affordable posted at Organicasm.

Laura Scarborough presents for the sleepless new mommies posted at Adventures in Juggling, a survey conducted by maternal child nursing experts. “Sleep-deprived new mommies, here is you chance to tell the experts how much sleep you aren’t getting!”

Suzanne presents how to help a family with a medical emergency that lands them in I.C.U. posted at :: adventures in daily living ::.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Neurogenesis and Brain Plasticity in Adult Brains posted at SharpBrains: Your Window into the Brain Fitness Revolution. Alvaro tells us that “adults may have a tendency to become ’set in their ways,’ but change can keep aging brains healthy.”

Stephanie presents The Elephant posted at Stop the Ride!.

Family Humor

6. “I like these guys. They are funny guys. Just kill one of them.”

Riley presents Swimming With Sharks posted at All Rileyed Up.

T. Dalia presents I’ll get you my pretty posted at Daily Dalia.

TherapyDoc presents Kids Say the Darndest Things posted at Everyone Needs Therapy.

Kyle James presents Grocery Shopping With Kids: A Dad’s Perspective posted at Kyle.

Mrs Cleaver presents Baby Birthdays, Batteries, Toys, and Injections posted at Not Quite Cookie Cutter.

Gabriel Almada presents Wedding plans posted at Live from Waterloo.

Family Relationships and Self-Improvement

7. “I was sitting there alone on prom night, in a rented tuxedo, and my whole life flashed before my eyes. And I realized finally, and for the first time, that I wanted to kill somebody. So I figured since I loved you so much, it’d be a good idea if I didn’t see you anymore.”

Carole Gold presents It’s All About Energy posted at McKay Today, saying, “What’s the secret to successful, long-lasting relationships?”

Sally Huss presents Epidemic of Happiness posted at Addicted to Happiness!. She wants to unleash an “epidemic” of happiness, especially within families.

Alex Smith presents Who Really Needs to Learn Self-Defense posted at TBO-Tech.

dawn presents My Biggest Asset. . . posted at Iowahippiechick about her 27-year marriage.

Donald Latumahina presents How to Manage a Long Distance Relationship posted at Life Optimizer.

Machione presents Memorial Day Special - Remembering Todd Christopher Weaver posted at The North Canton Beat.

Family Travel

8. “Some people find it ironical that although we run a travel agency, we’ve never been outside of Blaine.”

Matthew Paulson presents Avoiding Baggage Fees: Organized Packing Tips posted at The Travel Advocate.

Machione presents Beech Creek Butterfly House Is Great Entertainment posted at Stark County, Ohio News And Views…, saying, “Families are traveling from near and far to visit this new butterfly house.”

Parenting Tips and Advice

9. “My dad believed in two things: That Greeks should educate non Greeks about being Greek and every ailment from psoriasis to poison ivy can be cured with Windex.”

Abel Cheng presents The One Reason Why Your Child Can’t Be An All-Rounder posted at Parent Wonder.

Kevin presents Tips for Handling Parental Frustration posted at More4kids.

Thank you all for participating in the Carnival this week!

You can submit a blog article for the August 18, 2008, Summer Memories Edition of the Carnival, hosted at The Frugal Homesteading Blog, by clicking here!

The Carnival archive can be viewed here.

Interested in hosting a future edition? Review the schedule here and then drop a line letting JHS know the week you would like to have the Carnival visit your site!

Answers: 1. School of Rock. 2. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 3. Happy Gilmore 4. Arthur 5. Arsenic and Old Lace 6. Three Amigos 7. Grosse Pointe Blank 8. Waiting for Guffman 9. My Big Fat Greek Wedding

We’re up for another edition of the carnival of family life. My first edition was a movie theme, my second edition a garage sale. Today’s theme is quotes. For every category is a corresponding quotation. Consider it your next ten quotes of the day. Enjoy!

Education

“Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils.” — Louis-Hector Berlioz

Melitsa presents Where we live posted at Play-Activities.com.

Marjorie presents My Four-Year-Old Teaches Me to Read posted at Life Without School.

Jennifer Johnson presents Toddler ABC’s and 123’s posted at MommyABCs.com.

Jennifer Wagner presents Top 20 Classic Books for Teenagers posted at Connect with your Teens through Pop Culture and Technology.

Raymond presents Student Credit Card Rewards posted at Money Blue Book.

Family Cooking & Recipes

“Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” — Harriet Van Horne

Tea Party Girl presents Do You Need Some Summer Inspiration? posted at Tea Party Girl.

