Like so many others before me, I finally gave in and got an iPhone this year – and it’s been just as lifechanging as everyone told me it would be. I’m obsessed. One of the first things I did was download all the popular apps my friends were always talking about so I could get in on the fun; one of those apps was the Logos Quiz. This addicting little game is quite simple: it shows you a series of logos and you have to identify the company to which it belongs. Think you know ’em all? Think again. They’re pulling some of these out of what seems like nowhere. But fear not! It’s pretty much understood that everyone who plays this game uses a cheat-sheet to advance (be careful, though; Lance Armstrong was, apparently, a cheater – and look how well <em>that</em> worked out). I bring all this up because I stumbled upon an interesting link thanks to Yahoo! They showed the first and latest logos of 20 of the top companies…and it was pretty fascinating to see how much some of them have changed. Check them out for yourself by clicking <a href=”http://finance.yahoo.com/news/what-20-top-companies–logos-looked-like-before-they-were-famous.html?page=all”>here</a>. You never know – one of them could be the one you need to get ahead in your Logos Quiz game.

My cousin and I are HGTV junkies who enjoy spending our free time following individual’s in their house hunting and remodeling ventures. Last night she offered up some information that she had recently heard through a friend which proved to be upsetting to both of us. House Hunters, one of our favorite shows, isn’t what it appears to be to viewers. The participants on the show are already in escrow with one of the three homes shown. I must be naïve considering after performing a quick internet search I discovered Hooked on Houses, http://hookedonhouses.net/, a housing blog, which had a link to a newspaper article where the show explained the truth behind choosing participants who are already multiple steps into the process of purchasing a particular home.

According to Hooked on Houses the home that is chosen by the participants of the show is almost always empty during the filming, while the other two are furnished. See if you notice next time you watch House Hunters. This tactic does make sense whereas the participants are guaranteed to choose a house at the end of the show, however it takes all the fun out of it for the viewers who are trying to guess which house the buyers will choose!

The secret is out!

I was thinking today about things that I would like to do in my life that I have not done as of yet, you know, the good ol’ Bucket List. I said, great blog material, let’s do it! As I was searching for a Bucket List picture to add, I came across a few interesting lists that others have started.

Some had seperated thier lists in catagories such as personal, professional, creative, fashion, even strange foods. I found such items as: say hello in 10 languages, eat lambs tongue, leave 100% tip for a server, ride a bike across Canada, hand out 250 pairs of socks to the homeless, marry someone swell (yes those are the words they used!), and convert my entire apartment into a blanket fort.

Now here goes the big question, what is on your bucket list? I haven’t started one of my own, but I know some things that I would add onto mine, in no particular order. And no judging!

1. Start a bucket list
2. Own two basset hounds, Toby and Sebastian
3. Visit every Disney Park around the world
4. Get my driver’s license
5. Visit a nudist colony
6. Eat a beef Wellington, preferably made by Chef Gordon Ramsey
7. Visit Anne Frank’s house
8. Be in a play on Broadway (yeah, I’m not kidding!)
9. Write a letter to the president and get a personal response
10. Own a home of my own
11. Learn the Tango
12. Go on a whale watch
13. Sleep in Cinderella’s Castle (it could happen… I said no judging!)
14. Go see the hanging coffins in Echo Valley
15. Have a baby
16. Swim with a dolphin, again… Preferably Jaques who I met on my honeymoon, he was handsome!
17. Help someone anonymously, by giving money, items, or something.
18. Go see the stone heads of Easter Island
19. Talk with someone over 100 years old
20. Learn ten new things about each person in my immediate family

Ok… so there we go.. now… your turn… and go!!!

Harsh chemicals are in everything these days, and using products daily made with these chemicals is harmful to our bodies and home. The products we use to clean our homes are a perfect example of this. But there is a solution, called <em>Norwex EnviroProducts</em>, that vows to “Clean without chemicals.” Using just water and their special microfiber cloths you can get your apartment spotless and sparkling.

Here are a few quick facts about Norwex.
1. The benefits? Improve your health, Save time and money & Preserve the environment
2. Is it expensive? A starter pack of cloths costs $53.00. They last at least 2 years each AND you’ll never have to buy cleaning products for your countertops, tables, windows, etc again!
3. What exactly do they offer? Microfiber cloths, Microfiber mops, kitchen cleaning, bath & body, and many more!

If you’re interested in learning more about Norwex, friend <a href=”http://www.facebook.com/#!/carinscleangreen”>Carin CleanGreen</a> on Facebook! And view the entire Norwex Catalog <a href=”http://media.norwexcs.com/Flipbook/USA-2012-Catalog/”>here!</a>

I was at the grocery store over the weekend and surprisingly enough, what was out in the aisles but Halloween candy?! It was August 11th and the orange and black bags of treats were lining the shelves. The stock person was opening up more boxes as I walked by. Wow. Summer isn’t even close to being over and we’re selling October 31st merchandise now. I can’t imagine asking my son today, “So what do you think you want to be for Halloween?” But I suppose some people are planning their costumes already and maybe even have been since November 1st of last year. But would you really buy the candy now? You know as well as I do that candy will not stay packaged up and un-eaten until Halloween!

But I will say the thought of cooler temperatures, less humidity (better for my hair!), apple picking and maybe a fire in the fire place on a cold evening as it gets darker earlier was not a bad thought. Break out the sweaters, fall colors, and boots. Pull out the scarves, heavier jackets, and gloves. It is football season after all…my son has been practicing with his team for two weeks now.

