Trips of a Lifetime

August 27, 2011 By

 

The state of Maine’s geography is like no other state in America. From its magnificent coastline, to the tall mountains, to the huge lakes and long rivers; Maine has it all. What could be a more perfect setting for overnight camps? One of the absolute best parts and highlights of going to sleep away camp in Maine, are the trips!

Let’s start with the mountain climbing trips… whether it’s watching the sunset from Cadillac Mountain (1, 528 ft. high) or reaching the peak of Mount Katahdin (5,268 ft. high! The highest mountain in Maine); there is nothing like the feeling of accomplishment you get when you reach the top! All the campers from youngest to oldest get to experience that magical feeling, it builds amazing self-confidence. Making a camp fire, cooking your own food and pitching tents are all skills you learn on these trips.

Now onto the lakes! Maine has 2,200 beautiful big lakes and tons of long rivers. Canoeing and kayaking trips are very popular among the campers. Some of my fondest camp memories are canoeing down the Saco River and camping alongside it. Androscoggin River and Sebago Lake are popular trips as well. The list goes on and on. As an older camper you get to go white water rafting which is a huge thrill!

Not only does Maine have gorgeous mountains and lakes, but a spectacular coastline. Many camps in Maine take trips to the beach. Ronald Hall, camp director of O-AT-KA says “the variety of outdoor activities and trips does not compare to other states. A big hit with the campers is sea kayaking on the Ocean!”

A former camper fondly recalls, “The trips that we took around Maine were amazing. The amusement/water parks, like Funtown/Splashtown and Aquaboggin, were every kid’s dream. Overnights were spent at campgrounds, such as Blue Rock and Acadia, where we went hiking on beautiful mountains and swam in clean lakes.” Most camps also have non-camping or “pleasure” trips where they go to country fairs, visit Freeport, Ogunquit beach, Camden, Boothbay Harbor and my personal favorite, Portland, where there is whale watching. Jason Silberman, camp director of Matoaka said the kids can take a photography class and then go on trips and take pictures of all the natural beauty Maine has to offer.

From quaint seaside villages, cultural experiences and experiencing the wonders of nature; Maine has it all. To learn more about overnight camps in Maine, where your children can enjoy these amazing trips and more… visit Maine Camp Experience and get all the information you need to find the perfect camp for your family.

Thumbnail image for boys Mt Katahdin.jpg

Sponsored by the Role Mommy’s writers network. To read personal stories by real camp parents, visit http://www.mainecampexperience.com/camp-reviews/

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Filed Under: Travel

Talenti Gelato Cutest Gelato Photo Contest

August 26, 2011 By

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky to do a review of some Gelato and a Sorbet from a company called Talenti Gelato. I’m sad to say that the Gelato and Sorbet are long gone. They lasted a little over a week in my home (I’m surprised they lasted even that long). The Gelato and Sorbet may be gone but the memory of them will last a long time. I’m currently re-purposing the screw top jars the Talenti products came in. They make great storage containers.

I was so taken by the most amazing flavors that I just had to purchase a candle just because the scent reminded me of a Talenti Gelato! I’m not kidding. One of the Gelatos I was able to sample was the Sea Salt Caramel. It honestly tasted like caramel. You couldn’t even tell it was Gelato, except for it was cold. It was so rich and creamy, EXACTLY like a caramel candy. Mere words cannot accurately describe just how delicious the Sea Salt Caramel Gelato is.

I happend across a candle called Salted Caramel that smells almost exactly like the Talenti Gelato. I just had to buy it. Now when I burn the candle I think of the Gelato. :-)

I was also fortunate to try Tahitian Vanilla Bean, Double Dark Chocolate and Roman Raspberry Sorbet.

I searched but I cannot find the Talenti Gelatos or Sorbets locally. I am so upset about that too. The only way I can get a taste of the Talenti Gelatos is to order it online. The price is not bad at all, it’s the shipping that will get you. The shipping is way too high for me to afford, sad to say.

There is another option. I can WIN a year supply of Talenti Gelatos and Sorbets. OH! I would be in heaven if I won!