Veggie Mom presents Tasty “Therapy” posted at Eat Your Veggies!.

Chief Family Officer presents Bento Example #1: Chicken patty with grapes, cheese and animal crackers posted at Chief Family Officer.

Family Crafts and Activities

“There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society, are created, strengthened and maintained.” – Winston Churchill

Ryan Hughes presents Picked By A Strawberry posted at RyanAndPeggy.com. After enjoying some together picking strawberries at a local farm, Ryan concludes, “We will definitely do that again soon.”

GP presents Fireworks Don’t Go Up in Smoke posted at Innstyle Montana- Come on Inn.

Amy presents The Outrigger Island posted at The Q Family Adventure.

Riley presents Nana Star posted at All Rileyed Up.

benderbjmv presents I Had To Yoke The Kids posted at One Krusty Mama.

Tip Diva presents Top Ten Tips - Keeping Bored Children Amused posted at Tip Diva, offering some suggested way for parents and caretakers to respond to “I’m booooored!” during the summer, school-less days.

Super Saver presents Free Family Movies At Regal Cinemas posted at My Wealth Builder.

Jennifer presents Independence Day! posted at Diary of 1.

Family Finance

“I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless I buy something.” – Jackie Mason

Mama Bear presents We’ve Made A Switch posted at I’ve Got a Little Space to Fill.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Bad Investment? Losing The Million Dollar House, Literally posted at The Digerati Life, inpsired by a discussion about “concerns our family friends had about a house they owned.”

Family Health and Wellness

“If all the medicine in the world were thrown into the sea, it would be bad for the fish and good for humanity.” - O.W. Holmes

Aparna presents Leaves as beauty aid posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming. She explains that “While fruits, flowers and vegetables are often used in different beauty recipes, leaves are also invaluable as beauty aids, including leaves of mint, lemon, tulsi, henna, and neem.”

Amy Vernon presents Becoming a picky eater posted at ice cream is not for breakfast. She, like many parents, looks forward to the day “when my little one returns to the land of non-picky eaters.”

Alvaro Fernandez presents PBS: Secret Life of the Brain and Neuroplasticity posted at SharpBrains: Your Window into the Brain Fitness Revolution.

Carole Fogarty presents 10 Rocking Rejuvenation Tips To Grab On The Run For June: posted at The Healthy Living Lounge.

Family Humor

“Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh.” – W.H. Auden

P.L. Frederick presents Baby Bottom Business posted at Small and Big.

Angela presents Wow, Dude, You Can Cook on the Grill? I. Am. Not. Impressed. posted at Homework. Dinner. Life..

Stephanie presents VBS Finale posted at Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood.

Family Pets

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” –Anatole France

Wheezer presents My Little Girl is in Love posted at Wheezer’s Cheeze.

Family Relationships and Self-Improvement

“Men are from Earth. Women are from Earth. Deal with it.” — George Carlin

JHS presents An Independence Day Reflection: “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. . .” posted at Colloquium, a discussion of the progress made toward true equality and egalitarianism in the writer’s lifetime, seen through the prism of the changes she has observed in the small town in which she grew up and still resides.

Jenny presents ‘Tis The Season To Enjoy Some Mommy Time posted at the so called me.

Barbara Schreiber presents The Case Against Same-Sex Marriage posted at Britannica Blog.

Kim Staudenraus presents Fireproof Your Marriage posted at Kim Staudenraus. com, offering her opinions about “how to build a solid foundation to keep your marriage together or restore it.”

Steward presents GPS Tracking Watches For The Working Dad posted at GPS Tracking Watches.

Suzanne presents overheard posted at adventures in daily living.

Family Travel

“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” –Robert Louis Stevenson

Jocelyn presents Part I: The Journey Begins posted at A Pondering Heart.

Living By Learning presents Imagination On The Trails posted at On Living By Learning.

Linda W. presents Picking The Right Caribbean Hotel posted at The Eclectic Female.

AdmirableIndia.com presents Bangalore to Mysore on Bike: Day 2: Part 2: St. Philomena’s Church, Shri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens or Mysore Zoo posted at AdmirableIndia.com.

Parenting Tips and Advice

“I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.” — Harry S. Truman

Terry Candee presents Watch Out For Tween Trainers posted at Bonding Moms & Daughters To Navigate Our Crazy World . . Oh Yeah and Crafts!!!.

Jennifer Johnson presents Spending Time - Making Memories posted at MommyABCs.com.

