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Towards the end of my pregnancy, I found that my breasts leaked milk during the night. I therefore needed to buy some breast pads and as I saw these in Boots I decided to buy them. I used them at night throughout the end of my pregnancy and then constantly after giving birth as I am breastfeeding.
---About the product:
Boots disposable breast pads are designed to protect your clothes from milk that can leak from your breasts during late stages of pregnancy and whilst breastfeeding. There are 80 pads in a pack and they are white in colour. There is a soft front section to sit against the breast with a stiffer section on the back to go against the bra. They are about 3 inches in diameter. It is recommended that they are changed regularly.
---Using the breast pads:
I have used various different breast pads with both pregnancies but these are the ones I go back to. I don't necessarily think they are the best, but the combination of reasonable absorption and price make me go back to them. They come in a large cardboard box and are laid out in two rows on top of each other. They work by placing them inside your bra to soak up any milk that leaks during breast feeding. These pads are reasonably small and white so are quite discreet when you are wearing them. They stay in place quite well during the day because of the pressure between the bra and breast, but can sometimes move around in the night as I move around. They are not super absorbent but I find them sufficient in most cases. I have quite heavy leakage and as long as I change them regularly, as per the recommendations, they are generally able to keep me dry. I have had a few occasions when my son hasn't fed for a while, that the leakage is so heavy that the pads can't hold it. However, most pads do the same for me. When finished with, these pads can easily be removed and disposed of in the bin.
---And finally:
As stated previously, I have tried many different pads including washable ones and I have not found any that will adequately contain the amount of milk I can leak! These are a great economy brand and I continue to buy them. I also like to buy the slimline version from Boots as they come in individual packets which are useful to store in your handbag. These aren't as easy to carry around, but for use at home, I am happy to continue buying them. They can be bought for around £4 in store.
I wanted to get my son a musical toy for his pram as my daughter had enjoyed having one and I thought it would stimulate him when he was awake in his pram. The ones by Bright Starts were the only ones I could find for a reasonable price. We bought the monkey one for my son.
---About the product:
Bright Starts make two types of tug tunes; one an elephant and one a monkey. We bought the monkey one to go with our little monkey! The monkey tug tunes is a brown monkey soft toy that is attached by his hands to a blue ring at the top which can be pulled apart to attach to a car seat or a buggy etc. The feet of the monkey are attached to a yellow plastic shaped ring which can be pulled to set off the music it plays. The monkey's body is a dark brown with lighter brown for his feet, tummy and face and little blue eyes. The monkey plays 4 different tunes in rotation, but only one is played at each tug.
---Our experiences:
We have this attached to my son's pram and it hangs down above him while we push him along. It was easy to hang there and also easy to move to other items if needed. We put it in when he was just 3 weeks old and at first he looked a little scared by it. He also looked very confused when the music started playing. After a couple of weeks of using it daily though, he began to gaze up at it and looked like he was starting to enjoy listening to the music. The tunes are quite short so it does mean that I have to pull it several times on our walks, but it does help to calm him down and he is starting to smile when he hears it. He is also now, at 2 months, starting to reach out to hit the monkey and 'coos' at it when he sees it.
We had a similar product for my daughter 4 years ago and she also enjoyed hers. She was never actually able to pull on the ring on hers while she was in the buggy as it requires quite a strong pull to get it to play the music. This doesn't matter to me as I feel it is more important for me to be able to pull on it instead of him. I do find it slightly more annoying though, that it only plays one tune at a time. The tunes are nice and bouncy but quite short and it might be nicer if it played longer tunes or several in one go.
---And finally:
I think this is a really nice product. It is fun for babies to look at and they can enjoy the music whilst travelling. It cost me £6.99 which seems to be about average for this toy. Normally I would find this quite expensive for a small toy, but as it was exactly what I wanted, I was happy to pay it. My biggest issue with this toy is that you can't change the batteries on it. Luckily, they seem to last for quite a while, but I would be happier if I knew I could change the batteries so I could use it more regularly. I would recommend this toy for young babies.
When I was pregnant, I wanted to buy things for my new baby, but didn't want to spend lots as I knew we'd probably get some from family and friends around Christmas. When I saw this item for half price in our local Sainsbury's, I decided to buy it.
---About Blossom Farm:
Blossom Farm is a range of toys by the Early Learning Centre designed for babies up to 18 months old. The range is designed around a very colourful farm and animals in it. These include Clover Cow, Whiskers the cat and Cloppy Pony. The toy range includes play mats, soft toys, rattles and mobiles.
---About the product:
The Blossom Farm Cloppy Pony Squeaker Rattle comes from the popular Blossom Farm range produced by ELC. The rattle follows the colours introduced in the range so the main body of the rattle is blue like Cloppy pony and with a white face. One side of the body has red checked material and there is red string hair on top of his head. The rattle is made of a textured material which feels like a kind of suede. Cloppy's ears are crinkly when touched and the head contains a rattle which sounds when you shake it. Lastly, the main body of the rattle has a squeaker inside it which sounds when you squeeze it. Overall it is about 15cm long.
---Our experiences:
This toy is suitable from birth so it was the first one I gave to my son after he was born. Obviously at first he was not interested at all so it was more for me to play with than him! As he got a bit older, I was able to shake and squeak it for him and he began to move his eyes to follow it more and listened to the sounds from it. He then started to reach out for it. As it is quite large, it is easy for it to be reached for, but is small enough to be able to be grasped by smaller hands. It is also nice and soft so is cosy for little hands to play with. At the moment he is not able to wave it around himself, but when he is able to, it is soft enough that it would not hurt even if he hit himself with it as babies are prone to do. The rattle can help babies with co-ordination as they want to try and reach for the thing that is moving around them.
---And finally:
As a first toy I have been very happy with it. It is surface washable only but at present I have only had to clean milk from it. Full price they cost around £5-6 which is slightly expensive for a basic rattle, but it is good quality and well made. I was lucky to get it cheaper, but would have been happy to pay slightly more. My only concern with this, as with loads of children's toys is that the colours are unrealistic, but other than that it is a lovely item.
When my son was born, I decided I wanted a playmat that was a bit nicer than the one my daughter had. I had seen this style with the detachable sides and liked the look of it. I managed to buy this Blossom Farm one 2nd hand but in very good condition.
---About Blossom Farm:
Blossom Farm is a range of toys by the Early Learning Centre designed for babies up to 18 months old. The range is designed around a very colourful farm and animals in it. These include Clover Cow, Whiskers the cat and Cloppy Pony. The toy range includes play mats, soft toys, rattles and mobiles.
---About the product:
The Blossom Farm 2 in 1 play gym is a playmat with detachable sides and a toy arch to go over the top. It is part of the popular Blossom Farm range from ELC. The play gym has a central playmat which is slightly padded and has pictures of a cow, horse and sheep on a hilly background. At the bottom there is the Blossom Farm logo. There are then two side pieces that are attached to the main mat using Velcro on the back. The side panels have more pictures of the Blossom Farm animals on them. The back panel then attaches with Velcro as well to the end of the main mat and has pictures of a farm house which has a mirror on it. The side and back panels can then be made to stand upright using fabric ties at the corners.
To make it into a play gym you can then add a play bar over the top of the mat. The bar slides through two fabric sleeves; one on each side; and then it has a plastic safety clasp on each side to stop the bar coming out accidently. The bar itself is blue and yellow and has 3 hoops to hang toys from. There are three included: a double hanging flower, the blue horse and the red cow. The horse and cow rattle when moved around.
---Our experiences:
I was really pleased when we got this home. As expected from ELC, it is well made and good quality and is suitable for my little baby boy. It was easy to put together and we were able to put my son in it straight away. He had been on other playmats before but had been unable to reach the hanging toys which made him frustrated and he got bored quickly. Instead, when we put him onto this one, he was excited and tried to hit out at the hanging toys. As these are lower than on some playmats, he was able to reach the middle one. He was able to lie on the mat for 10 minutes without getting upset as well which is great for him. After that, he was happy to spend more time in it each occasion he used it. He seems to like looking at the colourful sides of the mat as well as you can see his eyes moving to look at everything. We have also used the mat with the back section down so that my son can do tummy time and look into the mirror.
My son seems to really enjoy this product. The sides seem to make him feel more secure and the colours are lovely and bright. It does make me feel better about putting him down to do a few jobs as he can't roll away anywhere. He loves the little toys and as they attached with Velcro, they can be removed and used elsewhere, or different ones can be added instead. The sides are a bit flimsy at the open ends as there is obviously nothing for it to attach to. This doesn't detract from the product for me though. The hanging toys will help with co-ordination and the mat provides a comfy place to play and sleep.
---And finally:
The play gym is suitable for babies from birth and will be suitable up to approximately 12 months. I dislike spending money so the £30 it costs new, I would be reluctant to pay. However, it is reasonably priced when compared to other similar products so I feel it is worth the money. We have washed the bottom mat with no problems and wiped down the rest of the mats and toys. I am really happy with the product and would happily recommend it for little ones everywhere!
As a woman, I require sanitary protection each month. When younger, I tried several different brands and types of towel and Always has been my consistent favourite and choice when I am able to buy it.
---About the product:
Always Ultra Normal Plus with Wings is part of the Always range of sanitary towel protection. There are several different products available in the range which can be used at different points during your period. This particular product is designed to be used for 'normal' flow days. It comes in a darker green packet (the lighter green ones don't have wings) and each towel is wrapped in green plastic to keep them separate. Once opened, the packet has the pad attached to it and the wings are folded in. The pad is white in colour and is slightly curved to follow the lines of your body when fitted. It has a soft top layer which is designed to draw 'moisture' away from the skin and has a 'cotton' feel to it. The wings can be folded under and stick to the underside of your knickers which can help to hold the pad in place.
---My experiences:
Always Ultra have always been my favourite pad as they are very thin and yet seem to hold a lot in them! The Normal Plus Wings are good for normal use throughout the day but I don't use them at night on heavy nights as I find the night time ones are better for this as they are longer and hold more in them. During the day though, I am happy to use these and they keep me feeling fresh even during 'yucky' days. I find that they are general very good at drawing the 'moisture' away from your skin and locks it away underneath so the top section feels fresh against the skin. They are nicely shaped to fit my figure and stay stuck in place well. I like the addition of the wings as they give extra protection and make sure that there is no movement throughout the day. The wings are soft against the skin so I have no problems with them rubbing at all. At the end of use, I have found that occasionally they have stuck too well to my knickers and don't want to come off, but with a little persuasion they usually see sense! The plastic wrapping of the new one you put on can be used to wrap the old one in which is a good use. I like having them individually wrapped as I can just put them in my bag and not worry about them getting dirty etc. in there.
---And finally:
I am very happy with these sanitary towels and will continue to use them as needed. I'm sure you used to get 14 in a pack, but they seem to come in packs of 13 now... They generally cost around £2, but you can get them on offer for around £1 quite often so I stock up when on offer. They also do them in duo packs which makes them slightly cheaper. At full price they are quite expensive, but everything seems to be nowadays! I am very happy with the quality of these and would definitely recommend them.
I don't like to spend a long time styling my hair and I find that my hair is much better quality if I don't wash it too often. However, I do sometimes find that it needs something extra in between washing and styling to help it stay looking good. I used to use a different product, but when my local Boots stopped selling it, I decided to try this one instead.
---About the product:
The Lee Stafford Poker Straight Dehumidifier Spray is part of the Poker Straight range which includes shampoo, conditioner, heat protection spray and shine serum. The range is supposed to help you keep your hair straight whatever your style and to help to keep frizz away. It is also supposed to help protect and care for your hair.
The product comes in a distinctive pink metal bottle with the Lee Stafford logo on it. The cap is clear pink plastic and when removed shows a spray . It can be bought in a 200ml bottle for around £6. The product is designed to be used by spraying over the hair at an arm length and then allowing the mist to settle on the hair.
---Using the product:
I began using this product after being unable to buy the one I used to get. I had always used that straight after blow-drying and straightening my hair to help to hold the fly-away bits down and also in between washes to help straighten sections out again. I therefore started using this for the same times. The first time using it I noticed that it had a nice fresh smell and this lingered on my hair throughout the first part of the day. I used it after washing, drying and straightening my hair and then sprayed it on before brushing it in to help flatten and keep it looking straight. It worked for the whole day and I found that my hair stayed straight throughout the day and kept looking good.
I tried it a few days later in between washes to help freshen my hair and to 'tame' some of the slightly wider sections. I sprayed it all over my hair and brushed it through and again found that it kept my hair looking good throughout the whole day. It helped to keep the frizz at bay and helped the bits that stick out to stay under control. I have quite thick hair and it worked well to keep it under control. I also have a 'cows lick' at the front of my hair, but it helped to keep this smoothed down even when not using the straighteners on it.
---And finally:
I am now on my second bottle of this product and have been very happy with it. I don't like spending money, but I have found that this has been worth the outlay and has been money well spent on keeping my hair under control. I don't have to spend ages straightening my hair all the time and have found the smell pleasant to keep using. I don't use the product every day so have found that a bottle of this will last for a few months. If I used it more regularly, I imagine it would run out within a couple of weeks which would mean the price was a bit more prohibitive. I would recommend this product to people who want to keep their 'not-straight' hair a bit more 'straight'.
My daughter loves books and so I'm always on the lookout in charity shops for new books to try for her. This was one I found on one of my travels and I thought it looked like one she would enjoy. She was 3 when we bought the book for her.
---About the book:
Dear Zoo is a book written by Rod Campbell. We have the board book version which is quite small in size and square. The front of the book has the title and the author written in large black easy to read font. The rest of the cover is taken up with a large picture taken from the book of a lion in a red cage with 'From the Zoo' written on it. The back of the book tells you it is a lift the flap book in which we can see what perfect pet the zoo has sent.
The book itself is all about writing to the zoo for a pet and they keep sending inappropriate animals like a lion, a snake, a camel and an elephant. On each page there is a flap that can be lifted to see which animal has been sent by the zoo and then there is a reason given as to why it was unsuitable and the words 'I sent him back'. Eventually, they get it right with an appropriate pet!
---Our experiences:
My daughter really enjoys this book and can lift the flaps and recognise the animals easily. The book is very simplistic as each page is blank white except for the writing which is in black, and then the colourful flap to be lifted and the picture of the animal underneath. There are no distracting backgrounds for this story which makes it very good for young children so they can focus on the images easily. It is good for children starting to learn to read as it is repetitive so they can see the words again and again. This is normally good, but my daughter just memorises things if they are too easy, so she doesn't actually look at the words so isn't really learning to read!
The flaps are easy to lift for young fingers and make the book more interesting. The words are generally quite easy for a child learning to read, except for the descriptive ones about the unsuitable animals as they use words like fierce and naughty which are obviously harder for children to be able to read. The font used in the book makes it easy to read each letter and it is big enough to be able to see easily. The animals are easy to recognise as the drawings are done well and my daughter did not have any problems working out what they were.
---And finally:
I would recommend this book for young children as it is a lovely way of showing them different animals which are easy to recognise due to the drawings used. My only issue with the book is that it doesn't actually print the name of the animal when you life the flap which means the child doesn't know what the word looks like, but that is a really minor point and does not detract away from the overall excellence of the story. My daughter will keep going back to this book to read it and is learning to recognise the words now that she is 4. It is a good book to help build children's confidence with books and can be used at a very early age to introduce them to books because of the lift the flap; but will be able to stay as a favourite for a long time.
When I gave birth I was given lots of lovely presents from kind friends and family and this was one of the items I received. As I had lots of bath stuff, this was used when my daughter was a bit older.
---About the item:
(more info from www.johnsonsbaby.co.uk)
Johnson's Baby Bedtime Bath forms part of the Johnson's toiletries range for young children. The bedtime bath is a bubble bath which is designed to help your baby sleep better as part of a nightly routine. It is apparently clinically proven to do this but they obviously didn't include my daughter in this study as it didn't really work on her... It has relaxing aromas in it and includes their traditional No More Tears formula.
The bottle itself is an opaque purple plastic bottle with a flip top lid. This then has a small hole which you can use to squeeze the right amount of the product into the bath. It can be bought in either 300ml or 500ml bottles. The 500ml bottle generally costs £3.50 - £4.00 but they are generally on offer somewhere so I would look to buy them then.
---Our experiences:
The first thing you notice when using this product is the gorgeous smell. I think it has lavender in it but I cannot tell what other smells there are included I'm afraid. You can tell it is meant to be a relaxing product and the smell stays on your child even after they are getting out and dried. When you pour it into the running water, it does start to bubble slightly but I always agitate the water with my hands to get a lovely load of bubbles for my daughter. You can smell the lovely aroma while the bath is running and you get a good amount of soft bubbles with just a small amount of the liquid. Because it has the 'no more tears' formula, it doesn't matter that my daughter now likes to play in the bubbles more now that she is older and it was great when she was younger as I could wash her completely with it. It cleans her nicely and the bubbles last for a while before they start to disappear. Now she is older, they have mostly all gone by the time she is ready to get out, but she gets a good time to play with them.