Talenti is having a photo contest on their Facebook page called the Cutest Gelato Photo Contest. They are looking for your cutest picture of someone (or a couple of people) enjoying some Gelato. I’ve seen photos of adults, couples, children and even pets! Anything goes. They are looking for the cutest photos.

The contest started on July 25, 2011. You have until September 2, 2011 to submit a photo. So you still have time to enter. Just make sure not to wait. You will want to get in on this contest. After all the grand prize is a year supply of Talenti Gelato and Sorbet (a $250 value). 

The contest has been going on weekly. Each week there is a fan voting and one entry will be considered a semi-finalist. On September 5th all of the semi-finalists will be posted and the fan votes will determine the winner which will be announced on September 12, 2011. If you have a lot of friends, family members and co-workers you can rally them to vote for your photo submission.

To enter or to learn more about the contest visit the Talenti Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/Love.Talenti. While you are there read some of the comments left by some of their 12,000+ Facebook fans. I’m not the only one who is crazy about Talenti Gelatos and Sorbets. 

Hurry up and enter today! If you happen to be the winner feel free to send some of your “winnings” my way. :-)

Kimberly

*This is a compensated post. The opinions expressed are my own.

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August 26th is National Dog Day (Giveaway!)

August 26, 2011 By

Did you know that August 26th is National Dog Day? If you have a dog, or simply love dogs, today is the day to celebrate just how wonderful our four legged friends are. I think your pooch deserves a special treat today in honor of his/her special day.

Bil-Jac makes a line of specialty dog treats that would be ideal for you to serve your beloved dog on National Dog Day.

Bil-Jac, a family-owned and operated leading manufacturer of Super Premium Dog Foods and treats, announces three new dog treats: Brilliance Bites, Noggin Nuggets and Smart Defense. The treats are available in specialty pet product retailers like PetSmart locations across the country. The treats are formulated to help improve brain function, immunity, and skin and coat health. Bil-Jac is launching the specialized collection of treats to make training and rewarding your dog both healthy and fun.

Brilliance Bites are made with linoleic acid plus vitamin A to help nourish and replenish the skin and coat. Noggin Nuggets, made with folic acid, vitamin B12 and L-carnitine, help nourish the brain and support brain function. Smart Defense dog treats are made with vitamins C and E, powerful antioxidant nutrients that help support the immune system. Each of the new Bil-Jac dog treats are formulated with real chicken and chicken liver as primary ingredients to maximize key nutrients.

“Brilliance Bites, Noggin Nuggets and Smart Defense are high quality dog treats with targeted nutrition benefits for man’s best friend,” said Jim Kelly, Executive Vice President, Bil-Jac Foods. “Bil-Jac is continually focused on enriching the lives of dogs and their families, and these new treats help us achieve that very important goal.”

Brilliance Bites, Noggin Nuggets and Smart Defense join Bil-Jac’s family of Super Premium Dog Foods and treats, which are dedicated to making the most nutritious and best tasting products on the market by using more fresh chicken protein and never adding fat or fillers. Bil-Jac soft and moist treats are best sellers in the specialty pet category and include Liver Treats, Little-Jacs, Gooberlicious, Yapple-nanas and PB-nanas. Bil-Jac Super Premium Dog Foods feature Immune System Health Formulas and Amino Health System Formulas, which are fundamental to superior nutrition.

To learn more about Brilliance Bites, Noggin Nuggets, Smart Defense and other Super Premium products from Bil-Jac Foods, visit www.Bil-Jac.com.

Bill-Jac would like to award a lucky reader with a special prize package featuring all three special treats – Brilliance Bites, Noggin Nuggets and Smart Defense. Thank you Bil-Jac!

To enter please tell me your dog’s name and why your dog is so special. 

For extra entries you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done. Extra entries are optional. 

- Subscribe to She Scribes and/or Connect with Google Friend Connect. Both options are found on the right side bar.

- “Like” Bil-Jac on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/BilJacDogFood.

- “Like” She Scribes on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/SheScribes.

- Follow Bil-Jac on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/BilJac.

- Follow She Scribes on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/She_Scribes and tweet about this giveaway. Please include @She_Scribes in the tweet so I can see it too. This is limited to three tweets per day.