So, who’s with me? Let’s make some apple crisp, light a fire in the fire place, curl up with a book, and watch some pre-season football!

Wait…it’s 95 degrees and 95 percent humidity outside. The beach calls my name! Oh well, the pleasures of fall will have to wait, as they will be here soon enough and we will have plenty of cool evenings, foliage, leaf raking and Halloween candy to go around!

Aly Raisman. Michael Phelps. Hope Solo. Usain Bolt. Andy Murray. Ashton Eaton. As we near the end of the 2012 Summer Olympics, these are all names we’ve become pretty familiar with – and rightfully so; they’re all gold medalists! Thanks to countless hours of practicing, training, working, and improving, these athletes are capable of incredible things. As talented and impressive as these folks might be, though, there’s another athlete I’m just starting to learn a little more about. Maybe there’s already been lots of chatter about him or maybe he’s just been under the radar, but I think 25-year-old Oscar Pistorius is my new favorite person. Both of his legs were amputated below the knee shortly after birth, due to the fact that he’d been born without a fibula (“long, slender bone running along the outside of the leg from below the knee joint and down to the ankle”) in either of his legs. He grew up to become an athlete, anyway, and ended up at the Olympics (for more on his story, check out his <a href=”http://www.oscarpistorius.com/about”>website</a>). No big deal, right? Ohmygosh. Seriously?! He may not be a gold medalist yet, but I can’t stop watching videos of him competing. The next time I feel tired after work and don’t want to get up and move, I’m going to think of Oscar and I’m going to get inspired. “You are not disabled by the disabilities you have,” Oscar says. “You are able by the abilities you have.” Unreal.

Tell me – have I been living in a bubble the last two weeks? Does everyone <em>but</em> me already know about this guy? Is it strange that I’m so moved by what he’s accomplished (not that I care if you think it is – just asking)?

Whitewater rafting on the Kennebec River!

A couple of weeks ago I was part of an 8 person group who rafted the Kennebec River. Our rafting guide was Northern Outdoors( http://www.northernoutdoors.com/), based out of The Forks, Maine.

Our day started at 8 AM for training and instructions, and then we proceed to load onto busses and make the 30 minute drive to the start of the river. Right off the bat there are a couple of class III and IV rapids, let’s just say that will wake you up!

We proceeded down the river for about 3 hours, and then stopped for lunch prepared on a private beach by our guides. The offerings: Sirloin steak, teriyaki chicken breast, or grilled salmon accompanied by fried rice, pasta salad, ice tea and a cookie! Not too shabby considering we were half way down a river on a rafting trip.

The second half of the river calms down, so you can actually jump into the river and just float down wearing a life jacket. The second half of the trip is filled with class I and II rapids not to mention a bunch of horse play among friends.

Once you arrive at the end of the river you load up the gear and make the short trip back to camp, and relax in front of a big screen and watch a slide show of the days rafting.

This is a great time for anyone looking to enjoy the beautiful sights of Maine while adding in some thrill.

Check out http://www.northernoutdoors.com/ for more information.

I found this fabulous recipe on The Proud Italian Cook’s blog, and have now made it twice with a few variations. It’s the perfect way to take advantage of everything that’s good and fresh at the farm stand or farmer’s market right now. It’s quick, delicious, and makes two generous servings.

<strong>Summer Salad</strong>

1 ear of corn
A few handfuls of mixed greens or baby spinach
1 zucchini or summer squash, peeled, white part made into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
¼ red onion, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
10 – 12 heirloom cherry tomatoes quartered, or grape tomatoes
¼ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Italian dressing

Cook the corn in the microwave for 3 minutes, then grill to char over a gas burner, or under the broiler. Cut the kernels off the cob and let cool.

Toss all ingredients and enjoy!

I’m always telling myself I need to make an effort to read more; the problem, though, is that I don’t listen to myself as often as I probably should. There’s always something I <em>need</em> to watch on TV or a game I <em>have</em> to play on my iPhone (Scramble with Friends, anyone?!), so I end up letting my books collect dust. I’ve thought about joining a book club – but I get nervous that it’s going to feel like homework. <a href=”http://shine.yahoo.com/”>Shine from Yahoo!</a> may have a solution for me, though! I was losing myself in internet clicks the other day when I discovered that they’ve created an <a href=”http://shine.yahoo.com/at-home/welcome-shine-8217-book-club-143200540.html;_ylt=At4voY8rCxjVlR6zOfZTzVdZbqU5;_ylu=X3oDMTIwdGIycTgwBG1pdANib29rIGNsdWIgZmVhdHVyZWQgcG9zdHMEcG9zAzUEc2VjA01lZGlhRmVhdHVyZWRSb2xsTFBDQVRlbXA-;_ylg=X3oDMTFlamZvM2ZlBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3″>online book club</a> that gives you a new book to read each month. Once the four weeks are up, you can check back to the site for a discussion with a “notable female author” (the same one who makes the book selection) and other members of the club. No meetings to rush to. No participating in the discussion if you don’t want to (lurkers, I’d imagine, are more than welcome). A new & interesting book every month. Sounds good to me- <a href=”http://shine.yahoo.com/book-club/”>check it out</a> for yourself!