Image courtesy >>>WonderMike<<<

I saw this excellent play in NYC a little over two years ago.  It was fantastic!  The music stayed in my head and I found myself singing the tunes from this musical long after I returned home.  It bills itself as the story of Oz before Dorothy drops in.  It’s a story about how the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good became the witches they are today.  But did I mention the fantastic music?

The play will be presented here in Madison at the Overture Center starting Wednesday, September 22, 2010 and running through Sunday, October 10.  Ticket prices start at $36, but remember subscribers generally get cheaper ticket prices.  Check out this play.  I know you will love it!

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Image courtesy Peter Huys

Today (Sunday, August 29, 2010), my family and I got to bike with Lance Armstrong!  You heard me; Lance Armstrong … the seven-time champion of the Tour de France.   We attended Madison’s 3rd Ride the Drive event.  

I guess the last ride was June 6 but we missed that one.  I’m glad we didn’t miss the event today.  Not only were we able to ride our bikes along East Washington Avenue and State Street, but the kids took part in a bike parade and we all learned more about bike polo.  Fun!

Please consider donating to Ride the Drive so we can have more of these “car-free, care free”, family friendly experiences in our city.  The City of Madison makes it easy through their e-payment center.  Check it out.

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As silly as the whole thing sounded when I started to read it, as I read on I realized just how important it was, especially for the kids, to make sure that the backpacks they wear were actually packed correctly and wore correctly.

Here are the tips on how to pack and wear a backpack:

1. Put the heaviest things as close to the child’s back as you can.  Try to arrange everything to stop them from sliding.

2. A child should not carry more than 15% of their body weight.  If a child weighs 100 pounds, they should not wear a backpack heavier than 15 pounds.

3. Select a backpack with shoulder straps that are well padded.  It is not good to have too much pressure on the shoulders and neck.  This can cause tingling and pain.

4. Wear both of the shoulder straps.  Pain, discomfort, and curving spine can occur when wearing only the 1 strap because they will lean to one side.

5. The backpack should fit snugly to the back so adjust straps accordingly.  The bottom should rest on the lower back at the curve, not more than 4 inches below waistline.

6. If the backpack has a waist belt, use it.

7. Make sure what the child is carrying in a backpack is necessary to bring to and from school.

8. If backpack is too heavy, consider using a book bag on wheels.

9. Choose the correct size backpack for your child’s back.

If you have a child (or an adult for that matter) that wears a backpack, these are very important things to consider as to not cause back problems.

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Image Courtesy Robert Sanzalone

Skype is one of many software applications that allows users to make voice and video conference calls over the Internet.  If you are calling other users within their network, the call is free.  Your call could be to someone in the United States or around the world … it’s all free.  After registering, users pick their own unique Skype name and then proceed to invite family and friends to join them on the network.

You can talk face to face with Skype’s free video calling service.  It’s easy, it’s fun!  You just need a Windows or Mac computer, a broadband connection, and a built in microphone or a plug-in headset.

One last thing I should mention.  There is a small fee if you use Skype to call a landline or cell phone here or abroad.  Join today!

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Image courtesy rubendn

I want to make it clear again this season that I am a Packers fan.  I am not, however, going to pull any punches about my fascination with Brett Favre.  I admitted last season that I intended to follow two teams, the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings.  I did just that.  I wasn’t as heartbroken as I know Minnesota fans were when they lost to the Saints in the NFC championship game, but a piece of me shared Brett’s disappointment.  What a season he had.  What a horrible ending to it.  What a miserable choice to have to root for one over the other of those teams.

I agree with lots of the sportscasters who say the NFL is simply more interesting when Brett Favre is playing.  Sure there is a lot of additional drama, but admit it, most of the fans love it as much as they love Brett.  I just love football, and since the Packers can’t play every game then I like watching players like Favre and a whole lot of others like him play the game for our enjoyment. 

I can hardly wait to see what this season holds for the Packers and the Vikings.  Both teams had big plays last year, big wins, big seasons.  Go Packers!

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Many people have problems with headaches, anxiety, and restlessness.  It is possible this is linked to caffeine use.  You should consider cutting back on your caffeine if you consume over 500 to 600 mg per day. 

The Mayo Clinic site has a list of some popular drinks, meds, and sweets that you should take a look at.  The caffeine content can vary day by day depending on how the tea was brewed, grinding and roasting of coffee, or brewing time.

Check it out!

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Image courtesy TrilliumAZ

In the Midwest, we’re at the height of our traveling season for vacations.  Little did I know I would be checking out Madison’s hotel accommodations since I live here, but that is exactly what I ended up doing.

My family’s reunion is set to take place here at the end of July.  We are lucky enough to be able to get together every other year in different cities around the country.  I think all of us look forward to these get togethers.  This is my first time as the “hostess”.  I had no idea what planning this event took!  I have been making those plans since the end of last year, and surprisingly everything has been falling into place quite smoothly.

What I didn’t plan for was the fact that some of the relatives needed “pet-friendly” accommodations.  I have been in a mad scramble these past few weeks making sure I could offer those with pets a place for them to stay.  Luckily, I found an abundance of hotels who consider your pet a part of the family.  There may be an additional fee that applies to have them stay with you, but generally that fee is reasonable.  I found the Holiday Inn Express Madison to be very easy to do business with.

I just wanted to give all of you travelers a heads up … it is a good idea to check ahead and make sure your dog or cat is welcome where you’re staying and that the hotel doesn’t charge an excessive fee for that convenience.

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Image courtesy Beverly & Pack

From all the staff and bloggers at the Directory of Madison – Have a safe 4th of July! 

Thank you for your continued support! 

Have a great rest of the summer.

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Image courtesy SMercury98

My family and I will be getting together for the 4th of July.  I am anxious to see my grandkids, but I’m also excited about sharing a new recipe I recently found.  I know they will love it, especially those grandkids.  It’s a chocolate chip cookie dough dip.  It is ultra simple to mix up and has only 4 ingredients.  Try it for your next get together.  

 Ingredients:

8 oz stick of cream cheese

½ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup mini chocolate chips

Stir the cream cheese (make sure you leave this out at room temperature for a while to soften it), brown sugar, and vanilla together in a mixing bowl.  After all have been mixed together, add the mini chocolate chips.  Chill for 4-6 hours. 

This Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip can be served with the Honey and Chocolate Teddy Grahams.  It also tastes wonderful with apples.  Please share if you use other tasty treats to dip into this recipe.

This dip looks just like chocolate chip cookie dough and tastes just as great!  Hope you all enjoy it!

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Image courtesy of Doug Bethune

My daughter called me the other day, complaining that she was throwing away yet another half bag of brown sugar that had hardened (just like a big brick) since she last used it.  She mentioned how much money she wasted on this product because it hardens up so quickly after the bag is originally opened (apparently her canisters are not airtight).  

I told her I wished she had mentioned this to me about a half dozen bags ago, because it is possible to soften brown sugar pretty quickly and easily.  She commented that this must be one of the best kept secrets out there.  I did tell her how I soften my brown sugar, but had to add that almost every piece of information like “how to soften brown sugar” had to be out there on the internet.  I told her even at my age it’s the first place I go anymore to check things out.  

Sure enough, she called me back in a few hours and told me she had used my tip, made the cookies, but them went to the internet to see if she could find the information on her own.  She said the best site she found was called Tipnut, but there were so many more.  I had to laugh.  I may have just created another computer geek in this process.  

By the way, as an FYI, I put my hardened brown sugar in a bowl in the microwave, next to a smaller bowl of water.  I let it microwave for a minute and a half and that usually works like a charm.

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