Acting Balanced

Five Question Friday from @5crookedhalos #5QF

2012-01-27T11:18:00.000-05:00

Here ya go... 5 More things you didn't know about me before you clicked on this post...

Follow Frenzy Sweepstakes!

2012-01-26T23:59:00.007-05:00

Welcome to January Follow Frenzy!

Let's start this year off right!

Follow Frenzy brings you the chance to win cash or an Amazon gift card each month! This month you can win $100 paid via Paypal or Amazon! It’s the winner’s choice! Each entry is another chance to win, so check out the Rafflecopter form below and get clicking to visit all of the amazing blogs participating in this event! You will be able to enter until 11:59pm EST on Sunday, January 29th. At the end of the event, the winner will be drawn and notified via email. The winner will have 48 hours to confirm their win or another winner will be drawn.
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Friday Fragments

2012-01-26T22:29:00.000-05:00

Wow it's Friday for like the third time this week... or is it still Wednesday? That's what I get for going away with the family leaving on Saturday and coming home Monday... it just makes everything feel strange...
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Young Adult G1veaway Hop - W!N The Hunger Games and The Girl Who Was on Fire

2012-01-26T21:20:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Acting Balanced!

I asked my teenage daughter what her favorite book in the YA genre is and she had a list of several, but the one that she mentioned that I've found to be fabulous too is:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - and Amazon.com readers agree .... it's been number on the best seller list for 872 days!

I am also including a copy of The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy because as an adult YA reader I love reading other people's take on what they've read and this offers some really fun and interesting insights into the Hunger Games!

My giveaway is open to the US and Canada only this time and you can enter by completing the rafflecopter form below:
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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD 50th Anniversary Edition Sweepstakes

2012-01-26T06:49:00.000-05:00

Win a Blu-ray copy of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

50^TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD: Top Five Single Fathers in Film

Digitally Remastered and Fully Restored with Over Three Hours of Bonus Materials Including Two FullLength Documentaries

On Limited Edition Collector’s Series Blu-ray™ Combo Pack,

Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, one of the screen’s most beloved and critically acclaimed films, celebrates its 50th anniversary with a commemorative Limited Edition Collector’s Series Blu-ray™ Combo Pack as well as on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD from Universal Studios Home Entertainment on January 31, 2012. The powerful and poignant adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel hits the half-century mark, digitally remastered and fully restored from high resolution 35MM original film elements, plus more than three-and-a-half hours of bonus features chronicling the making of the cinematic masterpiece.

The Best Meals Happen at Home with Publix and 25 Dollar Publix GC Sweepstakes #MyBlogSpark

2012-01-26T00:23:00.000-05:00

You all know that I love me some Publix - it's the grocery store that makes me feel right at home and I know almost all of the staff there by name and they know me, my kids, my husband and even my extended family who live 1000 miles away! I really love my Publix when they offer great events like the one happening now - "Best Meals Happen at Home"
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Thirsty For Comments Thursday - get great comments by linking up here!

2012-01-25T20:33:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Thirsty for Comments Thursdays

Hosted by Acting Balanced, Silver Faeries and Dragonflies, Flyawaybyrdie,
Thoughts 'n Such, From Couch to Marathon and Crazed Mama

Grab our badge for your sidebar or post:

Our Featured Blog for this week is:

Bonkers in Barnart

Wordless Wednesday - Birds at the Charleston Aquarium Salt Marsh

2012-01-24T22:14:00.000-05:00

R & G - Ocean Spray Fruit Flavored Snacks from #MyBlogSpark

2012-01-24T14:48:00.000-05:00

There is just something about kids and gummies that go hand in hand... and as a mom I want to give my kids the chance to be kids without sacrificing good nutrition. While no gummy is really fabulous for the diet, I think that Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks are a great way to build compromise and make everyone happy.
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Guest Post: Average Is All That’s Needed to Succeed – Good Enough is Plenty

2012-01-24T09:01:00.001-05:00

I am pleased to have author Cynthia Kocialski guest posting on Acting Balanced today as part of the promotion for her upcoming book, Out of the Classroom Lessons in Success: How to Prosper Without Being at the Top of the Class, which I will be reviewing in February or March here on Acting Balanced.

