Will you be in Las Vegas this weekend?

I’ll be attending the b5media Bloggers’ Summit on September 19, 2008 and then BlogWorld Expo on September 20-21, 2008. I hope to meet you if you’ll be there too! There are a lot of great sessions planned, which should make for an educational weekend (don’t worry, there will be fun too!). There will also be exhibits for various social media tools to dig through. b5media will have a booth (#309), so do stop by to say hello!

Feel free to send me an email (maricar-at-b5media-com) so I’ll know to look for you in the crowd!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

• momAgenda organizer at Weary Parent, ends September 14, 2008
• Clorox Green Works dishwashing liquid at Thrifty Mommy, ends September 16, 2008
• here at Keeping the Castle, the Jig-A-Loo Prize Package giveaway is running until September 14, 2008

Post from: Keeping the Castle

* Marye, at Baking Delights, made some Old Fashioned Cloverleaf Rolls

* Cyndi shares her gelato experiments at Busy Family Meals

* What can you do with s’mores? Find out at Chocolate Bytes.

* Jennifer wants to know whether you’d toss unfolded towels in a pretty basket, to save time. Let her know at Declutter It.

* Simply Thrifty Katelyn shares how she keeps her grocery budget at $40 a week.

* The Tree Hugging Family tells us how to turn old sneakers into a playground.

* Linette at Mother’s Earth Garden shares some tips for planting fruit trees in the fall.

* MomGadget Gayla gives us a look at the handyman’s helper magnet wristband, a very useful gadget for DIYers.

* Too much zucchini in your garden? Robust Cooking has 21 ways to use them up!

* Get your hot raspberry cider recipe at She Knows Parties!

* One Book, Two Book has been giving out prizes everyday for several days now. Today’s giveaway is a package of three books! Hurry, the deadline is midnight tonight, August 31.

Post from: Keeping the Castle

This month, the b5media Lifestyles Channel decided to have a little fun with one of summer’s favorite pastimes – picnics. We brought together favorite recipes, tips, and lots of fun!

You can tell we love desserts with these offerings:

Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch by Robust Cooking

Watermelon Raspberry Lemonade at All Holiday Cafe

Rice Krispie Treats here at Keeping the Castle

Homemade Oreo Ice Cream at Chocolate Bytes

Cool Summer Snacking at Inside Motherhood

Lots of yummy brownies at Baking Delights

Nothing like sweet tea on a hot, summer day…Wait..I taste lime..mint…is that a non-alcoholic Mojito?  Kettle and Cup has the answer.

Blogfabulous is serving up a super easy, keep your butt out of the hot kitchen solution to Hors’ devours.

Weary Parent is serving Chocolate Puppy Chow, a snack that’s bound to be popular with the kids

Offbeat Homes is sharing details on how to hold an offbeat picnic in four easy steps.

Tree Hugging Family shares 10 tips for an easy green picnic or green potluck

Just because you choose to live thrifty doesn’t mean you have to throw a thrifty picnic.  Simply Thrifty shares tips for an elegant and inexpensive potluck

What fun is a summer BBQ if you feel disorganized and in disarray?  Declutter It shares five tips to help you organize your summer BBQ.

10 Summer party ideas and themes for your next backyard barbecue, or potluck.

Add some backyard Olympic games to your next barbecue, in honor of the Summer Olympics

And speaking of games, Marriage Actually is bringing a fun game for the grownups.  Life Stories – a fun way to find out more about your spouse, friends and extended family.

Cyndi won’t go anyplace to picnic unless she can grill, but she doesn’t want to spend all day doing it.  Try her tips for Grilling Chicken Fast, and get a jumpstart on your next picnic!

Who says picnics have to be complicated affairs?  Keep it simple with cheeses, meats and homemade bread.  Brewha-ha.com has a few suggestions – including a recipe for Polish beer rye bread

Whether you’re having a picnic, a barbecue or just looking for a fun activity to do with your kids outside, Susan at PlayLibrary offers a list of 50 outdoor toys and games that are perfect for summer.

This time of year there are bugs everywhere, don’t forget to bring the bug repellent along with your favorite dish to your next cookout.

