SusieQTpies Cafe: 3/1/09

Monday

Krazy Kidz and Cell Phones!
(Remember cell phones a privilegere a not a right)

Please do not tell me that you are surprised that kidz have their own cell phones! Please do not tell me that you are surprised that parents let kidz have their own cell phones! Our culture allows kidz to be mini adults. So no surprise on the cell phone! Kidz are doing what adults are doing! I think that all this new technology is a good thing! I think that scary things happen because parents do not monitor their kidz! When a parent thinks that a cell phone is right instead of a privilege then trouble happens!

5 tips to HELP manage cell phone usage for your KIDZ!

1- I'm the Parent. I pay the phone bill. I make the rules.
2-The cell phone is a privilege, not a right. You break our rules the phone is put in timeout!
3-Do not answer any phone calls not in your caller ID. As a parent you help them set up their phone contacts. Do not accept blocked ID calls. Those are the calls, pics, txt coming in that will 100% lead to bullying, inappropriate content,etc. I will check the incoming calls. If you answer calls not in your caller ID...well see rule #1 and #2.
4-You will NOT call anyone not in your caller ID unless you let me know. I will check the bill phone log as well as your outgoing calls. If you call out to people not in your caller ID without checking with me ... well see rule #1, #2 and #3.
5-If you happen to slip and break a rule but tell me before I find out on my own then we will talk about the situation and work with it. We love you and we want to keep you safe. I can't keep you safe if you choose to break the rules.

As the parent we have chosen the right family plan. This is being realistic. If you have a phone you will use it. IF you have text messaging you will use it. If you have a picture phone you will use it. If you have internet options you will use. So as a parent you need to be practical and realistic on how much you have in your budget for cell phones.
If you tell your kids that they only have 200 text messages a month yet you do not help them figure out how to manage that then you are asking for trouble! Remember parents, cells phones are a privilege, not a right.
Teach your kidz how to be responsible just like you need to be responsible!

Guess what? There is a company out there to HELP you. Kajeet is the one! They show you how to teach responsibility, set limits on calls and text, keep your kidz safe, find your kidz phone and then give them the freedom to use it. Remember, cell phones are not a right they are a privilege. Check out Kajeet blog! I love the little mascots!

Friday

Caffeinated Randomness Friday
Ultimate Blog Party 2009

My Caffeinated Randomness Friday is dedicated to blog giveaways that I won for the month of March. I would call it March Madness. I'm not usually one known to win things. So winning has proven to be fun and educational! I never knew that there were such blogs that offered giveaways. The giveaway always includes a product review. I didn't know that there were blogs that linked you to free samples and coupons! How amazing to find out that there are women who do all the hard work of getting freebies from companies to give them away! I found out all of this because of TWITTER. If you are on twitter you can follow me at susieqtpie. If you haven't signed up then follow the link and add me as your friend! I have been asked to do a few product reviews and giveaways on my blog! So stay tuned for that!

Did you know that blogs have Parties??? YES they do! You can chat on tweetdeck or watch live video stream! I've had the pleasure of doing that this month too! Tonight is the last night of the Ultimate Blog Party! Go and check it out!!!

My first blog win came from Resourceful Mommy. She hosted a #11Walmart Moms Twilight Party on Twitter! It was crazy fun answer questions back and forth on Twitter. So I was one of the Twilight Party Pack winners! FedEx delivered my box of goodies! Filled with popcorn, chips, candy and Twilight Walmart Gift Card to purchase the movie!

So after winning the Twilight pack I decided to enter some giveaways. I won this Honey Kix Cereal Giveaway by MOMMY VENTS. This was as simple as making a comment about my favorite cereal. It was a random drawing. It included a coupon for a free box of Honey Kix Cereal, two cereal bowls and little honey pot, as well as a container to store cereal, and the travel cereal bowl (has a place to keep milk separate and cool) !!!

The other giveaway was educational! I won a Thinkwell Math or Science Online Course from the Choosy Homeschooler blog. We picked the Chemistry AP class. To win you just needed to register for the Choosy Homeschooler Newsletter.

So I challenge you to go to the Ultimate Blog Party and check out the blogs giving away goodies!!!!! Great way to meet some cool moms like me! haha

Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

What is better than a German Chocolate/Chocolate Cake made by your 10 year old daughter?

