I’m not going to pretend to be a chemistry genius. I won’t even tell you that I enjoyed Science in school. That’s because I didn’t. In fact, from 9th grade on, I did well enough in my science classes to not have to repeat any of the classes. That’s all that mattered.

Don’t misunderstand. I was an A student right through the 8th grade. Teachers encouraged me. I never felt like being a girl meant I couldn’t do math or science. My failure had nothing to do with stereotypes. Looking back, there were a few factors at play once I hit high school. First, I didn’t “get” the whole Lab notebook thing. The stuff we had to write in it seemed too simple to be correct. I didn’t understand why we had to write everything down when it was all so simple. If only the teacher had said, “I know this seems tedious but we’re learning the correct procedure.” I would have understood. I just kept thinking I was missing something. Second, the smell of formaldehyde in the science lab, thanks to the Juniors who were dissecting cats, gave me a headache. I was in pain and since I had no intention of every needing science, I just didn’t pay attention. After all, I wanted to be a writer. Or a guidance counselor. Or a lawyer. Or something other than a nurse, chemist, scientist.

Despite all of that, I am absolutely certain that there is one thing my teacher could have said to me to change my entire attitude about science. If one person had told me that by studying chemistry, I could create my very own soap, lotions, serums, shampoos, conditioner and other toiletries, I would have figured out the darn Lab notebook thing and invested in massive amounts of Excedrin, just so I could learn about chemistry.

That may seem shallow or stereotypical but it’s the truth. And today, I stand by the premise that if a girl is not interested in science, show her how to make a body lotion or shampoo or a heavenly scented bar of soap and she’ll be hooked on chemistry.

My own daughter is having trouble in science so I’ve been searching for a way to get her interested. That’s what brought me to www.scientificsonline.com and their fun chemistry kits. I was hoping to find something to pique my daughter’s interest; I never expected to find a complete soapmaking kit! While The Art Of Soapmaking doesn’t contain the lye needed to make soap (check your local hardware store for that) it does have everything else you need to make 15 beautifully scented bars of soap. The oils included – almond, olive, coconut and palm – should make a wonderful bar. I’ve worked with those oils and they’re perfect for a beginning soapmaker. The folks at Edmund Scientific really did their homework when they put this kit together!

Not only will this kit teach kids about the saponification process, it will also produce exfoliating bars made with the included oatmeal. Ahhh, so nice for the skin! I can’t imagine any girl who thinks science is just for guys, not being totally taken with this kit. The really great thing about the kit is that it comes with a reusable wooden mold. Once your child is successful with that first batch of soap, I know they’ll be wanting to make more. With such well written instructions, it will be a cinch to refill the kit and keep using it over and over.

Becoming a soapmaker spurred my interest in chemistry. I regret not learning about chemistry in high school, when my brain was young and able to retain so much more than it does now. With the science kits at Edmund Scientific, there is no reason that every child can’t be exposed to a side of science that fits with his or her needs. Sometimes that’s what it takes – for a parent or caring teacher to look a little deeper into a child to learn how to spur that interest. Science always plays a role in the things we love in life, whatever that may be. Just take a look around the site and you’ll find something that seems to be made for that child in your life. Go ahead, open the door to the world of science and watch the excitement and learning right before your eyes!

If you like this Thoof It!

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Seriously, I always wanted a lot of sons. And I’m not at all disappointed that I have 5 of them. Raising boys has been quite a learning experience and loads of fun. I wouldn’t change a thing, except maybe I’d have one or two more in between Jesse and Nick.

There are a few downsides to raising boys, though. I’ve mentioned many times that bathroom habits of males are mind boggling, especially to someone who never had brothers. It was culture shock and different, but I adapted. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll ever adapt to the high price of car insurance. Every since Chris got his driver’s license over a dozen years ago, we’ve dealt with the this ever increasing dollar amount.

Nick is covered on his own but Boomer is bugging me about getting his permit. He’s 16 and could have gotten it at age 15 but we delayed. And delayed. And delayed. The truth is, I didn’t want to insure him when we had full coverage on all three vehicles. Now that Brian’s truck and the Honda are paid off and we’ve given the Honda to Jesse, the cost shouldn’t be as bad. Well, at least I’m hoping.