Malia Russell presents Helping Your Picky Eaters posted at Homemaking 911.

Modern Parent presents Six Ways to Keep Your Baby Busy at a Restaurant posted at The Modern Parent: baby product reviews, parenting advice, and tips.

Kevin Heath presents Top 10 Tips for Raising Your Childs Self Esteem posted at More4kids.

David B. Bohl presents Help Your Kids Grow Up Strong posted at Slow Down Fast Today!.

Mike May presents Teach Kids Curiosity posted at NewsAboutKids, providing a “few tips on how to help kids of all ages catch curiosity fever.”

Terri Mauro presents My Son, the Working Stiff posted at About Parenting Special Needs.

Pearl presents Cry It Out: Do you mean me, or the baby? posted at Pearls of Wisdom.

That’s it for this week. Hope you enjoyed the posts and the quotes!

You can submit your post for next week’s edition of the Carnival of Family Life using the submission form. Next week the Carnival will be hosted by Suzanne at Adventures in Daily Living. If you’d like to host a future edition of the Carnival, review the schedule and drop a note indicating the week you are interested in!

I don’t honestly know if there is a specific time of year when garage sales are all the rage, but based on my neighborhood this past weekend, that time appears to be May. Everyone is cleaning all their stuff out, putting their winter things away and pulling out their summer stuff (I realize that here in southern CA, we don’t have a major winter but we do perform this seasonal cleaning (check out other ways to celebrate the change of seasons at Busy Bee Kim’s 10 Ways to Welcome Spring, posted at Busy Bee Lifestyle).

I’m a fan of garage sales myself. My two favorite purchases were a pair of roller skates and a super-huge sombrero (seriously, the diameter was probably two feet) that I bought just to wear around the house (yes, everyone was thrilled with me). I can tell you right now, though, that if I ever saw something like this, I would totally buy it:MamaGeek presents Oh, The Junk at What Works For Us.

Although christinemoers laments the injustice that is the crane machine in Tough life lessons at the crane machine at welcome to my brain, what she doesn’t know is that all those toys wind up in the garage sale bin too. Husband is addicted to crane machines – addicted I tell you! AND – he always WINS! It’s actually a little unnerving. I think he might have some sort of electromagnetic pull that he’s not telling me about.

Baby things are also really big at garage sales, since we all know how quickly those things lose their necessity. All you parents of toddlers may find this picture amusing: Erika Jurney posts If this were an accurate blog post about the state of my life… at Plain Jane Mom Blog. Ah, I’m glad to no longer contend with those toys. I’ve graduated to the Legos that are never collected in the same place, the puzzles that are always missing one piece that only gets found after you get rid of it, and an assortment of arms, legs, and mouths with no Mr. Potato Head. I look forward to moving on to older kid interests, like pets—though I think this particular blogger wins the prize for accommodating her children’s pet interests: Jenny B presents Pets fer Pirates posted at Ship Full O’ Pirates. (I think I’d rather deal with American Girl dolls, skateboards, and video games.)

Speaking of which, another thing we tend to find at garage sales are old electronics. I know my family sold our old ColecoVision at a garage sale (yes. ColecoVision. Did that take you back? I ruled at Lady Bug!). Before you throw that broken/questionable device into the garage sale bins, run down this list from Veteran Military Wife, Don’t Throw Out that Broken Piece of Crap Electronic, posted at Life Lessons of a Military Wife, where she offers tips on fixing broken electronics before they land in the garage sale heap.

I’m surprised she didn’t mention the repair kits for scratched DVDs. That thing is a life saver (or rather, disc saver) in my house. And I need my DVDs in good shape for our travels, just like this road warrior: Beth Blair tells us about her husband’s recent road trip in Six Tips: Surviving a Family Road Trip, posted at Traveling Mamas.

Garage sales are also fun things to bring the kids to, because they enjoy looking at other people’s things, or haven’t you noticed when you go to your friend’s impeccable home and they touch everything with dirty fingers and say “What’s that?” a zillion times over. Kids can also usually afford to buy something at a garage sale, as opposed to Nordstrom, where they drag you along and beg you to buy it for them.

Sarah presents Our Allowance System at SmallWorld, in which she shares her allowance plan that she uses with her three kids, while GP puts a new spin on the old phrase “money doesn’t grow on trees” in Can’t see the Forest for the Trees?, posted at Innstyle Montana- Come on Inn.