Wordless Wednesday Homeschool at its finest

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Homeschooling at its finest! Computers & Girl Scout Cookies!

Saturday

The Party Has STARTED

I"m fairly new into the WORLD OF BLOGGING and TWEETING! That is how I met up with these wonderful ladies! Join my blog and add me to your tweet. Can't wait to meet new blog and tweetin' friends!
We are a homeschool family! I have 3 daughters ages 14, 14 and 10. It is our 3rd year. This blog is a place for me to put my fav links. If you are a homeschool family or another educator please comment and lmk about your blog and links! I really want to find more hs/educator friends.

Go to the Ultimate Blog Party 2009 NOW

This Party is HUGE. It runs from March 20th - 27th.

This year they added three UBP "In Real Life" parties in NY, LA and Nashville. We'll be live streaming exclusive performances by Chris Mann, Leslie Mills and Diane Birch.

It is the mom blogging event of the year —Get all the details here. Then, grab the button code and invite your friends. Yes, there are PRIZES ! (That is how you know it is a real blog party)

So many cool ones to choose from! I promise next year to add something crafty from Susie's Cafe! I'm just getting started.

See you there!

Susieqtpie

Spring into Reading Fun 2009!

I stumbled onto this blog, Callapidder Days! She is hosting a Spring Reading Thing/Challenge. I'm already a reader but was intrigued by the "Thing". I"m joining because the writer and blog owner said that "the point of my challenges is to provide a fun and easy way for you to set some goals, work toward them, and enjoy reading."
My first goal for the "Thing" is to read books that friends have asked "Have you read...." Most of the books on my reading list have been sitting around collecting dust. Time to shake off the dust and get reading! I signed up for a free book account here

This is a great reminder of what I want to read.
So I challenge you to go visit Callapid der Days and join!

I also stumbled upon Book, Blogs and Brownies Book Club in the Under Grace & Over Coffee blog.
My second goal for the "Thing" is to join and participate in a book club. So Book, Blogs and Brownies (BBB) has just started a new book, The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson.

I challenge you to make a book list and start reading! Join Callapidder Days to set your goals! Join in a fun local book club or join me and my new friends over at Books, Blogs and Brownies! What a great time to clean the dust off of some books, read them and then pass them along to someone else!!!!

Friday

The Party Has STARTED

I"m fairly new into the WORLD OF BLOGGING and TWEETING! That is how I met up with these wonderful ladies! Join my blog and add me to your tweet. Can't wait to meet new blog and tweetin' friends!

Go to the Ultimate Blog Party 2009 NOW
This Party is HUGE. It runs from March 20th - 27th.

This year they added three UBP "In Real Life" parties in NY, LA and Nashville. We'll be live streaming exclusive performances by Chris Mann, Leslie Mills and Diane Birch.

It is the mom blogging event of the year —Get all the details here. Then, grab the button code and invite your friends. Yes, there are PRIZES! (That is how you know it is a real blog party)

13 — Scrapbook Photo Box
Provided by: Scrappy Gifts
Prize Details: A mini scrapbook in a box for 2 winners. This box fits 36 wallet sized pictures. Customer Favorite!

25 — (1) The Dot Girl’s First Period Kit, (1) Before She Gets Her Period by Jessica Gillooly, PhD and (2) Scensibles Disposal bag 50 pack boxes
Provided by: Dot Girl First Period Products
Prize details: Help you and your daughter prepare for her first period! Dot Girl First Period Products would like to donate to one winner a package including The Dot Girl’s First Period Kit, the book Before She Gets Her Period and two Scensibles 50 pack boxes.

USC 40 — Large Yankee Candle Jar
Provided by: Tina at Our Front Porch Looking In
Prize Details: Enjoy a large Yankee Candle Jar - YOU get to pick the scent! Visit Yankee Candle to see all the different scents available.

It was hard to pick 3 prizes! I would love INTL60, 18 and any others that related to photos, scrapbooking, rubberstamps, paper, shopping gift cards at Target, Amazon, Kohls, etc!

So many cool ones to choose from! I promise next year to add something crafty from Susie's Cafe! I'm just getting started.

See you there!

Susieqtpie

Read and Win a Disney Vacation!

Read and Win a Disney Vacation!