Christine at Mad Cropper not only shares her favourite winter or summer recipe but also shares that you can turn recipes into creative works of arts. Find out how!

And while you’re out having all the fun and good food you can handle, don’t forget your pets – they enjoy special summer treats too!

At Quilting and Patchwork enjoy an array of potluck foods and memories from the Food Bloggers.

You never know what medical emergency could happen while your are picnicking…Marye at Simply Home Remedies is bringing the antidote for nearly ANYTHING!

Eliza at Babylune provides a checklist of tips to consider when taking baby picnicking.

Finally, when it’s all said and done – perhaps you can kick back with a nice frozen beverage.  MomGadget prefers the Dominican Coco Loco

Creative Commons image by Crystl on Flickr

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Who couldn’t use a good nutritious home-cooked meal even in the busiest of days? Busy Family Meals is a resource that will help us all have just that! Written by Cyndi Lavin, this blog is chock-full of tips, recipes and suggestions for preparing whole foods “with both speed and love, making even a rushed dinner time a nice family experience”. Cyndi started off her blog with her favorite 30 minute meals and the basics of once a week food preparation.

Drinks after Dark is the after-work stop for those who love their cocktails. Collen Colick and Rachel Segal head up the adventures with “all the yummy things you drink”. You don’t have to be an expert to enjoy this blog. They have tips for the newbie at the bar. For those who want to learn how to drink, watch for their new feature coming up soon.

It’s all about healthy cooking at the Robust Cooking blog. Linette Gerlach and Sandy Mitchell serve up healthy low-fat recipes and information on the stuff that’s good for you! Among their recent posts that caught my eye are eight ways to eat watermelon and a recipe for a healthy cocktail.

Marye Audet shares her passion and expertise in simple and effective home-made remedies for just about anything. Simply Home Remedies is where you’ll find what she has learned from 20 years of taking care of her family mostly “without the assistance of commercial medicines or doctors”. Marye also makes her own cleaning products, cosmetics and dyes. Check out her tips for dealing with household ants and flies.

***
Didn’t I tell you these are great additions to the Lifestyles Channel? Make sure you visit them and/or put them in your RSS reader.

Post from: Keeping the Castle

The Lifestyles Channel has already given you a glimpse inside their world by sharing where they blog and now they’re sharing another intimate part of life by sharing the views from their windows.

Some have taken a very creative approach and painted a portrait with words as they stroll through windows of time, life and their spiritual growth, while others share actual images of what they see on a day-to-day basis.

We do hope you’ll enjoy this months gift to our readers.  Now push open the shutters and experience the world in the way we see our world …

——————–

Mary Emma Allen at One Book Two Book shares a view from her window that entertains and delights her grandchildren.

Also at One Book Two Book, Karen shares the sweetest view of her kids playing on the deck and how the two youngsters deal with the heat.  I’m thinking they’ve got the right idea!

Linette, one of our resident super bloggers is sharing views on three blogs.  The first is a beautiful view of her back yard that she’s sharing on She Knows Parties – it looks inviting – the only thing missing is my lawn chair and a cold iced tea.  Next, on Robust Cooking she shares a photo of her window herb garden – solid proof that she takes her cooking very seriously.  Last, on Mother Earth’s Garden she shares a beautiful view from her front porch.  Truly an images that makes you feel right at home.

Mary Emma Allen, at Quilting and Patchwork, tells us how she was influenced by her mothers’ view from a kitchen window, as well as suggesting views for quilters.

Marye at Baking Delights shares details of some of her favorite views throughout time and from some of her favorite windows in her massive farmhouse where she lives now.  Check out the veggie garden she has in her front yard.

Susan at Play Library shares a view from her car window as she and her husband go out to dinner for their anniversary.  Susan happens to live close by Disney World and is doing a fine job at making me jealous.

Trench – our resident Superhero on who spends his time tracking down crime both on the internet at My Crime Space and crimes of passion in the real world at Psycho for Love shares a figurative view of what life looks like from his windows.

Marcie at A Child Chosen shares a glimpse through the “types” of windows in her life as an international adoptive mother and more.

Peggy at Junk Creation shares an adorable image of Goslings on Parade as they waddle their way by Peggy’s window.

