Mirth Monday

Well, it would have to be my grandkids, but you get the idea...





Image source: Madalyn Jones via Pinterest



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In case you didn't know it, I'm like the queen of blog-hoppin' lately. It's kind of like square dancing but without the dated outfits, smelly gym, and elderly caller. You can find my full schedule in my sidebar, come join the fun!


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Rudeness disclaimer:

I love all your comments,
I read every one!
But I can't hit 'reply',
I've no time for fun.
Please don't judge me,
Please don't hate.
If you have a question that just can't wait,
Send me an email at farmbeachgal@yahoo.com,
And I'll answer right back because I'm, you know, the Mom.

Inspiration Sunday

Image courtesy Annie Manning via Pinterest





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Don't forget, I will love you forever if you throw me a vote on Top Mommy Blogs. You know the drill by now, don't you? Just click the juggling chick and you've voted. You can vote every day till like, forever.



Thanks!


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Check my sidebar to see where I'm hoppin' today and everyday!

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Rudeness disclaimer:

I love all your comments,
I read every one!
But I can't hit 'reply',
I've no time for fun.
Please don't judge me,
Please don't hate.
If you have a question that just can't wait,
Send me an email at farmbeachgal@yahoo.com,
And I'll answer right back because I'm, you know, the Mom.

Guest-Post: How to Help Kids Live a More Simplified Life

It's Chicken-Scratch-Saturday here at the Funny Farm, and I have a guest post for you!

Agnes Jimenez has written a wonderful article on how to help your kids live a more simplified life, which, as we all know, is harder than it sounds in this day and age!

Take it away, Agnes...


How to Help Kids Live a More Simplified Life

These days, especially, kids' lives are often overextended with too many activities. While learning new skills, developing talents, and structure are all good for children and teens, it can go too far. Helping your kids learn to live a simplified life has many benefits.

Too many activities can lead kids to not know how to cope with free time, put too much pressure on them, and make vacations seem like work. Kids need to relax and have fun. One approach is to show them how to enjoy free time. From reading a book to playing in the back yard, unstructured free time is good for a child's body and mind.

Second, you can minimize your child's activities by asking him about activities he enjoys the most. Even the youngest child is drawn to certain activities, due to his personality and his interests. Whether he wants to learn to play an instrument, participate in a sport, or build some kind of collection, you can encourage his interests and preferences.

However, one or two activities should be enough for most children. Whether he stays with one particular activity for a long period of time, or decides he does not like it and wants to try something different, it can be helpful to set a rule for how many activities he can have at any given time.

Third, try to set a positive example. Regardless of how many friends they have, kids of all ages copy the habits they see in their own families. Some changes you can make may include reducing multitasking as much as possible, showing your kids you enjoy playfulness and fun without any structure, having a period of quiet time at home every day, and relearning the art of relaxation.

Fourth, helping your children become acquainted with nature can also bring simplicity into their lives. There is something about the natural environment that promotes good feelings and peace of mind. Whether you live near the woods or beach, or your nearest source of nature is a city park, it can be a wonderful break from your busy lives.

Kids who have too many activities miss out on important parts of life. They are also prone to boredom, and can develop the habit of needing constant activity. When you teach your kids to enjoy the simple things in life, their physical, mental, and emotional health will all benefit. Your kids will be happier, and so will you.

About the Guest Author
Agnes Jimenez is a professional blogger and writer. She writes for many online establishments and currently partners with TheFamilyCompass.com in spreading awareness about troubled and depressed teenagers (and how to deal with them). Click here to read more about The Family Compass’ advocacies.






Image source: cnn.com

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Don't forget to vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs! Just click on this brown button with the juggling chick. You can vote every day till like, forever.



Thanks!


***************

In case you didn't know it, I'm like the queen of blog-hoppin' lately. It's kind of like square dancing but without the dated outfits, smelly gym, and elderly caller. Check out my full schedule over in my sidebar, and come join the fun!

*************

Rudeness disclaimer:

I love all your comments,
I read every one!
But I can't hit 'reply',
I've no time for fun.
Please don't judge me,
Please don't hate.
If you have a question that just can't wait,
Send me an email at farmbeachgal@yahoo.com,
And I'll answer right back because I'm, you know, the Mom.