The main point of this baby bath product is to relax your child before bedtime but unfortunately this has never worked for my daughter. She gets so excited about having a bath that nothing really calms her down. I used this product until it had run out, but I only buy it when I'm given it or it is on a brilliant offer as it smells so nice. It is a shame as I have read that it works on most other children, but obviously my daughter doesn't appreciate the calming influence of it!
---And finally:
Even though the product doesn't work exactly the way it should; I like to use this type of bath product for the smell as it definitely calms me and my daughter smells wonderful when she gets out of the bath. It is quite expensive and there are other cheaper brands that have a similar aroma and claim to do the job just as well. I have bought these occasionally as well because I like the smell but they don't seem to work on my daughter either. Because of the price, I would only buy this on offer but would recommend that parents give it a go as it might well work for their children instead!
My daughter really liked Peppa Pig when she was younger. As a result, we bought several DVDs for her to watch at home or while travelling. This was one of them. She was about 2 when we bought this.
---About Peppa Pig
Peppa Pig is a character from the TV shows of the same name. The show follows her life with her little brother George, her Mummy and Daddy, and all of her friends. The character is suitable for young children up to age 5-6 years and my daughter who is 3 loves it. Peppa gets up to all kinds of mischief like my daughter, but she generally learns something by the end of the episode.
---About the DVD:
This DVD contains 10 episodes from the children's TV show including the titled episode 'The Fire Engine'. The DVD case contains a picture of Peppa and the fire engine taken from the episode. It shows several of the 'Mummy's' from the episode in the Fire Engine and then Peppa and Mummy Pig next to a fire extinguisher. The back of the box shows lots of the 'Daddy's' and the 'Mummy's' jumping in muddy puddles which is also from the same episode. The box also tells us that the disk contains an episode from 'Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom as a bonus.
---About the episodes:
There are 10 episodes on the DVD covering lots of different topics. The title episode is not actually the first on the DVD. Instead it comes in at number 4. The episode tells the story of Peppa and George going with Mummy Pig to work at the fire station. All the Mummy's come together to man the fire station and drink cups of tea together. They get a phone call from Daddy Pig who has set the barbecue on fire with all the other Daddy's. Peppa gets to go with the fire engine to put it out.
The other episodes tell lots of different stories including introducing Peppa's French pen pal called Delphine Donkey. This episode always amuses me because Delphine teaches Peppa the song 'Frere Jaques' and in return Peppa teaches her the 'Bing Bong' song. This is excellent as the main refrain goes 'Bong, bing boo, bing bong, bing, bing bong, bingly, bongly boo'. Excellent words to be teaching young children! There are also episodes about the children going on a train ride, Danny having a pirate party and Grandpa having to learn about the rules of playing at the playground.
---And finally:
My daughter really enjoyed watching these Peppa Pig episodes. One of her favourites is probably 'Trip to the moon' as my daughter really likes anything to do with space. It teaches her about gravity and the names of the different planets. I like the fact that some of the episodes teach things as my daughter doesn't realise she is learning at all. Having 10 episodes on one disk gives about 50 minutes of watching which is perfect for young Peppa fans. The DVD cost me £3 which I think is very good value for a children's DVD as they will grow out of it soon enough. My daughter is 4 now, and has moved on a bit from Peppa Pig, but will still enjoy watching the DVD occasionally. I have been quite happy with this purchase and have bought several others from the same range. I would happily buy this for the same price again.
As a teacher, I seem to get colds a lot and this year is no different. I generally try to buy 'nice' tissues for when I'm ill and the Kleenex Balsam ones have become a favourite. As I suffer a lot with a blocked nose, I decided to buy these ones as they are advertised as easy breathe.
---About the product:
The Kleenex Balsam Fresh tissues are part of the Kleenex tissue range. They can either be bought in a pack of 72 tissues that come in a box, or can be bought as a set of 6 little packets, each containing 9 tissues. They are 3-ply tissues with the top layer containing a protective balm to help soothe your nose which contains calendula which appears to help the healing of the skin. There is also some menthol infused into them which helps you to breathe more easily.
---My experiences:
As I suffer from a blocked nose a lot when I have colds, the first thing I need is a tissue which is soft on the skin. I have found these tissues to be lovely and soft and don't irritate my nose any further when using them regularly. They have also helped slightly in the healing of my nose when it has been sore from overuse of other harsher tissues. The menthol is also a big help as it helps to unblock the nose whilst using the tissues so they are more effective overall at unblocking overall. The tissues themselves are a good quality being thick and do not tear easily no matter how hard you blow! They are a good size and can be folded and re-used as necessary. The box they come in is reasonably standard and allows easy access to the tissues as well as keeping them safe until needed. In the box they are constantly open to the air so you do get a slight menthol smell while they are open. This can diminish slightly over the days as they are left open.
---And finally:
These tissues vary greatly in price depending where you purchase them from and the offers available at the time. Often there are offers on them and you can buy twin packs of the boxes. Singularly they are between £2 and £3 for the boxes and between £1 and £2 for the packets. I am very happy to buy these tissues when I have a cold, but for normal day to day use I find them a bit too expensive. I would rather spend my money on cheaper tissues for normal use and these for special times when my nose needs a lot of TLC. In that department they are great, and I would highly recommend them for blocked noses and damaged skin on the nose inflicted by too much blowing. I will continue to buy them for my heavy colds and rejoice in being able to breathe again.
My daughter really liked Peppa Pig when she was younger. As a result, we bought several DVDs for her to watch at home or while travelling. This was one of them. She was about 2 when we bought this.
---About Peppa Pig
Peppa Pig is a character from the TV shows of the same name. The show follows her life with her little brother George, her Mummy and Daddy, and all of her friends. The character is suitable for young children up to age 5-6 years and my daughter who is 3 loves it. Peppa gets up to all kinds of mischief like my daughter, but she generally learns something by the end of the episode.
---About the DVD:
This DVD contains 12 episodes from the children's TV show including the titled episode 'Bubbles'. The DVD case contains a picture of Peppa taken from the show. She is playing with a bubble 'wand' and there are lots of bubbles floating around her. The front of the case also tells us it is a U rated DVD so it is obviously suitable for children. The back of the box shows lots of the children from the series wearing their raincoats and wellie boots ready to go jumping in puddles!
---About the episodes:
There are 12 episodes on the DVD covering lots of different topics. The first episode, 'Bubbles' is about Peppa and George wanting to go outside to blow bubbles. They run out of bubble mixture so Daddy Pig comes up with a new plan. It all ends with lots of puddle jumping with bubbles! It is a good fun episode and always makes my daughter want to get the bubble mixture out after watching it.
The other episodes all tell a different story including the first one introducing Emily Elephant one morning at the nursery. Peppa also gets to learn about recycling in an episode; the children create a time capsule to bury; Peppa and George learn about mysteries and what a detective is; and they discover exciting things in rock pools at the beach. Some of the episodes have a moral behind them so children watching them can learn something while watching, whilst some are just nice stories.
---And finally:
My daughter really enjoyed watching these Peppa Pig episodes. One of her favourites is probably 'Recycling' as it has a catchy song and she has learnt all about how to recycle things because of this. I like the fact that some of the episodes teach things as my daughter doesn't realise she is learning at all. Having 12 episodes on one disk gives about an hour of watching which is perfect for young Peppa fans. The DVD cost me £3 which I think is very good value for a children's DVD as they will grow out of it soon enough. My daughter is 4 now, and has moved on a bit from Peppa Pig, but will still enjoy watching the DVD occasionally. I have been quite happy with this purchase and have bought several others from the same range. I would happily buy this for the same price again.
My daughter really liked Peppa Pig when she was younger. As a result, we bought several DVDs for her to watch at home or while travelling. This was one of them. She was about 2 when we bought this.
---About Peppa Pig
Peppa Pig is a character from the TV shows of the same name. The show follows her life with her little brother George, her Mummy and Daddy, and all of her friends. The character is suitable for young children up to age 5-6 years and my daughter who is 3 loves it. Peppa gets up to all kinds of mischief like my daughter, but she generally learns something by the end of the episode.
---About the DVD:
This DVD contains 10 episodes from the children's TV show including the titled episode 'Stars'. The DVD case contains pictures from the episode 'Stars' including George in a space rocket and Peppa standing on a hill watching. The front of the case also tells us it is a U rated DVD so it is obviously suitable for children. The back of the box also shows the family driving in their car from the same episode.
---About the episodes:
'Stars' is one of my daughter's favourite episodes. She is very into space and so this episode is great for her. It is all about them taking a night-time trip to see Granny and Grandpa Pig so they can use his telescope to look at the stars and the planets. This has a very catchy song included in it which my daughter likes but can get a bit annoying after a while. It is all about the North Star which they look at first. The only thing I dislike about the episode it that they call the constellation of Ursa Major that in England we refer to as the ''plough' the 'big dipper' which I believe is the American term.
There are nine other episodes on the DVD which is a good number. Each episode tells a different story and on this DVD you get to see stories including Mummy and Daddy Pig trying to build a toy cupboard (and failing miserably); Peppa and Suzy having a quarrel but learning how to be friends again; Daddy Pig having a birthday; and Peppa going to a sleepover at Zoe Zebra's house. Most of the episodes have a moral behind them so children watching them can learn something while watching, whilst some are just nice stories.
---And finally:
10 episodes on one disk is a very good number. The DVD only cost us £3 so it is excellent value. My daughter is able to navigate this herself now so can choose the episodes she wants to watch, but she generally watches the whole DVD. She is 4 now, and has moved on a bit from Peppa Pig, but will still enjoy watching the DVD occasionally. I have been quite happy with this purchase and have bought several others from the same range. I would happily buy this for the same price again.
When my daughter was younger, she really liked Peppa Pig. As she also enjoyed reading books, we were pleased when she was given this little set of books when she was 2.
---About Peppa Pig
Peppa Pig is a character from the TV shows of the same name. The show follows her life with her little brother George, her Mummy and Daddy, and all of her friends. The character is suitable for young children up to age 5-6 years and my daughter who is 3 loves it. Peppa gets up to all kinds of mischief like my daughter, but she generally learns something by the end of the episode.
---About the books:
The Peppa Pig Fairy Tale Little Library is a collection of 6 mini Peppa Pig books that come in their own cardboard box decorated with a picture of Peppa dressed as a fairy princess. Each of the books has a different colour on the spine and when they are put together in the correct order, they have a picture of George's horse on the sides. The books are like mini board books and each one is about 10cm square. The books tell stories of princess Peppa and her family including Sir George the Brave. They also have their friends in the books. Each of the books is very simple with just 4 double pages in each. There is quite a bit of writing on each page written in wavy black writing. The backs of the books form a jigsaw puzzle that show Peppa and George with the horse.
---Our experiences:
My daughter really enjoyed these books as she recognised the characters from watching the TV programmes. They are easy for little hands to hold and the pages being thick means they are easy for her to turn. The pictures are very bright colours so attract her attention. The writing in the books is too much for a young child to read, but does make a nice short story for bed-time (unless you have to read all 6 in one go!). The box they came in has been discarded a long time ago as my daughter used to get frustrated putting them back in, so we just put them straight onto her bookshelves instead.
---And finally:
We were very happy with this set of books. My daughter enjoyed looking at the books and would happily take them to bed with her to turn the pages and look at the pictures. They are probably well suited for 2-year olds as now my daughter is 4, she is not as interested in Peppa pig anymore. As these were a present, I don't know the actual price paid, but I have seen them for around £5. This is a reasonable price as you get the 6 books included and I would probably be happy to buy them again at that price.
When I had my daughter 4 years ago, I received a set of vouchers in my Bounty pack from the hospital for use at Pixifoto. Each one was for a different 6 month period of my daughter's life and entitled me to a free photo session and a free 10 x 12 inch photo. I had previously had offer photos taken at two other large photo companies and had not been impressed with either the price, or the friendliness of their employees, so was keen to try another one. Also, a free photo is always worthwhile!
---About PixiFoto:
Adapted from website - http://www.pixifoto.co.uk/
PixiFoto are a specialist in baby, child and family portrait photography and have over 135 in-store professional photography studios. They have both permanent and mobile studios across the UK and Ireland. They attempt to offer fun and exciting contemporary family photography as well as traditional style portraits.
The studio I have used on each occasion is the one at Mothercare in Tamworth.
---Booking the photos:
The first time I went in I took the vouchers I had received with me and asked about the offer. It seemed very straight-forward and they were happy when I mentioned that I would only be taking advantage of the free photo and would not at present want to buy any more. They said they would still take the full set of photos regardless which I was obviously fine with. They were able to book me in to a session easily at one that was convenient for me. The sessions were hour long which included the actual photo shoot, them sorting the photos and our viewing.
---Taking the photos:
When I went back for the photo session, the staff were really friendly and although the studio was very small, it was professionally run with good quality cameras, props and lighting. They were very good at taking the photos and after each one the photo was shown on the computer screen next to us. The photos are all taken with a digital camera and are then able to be seen straight away. The free photo that is included in the offer has to be the first one that is taken so if you are unhappy with it, you can have it deleted and then the next is taken until you are happy with them. The photographers at our branch are all female and quite young, but have always had a professional air, and are very good at getting children to smile. They have good ideas for what makes a good photo and will ask if there is anything I specifically want once they have done their own ones. They have lots of props that they can use with the children or you can bring your own toys or changes of clothes. We have also done a family shoot with them and they were just as good at getting myself and my husband to look good in the photos.
---Viewing the photos:
Once the photo shoot is finished (after about 15 minutes), the staff spend about 20 minutes editing the photos to make them look there best. This includes changing some to black and white, adding text to some and making them into compilation photos. Obviously their main concern is to try to sell you extra photos, so they put a lot of effort into making them look good. I have never found them to be pushy when it comes to the sales, and they are quite happy to let you have the free photo and not choose any more. The way they show the photos on the screen is very simple but tends to take the pressure off the 'hard sell' other companies have had. Most times we have just taken the free photos, but we did decide to buy a whole set of family photos. The set including a composite photo of 5 pictures, two 10" x 8" photos and two 7" x 5" photos cost us around £150. We then got the free photo as well. This is much, much cheaper than the other companies we have been to. The prices can be a bit hard to work out as it is done based on bulk buying of the photos so they become cheaper individually the larger the set. A single 10" x 8" photo is about £31.
---The actual photos:
The photos are available for collection about 3 weeks later and have always been excellent quality. The free photos are just as good as the ones I have paid for and we have been very happy with them. You don't get any frames included in the price, but you can buy frames from them at a later date if you want to. We have had several compliments of the photos we have had taken and we think they are just as good, if not better quality than the ones from the more expensive companies.
---And finally:
I continue to go to this branch of Pixifoto and hope to continue to do so once my next baby is born. I am very much hoping that there will be some more vouchers in my Bounty Pack again. However, I know that if there are not, the company do lots of special offers which mean I can still get a sitting and a free photo for around £10 which I still believe is a bargain. I have also joined their birthday club which means I get offers for my daughter even though she is now 4; every time she has a birthday. Overall, I have been very impressed with the company and the service they offer. I have read several reviews on here saying how bad others have found them but from my own experience I can honestly say they have really impressed me, my husband and our families who have seen the photos. I would highly recommend the Tamworth branch and will continue to use them while I am able.
My daughter really likes Hello Kitty and will always comment when she sees something in the shop which has the logo on. I am more likely to buy her something if it useful so this is something I was happy to buy her. I bought this when she was 3.
---About the product:
The Hello Kitty bowl is produced by Sanio and is made from a thick durable plastic. The bowl is mainly white with a pink rim with Hello Kitty written in a darker pink colour with yellow flowers. The middle of the bowl has a picture of Hello Kitty's face with her paws up by her face. She is wearing her traditional red bow on her ear. The back of the bowl says that it is not suitable for microwaves and unsuitable for dishwashers. The bowl is approximately 17cm in diameter and the hole is approximately 14cm. The depth of the bowl is about 5cm.
---Using the product:
My daughter has been using this product a couple of times a week since we bought it and it has lasted us really well. It is a good size for her as it is not as big as an adult bowl so she doesn't get a full sized portion, but it is bigger than the baby sized ones which you can't fit anything in. My daughter has used it for cereals and items like baked beans or pasta in tomato sauce and it has not become stained at all. We have often been too lazy to wash it by hand and it has often ended up in the dishwasher on the top shelf and does not show any ill effects. After about 8 months, it is still in good condition and is still being used regularly.
---And finally:
I have been really pleased with this bowl. We bought it in Home Bargains for the great price of £1.00 and it has been worth that for the amount of use we have had from it. Some cheaper ones we have used have had the 'sticker' peel off from the bottom of the bowl, but this one seems to be much better quality. My daughter is happy with it as it has Hello Kitty on it and that means she wants to eat her food so she can see the picture. I am happy with the size of it as well and would happily buy another the same again.


