Top 10 Things that I Learned Over the 4th of July Holiday Weekend

The 4^th of July weekend is always a time that I look forward to, because it brings up strong feelings of family and summer time. As I sit here thinking about the holiday weekend, there are 10 things that come to mind.

1. It is hotter than hell on July 4^th.

The heat can even bring the best man down when it comes to outdoor activities. Eating in 98 degrees while sweating profusely with both legs stuck to the chair does not bring about the happiest of thoughts. It is best to plan meals and outside activities around cooler times of the day.

2. Patriotism is great.

I really enjoy seeing the United States of America flags waving in the wind. It really does remind me of our democratic country and how despite some of the challenges that come up in life, we by far have the best lives by comparison.

3. Family members try to be on their best behavior.

I noticed that some of our family members that normally start trouble during ordinary family gatherings are on better behavior during the 4^th of July weekend. I think they might be operating on some 4^th of July code of conduct that was instilled in them from birth.

4. Fireworks look better up close.

When watching fireworks from far away, they look small and seem to barely make it up above the horizon. It is best to have the fireworks display take up your entire peripheral field of vision to get the maximum amount of excitement and enjoyment.

5. Public boat launches at lakes are out of control.

Expect overcrowding, no parking and long lines to put your boat in the water as well as taking it out. Also, there is lots of law enforcement on the lake on a holiday weekend, which can be good or bad depending on your perspective.

6. Grocery stores are an absolute riot the day before the 4^th of July.

As we were walking in to a local grocery an elderly man was walking out and he stopped us and said “Son, you don’t want to go in there.”

7. Do serve summer time food on a summer holiday weekend.

While most people will lap up roast beef and mashed potatoes any time of the day or night, it is better to serve food that is easier to eat in the heat and that can be served at room temperature.

8. Watch out for wayward, crazy dogs during peak fireworks hours.

I noticed several canine escapees running loose while fireworks were being shot off in the neighborhood. These dogs are scared and confused and might even show you their pearly whites. Also a good thing to think about before you leave the house and leave poochie in the backyard alone.

9. Parades end up being fun after all.

Even if you are dreading going to a parade, nine times out of ten you will find something fun and exciting to look at.

10. The freaks come out at night.

Enough said.

Tags: July 4th, outdoor, summer | Posted in General, Life and Learning | No Comments »

Let’s Take This Outside

It is officially flip-flop weather here in sunny, HOT, Austin, Texas. When I think summertime, I envision great outdoor parties with all of my friends, cooking on the grill, enjoying fabulous iced beverages, and letting loose with some summer fun! Here are some great ideas and MindBites to get you, your friends, and your family enjoying the upcoming July 4th holiday and summer!

Drinks:

I don’t know about the weather where you are, but summer in Texas is HOT, often paired with an overabundance of HUMID. The only way to brave this sauna is a frosty beverage. My favorites include (in no certain order)-water, iced tea, lemonade, beer, sangria and margaritas. Here are some great summertime drink tips:

Learn How To Make Popular Bar Drinks

Open a Beer in an Emergency

Fabulous Mexican Martinis and More

and Wine and Food Pairings

Food:

Cooking out is one of my all-time favorite memories about childhood summers. But, in addition to (insert your favorite grilled food here), there are a variety of great summertime foods to cool things off-or spice them up!

Make Tony’s Vodka Burgers

Ice cream tastes better when you Make It Yourself

Learn Maudie’s Secret Salsa tips

Cooling Cucumber Yogurt Salad

Try to cook Using the Sun

Entertainment:

You might not want to do anything other than chat with your family or guests, but sometimes it’s nice to have some other diversion from the heat, especially if it includes cooling off in a lake (or other body of water)!

In the very least, you’ll need a Playlist

Learn to Ride a Waverunner or Drive a Boat

Ever tried Windsurfing?

And, of course, use your HandyCam to record it all for posterity!

I hope that some of these lessons will inspire you! Add in some red, white, and blue, and some fireworks, and you’ve got a 4th of July party. Enjoy your summer, and don’t forget to teach us what you learn.

