Two Things that are Missing from Everyone's Computer Room

Now I'm sure you are already laughing at the title of this Little Review!  But I must say, that if you love your family, there are two things that you will immediately add to that room where everyone gathers to check out their emails, Facebook postings, Google + pages and anything and everything else that you could possibly do on the computer.

Have you come up with what those two things are, yet?  Don't worry if you haven't because I'm sure there are lots and lots of people who are scratching their heads right now and  that will never think of these two things.

Now let me assure you, that they are not the regular things you might think of like, monitors or printers, paper and other computer related items, as a matter of fact, these are not really computer related at all, at least not directly.




Let me give you a little information that might help you decipher what I am talking about:

Most Americans and Canadians, are found to live a lifestyle that is far too sedentary.  The minimum of 20 minutes of exercise daily, is not being met by the majority of people over 40.  And that is 20 minutes of accumulated exercise.  Every time you exercise for 5 minutes or more, you add it to the next 5 minutes of exercise until you come to the 20 minute level.


That doesn't sound too strenuous for anyone, yet we don't do that little bit.  Why?

Well it seems that  the biggest problem is people come home from work, and sit down at the computer to do just a few "things" and before they know it 3 hours have been whittled out of your life, and it's time for bed.

Now, if you had these two things in your computer room, you would never get that far behind in your minimum requirements of exercise per day.

The first item needed, is a Kitchen Timer, and in this case we are going to re-purpose that Kitchen Timer to be our Computer Time Timer.

Oggi Countdown Stainless Steel 60-Minute Kitchen Timer

 Once you are at the computer, set the Timer to 55 minutes (or 50 minutes for those who are more active already).  Don't cheat, just do it!

Now when that timer goes off, you need that second piece of equipment in your Computer Room. That equipment is a Stationary Bike.  So the Timer has gone off, it's time to get out of your chair and get on the Stationary Bike.  It won't help if you just look at it, you have to get on it!
Sunny Health&Fitness SF-B901 Pro Indoor Cycling Bike

Now if you are really smart and I'm sure that you are, you can load up all those You Tube Videos that you have wanted to watch and let them roll!  You are on your bike, pedalling your way to a healthier lifestyle and still doing what you like to do on the computer.   This is the best WIN-WIN situation, ever!  If you are not into watching You Tube, you can put a movie into your CD ROM and catch up on a movie in the 5 or 10 minutes that you have set the timer for.



In 5 or 10 minutes you can get off the bike and resume your position in front of the computer again and continue your blogging or catching up with your friends on Face Book or just searching for whatever floats your boat!.

Two pieces of equipment for your computer room that will cost less than a yearly gym membership, and help you to become healthier, less sedentary and maybe even lose a pound or two in the process.

Can you think of a better way to do all of that?  

If you can, let me know and maybe I'll try it your way.  In the meantime, think about it and then do it!  Your body will thank you!

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Moving Country Songs That Celebrate the Special Relationship Between Father and Daughter

Wall Quotes to Honor Dad

If you're looking for Father Daughter Country Songs, or just general Father Daughter Songs, then to help you out, you'll find a few popular choices featured below. 

You can find a full list of Father Country Songs here.

You'll notice that each song below is included in a Playlist, enabling you to listen to the entire list of suggested Father Daughter Country Songs right here, without having to jump all over the internet endlessly searching for just the right song - a time consuming and sometimes frustrating process.

Note that this Playlist for father daughter country songs is always increasing, so be sure to check back as new songs are frequently added.

Today's Featured Five...

You're Gonna Miss This, Trace Adkins

What a great song! This father daughter relationship takes a journey through time from when she's a little girl, up to when she has kids of her own. The small, everyday moments of life are perfectly highlighted in these words to make the song very easy to relate to.

You Can Let Go Now Daddy - A Song of Loss and Goodbye

Well just grab a tissue box before you play this one! I cannot get through this song without crying. A beautiful story told in song, of a girl from childhood to womanhood honoring her father and giving him permission to die. It's rough to get through.



My Little Girl, by Tim McGraw

A beautiful wedding song choice for father and daughter. It's a dad voice deeply expressing his immeasurable love for his Little Girl. It's a love every parent knows, and this song will bring out tears every time.



Let Them Be Little, Billy Dean

What a lovely song for a father and daughter to dance to..."let them be little, cause they're only that way for a while... let'em giggle, let them sleep in the middle...you turn around and it's time to let them go". No doubt about it, there will be tears during this dance.



Daddy Dance With Me, by Krystal Keith - 'But I'll be Your Baby Girl for Life'

In my opinion, this ranks as the prettiest, saddest, most beautiful song to choose for a father daughter wedding dance. It's written explicitly for a wedding. Listening to this song is difficult for me right now; dad passed last year, and the lyrics are so deeply moving. (Lyrics) '...I want you to know I'll always need your love'...'you gave me faith you gave me life, you trusted me to live it right'.