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A San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy was arrested this week on accusations of having sex with a female jail inmate – making him the third jailer to be reportedly linked to such instances in the Inland Empire.
Johnathan Miller, 27, was booked at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga following an investigation at Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center where he was assigned.
Miller posted bail, which was set at $25,000, and was released Thursday, according to a sheriff's news release. He is on paid administrative leave during the investigation.
Information surfaced regarding inappropriate contact between a male deputy and a woman, who is only identified as a 25-year-old inmate at the Devore facility, according to a sheriff's news release.
Miller was interviewed and a search warrant was served at his residence.
On Jan. 16, a former state corrections officer was sentenced to two years in county jail for sexually abusing an inmate at the California Institution for Women in Chino.
Gary Swatzell originally pleaded not guilty to charges of having sex with the incarcerated woman for a six-month period beginning in July 2010. The woman became pregnant during that period and delivered a child by emergency C-section in August 2011.
But in November, Swatzell changed his plea and accepted the deal of two years in custody.
"That was higher than the recommendation given from the probation office and higher than what the prosecutor was looking for," said Sarita Ordonez, who represented the victim in this case, adding that she was pleased with the sentence.
Although Swatzell referred to the incident as a consensual relationship, Ordonez and the judge said inmates do not have the ability to consent in this situation.
"There are always threats or promises in the background," Ordonez said.
Situations like these reflect badly on public officers, Ordonez said, and violate the public's trust.
But she was happy to see prosecutors pursuing these kinds of cases.
"Our job is to charge any individual who commits a crime regardless of who they are or what position they hold in our community," said Chris Lee, spokesman for the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office. "Our decisions are made based on the facts of the case and the applicable law,"
Also this month, a former San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy pleaded not guilty to two counts of consensual sexual activity with a prisoner.
Katina Carter is charged with having a sexual relationship with a 19-year-old male inmate while she worked at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.
Carter was arrested Oct. 4 and posted bail, which was also set at $25,000, the next day.
Investigators started looking into allegations on Oct. 2.
"Jail staff became concerned about frequent interaction between a female deputy and a male inmate," according to a Sheriff's Department news release.
It is unclear when the alleged relationship occurred, officials said.
"Incidents of this nature affect everyone that wears a badge," sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Bachman said.
"When these incidents happen it's necessary for us as a department to review how things are done and make some decisions about if there are changes that need to be made."