Tags: July 4th, outdoor, summer | Posted in Life and Learning | No Comments »

Craft: Magazine Party and Cute As A Button Bracelet Project

On Sunday, June 1st Craft: Magazine threw an issue release party here in Austin at The Work*Shop. Brittanie and I, as resident crafty ladies, went and had an all-around good time! The party was hosted by Rachel Hobson, an Austin crafty blogger better known as Average Jane Crafter, and Leslie Bonnell of Stitch Lab. The party was great, with a few celebrity crafters (such as Jenny Hart, Vicki Howell, and other member of the Austin Craft Mafia), yummy treats, fantastic door prizes (Brittanie won a CUTE necklace from Naughty Secretary Club!), and a fun little project from Susan Beal’s new book, Bead Simple.

I didn’t win a door prize, but I did indulge myself in a subscription of Craft:. And I got to meet a lot of local crafters and take home a cute bracelet that I made myself! As an added bonus, we got to announce to a group of Austin crafters the Spread the Craft Contest! Remember to register and upload your crafting instructional video for a chance to win $1000!

Tags: contest, craft, spread the craft | Posted in General, Life and Learning | No Comments »

Top Ten Tips for Planning a Graduation Party

When I found out that I was in charge of planning my cousin’s high school graduation party, I felt like I was squeezing blood out of my turnip brain.   I did manage to find a few drops.  Here is what came out.

After searching through all the different theme party ideas such as casino night, luau, beach party, normal “You Did It” party, Dr. Seuss Oh the Places You’ll Go pary  etc., I figured out that really what a graduate wants is to be the center of attention, have their friends think they are really cool and for their party to go down in history as the best ever.

Given that the graduate wants to be somewhat of a rock star for a day here are some things that you can do to make it happen:

1.  Have a life size board cut out made of the graduate and have it at the entrance of the party.

2.  Have your local photo shop blow up pictures so that you have huge posters of the graduate.

3.  Have a custom banner made and string it across the room.  Oriental Trading is a great resource for these banners. 

4.  Make custom confetti where the person’s pictures actually make up the confetti- Try Photfetti.com.

 5.  Make hand fans/masks from the person’s face. 

6.  Make party invitations out of custom printed t-shirts.  

7.  For party favors, make custom dog tag necklaces with graduation details like Bridget’s Blow Out Bash 2008.  If it is a small party you can include all the friends names in the group on the tags. 

8. Have a coffee bar and include these rock candy coffee swizzel sticks  as stirrers.  They are all the rage right now.  Most kids in high school and college drink coffee and these are sure to be a big hit.

 9.  Serve this Diploma-Worthy Sangria (with or without alcohol) as the signature drink at the party. 

Ingredients

Apple juice, for ice cubes
1 1/4 cups (10 fl. oz) water
1 small bunch fresh mint
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
3 1/4 cups (26 fl. oz) dry white wine (substitute with white grape juice for a non-alcoholic version)
2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
2 small pears, cut into chunks
2 medium oranges, sliced crosswise
2 small lemons, sliced crosswise
3 cups (24 fl. oz) sparkling apple cider
Mint leaves, to garnish (optional)

Preparation

 10.  Last but not least, hire a DJ and have them rock out the party.  Mix the songs up and have the DJ play some of the following graduation theme songs:

• Time of Your Life by GreenDay
• Forever Young by Rod Stewart
• So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday by Boys II Men
• Graduation by Vitamin C
• Here’s to the Night by Eve 6
• Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson
• I Feel Home by Of a Revolution (O.A.R.) 
•  Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkel
• Revolution by The Beatles
• Congratulations by The Rolling Stones
• School’s Out by Alice Cooper
• Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads
• I’m Moving On by Rascal Flatts
• Goodbye by The Corrs
• Shout by The Isley Brothers
• Photograph by Nickleback
• In My Life by The Beatles
• Graduation Song by The Beach Boys
• I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack
• This Used to be My Playground by Madonna
• Graduation Day by Chris Isaak
• Closing Time by Matchbox 20  
• I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly
• Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day
• Here’s to the Night by Eve 6
• Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) by Baz Luhrman
• On My Way by Phil Collins
• Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield
• I Will Remember you by Sarah McLachlan
• Whenever You Remember by Carrie Underwood
• I’m Not Gonna Cry by Corey Smith
• I’ll Be There For You by The Rembrandts
• You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban
• What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
• A Moment Like This by Kelly Clarkson

If you use some or all of these tips your graduate will absolutely feel like the rock star that they are. 

Tags: college graduation, dr. seuss, graduation party, high school graduation, parties for teens, party, party for kids, party for teenagers, planning a graduation party | Posted in Life and Learning | 2 Comments »

How to Avoid a Malware Infestation on your PC

… and save the computer-savvy folks a lot of time.