If you need any of the above songs, visit Drageda.com - The Heart of Country Music where you'll find these songs plus many more that celebrate all relationships with Dad's.

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Site Review: Lighthouse Musings

I have always admired Mary Beth's photography, but what I didn't expect was to fall in love with lighthouses because of her reviews.  While I appreciated lighthouses and their functional purpose, I never really looked at them closely until I started reading about them in her articles.  Mary Beth has a entire site dedicated to her lighthouse musings.  Please allow me to give you a short guided tour and highlight some of her lighthouse adventures.  I also encourage you to visit Lighthouse Musings yourself.

Rose Island Lighthouse

Lighthouse History

Mary Beth features lighthouses that she has personally visited.  In many of her articles, she shares the history of the lighthouse she is featuring alongside her breathtaking photos.

I am often fascinated by their stories and have come to seriously appreciate the efforts of many of the communities to save their beloved lighthouse.  It becomes very clear that the residents in the area have a very real relationship and respect for them.  They often go to great lengths to restore a lighthouse and to preserve the historical value.  Such was the case with the Rose Island Lighthouse.

I encourage you to visit Mary Beth's article and read about this incredible community and their beautiful lighthouse. 

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Lighthouse Beauty

Because of their purpose, a lighthouse is most often built in a captivating setting close to a shoreline or on an elevated cliff, but the beauty of the beacon of light itself is indisputable.  I am sure we each would have a personal favorite based on architectural design, paint colors, or perhaps even the sheer size.  There is no doubt that each lighthouse Mary Beth features has it's own unique appeal.  However, I do want to show you my personal favorite.

Navesink

Isn't it fabulous! 

So unique and with an incredible history.  I hope to one day visit and tour this stunning lighthouse.  You can learn all about Navesink at Lighthouse Musings. 

After you visit Lighthouse Musings and explore the dozens of lighthouses featured there, do come back here and tell us which is your personal favorite.

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Lighthouse Getaways

Several of the lighthouses offer to host your wedding or special occasion, but what fascinates me most are the lighthouses that allow guests to spend the night.  I wonder if I could sleep a wink surrounded by such beauty and historical interests.  I expect I would not want to sleep!  I would want to make sure I toured and touched everything there.

This bench beckons me to come and stay for a while!

Big Bay Point Lighthouse

Thanks to Mary Beth and her introduction to these wonderful lighthouses, I find I am quite fascinated and awed by lighthouses.  I think you will be too.

Visit Lighthouse Musings by clicking this link and take your own tour at a leisurely pace.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Nature Photography Tips

Classes Great Way to Enhance Photography Skills

I have found that the world of photography is a never ending learning experience. I am always so excited to learn new techniques and new ideas for photographs.

 

The opportunities to increase your skills with your camera are everywhere you look. You might find a good book written by a photographer you admire. Studying the works of others is a great way to learn. There are also some great photographer groups on Facebook where you can view the work of others and even post your own photos. Other photo enthusiasts always seem eager to give advice and tips.

I like to take a seminar or a photography class every year. I feel that I always learn something new and many times skills that I had learned and forget to use are reinforced in these classes. When I have taken classes in the past, I have written a  a blog post on them. For me the act of writing down what I have learned reinforces my learning. I hope it also helps others who read these tips.

On this page I will write on a nature photography class I am taking at our local community center. Our instructor Garry Rose has a great way of explaining concepts so that they make sense to me.

photos on this page are by the author mbgphoto

Lesson One

Introduction

In our first class the instructor gave us an introduction to nature photography. He described nature photography as anything taken outdoors that is not changed by man. Things like landscapes, wildlife, flowers, and animals would all be a part of nature photography.

We also talked about ethics for a photographer. Some key points included:

*Keep subjects safe

*Never dig up plants

*Never trim or snap plants

*Be careful not to expose nest or handle babies

A key point to remember is to leave the area looking exactly like it did when you arrived.

Know Your Subject

read or observe

It is always good to know your subject before you set out to photograph. You can do this by researching the subject or by observing what you see.

An example the instructor gave on knowing your subject is his own love of photographing dragonflies. Dragonflies are often times rather elusive but because our instructor has studied their habits he knows the best times and places to catch some great shots of dragonflies.

Know your Equipment

The best way to get to know your camera and equipment is to use them and practice with them. Our instructor encouraged the use of the histogram on our cameras to help us to determine if the light is right on our photo. This is particularly good to use on a bright sunny day when it is hard to see the screen on the camera. You can use the + or - button on your camera to lighten or darken the subject as needed. 

