My favorite websites

Who doesn't have a favorite website to share? I have a few. Ok, several. Here they are, in no particular order. I don't get anything for sharing these sites with you (well, except the last one...). This is just me, a blogger, sharing some of my most favorite places in cyberspace.

www.sparkpeople.com. It's a FREE weight loss tool, where you can record what you've eaten, how much exercise, etc. You set your own goals, set your calorie limits, choose which nutrients to track (sodium, cholesterol, calcium, to name a few). There are message boards, recipes, and you can have your own "sparkpage", a profile page where you can blog, track your successes, and much, much more. That description doesn't do this site justice. At all. Check it out and see for yourself.

www.imdb.com. Let's say you're watching a movie, and that actor looks so familiar, but you can't place him. Look him up on this web site and get a list of EVERY credit he's had in movies, TV, and even voice work in video games. It's also where I go to get the dirt on my Hollywood crush of the moment.

www.facebook.com If you're into social networking, you get it.

www.couponmom.com, a great link to find printable grocery coupons. And, they are valid coupons. I've never had a problem with them being accepted at the grocery store.

www.allrecipes.com. This is my all-time favorite recipe website. I've planned entire holiday meals with the help of this site. You can find everything on there, from main dishes to desserts. Appetizers to sides. I'm not a great cook, so I seek out recipes with at least a couple dozen reviews, and at least 4 stars. This way, I know I don't have to do anything special to make it work. Many of the reviewers will add hints or tips in their review. There is a Recipe Box feature that allows you to store your favorite recipes for quick reference in the future. Very cool.

www.wmmr.com (the best rock station EVER) and www.prestonandsteve.com (the best morning show on the best rock station EVER) You can stream their broadcasts live and listen to awesome rock music online, and download podcasts of the morning show. The morning show is hilarious. Like snarf your morning beverage hilarious. I've spent many mornings in my car at work, listening until a commercial break comes on. It's seriously LOL funny.

www.hulu.com. Find old episodes of your favorite shows online. Even Macgyver. :)

And, last, but not least, I will pimp myself on my own blog. www.tastefullysimple.com/web/akrauss. Yes, I'm a consultant. Yes, the products are really as easy to prepare as we claim they are. And are totally delish. Take our top product, Bountiful Beer Bread. Pour the mix into a bowl, add a bottle of beer (or 12 oz of any carbonated beverage), mix, pour into a loaf pan and bake according to the directions on the box. These products are great for entertaining, and great for gifts for teachers, caregivers, and all those other hard-to-buy-for people on your list!

That's all for now. Until next time...

Sales, sales, sales!

Back-to-school time = big sales. Even if you're kids are n't in school, it's a good time to stock up on office supplies, or arts and crafts supplies for your preschooler or toddler. So, here we go, starting with my all-time favorite store, Target (www.target.com)! Please be aware that prices do fluctuate from region to region, so prices may be different where you live!

For $0.50 each, you can get a 10 pack of Paper-mate pens, a hard plastic pencil case (great for keeping homework supplies at home all in one place!), water color paint, and book covers.

For $1 each, you can get a six-pack of Elmoer's glue sticks, Mead spiral bound 1 subject notebooks with the vinyl cover, or a 2-pack of sharpie markers.

And, that's just from the weekly sales ad cover!

Firther in the ad, you'll find character lunch boxes for $8, Girls and boys Circo brand jeans for $7 (my daughter had a couple of pairs of these that held up fairly well until she outgrew them), girls size 4-16 tees or leggins for $4 each, boys 4-16 tees or shorts for $3 each, and a ton of other stuff on sale.

If Target hasn't come to your neighborhood yet, you're probably within a 20 minute drive of a Walmart. Sometimes convenience rules, so here's what's in my local ad:

If you need those 2-pocket solid coloerd folders, or generic 70 page spiral notebooks, Walmart has them for $0.15 each this week.

For $0.25 each, there are 24 pack of crayola crayons, 4 oz Emlers washable glue, or 2-pack of Elmer's glue sticks (a better deal than the 6-pack at Target).

A dollar will get you a 10 pack of Crayola markers, 24 pack of #2 pencils, and a 12 pack of colored pencils.

You can also pick up a backpack or a TI scientific calculator for $9, Purell hand sanitizer for $2, and a 3 box pac of Puffs tissues for $3.24

Land's End is offering 25% off their uniform polos, tees and tops, and $5 off their backpacks.

To be continued...

I watched a movie!

I finally saw "The Happening" (2008), starring "Marky" Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel http://www.thehappeningmovie.com/ Yes, it's been out on DVD for 9 months or so, but I'm a busy mom and a little behind on the movies.

I'll admit, the movie scared the bejeebers out of me. In that sense, I enjoyed it. However, the ending didn't really reveal anything we didn't already suspect, and actually left some elements of the movie hanging.

It was worth watching once, but I don't think I'd bother with it again. I feel that way about all M. Night Shyamalan movies, though, except "The Sixth Sense".

Until next time, when I skim through my emails and see if there are any must-have deals out there...

I'm officially a blogger!

Here I am, trying my hand at blogging.

What you won't see me post are the trivial details of my life and daily activities. I am very busy, but I'm also pretty boring. Do you really care that some jerk driver set my day off in a bad direction? Or that I forgot to buy dog food at Target? Probably not (unless, of course, you're my dog.) You also won't read political rants, or actually, rants of any nature. No brags about my kids, no complaints about my mother.

What you will see me post are:

* Quick, easy, healthy recipes that my kids enjoyed.

* Deals I've stumbled across in my travels or in my inbox.

* My personal reviews of certain products (but only if it's something I absolutely love and cn't live without, or something I absolutely hate!), movies (especially kid movies), books (if I find the time to read, I'm working on the Twilight series right now!), and cars.

* An occasional tidbit on medical conditions, as I've learned a ton over the years with my kids.

* Gift ideas for teachers, coaches, day care providers, and those other hard-to-buy-for people.

* Fundraisers and charity events.

Until next time...