For a second year, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) and US Airways are working together to help children nationwide discover the joy of reading. Starting April, adults are invited to join the 2009 Read with Kids Challenge and help collectively log five million minutes spent reading with kids. You’ll have the chance of winning a family vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort® and more great prizes. Get on board! Visit www.RIF.org/readwithkids today.

Thursday

Make Your Own Pizza for Kids

My girls LOVE to make their own pizza! This tradition goes back to toddler times of making english muffin pizzas. Then, it evolved into tortilla shell pizzas over the years. Finally, we have moved on to forming the dough into pizza shape and adding special toppings. Pizza is very important to this household. We share our tradition during sleepovers, homeschool lunches and youth group dinners. I do see a change coming in the near future! We want to make our own dough.

Since this post went live in 2009 we do make our own homemade pizza crust and love trying different varieties.

MYOP (Make your own Pizza)

CRUST

You can't have a pizza without the crust. I just eat the toppings at times but you still need to bake it on the crust! Right now we go super quick and use Pilsbury pre packaged pizza dough. We just open up a can and break it into 4 parts. Each person then forms the crust to their liking! Thick or thin - up to them. (We plan on experimenting with home made doughs again. We are looking for a crispy crust, tossed crust and deep dish doughs so please share)

SAUCE

They say the secret is in the sauce. We have no secret for these MYOP. They like plain and simple can tomato sauce. We have the sauce people and the no sauce people.
SPICES
I set out garlic powder, italian seasonings, basil, fresh chopped garlic, etc. They experiment with the spices. EVOL - Extra Virgin Olive Oil is also used. Some like to add it to the baking pan and put dough on top and then add more EVOL.

TOPPINGS

Can you say smorgasboard? Fresh mushrooms, canned mushrooms, pepperoni, veggie sausage, ham, black and green olives, pineapple,chicken, fresh garlic, onions, green pepper, jalapeno peppers, etc. It is FUN when the children bring their favorite topping! Very seldom do we get repeat toppings! I would love to have an adult MYOP party! Bet the toppings would be really really fun!
DON'T forget about CHEESE! Parmesan and Mozzarella are the cheeses the children want!

BAKE at 375 for 10-15 min. Just watch for it to get bubbly and toasty and take it out! I let them use a pizza cutter and or scissors! They love cutting it their way!

I always have leftover toppings. I store them in labeled freezer bags.

Wednesday

I'm in love with these bags!
Come check them out for yourself!
I LOVE the red messenger bag!!!

BAM Bags are the mastermind and creation of Beth A. Metsch. Beth is a single mom of two. While practicing architecture in New York City, Beth began designing limited edition leather handbags, fabric totes, and diaper bags. Friends started asking for their own bags, and store employees inquired about the designer. It seemed like an opportune time to transition from buildings to bags. Bam Bag's ZIPPURSE was born when Beth’s mother asked for a purse made out of zippers! Beth’s prototype, made of one continuous zipper, completely entertained her mother! Her love of design is evident in her beautifully-crafted purses. Beth loves that BAM Bags are not just for women. She says, “It’s so interesting how many men buy the backpack because it’s perfect as a computer bag or casual briefcase as it transforms into a messenger bag".

"Win a BAM BAG at Eighty MPH Mom! http://eightymphmom.blogspot.com "

Thursday

Candy Sushi anyone?

CANDY SUSHI

This was so much fun to make! Our Girl Scouts were celebrating "World Thinking Day" together.
Each troop had to pick a country. Emily's troop picked Japan. We decided to make candy sushi for the food samples at the booth.

First you need to melt

2 tbsp butter and 2 c. marsmallows. Then add in 3 c. Rice Krispies.

Then pour out onto wax paper lined cookie sheet. Smash down. You will not fill up the entire pan. Only cook this small amount so it stays warm and easy to roll up with the candy.

Time to add in the fun!

You can use Twizlers (colorful), gummy worms, swedish fish, pop rocks,etc. We also used Wilton green icing.

Lay out a row of candy.

Next step is to roll it up like a Maki (a cut roll)sushi. This is easy.
This pan will make 3 maki sushi rolls. We used sushi bamboo mats. It is not necessary to use them for candy sushi.

Next step is to slice these into pieces of sushi. We used a serrated bread knife.
You can also roll fruit roll-ups or fruit leather around them. IF you add the fruit then you slice after that!