The song has been singing in my head these last two days:

It’s gonna take an ocean

Of Calamine lotion

Poison Ivyyyyyyyyy

Poison Ivyyyyyyyyy

That’s me - I’ve got it all over and could use that ocean.

I have a pretty good eye for it - it has been my enemy for the past thirty years I have been living here in the country.

We are surrounded by all the types of it - bush, plant, and vine.

But that sneaky ivy got me, and got me good.

And I didn’t see it to avoid it.

The oils of this plant can remain in the soil, dead leaves and roots, tools, or clothing for years.

So perhaps I ran across some roots that haven’t begun growing yet for the season.

I was certainly yanking a lot of them out of the ground.

I wore gloves - but the legs and arms were exposed and are now under attack.

From past experiences, it should last a couple of weeks, itching and weeping before it begins to dry up.

I am just glad I am not working in an office like I used too - the nylons would be impossible to wear.

And everyone used to leave my desk alone too - they were sure they would “catch” it since it was on my arms and hands.

I would tell them it didn’t spread that way, but non-believers they were.

I’ll go back to my singing now - to occupy my mind and divert my hands from wanting to scratch it!

Poison Ivyyyyyyyyyyyy

Poison Ivyyyyyyyyyyyyy

]]> http://www.letsjumptogether.com/2012/05/an-ocean-of-calamine-lotion/feed/ http://www.letsjumptogether.com/2012/05/an-ocean-of-calamine-lotion/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LetsJumpTogether/~3/IrKAHQrl8Ts/ http://www.letsjumptogether.com/2012/04/dinner-at-chilis-with-coronarita/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:03:22 +0000 kml http://www.letsjumptogether.com/2012/04/dinner-at-chilis-with-coronarita/ This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Chili’s Grill & Bar for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It has been quite a while since Mexican food has been on the menu at our house.

The last time we had a really good Mexican meal, not one of those fast foods ones,  was almost a year ago.

We are really overdue on having it, so I see a trip to Chili's in our near future.

Nothing like the taste of their Chicken Fajitas in those soft warm wraps.

And it all smells so good when you walk through the door - the chips, the cooking veggies and meat - all mixed with the mexican spices.

They make my mouth water just thinking about them.

We just finished breakfast, but I could go for some of those fresh tortilla chips and salsa right now.

And with Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, there couldn't be a better time to head over there and join in the celebration.

It would also be a good time to check out the new CoronaRita at Chili's

Corona beer is one of my husband's favorites, and by combining it with Jose Cuervo Especial Tequila, Chili's has come up with the CoronaRita.

The taste of a Margarita in a beer - sounds like the perfect way to welcome in summer.

It would fit right in with our fajita meal - a perfect compliment with the spices and tastes.

And from the photo, it looks very appealling with the way they serve it.

Ice cold, a slice of lime, all in a frosty margarita glass with the beer bottle upside down in it.

I just may have to take a photo of it myself.

Okay, I am really getting excited about checking it out and having a great Mexican meal.

It is going to have to be sooner than later.

What is your favorite meal at Chili's?

Does that new CoronaRita sound as appetizing to you as it does to me?

I am not one to promote any kind of drinking, so please remember that you must be 21 years or older to drink alcoholic beverages, and as always, please remember to drink responsibly.

I’ve been taking a few breaks these days.

A few breaks here and there to read a book.

I haven’t done this in years - since the kids were in school and we would visit the library each week.

As a youngster and through high school, I made a couple of trips each week to the library - I loved to read.

I just kind of drifted away from it as other things took precedence over the years.

But it is nice to be enjoying a good book again.

It’s in a different format now - digitally through the smartphone.

But I can take it with me where ever I go and squeeze in a few pages without the bulk of a book.

Gotta love these modern times!

]]> http://www.letsjumptogether.com/2012/04/enjoying-a-good-book/feed/ http://www.letsjumptogether.com/2012/04/enjoying-a-good-book/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LetsJumpTogether/~3/lT2kaq64uo8/ http://www.letsjumptogether.com/2012/04/organic-is-best/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:00:20 +0000 kml http://www.letsjumptogether.com/2012/04/organic-is-best/ This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Whitney Farms for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

We all know that orgainic is best when it comes to buying our food.

The thing that prevents many of us from purchasing it though is the cost.

But there is a way to get around that if you have your own garden.

Using organic materials in it to grow your own vegetables is even better than buying the organic ones in the supermarket.

For one thing, you know for sure that they are indeed organic.

And the best part - they are the freshest you can find any where.

There are a variety of products offered by Whitney Farms® that ensures you are getting the organic plant food and organic soil you want for your plants.

And since we are what we eat, this means we are only putting all natural food into us as Mother Nature intended.

With no dust and no smelly manures to deal with, gardening can once again be the joy it is.

I am sure my cherry tomatoes will love the all natural food as it adds beneficial microbes to the soil as well as feeding them the macro and micro nutrients that makes them grow so well.

Be sure to check out this link, Whitney Farms®, for a $3 coupon to try one of their organic products.

Radio controlled airplanes and helicopters are one of my husband's favorite gadgets to play around with.

They are a far cry from the balsa airplanes he played with as a kid.

Fighter plane video games are one of his favorites too, and I don't think there are any on the market that he hasn't checked out.

AppGear, a leader in innovative toys, has put a new spin on the video game and flying planes.

One of their new games, Foam Fighters, is an app for the smart phone or tablet.

It combines reality with digital to bring about a new way of playing called Amplified or Augmented Reality .

