Flip Out Mama

Okay, Okay, a lot of you are going to think this is a boring post. But, alas, it is not. You might not think that you are going to really care about a Xeon Dedicated Server post, but you are.. Just keep reading, it's really interesting stuff! A lot of you probably know about dedicated servers, I know a lot of you have guys in your life that enjoy gaming, so they are probably not a totally foreign concept to you.. Well, the Xeon Dedicated Server is probably the one that they are longing for, if not the one they already have. It is pretty much the best! So, get ready to knock your guy's socks off the next time he is blabbing on and on about dedicated servers! Personally, I am a girl, so when I hear dedicated server, I hear blah blah blah, you know how it goes ladies. But, these servers are actually pretty cool. Dedicated severs make your internet and computer work super duper fast. I totally wish I had one for blogging, since my internet is notttt so great. Thanks, Winds...

I don't know much about baseball. Okay, I don't know anything at all about baseball. But, I do have a nephew that has played baseball since he was 4.I mean really, since he was a baby. Every single year. He is now starting his freshman year of college,and baseball is his life.I don't know much about baseball, and I don't really remember anything that he has tried to teach me over the years. The one thing that I do remember him talking about over and over is how his coach always wants him to pitch harder . Pitch harder? Seriously? I didn't even know there was such a thing.. I thought, you kinda, just "pitched". And that was that. But no, apparently that is not actually the case. Apparently, from what I am learning, this is a skill that can be learned, and you can learn to pitch up to like 90 mph. Umm, that is fast... And could really hurt. LOL. But, apparently this can also be a very good skill to have in baseball, and can make you really super s...

I am so long overdue for a personal post. As most of you know, I absolutely love Breaking Bad on AMC. (Not Available On Dish LOL)..Well, we only have one episode left this year before the half-season break, and things are sure getting a little bit crazy in BB land.  This past Sunday was a sad, sad night for me. It marked the end of Mike, my most beloved character on Breaking Bad. I seriously do not know what it is about this man, but I have loved him from the very start. Maybe it's my lack of grandpa/daddies in my life, but I just really, really love(d) this badass old man.  So, by now, if you haven't seen this video, with my beloved Mike, you need to check it out:  Jonathan Banks is such an amazing actor and I love, love love him! Mike will definitely go down as my all time favorite TV character! But, for now, we are impatiently waiting for Sunday night and what is going to happen before the horrible year long wait until the end of the series.. Oh, dea...

Okay, if I had to choose only one brand of toys to buy each of my kids for the rest of forever, the choice for Tater would without a doubt be Uncle Milton. They make the coolest toys, specializing in "scientific" type toys. They are right up Tater's alley. We got a chance to review one of their new Nat Geo WILD toys recently, and.. oh my goodness, was it ever a hit! This, my dears, is the Nat Geo WILD Anteater Bug Vac. Please tell me if you have ever in your life seen something so cute, yet gross? This guy is an actual motorized bug vacuum, that sucks up the bugs without killing them. You can take out his belly to better observe your creatures. (No thanks, but Tater likes it!) The whole Nat Geo Wild line is absolutely awesome, they have everything! They even have a video camera that goes on your dog's collar to record pet's eye view videos. Now I think that is awesome. We really liked the Anteater. We saw it featured on the today show and were pr...

Today I have a great review for you guys! You know I am always on the lookout for toys that are good for my kids. I love toys that make them think, and I love toys that are, ahem. .. not loud.  Well, the folks at WOW Toys have really covered all the bases. WOW Toys makes toys that are durable, fun, cute and best of all, require ZERO batteries! You know what that means? No noise! Just my kiddos and their imaginations, my favorite thing of all!  We were sent two great toys from WOW to review! This is Fred. He is known as Flip'n'Tip Fred! Fred is no ordinary garbage truck, he is a recycling truck! The boys are absolutely crazy about this one! I love, love, LOVE the folks at WOW made sure this truck came with not one, but two recyclers. I HATE buying a toy for the boys to share and it only coming with one little guy to play with. Then I have to hear them fight over it forever. Fred comes with a friction powered mower, so he still moves, just without batteries! The...