One of the areas where PC’s are considerably less user friendly than Mac’s is in the realm of Malware. While Malware still threatens Mac users, their operating systems are much more stable and can better reduce the amount of alien information trafficking around the file system. PC’s are easier to target; that is why 95% of Malware is targeted toward the PC platform. Before I tell you how to prevent Malware effectively on the PC, I better define it.

There are lots of words thrown around when it comes to things you don’t want on your computer: Viruses, Adware, and Spyware. Here are the differences:

- Viruses are computer programs that, like a organic virus, can reproduce on your computer and spread to other computers via e-mail, flash drives, and shared files.

- Adware is software that is installed on your computer to show you advertisements.

- Spyware is software which is installed on your computer to spy on your activities and report this data to people willing to pay for it.

Malware is sort of an umbrella phrase that covers all software whose perceived intent is malicious (Malware is a combination of the words Malicious and Software). This includes Adware, Spyware, viruses, etc.

So now that you know what it is how do you prevent it from happening to you? Here are so tips for preventing Malware on your PC:

1. You should have a good virus scanner running on your PC. Norton and McAfee are the most common, but there are many free virus scanners that work very well also (look at the Free Basic Protection at http://free.grisoft.com/). No virus scan will work unless you update it very frequently. All virus scanners have the option to get updates… DO IT! Virus definitions change every week and if you aren’t up to date your virus software is worthless.

2. You need more than a virus scanner. Most virus scans can detect viruses and Trojans, but most of them don’t detect adware and spyware. Spybot is a free program for detecting spyware/adware. Check it out at http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html. Run this in conjunction with your Virus scanner. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Malware | Posted in Life and Learning | 1 Comment »

Cooking Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage- Candy to the Memory

Red cabbage is one of those things that occurs in nature and is absolutely breathtaking when you slice it open. The sheer fact that nature can create such a color, pattern, and contrast just blows my mind sometimes. I had a memory from when I was a child of red cabbage. Instantly, I was flooded with thoughts, times, and occasions that it was served. I began to ask friends and family members if they remember eating red cabbage and everyone seems to agree that they had it when they were younger but do not have many occasions to eat it now. I could remember its sweetness the most and decided that I was going to cook it for my children to pass on the memory and tradition.

As I began to chop the cabbage, I remembered the texture and more memories started coming back to me but I was still in awe of it’s natural beauty. I really love it when food brings back strong, great memories from the past.

When the cabbage was all chopped up, it looked almost like a monochromatic floral bouquet.

Instantly when I put the cabbage onto the stove and it started cooking, I experienced the smell and that completed the walk down memory lane for me. Red cabbage has such a distinct smell that you really are transformed back in time.

I would highly recommend giving it a try. I call this “food therapy” and it really works. The bonus is that it is much cheaper than retail therapy. Oh yes, I almost forgot, here is the recipe:

1 head of red cabbage, shredded or diced

2 sour apples, peeled and cut into cubes

4 slices bacon, ham or canadian bacon

4 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Fry the bacon (ham or Canadian bacon) in the skillet until brown and leave the fat and bacon in the skillet. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover tightly and get the cabbage mixture very hot, then turn down the heat and let it cook slowly until tender (at least 1 hour). This dish may be fixed ahead of time and reheated. Some people call this sweet and sour red cabbage. I don’t think it is sour at all, just extra tasty.

Tags: cooking red cabbage, food memories, how to cook red cabbage, sweet and sour red cabbage | Posted in Life and Learning | No Comments »

Integrating Vegetables into your Diet: Quick and Easy Recipes

I have a close personal friend who is very much into his body image. He lifts weights at least two hours each day, is extremely lean and has very large, defined muscles. To maintain this shape, he consumes 200 grams of protein each day (1 gram per pound of body weight). This is a combination of animal protein and soy protein found in protein shakes. He eats a small amount of fruit (in his protein shake) and typically has a starch like pasta with each meal. He does not eat vegetables, except salad every once in a while.

