Maya's Mix

Ranch of Rescued Dreams

Maya — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:54:03 +0000

A round of applause needs to be offered to the “Ranch of Rescued Dreams” for the contribution they are making to children and horses who are in need of rescue. Kim and Troy Meeder had an amazing dream of giving back to their community and with a lot of hard work and determination, their dream has become reality. It touches my heart to hear that their dream has now become the dream of so many more.
In 1995 – Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch was started with the intention to bring troubled and abused children into the path of troubled and abused horses. A place intended for healing and helping for both the horses and children. A place for both to find hope again. I truly believe that they have succeeded in creating such a place. In their book, Hope Rising, you can read the stories of these moving encounters.
I personally know how much a horse can bring into your life. You can create a bond with them that can change your whole life and perspective. And with all the things that children have to face these days, what better way to reach out to them, then through the love of a horse. These horses are in just as much need for someone to bond with and to trust that they will be safe and loved since they have all been rescued from difficult circumstances by the ranch. I applaud this foundation for their work and I hope that they continue to touches the lives of so many.
They are open to the public so if you are ever visiting Bend, Oregon – please look them up and stop by to see the great things they have going on there or to make a contribution to such a great charity. You can also look them up on the internet for more information or to meet the children and many horses that they have helped along the way. They also have a very special picture gallery that completely captures the “rescued dreams” they are fulfilling.

When you just need to laugh…..

Maya — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:01:47 +0000

I just had to post this. When you have one of those days and you just need to laugh – there is nothing like a child’s laughter to get you started. Click on the link below and move your mouse around.

Elastic Baby

Child Safety Day

Maya — Thu, 29 May 2008 20:03:44 +0000

It appears that Child Safety Day has recently passed. According to many different news articles, many states and companies celebrated it on different days during May by offering events or workshops on issues regarding children’s safety. Meridian, MS is actually doing a child seat checkpoint this Friday to make sure parents have their car seats correctly installed. I personally think that this is a very important day for parents. We should constantly be aware of our children and the safety of their environment and lives but it wouldn’t hurt to also take this one day a year to review the common things that surround our children. Sit down and create a checklist of toys, cribs, high chairs, activity centers etc. and visit one of the many recall sites our there to make sure what you have in your home hasn’t been added. Or take the time to do a little internet research and find out some of the newest safety laws for your area. I think this should also be a good time to remind parents to go get their CPR license for the first time or renewed. No matter how old our children are, it is up to us as parents to provide them with safe and happy surroundings.

Baby Center – Product Recall Finder

Toy Hazard Recalls

Safer Car

Biggest Gear Recalls of 2008

To the Tornado Victims……

Maya — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:30:09 +0000

I just want to take the time to say my heart is going out to all the victims that are suffering from the devastating tornadoes that have been hitting parts of our country. I’ve been reading that this could be a record breaking year for the amount of tornadoes we have had and the amount of deaths resulting from it. It is just heartbreaking to see entire communities being demolished by the natural disasters. I only hope that they can recover from the loss and rebuild stronger then before. My thoughts are with them. I also have to commend the American Red Cross and all the other relief programs such as CJ’s Bus that have volunteered their time and resources to helping the victims out. It is truly a great thing that they do and for those looking to dedicate their time or donate money, I would definitely look into either one of these organizations. I have a special feeling for the work that CJ’s Bus is doing for the children. This was started by a mother who lost her son and other family members during a 2005 tornado and is now turning her grief into something positive and life changing. It was no surprise that Oprah’s Big Give gave $12,500 to this cause. It is well deserved and very needed.

I’ve noticed over the newspaper articles and news broadcasts that I’ve looked into, they all seem to be really pushing for people in severe weather areas to purchase a NOAA Weather Radio. This device has been reported as being helpful in saving lives during a tornado or other sever weather disaster. Most deaths from tornadoes occur at night because people are sleeping instead of paying attention to the weather. The weather radio is to alert or call you at night when there is a warning in your direct area. Not only does this radio alert you of severe weather but it can also be programmed to alert you about other things such as amber alerts, national security issues, safety alerts and much more. If you live in a hot zone for extreme weather and if it can help save your life – I say it’s worth going out and purchasing NOAA as soon as possible. I would also recommend looking into the American Red Cross for information on what to do in case of a tornado or other disaster. It always best to be educated before that warning or alert comes your way.