In our house, we are dinosaur CRAZY! I mean seriously. My boys share a dinosaur room, and we have probably 100 dinosaur figures. As a matter of fact, in a few weeks, we are going on vacation to.. wait for it.. DINOSAUR WORLD! So, when we got the chance to review the new Dinosaur Train Alvin InterAction Figure by TOMY, we were thrilled! I knew this would be right up my boys' alley!  This, my friends, is Alvin. He is an Allosaurus. I know, I know, he looks like a T-Rex, but don't get that sort of thing wrong in my house.. That is serious business! Here is what TOMY has to say about the new Dinosaur Train toys.. I love the InterAction ones!  Inspired by Jim Henson's hit PBS show, DINOSAUR TRAIN toys merge both dinosaur and train play for action-packed adventures. Create a world of prehistoric fun with collectible dinosaur figures, motorized train sets with lights and sounds, and InterAction figures that talk, sing, and roar together. How cool i...

After doing a few years of trips close to home, I am thinking that next year might be the year we are ready  to venture out a little further from home. I mean, Tater is almost seven now.. And Bean is 2, potty trained and big as he can be.. I think they could handle it.. So where am I thinking for this vacation? Maybe Central Jersey? I have to admit that maybe it wasn't my first thought, but after researching a little bit, there really is a ton of stuff to do there, and it is closer to home than Florida, etc.. They really do have  a ton of fun stuff for families, they have a lot of amusement parks and water parks, etc..They even have an indoor water park!  Plus check out this balloon festival picture that I found, how fun does that look?  I am going to keep up my researching and come up with a game plan, and then spring it on the hubs and boys that this is where I think we are going to go next year! I think they will go for it, don't you? I mean, it's kin...

Can you believe that it is time for Flip Out Mama's THIRD annual holiday gift guide?!?!  This is my favorite part of the year and my very favorite blogging event, so you can imagine how excited I am! I am happy to announce that we are now accepting submissions for gifts in the following categories: Women Men Baby Kids (especially BOYS!) Teens Techie Gifts Food & Snacks Stocking Stuffers Home and Garde Pets and more!  If you have a product that you would like to see featured on our holiday gift guide, the All Inclusive list of what to buy for Christmas 2012, send an email to Dawn at burton40444@gmail.com. We would be happy to discuss including your product! 

My next book review is a great book by Howard Lufborrow, called "Crown Deception" . The book is about a young dentist, Jake Patterson, in small town Texas who is asked by local police to examine a strange symbol on a dead man's tooth at the local morgue. In the same town, Kate Williams, a manager at a large company based in the Netherlands, finds out that something is being smuggled into her lab. Jake and Kate are brought into the mystery together when they find themselves on the same flight to the Netherlands for meetings. Things become much more complicated for these two, as they find themselves tangled in a web of murder, smuggling, espionage and an international police investigation.  This book was a super interesting read! I read the whole thing straight through in less than 24 hours. I just did not want to put it down! I really found myself caring about the characters and hoping the best for them, which is not normal for me. I usually just read the book w...

Today's book review is a book called "Transformations of the Liminal Self : Configurations of Home and Identity for Muslim Characters In British Post-colonial Fiction. The book is written by Alaa Alghamdi and it is a very informative read!    I am going to be honest, this book is probably not something I would have picked up on my own, since I really didn't know much about the subject matter before beginning the book. But, I have to say that I am glad that I read and I did really end up learning a lot.    The book's focus is on the complicated and sometimes confusing relationship between Muslim and Western culture for the people who have to live on both sides of the divide. I have never really imagined how difficult things must be for people who are born in one country but have family and history from another.    The book focuses on British post-colonial literature to illustrate the points discussed, and I really found myself thinking a lo...