subset: commoncrawl


text: Research By Mayo Clinic Staff Print Mayo Clinic doctors and researchers are studying the new ways to diagnose and treat endometrial cancer and other cancers that affect the uterus. At Mayo Clinic, cancer research is conducted in coordination with the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. The Mayo Clinic Cancer Center receives funding from the National Cancer Institute and is designated as a comprehensive cancer center — recognition for an institution's scientific excellence and multidisciplinary resources focused on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Women's Cancer ProgramThe Women's Cancer Program at Mayo Clinic brings together doctors and researchers in breast and gynecologic surgery, medical and radiation oncology, medical genetics, pathology, and other specialties to develop new therapies for women's cancers. As part of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, the Women's Cancer Program offers access to potential new therapies through clinical trials. The Women's Cancer Program also provides emotional and social support classes, a resource center, and educational programs for women and their families. PublicationsSee a list of publications on endometrial cancer by Mayo Clinic doctors on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine. Research Profiles Narrow Your Search By location Arizona Florida Minnesota View all View All • All Locations Bible, Keith C. M.D., Ph.D. Minnesota Block, Matthew S. M.D., Ph.D. Minnesota Cliby, William A. M.D. Minnesota Dowdy, Sean C. M.D. Minnesota Gostout, Bobbie S. M.D. Minnesota Jatoi, Aminah M.D. Minnesota Kaur, Judith S. M.D. Florida Magtibay, Paul M. M.D. Arizona Mariani, Andrea M.D. Minnesota Podratz, Karl C. M.D., Ph.D. Minnesota Wahner Hendrickson, Andrea E. M.D. Minnesota Weroha, Saravut (John) J. M.D., Ph.D. Minnesota Wilson, Timothy O. M.D. Minnesota Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic Clinical trialsCosts & insurance Aug. 09, 2017 Print Share on: FacebookTwitter References AskMayoExpert. Endometrial cancer. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2014. Niederhuber JE, et al., eds. Uterine cancer. In: Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2014. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed April 26, 2016. Lentz GM, et al. Neoplastic diseases of the uterus. In: Comprehensive Gynecology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed April 26, 2016. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Committee on Practice Bulletins — Obstetrics. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 149: Endometrial cancer. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2015;125:1006. Uterine neoplasms. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp. Accessed April 26, 2016. Palliative care. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp. Accessed April 26, 2016. Fader AN, et al. Utilization of minimally invasive surgery in endometrial cancer care. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2016;127:91. RelatedSymptom CheckerFertility preservationBirth control pill FAQChest X-raysCT scanUltrasoundVaginal dischargePainful intercourse (dyspareunia)Pelvic pain Mayo Clinic in Minnesota has been recognized as the best Gynecology hospital in the nation for 2017-2018 by U.S. News & World Report. Learn more about this top honor Endometrial cancerOverviewSymptoms & causesDiagnosis & treatmentRequest an appointmentDiagnosisTreatmentDepartments & specialtiesExpertise & rankingsLocations, travel & lodgingClinical trialsResearchCosts & insurancePreparing for your appointmentSelf-managementMore aboutIn-DepthExpert BlogMultimediaResourcesNews from Mayo Clinic Diagnosis & treatmentRequest an appointmentDiagnosisTreatmentDepartments & specialtiesExpertise & rankingsLocations, travel & lodgingClinical trialsResearchCosts & insurancePreparing for your appointment CON-20167632 Patient Care & Health Information Diseases & Conditions Endometrial cancer