Farm Friday: Manna Pro Review #2

Remember when I said I asked Manna Pro if they would send me some products to review?

No?

Here's what I wrote about it:

Not so long ago, I had the thought that I should get this blog to give back to me in some sort of tangible way
{in other words, apart from all the warm fuzzies I get every day from my wonderful readers}.

So I contacted the good people over at Manna Pro.

And I said to them, I said,

"Good folks at Manna Pro, whaddya say to sending me some of your fine chicken products for me to use, and then I'll write up a review on my blog?"

And they replied, "But of course!"

Sometime later a few packages showed up on my doorstep. These fine folks sent me four CASES of products for my poultry pleasure. How dandy is that?

Did I just say "for my poultry pleasure?"
My God.  Who AM I?

And so now I bring to you the review of the first of these products. You might want to get a pen out to take notes....


 




And then I proceeded to write a review of their fine product Wipe-n-Wash. I even hosted a giveaway and sent out a few containers to some of my readers.

Today?

Today I will give a review of their Harvest Delight Poultry Treat.

Only I will not be hosting any giveaways.

Nope. Keeping all these for myself.

Description, straight from Manna Pro's mouth:

Harvest Delight™ Poultry Treat is a great way to reward your flock! With whole grains and real fruits and vegetables, you can provide a treat year-round that contains the goodness of a spring garden! And with peanuts, flax, sunflower seeds and your specially-formulated nutrition pellets, you’re also getting added protein, vitamins and minerals. At Manna Pro, we understand that animals are our companions as well as our providers. So whether you raise blue-ribbon show birds or you simply enjoy the eggs and entertainment from your backyard flock, treat your feathered friends with wholesome and delicious Harvest Delight.


•Wholesome and delicious!
•Whole grains, peanuts, carrots, tomatoes, raisins, flaxseed, sunflower seeds and more!
•Perfect for treating your flock!


See, here's the thing. I know that it's chock-full of healthy goodness for my chickens, but my chickens don't know it.

All they know is that it's yummy.

And so when it's time to put my little biddies to bed, all I have to do is walk into the barn, shake a bag of Harvest Delight, and yell, "Heeeeeere, chick chick chick", and they come a-runnin'.

Nope, I'm not parting with any of my bags of chicken yumminess.

You can have it when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.


......

......


I think I may have just gone a little dramatic there.

My apologies.



Anyway, Harvest Delight Poultry Treats.  You may just wanna get some. 

Your chickens will surely thank you.




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Follow it.
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Thanks!

***************

In case you didn't know it, I'm like the queen of blog-hoppin' lately. It's kind of like square dancing but without the dated outfits, smelly gym, and elderly caller. You can find my full schedule in my sidebar, come join the fun!


****************

Rudeness disclaimer:

I love all your comments,
I read every one!
But I can't hit 'reply',
I've no time for fun.
Please don't judge me,
Please don't hate.
If you have a question that just can't wait,
Send me an email at farmbeachgal@yahoo.com,
And I'll answer right back because I'm, you know, the Mom.

I-Need-Therapy-Thursday: Sign of the Times.

My son Patrick got one of his favorite shows - Arrested Development - as a DVD collection for Christmas.


I had never seen it before, but he kept telling me how great it was, so I sat down to watch some of it with him.

And it really is amazing. Very funny. Very clever. And I love Jason Bateman, so there's that.



Anyway, the point of this post, I'm getting to it.

So I see one of the actors is Portia de Rossi, and I say,

Oh, that's Ellen's wife.

And Patrick says,

Who?

And I say,

Portia de Rossi. That's Ellen's wife.

And he says,

Ellen who?

And I say,

Ellen DeGeneres.

And he says,

I didn't know she was....

And I sit up, ready to do battle with my 17 year old son about gay rights and how marriage is about love and committment and what difference does it make who....

...married.

And he went right back to watching the show without a hitch in his stride.



Sign of the times.

Love it.....






Image courtesy: theatlantic.com



*********************


Don't forget to vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs! Just click on this brown button with the juggling chick. You can vote every day till like, forever.