Okay, I will admit, I was a little bit reluctant for this review. Don't get me wrong, when I was chosen to review the Hoover Twin Tank Steam Mop, I was thrilled, but I didn't think it would beat the steam mop that I already owned.  You see, I bought a high dollar, fancy steam mop and vacuum combo last year, and I have loved it. My husband reluctantly let me buy it, even though it cost way too much. So, why did I think that the Hoover Twin Tank mop would be better?  Okay, I was wrong. I was so, so wrong.  I am absolutely in love with the Hoover Twin Tank and I am not going back to the other steam mop. Ever. In fact, I already gave it to my sister.  Why do I love this steam mop?  Okay, first of all, it is the only steam mop with two tanks. One tank is for water, the other is for cleaning solution. That way you can use the mop with just steam, or steam and cleaner. I absolutely love this. It is so convenient to use this way. If I need steam...

You guys know that I am on a roll with the book reviews around here! And this next one is right up my alley! The book I am going to tell you about today is called The Ultimate Guide To Greening Your Home and it is a great resource for people who are interested in going green and saving money. The author of this book is actually the owner of a sustainability consulting firm (Anthony Gilbreath), so he knows what he is talking about. This 66 page ebook covers all the bases from electronics to lawn care to each room in your home. I love that the book is divided up into easy to read and digest sections. I love the daily tips that the book offers, that way I really do feel like I am making a difference every day!  A lot of us feel like we need to be making better choices to be more environmentally conscious but we really don't know how to make those changes. This book shows you that you don't have to completely overhaul your lifestyle and make a drastic change to make a ...

I want to start off by saying that I have been using the internet for purchases for years. Long before it was cool, and long before it was the norm. For the majority of my "online shopping" career, I have used "The Other Guys". You know, the big name payment processor who everyone uses (and hates!). My experiences with "The Other Guys" has been rocky to say the least. In the last ten years, I have had more problems with them than I can count. They have "mistakenly" and "inadvertently" frozen my account (and therefore, my money!) several times. They have sent the money to the wrong bank account. They have ignored, ignored, and then ignored some more, my repeated emails and requests for support from their support team. But, the fees, were the worst. Oh, the fees! I had just gotten to the point where I was absolutely sick to death of them taking my money. I knew there had to be another way. A business colleague of mine turned me onto P...

Someone please tell me me why, oh why am I ALWAYS thinking birthdays? We JUST got the boys'  birthdays over with the end of May and I am already planning for next year. I guess I just want them to always be extra special. Well, I have found a great item for next year's party already.  I found a great Etsy shop that makes Kid's Personalized Birthday Banners , and you guys know I love me some Etsy! These are amazing vinyl birthday banners that you can personalize with your kid's photos and favorite characters! I absolutely love this idea, and it is a great and inexpensive way to decorate for a party! I can even see us hanging these banners in the boys' rooms after the party is over!  Look at this adorable Umizoomi Banner! Now, we love us some Team Umizoomi in this house, but that is not your only option! There are seriously tons to choose from! I had my boys take a look at they picked their favorites! In no particular order:  Elmo and Friends Sesa...

Happy Monday dear friends! Today I have a great blog to share with you guys! It is called Simply and Sincerely Food, and it is just great! The blog is written by a girl named Alissa, and she shares some really awesome and amazing recipes! This girl is SO far beyond what I will ever be as a cook,but her recipes are amazing! On her blog you will find just about anything food-related that you could ever think of! She has so much more than recipes, her blog includes food stories, food travels, kitchen tips, cooking and shopping tips, and gorgeous food photos! This girl really has a knack for cooking and you can tell that she loves it by the way she writes about it! My personal favorite post was her "Eating Tour Of New York!" Now, that is MY kind of tour!!!  And tell me photos like this don't make you ravenous!?!  If you would like to check out Alissa's blog, here is her link: http://www.simplyandsincerelyfood.com/ .  I highly recommend that you follow...

Well, you guys know that I love a good vacation, even though I have been vacation-deprived in this lifetime  But for those of you who are not so vacation deprived, I found a site that has some great deals on vacations to Sandals Resort!  With these Sandals Resort discounts, you can save up to 65%!!  If you don't know about Sandals, it's only the most wonderful, amazing vacation resort on the face of the planet. If you can dream it, they can provide it!     They have all sorts of packages, including all-inclusive, which would definitely be my choice! If I am going on vacation, I don't wanna worry about ANYTHING!  If you are lucky enough to be planning a Sandals vacation, you gotta check this site out! What are you waiting for, go!!  