text:
Peralta first to 14 victories, keeps Crew alone in first
Righty wins fifth straight start, fans nine in 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball
MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers did their part Thursday to ensure their weekend showdown against the Dodgers would pit a pair of first-place teams.
A 3-1 win over the Giants at Miller Park, sealed with two runs in the sixth inning, made right-hander Wily Peralta the Majors' first 14-game winner and ensured the Brewers another day alone in first place in the National League Central.
Up next on the homestand are the NL West-leading Dodgers, who fortified their strong rotation Thursday with a trade for the Phillies' Roberto Hernandez. The right-hander formerly known as Fausto Carmona beat Kyle Lohse and the Brewers with eight strong innings at Miller Park just before the All-Star break, and told reporters he'd been assigned to a Friday rematch with Lohse. After that, the Brewers will draw the Dodgers' co-aces, Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw.
"We know what kind of arms we have seen lately, and we know what kind of arms we're going to see, and it's important for us to be able to match it," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "We feel with our five, we can."
Peralta, 25, has emerged as the leader of Milwaukee's five. That he batted in the bottom of the sixth inning Thursday with two runners aboard, one out and the Brewers having just pushed home two go-ahead runs said something about Roenicke's faith in his current bullpen, but more about his faith in Peralta, who returned to the mound in the seventh to set career highs for strikeouts (nine) and total pitches (115).
"I still feel strong back there," Peralta said. "I was able to finish out. … I still felt strong in that inning. You have a lot of innings in your arm, but you keep working, keep doing your routine and keep pitching."
His 114th pitch registered 98 mph. No. 115 was 97 mph, a called strike three against Giants center fielder Angel Pagan that ended Peralta's outing after 6 2/3 innings, seven hits, one earned run and one walk. One of the nine strikeouts actually accounted for the Giants' only run; opposing pitcher Jake Peavy reached first base leading off the fifth on a strikeout/wild pitch on a slider that bounced in the dirt. Peavy came around to score.
Including Peralta's effort, Milwaukee's starters own a 2.64 ERA and 13 quality starts in the team's last 16 games. In Peralta's last five starts, he has surrendered only six earned runs in 33 innings, and logged a victory every time.
Only one Brewers pitcher has ever led his league in wins: Pete Vuckovich, who tied Baltimore's Dennis Martinez, Oakland's Steve McCatty and Detroit's Jack Morris atop the American League with 14 wins in strike-shortened 1981.
Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright was scheduled to get the first chance to match Peralta's league-leading total when he faced the Red Sox on Thursday night.
"There's a lot of great starting pitchers out there, and to be able to be leading the league, that's amazing, a great feeling," Peralta said. "That's a thing that I've been working hard [for] in the offseason and been working hard in the season to be on top."
The Brewers backed Peralta with a balanced attack. Ryan Braun doubled home a run in the first against Peavy, and Aramis Ramirez and Khris Davis delivered back-to-back doubles in the sixth to snap a 1-1 tie. Davis advanced on Rickie Weeks' single and scored an insurance run on Mark Reynolds' sacrifice fly.
Peralta and Jeremy Jeffress combined for a scoreless seventh, Jeffress and Will Smith teamed in a scoreless eighth and Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 34th save. Rodriguez needs only two more for his highest total since 2008, when he set a Major League record with 62 saves for the Angels.
By taking two of three games from the Giants, the Brewers won a series for the first time since sweeping the Reds from July 21-23, and for only the second time since winning three of four against the Rockies from June 26-29. Yet the Brewers have been in first place in their division every day since April 5.
"I usually pay attention to, at the end of a series, what we do in the series," Roenicke said. "I haven't as much, just because I know we need to worry about one game, and just getting back on the right track, and trying to get into where we're winning most of the games. It seems like we're just flipping back and forth, and we've been kind of stale as far as movement [in the standings] and what we've been doing.
"So, yes, it is important to win series. Any time you win against a team like the Giants, you feel good about it."
Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brew Beat, and follow him on Twitter at @AdamMcCalvy. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
'"The process is we're still negotiating here and still waiting to see if the league's going to respond to our last proposal," Leopold said, ducking the question a bit. " … We seem to have this trend where we put a proposal out, and there's a couple weeks where everything goes real quiet and then there's some commotion again. Hopefully, we get that commotion."'
You are here: Home / SabresBeat / Sabres players mum on union's possible dissolution


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(SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Islanders have played their best hockey of the season over the last few weeks and they'll shoot for a sixth win in seven games when they open a home-and-home series Saturday in Philadelphia.
Despite winning five of six and eight of their last 10 games, the Islanders still sit in last place in the Metropolitan Division with 45 points. However, New York is not that far out of the playoff spot in the East, as it enters Saturday trailing Washington by seven points for the eighth seed in the conference.
The Isles also are only eight points removed from the Flyers, who are currently tied for second in the Metro Division.
The Flyers have fared well against New York recently, taking three straight, six of eight and 14 of the past 18 encounters with the Islanders. Philly also has claimed two in a row, three of four and 16 of 19 on home ice in this series.
New York is coming off a 2-1 shootout win Thursday in Tampa Bay. Frans Nielsen scored the winner in the decisive phase to help the Isles improve its record to 4-1-0 during their six-game road trip.
Nielsen was the first skater for New York in the shootout and he buried his shot past Ben Bishop. Kevin Poulin then stopped Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman for the win. Poulin yielded just one goal on 30 shots, a power-play tally to Martin St. Louis at the 5:45 mark of the opening period
"I thought our start was pretty good tonight despite giving up the power-play goal," said New York head coach Jack Capuano. "We got some big saves and the penalty kill really played well today."
Thomas Vanek scored the goal in regulation for the Islanders late in the second period, with Nielsen and John Tavares providing the assists.
New York has won eight of its past nine on the road and is 12-14-0 as the guest this season.
The Flyers, meanwhile, lost for the third time in four games on Thursday, dropping the first of two straight at home in a 4-3 shootout loss against the Nashville Predators. Philadelphia was happy to get the point, however, as Wayne Simmonds sent the game to overtime by scoring the tying goal with 1:24 remaining in regulation.
Simmonds is leading the Flyers with 16 goals this season and he has 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) over his last 15 games. With 35 points (16G, 19A), Simmonds is trailing only captain Claude Giroux (42 PTS - 13G, 29A) for the team scoring lead.
Roman Josi netted the deciding score in the seventh round of the shootout to secure the extra point for the Preds. Flyers goaltender Steve Mason stopped the first four Nashville shooters before allowing three in a row to Matt Cullen, Ryan Ellis and Josi.
Simmonds notched three points on a score and two helpers for the Flyers, losers of two in a row on home ice after taking 10 straight at the Wells Fargo Center.
"We moved our feet, played the way we wanted to play. We had our chances, we played well. We were able to tie it up at the end there. (Mason) did a good job. We need to find a way to get the two points, though," said Giroux.
Andrej Meszaros and Brayden Schenn produced additional offense, while Mason made 34 stops in defeat.
The Flyers will visit Long Island on Monday afternoon to complete this home- and-home set.


text: As I'm sure everyone on here is aware of, poker is experiencing an explosion in popularity, especially Texas Hold 'Em. I've played for money about a half-dozen times at this point (spread across the past 10-12 months), all of them at my office. I don't feel like I'm very good, but I've finished in the money the past four times, including getting second out of 16 people in a two-table affair right before Thanksgiving. We're having another big game tonight (16-20 people, $100 buy-in) that I'm pretty stoked about, so I thought I'd see if anyone else here plays and how often, any tactics they find effective, etc. I play very conservatively; the last game we had, I played two hands the whole night, but I won them both and ended up taking second. I'd like to be more aggressive with bluffing or what have you, but I don't feel I know enough about how the game flows yet to do that.


text:
Rules of the Game: Three Solid Performers to Watch
When seeking some large-cap anchors for equity overlay positions within your portfolio, it's crucial to screen for solid earnings track records. Historically, many of the best price movers sport several quarters of double-digit earnings gains. I regularly run scans for this type of growth, and compare the results against the earnings estimates for the next year or two.
1. Comcast (CMCSA) was among the large caps uncovered by my scan. The company grew earnings between 19% and 39% in the past four quarters. Income grew in each of the past six years, and Wall Street expects a 23% increase in 2012, to $1.94 per share. Comcast is scheduled to report full-year and fourth-quarter results on Feb. 13 before the market open. Comcast's dividend yield stands at 1.7%....392 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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Holdingford FAN Club Variety Show – Sunday, March 10, 2013
Additional Information
The Holdingford Fine Arts Now (FAN) Club is hosting a Variety Show at 3:00 pm on March 10, 2013. The show will be taking place at Holdingford High School Little Theatre. Performers of all ages and talents from the school and the community will "WOW" you with their acts! Tickets are only $5 and are available at the high school or at the door the night of the show. Come see what performance will blow you away!!