By the way, after you buy that set of mixing bowls for $1.00 (which you know you haggled down from $3.00) here’s a cooking tip from Alison to stretch out your recipe-Not Following The Recipe, posted at This Wasn’t in The Plan.

It never fails that in the garage sale clothing bins, you will find forelorn college logo apparel, or better yet, some random sports affiliation (Maine Lacross State Championship 1957!). Mark Montgomery takes college apparel to a new level as he seriously addresses the topic of finding help when deciding on a college. That pink tank top is awesome–College Fit: How Does the Shirt Look on Me?, posted at Great College Advice.

Unfortunately, not all clothing is funny, as this post points out:
Lin Burress presents So Sexy, So Soon: The Sexualization of Childhood in Commercial Culture posted at Telling It Like It Is. Yikes!

Rounding out the rest of the Carnival’s garage sale family bin are these posts:

Gia Combs-Ramirez wrote a touching memoir about her friend Sally, Why Don’t They Call It Up Syndrome?, posted at The Science of Energy Healing.

And though Kaye didn’t personally write this, here’s a nice tribute post to moms everywhere: Mrs Nespy’s World: Being a Mom, posted at Mrs Nespy’s World.

Fathersez presents My Son, A Gentleman in Waiting, a sweet post with the sweetest looking boy about things to do to be a great dad, posted at Father Sez.

Marilyn Parks reflects on past relationships and lessons learned from them in As the rain falls posted at The Farm Blahg.

T. Dalia argues to replace the term “stepmom” in Time for a Change, posted at Daily Dalia

Lastly, some informative and how-to posts from the miscellaneous bin of the Carnival’s garage sale:

How to research your family history-
Niharika Das presents 50 Awesome Tools for Researching Your Family’s History posted at Bootstrapper.

Why not to spank-
jc wheeler presents Parenting Teens Blog » Blog Archive » There are other ways to discipline posted at Parenting Teens Blog.

The importance of playtime-
Fiona Lohrenz presents Importance of Play! posted at Child Care Only.

A book review-
Gwendolyn Cuizon presents Alice Walker: Everyday Use posted at Gwendolyn Cuizon.

Allergies-
Amy Vernon presents Food allergies posted at ice cream is not for breakfast.

Human body facts-
Aparna presents Interesting and unusual health trivia posted at Beauty and Personal Grooming.

When your child is the bully-
Amanda Harris presents When Your Child is the Bully posted at eFamilyBlogger.

Getting tutoring-
Amanda presents Free tutoring on Mother’s Day posted at Me Vs. Debt.

Thanks for coming to the garage sale. Hope you found something to meet your needs. If not, try out next week’s carnival, hosted at Write From Karen.

As always, you’re welcome to join in this community garage sale. Drop by the Carnival’s home page to contribute your own family-related post, and visit JHS at Colloquium if you’d like to host your own carnival.

This is the November 12, 2007 edition of Carnival of Family Life. And yes, I read every single one of them.

Time to grab some unhealthy buttery popcorn, a 44 oz soda of your choice, a box of Raisinets (because Milk Duds are gross), and have a seat in one of those nifty stadium seating style seats, because there’s a lot going on here for you to see. Oh, and if your movie requires the use of 3D glasses, now is a good time to put those on.

Matthew Spears presents That childlike state, and Love. posted at Loving Awareness.

Super Mega Dad presents The Adventures of Super Mega Dad - Incredibly Amazing posted at The Adventures of Super Mega Dad.

Mandy presents Kid Created Stains posted at Building Blocks
Blog.

Veteran Military Wife presents A Better Way to Sort Laundry posted at Life Lessons of a
Military Wife.

Kevin presents Parenting a Child with Attention Deficit Disorder posted at More4kids Parenting & Family Life.

The Not Quite Crunchy Parent presents Paranoid about Plastics - Honestly, What’s a Mother to do? posted at The Not Quite Crunchy Parent.

Karen presents The Fine Art of Practicing posted at Family Briefs.com.

Brip Blap presents rich mom, poor mom posted at brip blap.

Kailani presents What Happens At Home Doesn’t Always Stay At Home posted at An Island Life.

laura presents the inquisitor posted at Adventures in Juggling.

artthailand presents Founders Day posted at artThailand.

Henry Cate presents The servants at our house posted at Why Homeschool.

Renae presents Of Equality, Value, and Birthday Parties posted at Life Nurturing
Education.

WorksForMom presents Absolutely NOT posted at What Works For Us.

Karen Shanley presents Take It From the Top posted at Author Mom with Dogs.