~ Scrapbooking with a Twist ~

Maya — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:53:51 +0000

I’m sometimes amazed at how scrapbooking has become such a craze. It really has taken on a life of it’s own in the craft/hobby world and now it’s progressing into the digital arena. You can now create scrapbooks online and still be just as creative and imaginative. I’ve signed up to a few different digital scrapbooking sites and here are a couple that are my favorites. This is perfect for those people who love scrapbooking but just don’t have the time to sit down and create the books they want to.

Smilebox

I like smilebox because it it has a nice variety of already designed templates. It is convenient to be able to just add your photos to the design you choose. The the feature I like most is that you can email, publish or print the pages you design after you save them. This site seems to run smoothly and is very user friendly. It is also free to sign up.

Scrapo

This site seems to be a little older or it just hasn’t updated it’s features yet. It is good for doing your basic designs but it doesn’t have a wide enough variety for my taste. I do like that it has an online community that you can join once you have signed up.

Scrapblog

This site is my favorite. Once you create a free account, you can get lost in creating pages. It has a large database of backgrounds, stickers and other accents. You can also design from a template or create your own from scratch. I recommend this for anyone who is new to scrapbooking because you can get a lot of layout and design ideas. The only thing that I found to be a problem is that the site can seem to run slow at times and even crash so be sure to save your work.

Recommended – Baby Monitor

Maya — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:52:29 +0000

For all the parents out there with little ones, there is a product that I think you really should purchase. It’s the BeBe Sounds Movement Sensor/Baby Monitor. This monitor is well worth the peace of mind it can give you during the already sleepless nights you are getting. I know for myself, even though I am sleeping, it doesn’t really feel like sleep because you are continuously listening for your baby. Whether its just to hear the different noises they are making or to just make sure that they are breathing ok, you never seem to really get to rest comfortably during the night. I am so glad that we bought this monitor because I feel like I can sleep a little better knowing that there will be an alarm that sounds if there is no breathing movement within 20 seconds. There is a flat sensor that goes right under the baby’s mattress or bassinet pad that acts as an alarm and will beep once after 20 seconds and then repeatedly right after. The only difficult part is remembering that the alarm is on and when you remove the baby from the crib and start walking away, the alarm goes off and you are rushing back to turn it off. It’s a good way to wake the house up during those middle of the night feedings. Unfortunately, I’m speaking from experience Not only does this have the sensor but it also detects sound just like the average monitor and comes with handsets to carry around. So far I can say that the reception and range have been great for my location.

Another words – Parents, please go out and buy this product for you and your little one. The prices seem to range from about $60 – $100 and it is well worth it. I truly believe that this is something that can also help cut down on the number of children who are lost to SIDS as well. When it comes to our children, it is better to play it as safe as possible.

Bolognese Meat Sauce – 2 Thumbs Up!

Maya — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:23:55 +0000

This is a “must try” recipe. My father-in-law recently made this for us and we loved it. Honestly, at first I did not think I would like it since I’m not really a big fan of pasta dishes or marinara sauce but I was pleasantly surprised at how different it tasted. It has a wonderful meat flavor with even a touch of cinnamon that really blends the entire dish together. Not only is it very tasty, but it is also extremely filling so a little bit goes a long way. This is a perfect dish for a potluck or “get together” and it’s guaranteed to bring on the compliments. If you are just cooking it for the family there will be more then enough to freeze for leftovers. Pull it out on a rainy night with a nice bottle of wine, hearty garlic bread and a crisp side salad.

Bolognese Meat Sauce

Hello World!

Maya — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:23:45 +0000

Hello World! It’s always so hard for me to know where to begin with an introduction about myself. Hi – I’m Maya. I guess that’s a good place to start. I love photography, horses, writing, football (Go STEELER’S) and many other things that life has to offer. I’m a mother of a newborn so instead of being dedicated to work in the office, I have been blessed with having the opportunity to be dedicated to my family on a full time basis instead. I am enjoying every minute of it and I hope to share my stories and thoughts with you threw my posts. This is my personal weblog dedicated to Living, Laughing and Loving, and a wide mix of of other topics that relate to every day life. I’d love for you to stop by Maya’s Mix and share your thoughts with me at anytime. Please stop by the other blogs that I write for as well – Bed & Breakfasting and Scrapbookist.

~Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much, Work Hard & Party like it’s 1999~