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Tell it to The Packer | Letter to the Editor
Alyssa Houtby, director of public affairs
California Citrus Mutual
In response to (Tom Karst's Sept. 17) opinion piece regarding a USDA standard for sustainability, there is absolutely no gain to been seen by the produce industry, particularly for the producer and shipper sectors, by creating a standard for sustainability.
Inevitably, a USDA certification will only fuel retailer demands and cost the producer time and money for little, if any, value.
You state "growers and the entire supply chain should be able to add value to their produce without adding as much cost as strictly organic growing methods."
You strike a comparison between the success experienced by the organic sector resulting from the USDA certified organic label and the potential for the value of a similar certification for sustainably grown produce.
However, the fundamental difference between the two is the complexity in defining sustainability and the multitude of issues related to developing a set rubric that adequately supports the work of the entire produce industry.
Sustainable farming, by definition and in practice, is very site-specific.
Farming techniques vary enormously between commodities, geography and available resources. As science and technology have advanced, in order to remain a viable operation, so have growers.
Advancement in irrigation methods, pest management and crop protection have dramatically increased on-farm efficiencies that benefit the grower's bottom line while protecting environmental quality.
You are correct in your statement that determining the parameters for what "sustainable" means would be cause for debate.
In reality, though, it is safe to say that every farmer, to a degree, is sustainable. Those who aren't must answer to the natural course of the free market system and Mother Nature.
You state, "Because of cost and confusion, retailers should not be involved in setting their own label standards for sustainable growing methods."
It is Pollyanna-ish to believe that retailers and activists won't have their seat at the table to develop this standard.
The result will be a standard that does not accurately capture or give due credit to the existing efforts by the industry.
If, aside from monetary gain, the ultimate goal for a sustainable standard is to gain transparency to the consumer base, a USDA label is not the most effective means to the end.
Perhaps transparency, not necessarily labeling, has been the fuel driving the organic train.
There is no doubt that, collectively, conventional agriculture has a history of a shut-door policy in consumer outreach, which has allowed adversaries such as the Environmental Working Group on the produce side and the likes of PETA on the animal-agriculture side to gain momentum.
But is a sustainable label a way for conventional agriculture to become more favorable to consumers and narrow the perceived difference between organic and conventionally grown produce?
Or will it result in increased pressure from retailers at the financial burden of the grower?
I would argue the latter.
This is simply another opportunity for government, activists and consumers to dictate how farmers farm.
There is enough "producer baby-sitting" going on in the regulatory world without adding a "voluntary" standard to comply with as well.
Let the marketers stick a label on the package if they see value.
Don't subject the grower to the copious amount of paperwork and fees to comply with a standard that will inevitably be hijacked by activists anyway.
Why feed into activist demands and perpetuate the issue? It's anyone's guess what their next demand will be.


text:
Any interest?
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Any interest?
"I had to take her down like Chris Brown."
-Lance Stephenson
I just don't get the hype with Jimmer.
Well recently the Jimmer did hit 6 of 8 3's in a game vs the Knicks,
I am tempted. I mean CJ has just been awful lately. And Bird was interested in Jimmer in the draft. I think though Larry might feel he's made too many moves already? But I would consider cutting Sloan for him...........maybe?
Well recently the Jimmer did hit 6 of 8 3's in a game vs the Knicks, Remember too Larry saved Herb Simon 4.28 mil in the Granger/ Turner pro-rated that's prob 1.6 mil paying Fredette the minimum would still leave over a mil savings . Not saying I'd do it just looking at it as adding another usable piece in limited minutes in the playoffs. After adding Turner, Donald Sloan's spot is even less valued. Nothing against Donald
Just because you're offended, doesn't mean you're right. ― Ricky Gervais.
I'd take Jimmer over Sloan.
That's about it.
First time in a long time, I've been happy with the team that was constructed, and now they struggle. I blame the coach.
Jimmer's shooting would space the floor too. If we played a lineup with......
Watching the Miami Heat play Golden State twice this season, I have learned you can never have too many shooters versus Miami.
Seems like a good scoring PG who can shoot from outside and pair with Lance and ET. We'd have to drop a player... Sloan?
Sounds like something a person in jail would post.
I would definitely give him a look. We need one of those guys who is cash from beyond the arc, and Jimmer certainly is a 3 point specialist. Maybe over Sloan, but I wouldn't cut anyone else. I don't think a signing will happen, but Legend will (and certainly should) give him a look.
"What you do is so loud, I can't hear what you say" -Andrew LuckJunior at the University of Louisville
"If you turn the other cheek, I'm gonna hit you in the other cheek, too" -Charles Barkley
"Ego is edging greatness out" -Rick Pitino
Greenfield-Central High School Alum '14
Follow me on Twitter @steagles1
1000th post - 4/16/12 2000th post - 6/24/12 3000th post - 3/8/13
I want him in the blue n gold because he is one of my favorite players and he still has a lot of potential left.
He's like a short Adam Morrison or Trajan Langdon. He can shoot but he is just so slow on defense that it would drive me nuts.
I'd rather give more minutes to Butler and Copeland if we need a shooter to help spread the floor.
Yes, of course we should have interest. He's one of the league's elite shooters, and would make a dynamite scoring punch off our bench when needed. He's shooting 48/49/90 this year --- you think our offense could use that kind of efficiency?
Watson/Fredette/Turner/Scola/Bynum would be a very interesting second unit.
There are two types of quarterbacks in the league: Those whom over time, the league figures out ... and those who figure out the league.
Is he an upgrade over Butler or Sloan?
Cuz these are the 2 Players that would likely be replaced by Jimmer.
Keep in mind....the price of Jimmer isn't just what we sign him for....it also includes the cost of buying out whoever we cut to make room for him in the lineup.
My guess is that he's not.....not at the price of buying either of them out and then signing Jimmer.
I'm thinking that he ends up in OKC...they were looking for a shooter before the trade deadline.
Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.
All that being said, I don't see anything happening on the Jimmer front with the Pacers.
Bird has liked him in the past. However, I don't think there are enough minutes to go around to even make this signing necessary. We could use another 3 pt in the backcourt though, where Turner and Lance don't give us much.
Not sure we'd play two point guards together off the bench.
There are two types of quarterbacks in the league: Those whom over time, the league figures out ... and those who figure out the league.
Thats a bad defensive line up and I don't think we go with the bench mob approach. I would much rather Lance run with Freddete and take Watson out of that line up and put in West instead of Scola.
Maybe in a blowout.