I’ve been happy with my insurance company but I really want to find a better deal. With a 16 year old son about to drive, I really need cheap car insurance. There are a number of sites where you can compare prices but I like the GoCompare.com site because they are not insurance brokers, just a comparison site. There’s no charge to use their site, so that’s a plus, of course. Even better, they offer a 5-star rating scale so that you can see how well a policy meets your needs. Finding a great price is important but not if the policy doesn’t cover the things that are important to you.

GoCompare.com lets you compare coverage for all types of vehicles as well as travel insurance, pet insurance and now, even home insurance. The interface is clean and easy to navigate. Unfortunately for me, it’s also for UK drivers and residents while I’m in the US.

I’d love for GoCompare.com to open a US based website. I’d definitely insurance shop from that site rather than the ones currently available for US residents. I may just have to shoot off an email to tell them we need something like this on our side of the Atlantic, too.

If you’re reading this and live in the UK, do stop by GoCompare.com to compare insurance prices. I’d be interested to hear about any bargains you might find. And I suppose I’ll just keep comparing prices the old fashioned way, without really knowing how the different policies rate since I won’t be able to utilize the 5-star rating system.

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Yes, Christmas is right around the corner. How do I know? Well, Nick is already talking about how he’s going to decorate the house.

It’s interesting, really, since Nick does not like holidays normally. Even as a small child, he never really liked Christmas. The only thing he ever enjoyed was decorating. I think that’s because Brian let him climb on the roof to hang lights and Nick loves any excuse to climb on the roof.

Last year we got rid of our 5 year old tree because it was pre-lit and more than half the tree wouldn’t light up anymore. We also noticed that some of our outdoor lights needed replaced. So Nick and I have been discussing this coming holiday season and what purchases we need to make.

Usually Nick gets really crazy ideas but this year I think he may be on to something. He’s looking at LED Christmas lights and I think I like them! They burn cooler than traditional lights are more energy efficient and last up to 25 times longer! They’re better for the environment, too, since they use less energy.

From what I’ve read these LED lights are safer since they don’t have the fragile glass and filaments that traditional bulbs have. Since we put our tree on a ceramic tile floor, we’ve had more than a few accidents with bulbs and lights over the years. And one year, some kids took our outdoor lights and smashed them on the street. I think the little vandals would have trouble doing that with these LED lights.

The only problem we’re having right now is trying to decide which lights to buy. I like the Crystal White Strawberry LED lights but Nick really likes the Professional Rope Light. I’d let Brian cast the tie-breaking vote but I have a feeling he’d want to look around the site and pick out something totally different.

Nick seems to think the Rope LED would allow him to work on the roof edge better. I think it’s okay for sculptures, like a tree, but until we have a nice sized tree out front, we really don’t need that. What do you think? Does Mother know best? Or should Nick decide since he climbs on the roof every year?

And what about you? Do you think you’ll be switching to LED Christmas lights this year? I think I’m ready to put them all over my house, year ’round!

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Did you ever have a favorite “something” and then lose it? You know, like a favorite pen or lipstick. Yeah, I’m asking because I do and I did. Specifically, I have a favorite lipstick that is always right, no matter the time of day or what I’m wearing or where I’m going. It’s just perfect. On Sunday, as I was putting the finishing touches on my face before church, I reached into my purse for my favorite lipstick but it wasn’t there. And I freaked out. I know, it’s just a lipstick but it makes me feel “finished” and ready to meet the world. And it’s gone.

I’m going to order my favorite lipstick today but instead of one tube I’m ordering two. I’ve learned my lesson about being prepared. The best thing about ordering is that I’m using a coupon from a new site that’s jam packed with online coupons, including ones from Sephora! Every girly geek knows that Sephora is The place to shop for beauty products and WebbyPlanet.com has included the latest deals and coupons from that makeup wonderland. Oooo, I’m elated!