Average Is All That’s Needed to Succeed – Good Enough is Plenty

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Stumble Tumble Tuesday - Link up and grow your blog with StumbleUpon!

2012-01-23T22:29:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Stumble Tumble Tuesday hosted by Acting Balanced, Sunshine and Sippy Cups and Wyoming Girl Turned Coastie Wife! The
goal of this hop is to use Stumble Upon to help you promote your
blog posts and get more traffic.

Even if you think you are stumbling correctly, please read this post on how to check and see if your stumble was successful. Some stumbles aren't showing up, thanks!

To take part is simple.

MMMmonday - Green Beans with Coconut

2012-01-23T20:17:00.000-05:00

A little while ago, one of my favorite chefs - Joe from wwrecipes.com did a week of yummy recipes for an Indian Feast - I loved them all, but this one stands out as something that can work for both a feast or a way to perk up your everyday side dishes

Green Beans with Coconut (Serves 4 to 6)

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Sundays in My City - Charleston Harbor on a Cloudy Day

2012-01-21T23:17:00.000-05:00

Once in a while we take a trip downtown and check out the boats in the harbor - so I thought I'd share them with you on this rainy Sunday in My City:
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9 at 9 - An Interview with...

2012-01-21T09:00:00.002-05:00

I am pleased to be able to share another interview with a fellow blogger - this week's blogger in the 9 at 9 hotseat is Tiffany from Sweet Phenomena - another wonderfully diverse blog that you really need to check out!

1. Tell us a little bit about your blog:

Sweet Phenomena started as a homeschooling blog and a way for me to keep track of our homeschooling progression. Then I found out how far you could go and what you could do with blogging, and since I love to write, I hit it hardcore! I now blog about homeschooling, product reviews, life, food, ending domestic violence, and hold giveaways.

Save the Date ~ Valentines Day with EdenFantasys

2012-01-20T20:34:00.000-05:00

This post is family rated, but does contain links to a site that sells ADULT PRODUCTS
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Friday Fragments

2012-01-19T22:00:00.000-05:00

As I start to write this, I think it might be a short series of frags this week... I'm still wiped, although Erik has slept through the night two of the last four nights... hoping for another good night's sleep tonight...

The melatonin seems to be helping Liam sleep better - I wish there was something like that to keep Erik asleep... alas there isn't ... so I keep hoping he'll have good nights.

Robyn finished her marathon in grand style, running the final 1.2 miles in just over 8 minutes... you can check out some of the pictures Wayne snapped that day by visiting this page of his blog.

I took a leap into the 21st century this week... I ordered new business cards - with a QR code on the back!

and here's the front:

Making the QR code was really easy too... just head to quikqr.com, type in your website and presto - you've entered the new millennium! If you haven't encountered QR codes - they are a hot trend with people who have smart phones or ipads - you scan the code and up pops the webpage or whatever has been encrypted into the code. More instant gratification!

And now for today's rant... I don't have TV so I've been spared more of this than most of you have... but OMG I am so ready for the Republican primary to be over... The attack ads are atrocious and honestly I'm not looking forward to the next round of mudslinging either... the worst part is... nothing will change ... but the campaign bills will live forever... I wonder how many kids could go to college, how many elementary school teachers could be hired, how many sick children could have health care... if they stopped paying for and running smear campaigns...

Well I'm off to bed, but I'll be around to visit my fellow fraggers tomorrow - and I'll find them all at:

Five Question Friday from @5crookedhalos #5QF

2012-01-19T21:20:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the week again... where I answer the wonderful and sometimes wacky questions from

1. Where do you hide the reeeally good snacks?

The Whistleblower - A Sweepstakes for US residents - Ends 2/10/12

2012-01-19T21:04:00.000-05:00

Enter To Win a Copy of This Heart-Pounding Suspense Thriller Available

on Blu-ray and DVD January 24

How far will one woman go to fight global injustice? Clandestine secrets are waiting to be exposed in the gripping dramatic thriller THE WHISTLEBLOWER, arriving on Blu-ray and DVD January 24 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Inspired by true events, THE WHISTLEBLOWER has been met with praise by critics and heralded at the Palm Springs International Film Festival (“Best Narrative Feature”), Seattle Film Festival (“Best Director”) and Whistler Film Festival (“Best Film,” “Best Narrative Feature”).