- Share this giveaway with others on Facebook, Digg, Technorati and so forth. Be sure to tell me what you did and please provide a name and/or URL so I can verify.

- Leave a thoughtful comment on a non-giveaway post on She Scribes and tell me which post you commented on. There is a limit of one comment per post, but you can comment on as many posts as you want for an unlimited extra entry option.

- Post about this giveaway on your site and please link back to this post. Please provide the URL.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on September 2, 2011 at 11:59 PM (EST). The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have three days to reply with a name, mailing address (no PO Box), NFL team and shirt size. Failure to do so will result in a new winner will be chosen in their place.

Other awesome giveaways can be found on the right side bar under “Win It”.

Kimberly

*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this for the benefit and enjoyment of my site readers. The opinions expressed are my own. Bil-Jac will be providing the prize.

 

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I’m a modern day Cyrano de Bergerac – But I have a cute little nose

August 25, 2011 By

Today was the day I have dreaded for many years. My daughter had her first “date”. I use the term date loosely because it wasn’t a REAL date, per say. It was more so a couple of kids getting together for a soda. But in THEIR minds it was a date.

A few weeks ago my daughter acquired her first “boyfriend”. His nickname is Mo (his real name is Mohammad). Again, I have to use that term loosely because she didn’t know the boy that well. She knew OF him from school, and has seen him at school, but they never said two words to each other. One day she  was at a friend’s house for a sleep over. The girls were talking on OoVoo (video chat) with a friend of theirs and Mo happened to be over visiting with their friend. My daughter and Mo chatted with each other on OoVoo. Then they started to send each other messages back and forth on Facebook. Since I monitor my daughter’s actions on Facebook I pretty much saw everything they wrote to each other. It was totally innocent.

One day Mo decided to take it to the next level. He asked my daughter if she wanted to go out with him. My daughter told him “yes”. My husband and I were NOT happy about it, but I knew in my heart that she didn’t have a crush on the boy. She more so had a crush on the IDEA of having a boyfriend. Her best friends have boyfriends and in a way she didn’t want to be left out so she was happy she had a boyfriend too.

I could tell from their conversations she wasn’t really “into” him. That is why I didn’t get too stressed out over the relationship. Not only that every time he wanted to get together with her she came up with an excuse why she couldn’t. One of his best friends live near us and a few times he wanted to walk over here to hang out with her. Conveniently every time he wanted to she said she didn’t feel well. If she REALLY liked him she would have jumped at the opportunity to hang out. We even went so far as to tell her to invite him over and we’ll take them to our condo complex pool and she declined.

 

My daughter finally had another chance to talk with him over OoVoo (up until that point they only texted and sent message back and forth on Facebook). After that chat she realized that she wasn’t really into him after all and told him that she felt they were better off as friends. I was very proud of her for being mature about it.

The two of them remained friends for a couple of weeks. Then some how they ended up boyfriend and girlfriend again (I still have no clue how that happened). They have been a “couple” again for little over a week.

Last night my daughter was on a sleep over (again). She asked me today if I would be OK with dropping her off at the bowling alley so she could meet Mo there and bowl. I asked if anyone else was going. She said “no” (other kids were suppose to go but couldn’t get rides or didn’t have the $$$). The bowling alley is a dark place. I wanted the kids to be some place public that was well lit. I suggested McDonalds. The boy happened to live within walking distance of McDonalds so it worked out OK.

I waited in the parking lot with my daughter until the boy showed up. I could see my daughter was a bit awkward with him but she went inside with him anyway. I waited for a few minutes and then texted her and asked is everything was OK. She said she was fine. So I left and went to the grocery store to pick up a few things.

While I was at the store my daughter texted me. She said everything was fine but she realized that she doesn’t like him as much as he liked her and she really did only want to be friends with him. She didn’t know what to say to him. To make matters worst one of his friends showed up and hung out with them. So it was my daughter, Mo and his best friend.

I went back to McDonalds and parked my car in a place where they couldn’t see me. My daughter and texted back and forth. I have to feed her things to say to him so that she could break up with him nicely and not hurt his feelings. She originally wanted to send him a message when she got home but I said the right thing to do would be to tell him in person. She reluctantly agreed.