Rose presents November is National Adoption Awareness Month posted at Learning at Home.

pickel presents Jenny, Enough posted at Discussing Autism.

scott white presents What’s In A Name? Ask momspit! posted at The Branding Blog By
Brand Identity Guru.

e-Mom presents Let Grandparents Shine During the Holidays posted at C h r y s a l i s.

Betsy Teutsch presents Ten Kid Gifts Least Likely to Become Landfill! posted at Money Changes Things.

Betsy Teutsch presents Great Gifts with Really Bad Unintended Consequences posted at Money Changes Things.

Karen presents Christmas Present Shopping - new style posted at Miscellaneous Adventures of an Aussie Mum.

Robert Bach presents Will Trade Song For Animal posted at Kintropy In Action.

Matt M presents Caring for the Goldfish Bowl posted at The Pet Haven.

Eden presents so worth the wait. posted at Our Family Village.

Summer presents Reading Is Fun! posted at Mom Is Teaching.

A dating story for the married set:
zamejias presents
Not Anything But Everything posted at Verb.

Double Feature:

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Charge! posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.

Frugal Fanny presents Why Kids Need Allowance posted at Frugal Fanny’s.

K T Cat presents Getting my Daughter to Make a Budget posted at The Scratching Post.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Ready To Retire Right Now? Find Out If It’s Time To Quit The Rat Race posted at The Digerati Life.

Donna Freedman presents Buy me something! posted at Smart Spending.

Eric presents How To Help Your Children and Grandchildren Retire As Millionaires
posted at Husbandhood.

paidtwice presents My Bargain Shopping Successes I’ve Paid For This Twice
Already… posted at I’ve Paid For This Twice Already….

Super Saver presents Personal Finance Lessons For Our Daughter posted at My Wealth Builder.

My Dollar Plan presents How to open a 529 college savings plan for your children posted at
My Dollar Plan.

Michelle Sweeney presents Travelling With Children posted at Tonic Gifts.

Charles H. Green presents Americans, Travel and Rushing to Judgment posted at Trust Matters.

Recipes, and the dangers of tasting while cooking…

Dana presents My near death experience posted at Simple Pleasures.

Aparna presents Distaste for food-Home Remedies posted at Beauty and Personality
Grooming.

Stephanie presents Baked Potato Bar posted at Stop the Ride!.

Christine presents Cinnamon and Honey Crepes posted at Me, My Kid and Life.

Jennifer in OR presents Ode to Veterans posted at Diary of 1.

Jeniffer presents thethirtydayyear.com » Blog Archive » Fire! posted at thethirtydayyear.com.

Matthew Paulson presents How to Get Your Family Prepared in The Event of a House Fire
posted at FinanceIsPersonal.com.

Okay, so these posts are nothing to do with robbing banks, but they are about having fun the old-fashioned way, arts and crafts:

Char presents Printable Webkinz Activities posted at Printables for Kids - free word
search puzzles, coloring pages, and other activities.

Melitsa presents Natural display posted at Play-Activities.com.

Karen Weideman presents Fun-Filled Friday: Thanksgiving Ideas posted at Little Fun; Little
Learning.

Dana presents Principled Discovery » Saturday School: Make your own simple circuit
posted at Principled Discovery.

An Ordinary Mom presents The Thanks and Giving Tree posted at An Ordinary Mom.

Amanda Harris presents When Your Next Door Neighbors Are Hillbillies posted at Pajama Mommy Community.

Lucy Baldwin presents 5 Things I Learned From Moving 17 Times posted at Moving Help Central.

Like Dick and Jane, these posts have nothing to do with working in a chain gang, but rather are about staying calm, cool, and collected.

Terri Mauro presents Turn Down the Emotional Volume posted at About.com Parenting Special
Needs.

Carole Fogarty presents Hand yoga for stressed out frantic moms: posted at THE HEALTHY LIVING LOUNGE.

Warren Wong presents How To Calm Down posted at Personal Development.

Tupelo Kenyon presents Persistence and Perseverance for Winners – Losers Just Quit posted
at Tupelo Kenyon.

ENDING CREDITS

That concludes this edition of the carnival of family life. Submit your post for next week’s edition here, which will be hosted at An Island Life. (BTW, if you submitted and don’t see yours listed, drop me an email ASAP and blame it on the faulty movie projector.)

Check out past carnivals by clicking this button:



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carnival of family life, blog carnival

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Are you still sitting here watching the credits? The movie is OVER!