text:
A Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of Levonorgestrel Implant and Antiretroviral Therapy
This study has been completed.
University of Nebraska
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Makerere University
University of Liverpool
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Kimberly Scarsi, PharmD, MS, BCPS-ID, University of Nebraska
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: February 7, 2013
Last updated: March 31, 2016
Last verified: March 2016
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Detailed Description:
The use of hormone contraception poses a significant challenge for the estimated 16 million HIV-infected women of childbearing age. This is due to known drug interactions with antiretroviral therapy (medicines used to treat HIV) that may jeopardize contraception effectiveness. By evaluating the impact of antiretroviral therapy on a levonorgestrel subdermal implant, the most widely available hormone implant in low and middle-income countries, this study will translate its findings into an evidence-based approach to co-manage these important medications. The investigators hypothesize that women receiving nevirapine or efavirenz-based antiretroviral therapy will have a significant decrease in the mean levonorgestrel plasma concentration measured six months after the implant's insertion as compared to those women who are not taking antiretroviral therapy. Although the implant's efficacy may be retained initially, the investigators propose that a decrease in levonorgestrel concentrations in women receiving antiretroviral therapy may jeopardize the implant's effectiveness near the end of its intended duration of use (5 years).
|HIV Contraception
|Drug: Levonorgestrel Drug: Nevirapine Drug: Efavirenz
|Phase 2
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|A Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of Levonorgestrel Implant and Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor (NNRTI)-Based Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV-infected Ugandan Women
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: HIV/AIDS
Drug Information available for: Levonorgestrel Nevirapine EfavirenzU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by Kimberly Scarsi, PharmD, MS, BCPS-ID, University of Nebraska:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Levonorgestrel plasma concentrations [ Time Frame: 6 months after implant is placed ]
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- NNRTI plasma concentrations [ Time Frame: Over 1 year (baseline, Months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12) ]Applies to subjects being treated with either efavirenz- or nevirapine-based antiretroviral therapy
- Levonorgestrel plasma concentrations [ Time Frame: 1 year after implant is placed ]
|Study Start Date:
|June 2013
|Study Completion Date:
|October 2014
|Primary Completion Date:
|April 2014 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Active Comparator: Control group (no current ART)
Levonorgestrel subdermal implant in subjects not yet receiving ART (control group)
Drug: Levonorgestrel
Levonorgestrel 2-rod subdermal implant (75mg/rod) placed on study day 0 after baseline evaluations and remains in place until the subject requests removal or for the duration of drug activity (currently approved for 5 years).
Other Names:
Active Comparator: NVP-based ART group
Levonorgestrel subdermal implant in subjects receiving nevirapine-based ART
Drug: Levonorgestrel
Levonorgestrel 2-rod subdermal implant (75mg/rod) placed on study day 0 after baseline evaluations and remains in place until the subject requests removal or for the duration of drug activity (currently approved for 5 years).
Other Names:Drug: Nevirapine
Nevirapine 200mg twice daily as part of a complete antiretroviral therapy regimen. Subjects will be on this therapy prior to entry in this study.
Other Names:
Active Comparator: EFV-based ART group
Levonorgestrel subdermal implant in subjects receiving efavirenz-based ART
Drug: Levonorgestrel
Levonorgestrel 2-rod subdermal implant (75mg/rod) placed on study day 0 after baseline evaluations and remains in place until the subject requests removal or for the duration of drug activity (currently approved for 5 years).
Other Names:Drug: Efavirenz
Efavirenz 600mg once daily as part of a complete antiretroviral therapy regimen. Subjects will be on this therapy prior to entry in this study.
Other Names:
Detailed Description:
Family planning services, including hormone contraceptives, are critical for HIV-infected women, in whom prevention of unintended pregnancy not only decreases maternal and child mortality, but also reduces the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission. Similarly, antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a lifesaving intervention that improves the health and economic status of HIV-infected women throughout the world. Therefore, it is of significant public health importance to guide the appropriate use these essential medications. To this end, millions of HIV-infected women in low and middle income countries (LMIC) currently use or are gaining access to subdermal progestin-containing implants as a preferred method of long-acting reversible contraception. These implants are often combined with ART despite the lack of critically needed pharmacokinetic (PK) drug-interaction data to inform their safe and effective concomitant use. Highlighting this concern are several case reports of unintended pregnancy that occurred in patients with subdermal progestin-containing implants concurrently receiving non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based ART, the most commonly used ART in LMICs. While NNRTIs are known to significantly decrease oral pill progestin concentrations, no data are available to inform healthcare providers of the impact of NNRTIs on progestin concentrations following release from subdermal implants. To fill this critical gap in knowledge, the overall aim of this proposal is to conduct a PK study to evaluate the combination of a levonorgestrel (LNG) implant and NNRTI (nevirapine or efavirenz)-based ART in HIV-infected Ugandan women. The investigators propose that lower LNG concentrations will be observed in patients on NNRTI-based ART and although the implant's efficacy may be retained initially, this negative interaction will jeopardize implant effectiveness near the end of its intended duration of use (5 years). The specific aims of this project are (1) to characterize the PK of LNG released from a subdermal implant over one year in HIV-infected women with and without NNRTI-based ART and (2) to evaluate the potential for a bidirectional drug-interaction resulting from the long-term impact of chronic progestin exposure on antiretroviral concentrations. To achieve these aims, this study will enroll 20 HIV-infected women into each of three study groups: a control group not receiving ART and two treatment arms consisting of patients receiving nevirapine- or efavirenz- based ART. Using sparse PK sampling strategies, LNG, nevirapine or efavirenz concentrations will be measured over one-year and compared between and within groups, as appropriate. The LNG data will also be used to develop a PK model that will predict LNG disposition over the following three years of intended use, allowing for identification of the safe duration of LNG implant use in women on NNRTI-based ART. At the conclusion of this project, the first evidence-based medical knowledge will be available to guide the safe and effective concomitant use of subdermal LNG implants and NNRTIs, thereby improving management of reproductive health in millions of HIV-infected women worldwide.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Evidence of a personally signed and dated informed consent document indicating that the subject (or a legal representative) has been informed of all pertinent aspects of the study.
- Subjects who are willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plan, laboratory tests, and other study procedures.
- Women age 18 years or older
- Diagnosed with HIV-1 infection
- Desiring LNG subdermal implant as a contraceptive method
- Subjects not yet eligible for ART (based on the Ugandan Treatment Guidelines); or subjects receiving nevirapine or efavirenz-based ART for a minimum of 1 month prior to screening
Exclusion Criteria:
- For patients currently on ART: HIV-1 RNA > 400 copies/mL at screening visit
- Serum hemoglobin < 9.0 g/dl
- Elevations in serum levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) above 5 times the upper limit of normal
- Elevations in serum creatinine above 2.5 times the upper limit of normal
- Use of drugs known to be contraindicated with levonorgestrel, nevirapine (NVP group only), or efavirenz (EFV group only) within 30 days of study entry. Due to the dynamic nature of drug interactions related to antiretroviral therapy, the study team will review all concomitant medications at screening based on the US Department of Health and Human Services drug interaction tables or the AIDS Clinical Trials Group Drug Interactions Database.
- Currently pregnant or postpartum <30 days at study entry
- No concurrent use of other hormonal contraception is allowed during the study period
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01789879
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01789879
|Infectious Diseases Institute
|Kampala, Uganda
Sponsors and Collaborators
University of Nebraska
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Makerere University
University of Liverpool
|Principal Investigator:
|Kimberly K Scarsi, PharmD, MSc
|University of Nebraska
More Information
Additional Information:
Keywords provided by Kimberly Scarsi, PharmD, MS, BCPS-ID, University of Nebraska:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017
Additional Information:
Scarsi KK*, Darin KM, Nakalema S, Back D, Byakika-Kibwika P, Else L, Dilly-Penchala S, Cohn S, Merry C, Lamorde M. Levonorgestrel implant + EFV-based ART: Unintended pregnancies and associated PK Data. Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. Seattle, WA. February 23-26, 2015. Abstract #85LB.
Scarsi K, Lamorde M, Darin K, Penchala SD, Else L, Nakalema S, Byakika-Kibwika P, Khoo S, Cohn S, Merry C, Back D. Efavirenz- but not nevirapine-based antiretroviral therapy decreases exposure to the levonorgestrel released from a sub-dermal contraceptive implant. J Int AIDS Soc. 2014 Nov 2;17(4 Suppl 3):19484. doi: 10.7448/IAS.17.4.19484. eCollection 2014.
Scarsi KK, Darin KM, Nakalema S, Back DJ, Byakika-Kibwika P, Else LJ, Dilly Penchala S, Buzibye A, Cohn SE, Merry C, Lamorde M. Unintended Pregnancies Observed With Combined Use of the Levonorgestrel Contraceptive Implant and Efavirenz-based Antiretroviral Therapy: A Three-Arm Pharmacokinetic Evaluation Over 48 Weeks. Clin Infect Dis. 2016 Mar 15;62(6):675-682. doi: 10.1093/cid/civ1001. Epub 2015 Dec 8.
|Responsible Party:
|Kimberly Scarsi, PharmD, MS, BCPS-ID, Associate Professor, University of Nebraska
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01789879 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
LNG-NNRTI PK study
1R21HD074462-01 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract )
|Study First Received:
|February 7, 2013
|Last Updated:
|March 31, 2016
|Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
|Plan to Share IPD:
Keywords provided by Kimberly Scarsi, PharmD, MS, BCPS-ID, University of Nebraska:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Anti-Retroviral Agents
Antiviral Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C9 Inhibitors
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors
Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C19 Inhibitors
Cytochrome P-450 CYP2B6 Inducers
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inducers
Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inducers
Contraceptive Agents, Female
Contraceptive Agents
Reproductive Control Agents
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Contraceptives, Oral, Synthetic
Contraceptives, Oral
Anti-HIV Agents
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017


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Purdue Extension and University of Kentucky Extension will jointly host a Nov. 29 conference to teach farmers more about how precision agriculture systems could improve their bottom lines.
The Ohio Valley Precision Ag Conference will run from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (CST) at the Vanderburgh County 4-H Fairgrounds, 201 E. Boonville-New Harmony Road, Evansville. It will cover data management, implement systems' technologies and systems calibration and setup. It also will feature local precision agriculture companies and projects.
"The variety of technologies that farmers and industry representatives have to evaluate for on-farm use is staggering," said Kenneth Eck, Purdue Extension educator in Dubois County. "This conference will give folks a better understanding of what systems are available, how emerging technologies might mesh with producers' current systems, and how both farmers and agribusinesses can manage farm data for improved economic and environmental results."
The conference will start with a presentation titled "Data Utilization and Management with Precision Tools" by Betsy Bower and Troy Walker of Ceres Solutions.
Morning breakout sessions are:
- "RTK Accuracy" by Tim Stombaugh, associate professor of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Kentucky.
- "Calibration Basics - John Deere" by Ben Carlisle, Wright-Stemle John Deere.
- "Variable Rate Seeding - Can You Do It and Do You Need To?" by Bob Nielsen, Purdue Extension agronomist.
- Afternoon breakout sessions are:
- A repeat of Stombaugh's "RTK Accuracy."
- "Calibration Basics – Trimble/Case IH" by Kevin Roy and Kristina Nadin, Hopf Equipment Case IH.
- "Economics of Investing or Upgrading: Old vs. New" by Greg Halich, associate Extension professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky.
The conference also will feature a farmer panel discussion titled "What Do We Do With the Data and How is It Managed?" The Keynote presentation will be "Precision Planting" by Gregg Sauder of Precision Planting, Inc.
"This is the first time we've pulled together a program with so much of our expertise in one place," Eck said.
Conference registration is free, but reservations are required by Nov. 19. Participants can register online at http://tinyurl.com/pukyregister or by contacting any of the sponsoring Purdue Extension or University of Kentucky Extension county offices. Those counties in Indiana are Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh and Warrick. In Kentucky they are Daviess, Henderson, McLean, Ohio, Union and Webster.
For more information contact Larry Caplan, Purdue Extension educator in Vanderburgh County, at 812-435-5287, email@example.com