Another camera feature that is good to know is the depth of field preview button. This will help you to determine if you have in focus what you want in focus. Check your camera manual if you don't know where your button is on the camera. The instructor gave us an assignment to help us learn about the depth of field with the various focal lengths on our camera. We were to photograph a 12 inch ruler using both the longest and the shortest focal lengths on each of our lenses. We were to use aperature priority set at F8 and make sure the ruler was in focus on each shot. I really enjoyed seeing how this changed the background in each of my photos. With my shortest focal length 18mm the house in the background is in focus as you see in this photo. Look at the photo below to see how that changes with the longer focal length.

 

With this lesson in mind I used my 300mm focal length to photograph a tulip in my neighbors yard. I was able to get the tulip in focus and the background blurred.

Same shot using a 300mm lens

Good Technique

The instructor gave us a lot of tips on good techniques to use during nature photography. Some of them were reinforcing techniques I already use and others were ideas that I need to incorporate into my photography.

These are some of the key points I took away from the lecture.

• Always use a Tripod
• Slow down and take your time. This is a great tip and one that I need to be work on.
• Shoot both vertical and horizontal views.
• Look for different vantage points. Everybody looks at a scene and takes it straight on. Find a way to make it different. Perhaps you might just photograph a section close up or photograph it with something interesting in the foreground.
• Look for ways to frame the subject. This is one of my favorites. I love to find ways to frame my subjects as you can see in the lighthouse photo that I framed by colored leaves.

Here is a tripod that is the same brand and price range as the one that I use.  While it is not the most expensive, it is not the cheapest either and I find that it works well for my needs.

Tripod on Amazon.com

Split Rock Lighthouse in Fall Greeting Card by lighthouseenthusiast
View more Split rock lighthouse Cards at zazzle.com

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Reviewing The Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery Series

A Fun Series For Fans Of Mysteries, Cats and Ghosts

I am an avid reader and love to read mystery novels and if they come in a series then I am even happier. I recently read the Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery Series by Leighan Dobbs and enjoyed it immensely. It was pretty easy to get attached to the characters (human, feline and ghostly)! I think that is why I like reading series books, you become fond of the characters and want to follow them through their different stories, at least I do.

Ghostly Paws (Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery #1)

A Little About The Books In This Mystery Series

The main premise of the the 4 books that have been published, so far, in this series is that Willa Chance has moved back to her childhood home after having inherited her Grandmother's home and bookstore. The name of the bookstore is Last Chance Books. She also becomes the guardian of her Grandmother's cat, Pandora. Just before her Grandmother passed away, Willa was involved in an accident that permanently damaged her leg but there seems to be another complication. She now sees ghosts that, of course, no one else sees. 

Willa discovers this new ability shortly after she moves back home when she finds the librarian dead in the local library. The ghost of the now deceased librarian insists that her death was murder and Willa must help find the killer so that she can go on into the next realm. It makes some sense that the ghosts seek Willa's help because before her accident she was an investigative reporter specializing in crime. She has the skills to look for clues and suspicious behavior. Her snooping doesn't usually sit well with her sister, Augusta, who happens to be the County Sheriff. The interactions with sisters are so realistic it isn't even funny.

Mystic Notch has a lot of history with many of the inhabitants celebrating generations of ancestors from the area. This includes the cats of Mystic Notch. There are the felines who have humans to keep an eye on and there are the feral cats that are supported by some of the town's people. The cats whether tame or feral have a special mission and have had for hundreds of years. It is the responsibility of these very special cats to keep the humans safe and to maintain the balance of good and evil with an emphasis of good having the advantage. 

I found these books very entertaining! I loved the mysteries in each of the books that the humans were trying to solve. I also loved the interaction and conversations with the cats! Pandora is considered a young cat since she is only on her first life but she meets with cats who are much older. Pandora wants to do things in the new ways and in one of the books even searches the internet for information on some suspects. The older cats often want to assist the humans in the old ways and get a little aggravated with the younger cats with their new ideas. It is hysterical when the cats often refer to the humans as rather inept and inferior to their own species. These cats are pretty clever!

The rest of the series

• A Spirited Tail (Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery Series) (Volume 2)
• A Mew To A Kill (Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery Series) (Volume 3)
• Paws And Effect (Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery Series (Volume 4) 

The great thing about these books is that you can get them in printed form if you prefer holding a book in your hands as you read or you can read them in digital form. I have linked to the books available on Amazon for downloads to your reader but you can also use your Nook and download from Barnes & Noble, if you wish. 

These books are light reads and are usually around 200 pages or less. I am sure that Leighann Dobbs must share her life with at least one cat because she describes their actions so well. I've caught myself looking at my own cat a little differently after having been introduced to the cats of Mystic Notch, that is for sure. 

If you love a good mystery, love cats and don't mind a friendly ghost or two then you will love this series of books that take place in the fictional town of Mystic Notch. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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