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A family tale... and a craft idea ~ T-shirt pillows

2012-01-19T12:56:00.000-05:00

I was reading this comic today and it hit home...

One of the things I am constantly arguing with Robyn about is how long she holds on to clothes... heck, up until a few weeks ago she wore a pair of size 8 girls pj bottoms around the house... she's been shopping in the Jrs section for two years! When she was young, she went so far as to cut a favorite t-shirt at the neck so she could fit it over her head to keep wearing it...

Eventually, I had to put my foot down... and especially now when she's a teenager, there are only so much skin I'll let out of the house... but a few years ago we came up with a solution that works for us... clothing, particularly t-shirts that she has outgrown get re-made into pillows!

Here's an example of one:

This is a great project for kids to learn how to sew - as you can see, the seams aren't perfect on the pillow, but I think that's part of the charm...

How to create your own pillow:

You will need:
A t-shirt, onesie, or other item of clothes (clean of course)
Needle and thread or threaded sewing machine
Fiberfill

1. Turn your clothing item inside out and stitch around all but one of the openings (or leave a 3 inch gap in one opening) using the needle and thread or sewing machine.

2. Using the gap/opening - turn your item back to right-side out.

3. Stuff with fiberfill and enjoy!

Thirsty For Comments Thursday - get great comments by linking up here!

2012-01-18T20:12:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Thirsty for Comments Thursdays

Hosted by Acting Balanced and Silver Faeries and Dragonflies

Grab our badge for your sidebar or post:

Our Featured Blog for this week is:

If you want to be featured in the near future,
visit your fellow participants and give good comment!

Almost Wordless Wednesday - Ready to Drive

2012-01-18T00:14:00.000-05:00

We've been talking a lot about drivers licenses and age limits in our house lately, since Robyn is only 15 months away from qualifying for a learners permit in SC - ACK! But somehow Erik heard 15 months and now wants to be the family driver...
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W!N 4 Tickets to Ringling Brothers Dragons Show in Greenville, SC!

2012-01-17T23:46:00.000-05:00

The GREATEST show on Earth has a new show "hatching" soon!!

DRAGONS!!

Book Review - Stuck With You by Trish Jensen

2012-01-17T10:01:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I just need to find a quick, fun story and Stuck With You by Trish Jensen is just such a book. I read it as a digital ARC, but it is now available in paperback and kindle format.

From the publisher:
Two feuding divorce lawyers. One infectious "love bug" virus. The symptoms are hard to resist . . .

Paige Hart is blessed and cursed with a large, loving and
. . .colorful Southern family. As the only lawyer in the clan, she can't say no when her cousin needs her help in a messy, no-holds-barred divorce. Tax attorney Paige squares off with Ross "the Snake" Bennett - one of the slickest divorce lawyers in the county. The case is going as well as an acrimonious, zinger-filled, wrangle of epic proportions can go until exposure to an infectious bug with an unusual side effect lands both lawyers in quarantine together.

My review:
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Stumble Tumble Tuesday - Link up and grow your blog with StumbleUpon!

2012-01-16T22:29:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Stumble Tumble Tuesday hosted by Acting Balanced, Sunshine and Sippy Cups and Wyoming Girl Turned Coastie Wife! The goal of this hop is to use Stumble Upon to help you promote your blog posts and get more traffic.

Even if you think you are stumbling correctly, please read this post on how to check and see if your stumble was successful. Some stumbles aren't showing up, thanks!

To take part is simple.

Product Review - Hot Joe Jacket

2012-01-16T13:48:00.000-05:00

I love to support Mom-created products and through Mompact, I have found another winner! It's a Hot Joe Jacket and it's the insulating, eco-chic, beverage wrap!

Hot Joe Jackets make adorable hostess, holiday and teacher gifts. They go great with a coffee gift card and are less bulky to carry around then a reusable cup.