Hey guys!I have a new client that I am working with, Bazzbo! Bazzbo is the maker of some of the most awesome iPhone photo apps I have ever seen! this photo was created using Bazzbo's Textures+ app! The apps that you can get from Bazzbo can turn your iPhone photos into works of art! I really suck at taking pics with my iPhone, but with Bazzbo's apps, I look like a photo genius!  Their newest app, Smoosh, was just released, and it is going to be a big hit! Check out the press release here: http://prmac.com/release-id- 46310.htm I would love for you guys to join me over on their Facebook page, where we will be sharing some awesome iPhone photography tips! http://www.facebook.com/goBazzbo Or you can follow on Twitter @gobazzbo!  If you are looking for some really great apps for your phone, or you just like taking photos, join us today!

Another great book review for you guys today! I have been reviewing a ton of books lately and not all of them are my style of books, but this one is right up my alley! These are the kind of books that I really like to read! This one, The Humanity Of Justice, is a true-crime book as told by a veteran prosecutor. Mr. Strunsky tells all about some of the most chilling and haunting cases the US Justice system has ever seen, and takes you right inside the courtroom.   I learned so much from the book. Not only were the cases gripping and compelling, but I learned a lot of criminal justice facts, and terms, etc. It was really interesting to me to learn all of this while also being entertained by the stories themselves. What I really liked about the book, aside from the actual stories and cases, is the commentary that Mr. Strunsky has throughout the book. You can tell that he truly cares about the people in these cases and that he really has an emotional involvement in the...

  Hey guys, I've got a cool little tool to share with you guys today! It's a great site that converts Australian Dollars to pounds! Now, personally, I don't use either one of those currencies, but I really like to play around with cool stuff like this! This site could be a great resource if you were going on vacation and needed to convert your cash! I have never been to Australia, but it is definitely on my list, so I will have to bookmark this page for future use! The site is updated daily, so you know you are always getting the most up to date info! If you guys wanna check it out, here it is!

Favourite Ingredients in Goody Bags A goody bag is the staple of children’s parties- there can never be a good party for kids without these. Whether it is a birthday party or a class members’ get together, you need to figure out what to offer them when they come. Whether given to kids or adults, or even drop-ins, putting favourite ingredients in goody bags will make your party a lifetime memorial moment. Some the favourite ingredients in goody bags include the following: It should be tied to the theme of the party. Wonderful flower covers may be good for a get together. Decorative leaves and plastic grapes may be useful for thanksgiving parties. Plastic Easter eggs and chocolate covers may be favorable for Easter seasons. Even burning candles are good. For kids, little toys and games can be favourite ingredient in goody bags for them. It will be highly appreciated and acknowledged. These can often be passed out either at the end or beginning of a party. Kids’ goody bags need not be ...

Today I have a great book to tell you guys about that is right up my alley! The book is called "The Boss In Bunny Slippers: A Woman's Guide To Leadership Success, All While Working From The Comfort Of Home". This book is perfect for me and all moms out there like me who are trying to take care of their families, emotionally, physically, and financially while staying at home. It really is a hard job, and there are times that I am afraid that I have made the wrong choice, but I know at home with my babies is where I need to be. So, I was excited to find this book!  This book is a great resource for work at home moms, and not only does it give great advice, but it is funny too! I really like books that give you the actual tools you need and not just a general idea. I like details!!!  Anyways, this is a great book for work at home moms like me, and I totally recommend it to you!  If you would like to check it out, click here! About The Author:  ...

I don't have teenagers yet, and I am NOT looking forward to when I do have teens. But, for those of you who do, this is a pretty cool app! Care4teen is an app that helps parents keep tabs on what their kids and teens are doing online. You can see what apps they download, what games they play and what websites they visit.    The really cool thing about this app is that you can see also where your child is by the GPS montioring. This app also offers a safe web browser, and restrictions for launching applications. The best part about this app? It's FREE!!!! If you have teens or tweens in your house, you really do need this app to keep up with them! I am so thankful that I am not at this point yet!!!    If you want to check out this app, click here! 