text:
ACParadise Network: American Cosplay Paradise American Cosplay Experience American Cosplay Snapshots
Cosplayer Katie > Costume of Kazumi Amano (Gunbuster)
- Most Recent Photo
- 10-23-2012
- Series
- Gunbuster
- Character
- Kazumi Amano
- Year Completed:
- 2012
- Construction Difficulty:
- Difficult
- Costume worn at:
- World Cosplay Summit 2012
About this Costume
- Construction Details:
This costume is DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE IN APPEARANCE, but actually took me FOREVER to get right. The applique knit top proved to be rather easy, but the leotard? Sheesh. Because the milliskin is rather thin and unforgiving, I cut 2 layers, but only sewed the stripe into the TOP layer, so the seams would be hidden by the lining/2nd layer. That was a bit of a nightmare because I chose to sew it in AFTER I had flatted the 2 pieces together. After that, I spent HOURS trying to meticulously figure out the best placement for the straps on the legs of the leotard. I put a stupid amount of time into that. I learned a lot while making this costume. Mostly I learned that I am very. very. slow.
- Personal Thoughts:
Wig Details
- Styling Notes
- Styled the wig into a high ponytail by taking small sections at a time and tying them together. It's tedious, but the result is worth it, and I love the look way better than buying a short wig and popping a ponytail extension on top. Tutorial forthcoming!
- Wig Review
- I loved everything about this wig (the color, the length, the curl, the thickness!!) except the texture. It's not as soft as some of Arda's other wigs, but on the bright side, it DOES detangle relatively easy! :)
Add a Comment


text:
that's 2 4th quarter game winning drives already.
well, I hope.
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that's 2 4th quarter game winning drives already.
well, I hope.
Brown did the BJ Ragi dance. I love Donald Brown.
Anyone that's not impressed with this rookie QB...ROOKIE QB WHO'S PUT US IN A POSITION TO WIN OUR LAST THREE GAMES...is CRAZY!
That wasn't a catch
Pagano's going nuts right now, gotta be
Wow what a game, Luck and Wayne are BMF's
Thought we were gonna get blown out?
Just sayin
Is this real?
Great job Colts! It's not always going to be perfect, but we are seeing some amazing stuff, fellow Colts fans.
Take me out to the black, tell 'em I ain't coming back. Burn the land and boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me.
People saying how Luck is kind of off to a slow start and flying under the radar, but he's putting up the kind sort of monster passing numbers Newton did last year to start. And his team is more competitive.
Reggie Wayne is on my fantasy team
matched last season's win total
Who on the remaining schedule can't be beat now?
Told you we could pressure Rodgers. What up OlBlu?
what was that about the Colts being worst in the league this year and bad for 5 years?
Thought GB was going to beat up on us. I'll take this kind of beating any day of the week. Go Colts


text:
It was pretty misty this morning so I'm not sure if you can see the arborist in the top of this Black Locust tree. But he's there, suspended from a 100' tall crane boom that stretched over the Stonehurst building and into the back yard where you see the locust tree being carefully dismantled.
We are sending our thanks to the tree service professionals at Turner and Renaud in Dummerston, Vermont. Three certified arborists came to Stonehurst today to remove a couple huge trees that were leaning over the building. It was amazing (and terrifying) to watch them work.
I was surprised and pleased to learn that each person working in Turner and Renaud's tree care business is a certified Arborist. Certification is an impressive recognition of their professional knowledge by the International Society of Arboriculture.
I'm going to miss the beautiful trees they took down today but I'm eager to see what our creative friend Vince Johnson of Johnson Custom Milling will be able to transform the wood into.
Since Black Locust is one of the most rot-resistant woods in the Northern Forest, we're thinking it's best use might be for the ADA accessibility ramp into the new Vermont Woods Studios showroom. Stay tuned for photos of the complete transformation.
Already following our Blog? For more info sign up for our e-newsletter
This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.


text:
Precision Single Slotted Screwdrivers
22-8125 - Heavy-Duty Aluminum Tool/Equipment Case
Heavy-duty case is made of lightweight aluminum and designed to take rough field use. Includes one tool pallet, egg carton foam lid, and 2" thick precut foam bottom Dual combination locks Ideal for carrying fragile instruments and test equipment with accessories a...
It was very easy and convenient to order. The delivery was in 3-4 days. Wow...Very impressed


text:
The 2006 goal of the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) was bold: reduce helicopter accidents by 80 percent by 2016. Unfortunately, rotorcraft accident numbers have not dropped as precipitously as those of commercial transport aircraft.
"We are not finding new ways to kill people in helicopters," an IHST representative told AIN. "We are making the same mistakes over and over again."
The video of a helicopter striking a ground cable at New Zealand's Auckland viaduct basin one year ago provides a stark reminder of how even the most simple of situations can quickly turn ugly. The pilot was helping to erect Auckland's annual Telecom Christmas tree of lights when a ground worker pulled a nearby steel cable taut. It swung back in the opposite direction, catching the helicopter's rotors just 15 feet above, bringing the machine down almost instantly. Video producer and photographer Murray Job happened to be on site recording the work and captured the accident in detail.
Miraculously, neither the pilot nor anyone on the ground was injured. The ground worker who yanked the cable later told Job that he thought he was helping keep the cable clear of the machine.
Dave F Ryan (not verified)
December 11, 2012 - 1:19am
Having read the articles relating to Heilo accidents. i wonder if the pilots involved have both rotary and fixed wing licences and while flying rotary, fall back into the Driver of the mobil phone user, in that the phone call becomes dominant more than driving. In the Rotary example, a fixed wing pilot regresses to flying more than what craft is being flown and when eyes see a situation developing, brain reverts to a fixed wing recovery techniques under the flight and fright experience? I wonder if a profile of mental attitudes towards flying rotary winged craft has been conducted in relation to those pilots who have not had incidents and those pilots who have. (In this country, it is easy to convert fixed wing private to rotary commercial).
walter hinkel (not verified)
December 21, 2012 - 3:12pm
Im 87 yrs old and thinking of building one to stay busy. Years ago I owned a bell 46 G2A . If there is anyone that had a similar experince I would enjoy hearing from you. Thank you. walter hinkel
walter hinkel (not verified)
December 21, 2012 - 3:12pm
Im 87 yrs old and thinking of building one to stay busy. Years ago I owned a bell 46 G2A . If there is anyone that had a similar experince I would enjoy hearing from you. Thank you. walter hinkel


text:
Memorial Day Holiday Schedules for Fairfax County Government
Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director of Public Affairs
703-324-3187, TTY 711, Fax 703-324-2010
Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
May 9, 2008
Memorial Day Holiday Schedules for Fairfax County Government
Listed below are schedules for Fairfax County government offices and services for the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 26.
CountyGovernment – Closed
Courts – Closed
Public Schools and School Offices – Closed
Libraries – Closed Sunday, May 25 and Monday, May 26
FairfaxConnector – Sunday service
Fastran – Not in service
Park Authority – Facilities will operate on holiday schedules on Monday, May 26. RECenters will open at regular time, but close at 6 p.m.; George Washington RECenter will be closed all day; nature centers will be open from noon to 5 p.m.; historic sites will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Frying Pan Farm Park will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; The Country Store and Visitor Center will be closed; Green Spring Gardens will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but the historic house will be closed.
Community, Teen and Senior Centers – Closed*
CountyTrash and County Recycling Collection – Open; please have trash and recyclables properly set out at curb by 6 a.m. to ensure collection.**
Recycling and Disposal Facilities at I-66 and I-95 – Open
* The Reston Community Center's Hunters Woods
facility (2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston) will be open from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. The Lake Anne facility will be closed.
** Residents receiving trash and recyclables collection service from private collection companies should contact their service provider directly to learn of any schedule adjustments for the holiday.
Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities. To request this information in an alternate format, call the Office of Public Affairs at 703-324-3187, TTY 711.


text:
Texas Sheet Cake
First things first, Merry Christmas everybody! I hope the holidays are treating you well this year. My mom used to make this cake all the time. It's really really really good. It's more like frosted brownies and it's delicious. You should make this. Today. Or tomorrow since you might be in a food coma already today.
I made these during my lunch break on a day that I worked from home. I sent them to work with hubby the next day so we wouldn't eat them all!! These are REALLY good warmed up with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
There are a few things about this recipe that just feel weird after all the baking I've done in the past few years. For one, you just throw all the ingredients together (this recipe is SO easy!) None of this adding flour and alternating with milk blah blah blah. It's kind of refreshing to just throw everything in and turn on the mixer. You also boil butter and cocoa. Twice. It's awesome. And don't worry about the 3 sticks of butter. They're totally worth it.
Texas Sheet Cake – from my mom – no idea where it's originally from, although PW does have the same recipe posted on her cooking blog…
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vingar + 1/2 cup milk
2 sticks butter
4 tbsp cocoa
1 cup water
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix the flour, sugar, sour cream, salt, eggs, baking soda and buttermilk in a large bowl.
Bring the butter, cocoa and water to a boil.
Add at once to flour mixture. Mix well and pour into greased cookie sheet. The batter is VERY runny.
Bake 20 min at 350. While the cake is baking, you will have just enough time to clean up the mess you made, wash the dishes and prepare the frosting. It's important to frost the cake immediately out of the oven, so no slacking here!
Frosting1 box powdered sugar (1 lb) – I just eyeball it to 1/2 of a 2 lb bag
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick butter
6 tbsp milk
4 tbsp cocoa
Combine the following the powdered sugar, pecans and vanilla.
Bring remaining ingredients to a boil. Add to the sugar mixture. Ice cake right out of oven.
2 Responses to "Texas Sheet Cake"
Mmm… you've managed to remind me of the Texas Sheet Cake I had last month and now I'm craving it! Thanks for sharing this and I hope to make this soon to take care of my chocolate sweet tooth 🙂 Happy Holidays!!
I Recently came across your blog through Google and
found it to be informative and interesting, Really
it's a fantastic blog. Good job keep it up…..
oh ya.. I have similiar blog like you on Cake Top , I hope the article on my blog will be
usefull for you… and we can share each other. thank
you… 🙂
Keep up the great work!!!!!