There is a physical toy that is used as part of the digial game on the phone that gets the player moving around as they dip and fly their planes.

When they are attached to the phone or tablet, they unlock fighting missions as they fly over Europe or the Pacific.

The plane does the fighting and takes hits digitally as they occur.

And if you have a friend who also has the app and Foam Fighter plane, you can do battle through the Wi-Fi connection.

It's a whole new spin on video games that today's kids just love.

Kids do everything on their phones today anyway, so having their plane games on their also is the trend of the future.

The AppGear company has several games that use this Augmented Reality playing, and another of their new offerings is ZombieBurbz.

The WowWee company and AppGear are taking reality and digital to new  heights by combining the two in their games and toys.

I heard them for the first time this year.

The Spring Peepers are in chorus in the swamps and ponds in our area.

That usually means that spring has officially arrived.

These little frogs are hard to find, and they can live up to three years in the wild.

Just as dusk begins to fall, they start up.

The call they make has been known to be heard a mile away.

Their call is high pitched and when they all sing at once, it is certainly a unique song.

One we look forward to each spring!

]]> http://www.letsjumptogether.com/2012/04/spring-peepers/feed/ http://www.letsjumptogether.com/2012/04/spring-peepers/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LetsJumpTogether/~3/vzGKlgURv9w/ http://www.letsjumptogether.com/2012/04/quick-and-easy-lawn/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:00:19 +0000 kml http://www.letsjumptogether.com/2012/04/quick-and-easy-lawn/ This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Trying to cut back on many things that we think we need has become a way of life for us during these trying times.

We have always been frugal and watched what we spent, but it is even more important now.

So, when it comes to our lawn, we have to get the best deal we can since it is not a necessity.

We have read about the Scotts® Snap® Spreader System, and with their less mess, no waste system, it just might  fit the bill.

Their no guess spreader system automatically sets the flow rate for the feed and spreads it perfectly over the lawn.

It has an EdgeGuard feature that keeps the food from being spread to the areas that don’t need it. 

That will save on the amount needed and therefore on the pocketbook too.

The product comes in a Snap Pac that connects to the spreader - no cutting, opening, and best of all - no spilling.

That will save quite a bit in itself as those bags are heavy, and the food always get spilled which is a big waste.

And the coolest feature is the resealing bag.

The bag self seals itself when it is removed from the spreader.

This keeps the product fresh for the next use and avoids it from spilling out on the garage floor when the bag accidently gets knocked over.

Yep, sounds like a money saver, and we would get a beautiful lawn in the bargain.

Check out the Snap perks on Facebook and “LIKE” them - you could win some great prizes!

It’s never to early to get the word out there that May has been dedicated as the National Mobility Awareness Month.

The aim of this campaign is to the make the world aware that those who are disabled can live just as active and fulfilling a life as those who are not.

 They can also be just as mobile as anyone without disabilities.

And there is a new national spokesperson, Mike Savicki, to head this campaign of awareness.

Educating the public as well as people with disabilities is his goal, and by using online communities, he is encouraging those with disabilities to share their stories.

They are the Local Heroes, and their stores can be voted on by members of the online communities to win one of three custom wheelchair accessible vehicles.

A Local Hero is defined as someone who has disabilities, someone who is a caregiver for the person with a disability, or a veteran, and they are working at learning how to overcome mobility challenges.

This campaign is sponsored by the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association,  and their partners, BraunAbility, Vantage Mobility International, Toyota, Chrysler, and SanTan Honda Superstore in Chandler, AZ.

Some big names are on board to help spread this awareness.

Be sure to check out the details here: http://www.nmeda.com/mobility-awareness-month/ and vote for your favorite story.

Walmart is taking on a big task during this spring season.

They will be striving to put a dent in the hunger problem that comes around each year at this time.

I didn’t realize that this season is the worst for those who are suffering from not enough to eat.

Unemployment is the biggest cause of this problem for more than fifty million Americans.

But with all of our help, Walmart is hoping to generate forty-three million meals for those who need them.

They have titled this initiative the Walmart Foundation’s Fighting Hunger Together.

From April 9th through the 30th, they will be running this campaign.

And it is so easy for us to help.

They are partnering with Facebook which will allow us to Vote to fight spring hunger with Walmart.

The Department of Labor has put out a report with the names of the communities that are the most neediest.

Each one of us can vote on Facebook for the one we think deserves the Million dollar prize that will be given to the one with the most votes.

The other twenty communities will each receive $50,000 to feed their people.

In addition to voting online, we can also help when we shop in any Walmart store.

They will have products available from ConAgra, General Mills, Kraft, and Kellogg’s that will be donating a portion of those sales to the Fighting Hunger Together foundation.

Check out the signs in the store to find out what products are included in this campaign.

And don’t forget to vote on Facebook and tell your friends too!

They started growing their leaves this year as it was so hot so early.

Then the temps went back down to normal for this time of the year.

But the Lilac bushes are already getting their flower buds.

This doesn’t usually happen until the beginning of May.

And towards the end of May they are in full bloom.

The leaves and the buds appear really small this year.

There has been a lack of rain, and these bushes really need the water to grow their leaves, then their buds.

We usually have the melting snow that feeds them, but that didn’t come this year.

Then we have the rain and mud season, but that hasn’t come this year either.

I will keep an eye on them, and perhaps hooking up the hose to water them may be in order if the temps aren’t too cold.

Watering the plants in April in New England - who would have ever thought?

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