  Most of you guys know that I am trying to get back into reading like I used to before the boys were born. It is my plan that after Tater goes back to school, (NEXT WEDNESDAY-Hallelujah!) I will have more free time. But in the meantime, I have been checking out a few books here and there, and I wanted to share this one with you guys!  Murder Takes Time by Giacomo Giammatteo is really an interesting read. The book focuses on detective Frankie Donovan, who is investigating a string of murders in Brooklyn. When the clues begin to point to childhood friends with whom his emotional bond is unbreakable, the lines between right and wrong begin to blur, and he has to struggle to decide what actions to take.  What I really liked about the book, is that it wasn't focused on "just murder". It wasn't just a crime drama book. It had a lot of emotional and relationship issues, which is always interesting to read, and even a little bit of love. It really is a book for ...

  As a blogger, it is my main goal to connect with my readers, and give them things they want to see and read about! It is kind of hard sometimes though, since you don't really know just who is out there reading. What if the things I am posting are not really things that my readers want to read? I don't really know my readers as well as I would like to, and that is where online survey software can come in handy for blog owners. You can create online surveys in just a few minutes, and invite your blog readers to take them. Everyone loves a survey, right? And, no one minds to take one that is going to improve their reading experiences. This is a great way to get to know your reader demographics and see exactly who is reading your blog!  Getting new insight on your reader demographics is not the only way that online surveys or market research surveys can be beneficial to your blog. You can also use them to see exactly what your readers want to see on your blog. You ...

Well, now that I am transitioning to being at home full time, I have a little more time on my hands, and I have been able to exercise and work out a little more than usual. It also helps that since I had my heart surgery, I can actually exercise without feeling like I was (literally) having a heart attack. But, I am thinking that I might want to do a body cleanse . Have you guys ever done one?  It seems like a good way to jumpstart my weight loss and get my body feeling better.  I have heard that it isn't as hard as it sounds, and that you really do get good results.  I am really interested in trying it, since I am all about some homeopathic or natural remedies.  It would be really cool to have something like that actually work, and imagine how motivated I would be afterwards to actually keep exercising.  I am leaning more and more towards trying one in the very near future.  Any one have experiences to share?  This has...

Okay, I really don't know.. but it was a good teaser, wasn't it? I have been looking at all kinds of homes lately, from Kansas City Homes to Albuquerque homes.. I have this kind of crazy fantasy life in my head, where hubs and I just pack up and move on a whim, and start a new life in a new town. It sounds so romantic and cool, but it's not ever going to happen. My life is anything but cool OR romantic, so why should it start now LOL? We are happy here, our (tiny) family is here, and this is where we were raised. So, regardless of crazy fantasy life, I don't think we will be moving to Kansas City. Not that I wouldn't like to, but it just doesn't seem feasible. Not right now anyways, maybe when we're old and gray..  It's just too hard right now when the house here is almost paid off, the boys are so young, and school, and jobs, etc.. Seems almost impossible to move across town, much less across the country.  What about you guys? Do y...

So, somewhere along the lines, Tater got fat. I don't know when this happened, but he kind of blew up like a whale. I mean don't get me wrong, he is still cute as a button. Just a little, well, "fluffier" than usual. I am thinking of getting him into a sport that would provide him with some exercise, coaching drills , and maybe some structure.  He really needs something to motivate him. I bought him the new bike, and that didn't do the trick. Even when his friends get out and run around, he is usually hanging back, and not doing anything physical. I am hoping that sports could change that. Maybe he could find something that he would really enjoy, maybe he could make some new friends in the process.  I am thinking of signing him up for soccer on back to school night. I don't know if he would really enjoy it or not, but we are going to talk more about it and see. I don't want him to be a lazy kid, so I have got to find a way to get him motivat...