I felt like Cyrano de Bergerac!  He was the man who fed lines to a handsome man so he could win over the girl that Cyrano really loved. OK… it wasn’t EXACTLY like that (I have a cute little nose and I wasn’t trying to win over a 14 year old boy. EWWWW!!! That is gross on so many levels). It was more so the opposite of what Cyrano did. I fed lines to my daughter so she could gently break up with a boy.

It worked. I even saw it happen. She asked his friend to give them a moment. Then she turned to Mo and told him that he’s nice and everything but she felt like they were better off as friends. I couldn’t see from my angle but she said he looked like he was going to cry. He also gave her a necklace. I told her to offer to give it back to him. She did but he told her to keep it.

My daughter was non-stop rambling when she got in the car. She said it was very awkward and she it totally done with boys and dating (keep in mind this was her first “boyfriend” and first “date”). Inside I was secretly cheering. I don’t want my little girl to grow up too fast so I was happy to hear her say that. Realistically though I know it’s not going to happen that way. I even told her that one day she’s going to have a real crush on a boy, and vice versa, and when they go on their first date it will be filled with sunshine, rainbows and unicorns (you get the idea). I told her not to worry, she’ll have another boyfriend soon. I also told her that she will date people for a week, a month, a year or more and they might break up with her or she might have to break up with the other person. I told her that her heart will get broken and she will break a heart. It’s a part of life.

I’m glad that she didn’t get her first kiss with this boy. I know it’s going to happen eventually. I would rather her first kiss be something special and with someone she really likes, not just some boy she “dated” because she was enamoured with the IDEA of having a “boyfriend”.

Hopefully I get some “brownie points” with my daughter and she knows that she can come to me when it comes to issues with boys. I prefer she talks to me but I’ll take a text too if need be.

Whew… parenting a teen is stressful! Excuse me while I rummage through my home looking for chocolate to calm my nerves. LOL!

 

Kimberly

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Filed Under: Parenting, Ramblings, Teens

Murder & Neighbor Update

August 25, 2011 By

If you follow my blog you might remember my posts from last week about the man who was murdered in our complex (stabbed to death then a fire started to cover up the evidence) and about my elderly neighbor who fell and cracked his head open (literally) on the sidewalk in front of our building. If not you can read about both incidents here,  http://www.shescribes.com/2011/08/murder-mayhem-and-mystery-all-in-my-front-yard.html.

To update you on the murder the young man (age 32) was stabbed multiple times by his girlfriend (age 23). They Police found her and she’s been arrested and charged with second degree murder and second degree arson. It took them less then a week to find his murderer. She doesn’t even live around here (she lives in NYC). Kudos to our local Police department. Sadly the young man is being laid to rest today too. At least his family and friends can find comfort in knowing that the guilty person is going to get what is coming to her (hopefully).

 

As for our elderly neighbor who fell and cracked his head open on the side walk (the mysterious blood that had the Police Detectives here looking to see if there was a connection between the blood and the murder), he’s not doing well at all. He had a heart attack (that is what caused him to drop like he did). Hitting his head on the side walk cracked open his skull. He had emergency surgery to remove a big chunk of his skull. He has severe brain damage and he’s been in a coma since it happened.

I’ve been talking to his son who flew in from Chicago. They are going to decide tomorrow (Friday) whether or not to remove him from life support or hold on for a miracle. He said the doctors said if he does come out of the coma he will be in a vegetative state due to the severe damage to his brain. What kind of life is that? There is no quality of life that way.

His son wants me to turn his father’s car on at least once a week and get his mail for him. He’s going to have someone come over and gut his father’s condo so they can put it on the market. He said even if  there was a miracle and he survived he wouldn’t be able to take care of himself again, nor live alone, especially on a top floor condo with six flights of steps (three inside and three outside).

I feel like absolute GARBAGE. I was suppose to take him to physical therapy that day but my husband was home on vacation and we took the kids out schools shopping instead. We were SUPPOSE to go to the water park but due to the possibility of rain we opted to go back-to-school shopping instead. Had I taken him to therapy I could have helped him not to hit his head on the sidewalk. I always walked next to him (either behind him or next to him). If I saw him drop I could have caught him. He still would have suffered from the heart attack but at least he wouldn’t have had brain damage.