Thanks!


***************

In case you didn't know it, I'm like the queen of blog-hoppin' lately. It's kind of like square dancing but without the dated outfits, smelly gym, and elderly caller.

Check out my full schedule over in my sidebar, and come join the fun!

*************

Rudeness disclaimer:

I love all your comments,
I read every one!
But I can't hit 'reply',
I've no time for fun.
Please don't judge me,
Please don't hate.
If you have a question that just can't wait,
Send me an email at farmbeachgal@yahoo.com,
And I'll answer right back because I'm, you know, the Mom.

Wordless Wednesday

I call this one:

Goats in the Snow, Begging for a Snack.

I call this one:

Black Dog Playing Snowball Fights.

And I call this one:

White Dog Who Thinks She is Camouflaged But Really Looks Yellow.

I'm an artist.


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Read it.
Like it?
Follow it.
Please?
Thanks.
(Follow my blog by adding yourself as a follower with Google Friends Connect in my sidebar!)


***********

Don't forget, I will love you forever if you throw me a vote on Top Mommy Blogs. You know the drill by now, don't you? Just click the juggling chick and you've voted. You can vote every day till like, forever.



Thanks!


*************

Check out my blog-hoppin' schedule in my sidebar, and come join the fun!

*************

Rudeness disclaimer:

I love all your comments,
I read every one!
But I can't hit 'reply',
I've no time for fun.
Please don't judge me,
Please don't hate.
If you have a question that just can't wait,
Send me an email at farmbeachgal@yahoo.com,
And I'll answer right back because I'm, you know, the Mom.

State of the Union

Hello my TALU friends. We're taking a break from the linky party for one more week.

In the meantime, I thought I'd do "State of the Union Address", since it's the start of the new year and all.

I started this blog last March. Granted, I was moving over from my old blog, so I brought a small following with me, but I'm still amazed at how it's grown.

For instance, my page views per month have increased about 10-fold.
My followers have grown from 17 to nearly 400.
I've been honored to be guest-posted on some AWEsome blogs.
Probably a day doesn't go by that I don't get requests to do guest-posts on my blog, or do reviews, or advertise.
I've been featured a number of times on BlogHer.
I've been voted into Top 25 blogs for two different Circle of Moms contests.
Once I arrived there, I've maintained my first-page status on Top Mommy Blogs pretty consistently, and have even flirted with the top 10 briefly (so close!).
I've been having great fun learning all about blog hops, and I even co-host the wonderful TALU Tuesday!


And here are some of my most popular posts of the past year...

What the....

I Am My Mother. And....

A Lab. Never Again....

Time To Say Goodbye

Inspiration Sunday

Laundry, Simplified

The Cost of Sustainability

What I've Learnt In My Year of Chickens

Straight From the Horse's Mouth

Chili Dip

In looking at the list, I see a mixed bag of topics: random/funny things in our family, farm stuff, recipes, household tips, random/funny thoughts in general.



Anyway, reason for this post is twofold.

First and foremost:

You - all my wonderful readers - is what makes this such a fulfilling undertaking. I love your comments, I love my followers, I love seeing my page views go up and up, I love the votes you give me on all my annoying contests. You are an amazing group, and I love writing for you. Thanks from the heart of my bottom. Scratch that. From the bottom of my heart. Love you guys!



Secondly: I would love to hear what you would be interested in seeing more of. More farm stuff? More tips? More adoption-related pieces? More pictures?  Please let me know.

Thanks again, people.  And have a WONDERFUL new year!








Image from: wpclipart.com

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Read it.
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Please vote?
Like today and every single day for the rest of your natural life?
Just one quick click of this brown button is all it takes.
Love you!



Thanks....



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Come check out my blog-hop schedule in my sidebar, and join the fun!


*************

Rudeness disclaimer:

I love all your comments,
I read every one!
But I can't hit 'reply',
I've no time for fun.
Please don't judge me,
Please don't hate.
If you have a question that just can't wait,
Send me an email at farmbeachgal@yahoo.com,
And I'll answer right back because I'm, you know, the Mom.