Our newest Lifestyles member Rachel comes on board her first channel carnival with an adorable detailed view of her new window with her fur baby, Louie.  Stop over and say hello at Drinks After Dark.

Gayla shared a beautiful sunset in rural Indiana as it rests on full display behind the farm across the road on MomGadget.  It’s one of her favorite parts of living in the country.

Lastly, I showed you both my fantasy view and my real view out the window.

Creative Commons image by knguyenpvn on Flickr

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Gotcha!

I just wish this were the view from my window right now. It’s the view I think about when I hear the word “vacation” or “beach”. This was taken in 2003 in the Philippines. Gorgeous, isn’t it? And so peaceful.

My real view out the window is this:

Or at least, this is part of my view. It’s still quite serene. A large expanse of backyard separates my window from that there bird feeder, and there’s pretty much nothing immediately behind it. Ever since we put the bird feeder up, it’s been a constant source of entertainment. I counted no less than 5 different feathered friends enjoying themselves there. As you can see, it was time to replenish their snack bar.

This week, the bloggers of b5media’s Lifestyles Channel shares the views out their windows. Hop around the blogs to see what they’re sharing.

images from personal collection – © M. Macalincag

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Last chance to enter at Inside Motherhood – Contests end tonight (May 30)! Hop over and register to win one of 10 great prizes!

Mary Emma Allen has a random drawing at Quilting and Patchwork for a quilting booklet, How to Make a Quilt – 25 Easy Lessons for Beginners by Bonnie Leman, founder of Quilters Newsletter Magazine. Leave a comment with the name of your favorite quilting/fabric arts book. Deadline June 6, at 11:59 PM (EDST).

Jewelry and Beading – Win a free copy of “Under $25” by Bead & Button magazine. Simply leave a comment on this post, telling us what your best source of bargain beads is, and you’ll be entered into the drawing.

Here on on Keeping the Castle, don’t forget these three that are going on:

1. “The Peaceful Nursery: Preparing a Home for Your Baby with Feng Shui” by home and lifestyle experts Laura Forbes Carlin and Alison Forbes. The authors use principles from interior design, Feng Shui, healthy, green living and their own parenting experience to help create a balanced, peaceful and green nursery.

2. The EZ-Fit Safety Gate Adapter, – by ’boutKids, provides a mounting surface for attaching pressure- or hardware-mounted safety gates to stairway posts.

3. Three winners will get a Mabel’s Labels Neat Freak Combo (spice, canister and bin labels). These labels are strong enough to “withstand the dishwasher, microwave, UV Rays and hard-wearing children”.

Robust Cooking is giving away a copy of Henry and The Hidden Vegetable Garden. Henry and the Hidden Vegetable Garden was launched on May 1 to help promote the Love Your Veggies Campaign. The Love Your Veggies Campaign was created to help schools improve their students health and nutrition. Have a great weekend everyone!

(image: stock.xchng)

Post from: Keeping the Castle

MomGadget is a blog that’s right up your alley! It is b5media’s “guide to gadgets – gizmos and domestic bliss”. Gayla McCord is the MomGadget herself. She also blogs about celebrity romances, dating, and parenting. She is also the very hardworking channel editor of the Lifestyles Channel, of which Keeping the Castle is part.

MomGadget was actually developed after attending a baby shower and seeing all the really cool gadgets that make a mom’s life so much easier these days. From the pacifier thermometer to the baby wipe warmers – it was just amazing. However, a very short time into the developmental stages, MomGadget took on a life of her own.

While you’re looking around at MomGadget, make sure you throw your name into the hat for this giveaway: Just in time for Father’s Day Giveaway – Casio Waveceptor Timepiece. 

Post from: Keeping the Castle

The Mad Cropper is dedicated to all things scrapbook-related. Written by Christine Gooding, who is the blog’s original author, it’s been a resource for scrapbookers looking for tips, page inspirations, product news and more. You’ll want to check out her giveaway for a Kodak EasyShare 5300 all-in-one printer.

Christine has been keeping tabs on the scrapbooking industry since April 2005. She’s a prolific blogger who also writes about weddings and honeymoons, Christina Aguilera and Paris Hilton.

Post from: Keeping the Castle