I also feel HORRIBLE because he never really asked me if I could take him to/from physical therapy twice a week. I originally did it as a favor because his friend couldn’t do it one day. Then it was assumed that I would do it all the time. I was a bit miffed that he never officially asked me, plus at times it was a bit inconvenient that I had to stop what I was doing to take him or pick him up. I didn’t complain. I just wished he asked me if I would do it every week. Now I feel like horrible that I even thought that way. I should have just stopped being a whiny person and taken him to and from, no questions asked.

We have always been good to him, but sometimes he was a bit of a pain in the butt. He was a crotchety old man who complained a lot, especially about our condo board and his insurance company (he was a victim in a car accident last year that is why he had to go to physical therapy). But that is common place with old people sometimes. Sometimes he would show up at our door just to complain about something. We usually stood there and chatted with him and let him vent. Sometimes he would do it during dinner time and my husband and I would take turns eating dinner and talking to him.

We helped him with his garbage, his groceries, shoveled his car off when it snowed and a few other things. In return he would bring my kids stuff from the bakery (cupcakes, cakes, pies…). On Thursday, the day he fell and hit his head, he gave us a Strawberry Shortcake to thank me for taking him to/from therapy that week. Out of all the bakery items he’s ever given us that was the one we really enjoyed the most too. Go figure.

I guess we’ll know tomorrow what the prognosis is and if he’s going to make it or they are going to let him go. It really makes my heart sad. No one wants to see anyone go like that. It’s just so very, very, very sad.

:-(

Kimberly

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Filed Under: Ramblings

Hurricane Irene – Be Safe!

August 25, 2011 By

 

I realize that it might be a bit early but I wanted to wish everyone on the East Coast well and to stay safe! I know that Hurricane Irene is going to cause a lot of problems from Florida to Massachusetts. I’m in NY and they are calling for a lot of wind, rain and flooding.

Make sure that you are prepared. Have an evacuation plan in place. Make sure you have more then one meeting places set up to meet your family at in case you need to evacuate. I say have more then one because just in case your first choice is not possible at least you have a back up.

Stock up on batteries NOW. Don’t wait until the weekend. It’s going to be a mad house at the supply stores the closer Irene gets. DO IT NOW! Make sure you have plenty of batteries, non-perishable foods you can eat in case you lose power for a day or two (cereals, fruit that doesn’t have to be kept cold, granola…). Also stock up on bottles and/or gallons of water in case you don’t have fresh water for a few days.

If you have an infant or toddler make sure you have more then enough formula, diapers and baby wipes. If you have pets make sure you have plenty of pet food.

If you own a home do a check around your house for anything that could cause problems. If you see branches that are too close to the power lines see about getting them cut down. Call your local Town Hall and see what the procedure will be to get that done. Also make sure lose things are secured. Bring in lawn chairs or children’s toys that could blow away.

If you live in an area prone to flooding make sure that all your valuables (photos, children’s toys, antiques…) are removed from low lying areas and move up higher to protect them from water and flood damage.

Make sure all of your important things are charged like your cell phones, lap tops, children’s games.

Even though Irene has a couple of more days before it really causes problems on the East Coast NOW is the time to prepare yourself. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Many years ago (about 11 years give or take) we got hit with Hurricane Floyd here in New York. We lost power for 3 days. We were totally unprepared. All of my fish died because their air pump and filter didn’t work without power. My son was an infant at the time. We had to drive upstate to take a shower at my parent’s house. It was horrible! I don’t want to go through that again.

Thankfully our windows are new so they should hold up to the wind and rain but our balcony doors (sliding glass doors) are old. We’re getting them replaced but they haven’t go our new doors in yet. We have to worry about water seeping in from the tracks of the door and soaking our carpet in the living room which could cause even more damage.

How do YOU prepare for storms such as Hurricanes? I’d love to hear from you. Maybe there is something that I missed and your insight could help another reader be prepared.

Kimberly

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