Recently, Mr. Lean Body took a blood test for a life insurance exam, and his blood results came back all out of whack. His bad cholesterol was too high, his good cholesterol was too low, and a few of his other panels were out of range. He took his results to his physician, and she directly told him that he needs to reduce his protein intake and up his vegetable intake for the rest of his life. It was then that I received an email asking for help with easy, delicious vegetable recipes. This is what I told him:

1. Baked Sweet Potato with salt/pepper, butter, and a little bit of sour cream. You can bake them in the microwave, one at a time until soft, or all together in the oven, wrapped in foil. Poke holes in it with a fork before cooking.

2. Cut sweet potato into thin slices, toss the slices in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Arrange on a baking pan with foil and broil. Turn them over with a fork when the slices get brown and crispy. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Diet, Health | Posted in Life and Learning | No Comments »

I <3 the Internet

I love live music shows – the music, the energy, and the people. Usually after I watch a band live, I start to obsess over them, and I watch and listen to every video or sound clip I can find of them. I pretty much go through phases and listen to only that one band’s CD for weeks at a time, and then I find a new obsession. Ever since the SXSW music festival, I’ve been obsessing over bands, trying to figure out when they would return to Austin on tour (maybe at ACL). I’ve been listening to all my favorites over and over – Spoon, Vampire Weekend, Sara Bareilles, and Ingrid Michaelson, to name a few. After every music show I go to, it makes me realize how much I love the Internet! There aren’t many things that you can’t find online. It pretty much meets my every want, need, and desire. Okay, I’m kidding, but really, I love it, because I can go to various websites to listen to my favorite artists for free! It’s easy and convenient to use the Internet to listen or watch my favorite artist at my ease and desire.

I’m pretty sure that I’ve kept MySpace/YouTube pages open for about a week straight now. It sounds cheesy, but I like to use YouTube to watch the videos of live performances to relive the moment. Haven’t you ever been to a show that you can’t stop thinking about? Eventually, the high wears off, but when you’re still riding it, it’s nice to be able to reference the Internet for a little help. I know it’s not the same, but it’s the closest thing I can get until the next time the artist rolls back into Austin for a live show.

Usability and flexibility of the Internet just makes it that much more appealing; think of how you are able to use and view MindBites video lessons on your own and at your ease. I have realized how, through the Internet, MindBites can bring people together to one central location but at the same time, can be reached from all over the world, like MySpace and YouTube.

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Tags: Internet, MySpace, youtube | Posted in Life and Learning, MindBites News and Notes | No Comments »

Building Your Own Inexpensive Home Editing Suite

As a beginning video editor just learning the ropes, it may seem impractical to build up your own editing suite in your home or apartment. I agree if you are comfortable doing your limited-scale editing on your home PC or Mac. However, if you decide to get more advanced and find yourself limited by the hardware you have, it might be time to upgrade to a home editing system that can cater to your more professional needs.

I would like to share with the reader some tips for creating a home editing suite, as I have done in my apartment, and hopefully show that for not a lot of money and time you can increase efficiency of your editing system.

First off, the obvious question: Mac or PC? The obvious answer: If you have a solid chunk of change you are going to put into your system and are comfortable with Final Cut Studio and other Mac software, by all means go for Mac. The new Mac desktops have super fast Intel processors in dual-core and quad-core arrangements. Splurge on the system, buy two 17’’ or 19’’ monitors, and you are set. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: dual-monitors, DV deck, Editing suite, MAC, Mini DV, PC, RAM | Posted in Life and Learning, Video Production and Publishing | No Comments »

Sharing is Caring

Let me take you back to kindergarten, when crayons and coloring books were your life. I remember being the girl with the 8 pack of colors because my mom was too cheap, always envious of the kids with the 64 pack of colors. Think of all the choices and possibilities! Fortunately, Matty kindly offered to share his 64 pack of crayons with me which began our beautiful friendship. Whether it is sharing crayons, a new toy or gadget, or an intriguing idea, sharing spreads the wealth. Sharing is caring. That’s what I like to think about with MindBites. I like to view it as a place where people can share their knowledge about what they specialize in or their expertise of their favorite hobby.

Take a look at the different MindBites lessons. There are authors anywhere from experts to people with hobbies, or those who just have something they want to share. People have shared things with the MindBites community such as guitar techniques, cooking instructions, and communicating with babies through sign language. When you think about it, anyone can be an author. You can turn anything into a lesson – your passions, your hobbies, or even your business. People like to learn new things, and you, or anyone else, can make an instructional video lesson to teach them something new.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: mindbites benefits, Sharing | Posted in Life and Learning | No Comments »