Of course, WebbyPlanet has much more than just girly coupons. They’ve got coupons for Games & Toys sites, Flower sites, Collectibles sites and, of course, computer and electronics sites. I just found a $1.99 shipping coupon for geeks.com. I love Geeks.com!

I’m definitely bookmarking WebbyPlanet.com. I love that you can search by product, company or category. And to make it an even more useful site, they even have some coupons that you can print out and use in real brick-and-mortar stores! That makes it a real one-stop money saving site. Go ahead, check it out!

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I go through phases. I’ve been known to bid on one or two items every day for a month on ebay; I’ve spent day after day ordering eyeshadow or lipstick from every online makeup store I could find. When I’m in a “tech buying” phase, the bank account really suffers! And what, you may ask, is my current phase? Girly things!

Right now, I’m all about the Pretty. I just bought pretty nail polish. I’ve ordered a very pretty necklace and can’t wait until it gets here. And I’ve found the prettiest girly underthings! Lavinia Lingerie is my favorite find this week. I’ve been wandering around the site off and on all day and now my wish list is so long I’ve got every birthday, Christmas and Mother’s Day covered for several years. Is asking for Gift Certificate from your kids tacky?

I’m not going to be able to wait for my birthday, though. For one thing, I like instant gratification. For another, my pretty phase is now, not in 2 months! And this black sheer bra is just so gorgeous! I have many bras from well-known makers and they’re fine, but I want something different. I want something that you don’t see in every store or in one store that’s in every mall. I like pretty but I like unique, too.

When I shop online, one thing I always note is shipping. No matter how wonderful an item or a price, you can totally overspend if shipping is outrageous. Lavinia Lingerie offers free standard shipping and if your order is $200 or more, you qualify for free express shipping. Now that’s a deal!

I know everyone reading this is thinking about what they ought to get me for my upcoming birthday. So I’m making it easy for you. Put this one high on your list and you’ll do just fine. And remember, free shipping. I’m making it really easy for you because I care.

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I’m not sure why it is (yeah, prepare for sarcasm) but everyone in my family always turns to me for shopping advice, especially the online variety. Okay, I admitted I was being sarcastic. Anyone who knows me knows exactly why I’m the go-to person for online shopping: I’m a girly geek! I shop like a girl and I’m a good geek, so I shop online. (Note: “shop like a girl” is a good thing, as is the term “geek.” A compliment. Just sayin’)

So anyway, Nick and Brit are always talking about getting married but that probably won’t happen until their apartment is done. Until then, they spend time looking at rings. Nick doesn’t really care what his wedding ring looks like – he’s so much like his dad! – but Brit has a very specific style in mind. She loves my wedding ring set but wants something a bit more updated than that. And so, we spend hours looking online at rings and diamonds and things that make girly girls and girly geeks go Oooooo! and Awwww! Yes, we like the sparkle.

One thing Brit really liked was being able to find a setting she liked first, and then being able to choose the right diamond to go into it. All of the jewelry Nick has bought for her came from our local Mall and everything was purchased “off-the-rack” so to speak, rather than special or custom order. Brit is really enjoying the customizing part. And, if I am going to be totally honest, I’ve been enjoying it, too.

Before Brit and Nick make a decision on the style of the setting and the diamond they want, I’m going to be sure to have Brit read as much information about diamonds as possible. I want her to know what she’s buying and make the right choice.

Let’s just hope they get that apartment done soon. I’m itching for a wedding!

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I know my birthday is still months away. Just consider this my way of giving you advance warning. I’m giving you time to save up for it. I want this case from Antec. I’d love it already filled with a kickass machine but I’d be perfectly happy if I just got the case to fill up myself. I’ll gladly pick up the parts I need to build my own machine in that case.

If you can’t tell from that photo, the Antec P182SE is mirrored. That means that I can put the tower right on top of my desk and use it to put on my makeup or fix my hair while I’m surfing online or blogging. And seriously, I do that now but I have to hold the mirror or prop it up on something. This mirrored case would make my life so much easier.

I guess there are guys out there who might like the case, too. But really, this is a case for a girly geek. It’s perfect for someone who keeps her doll collection on the shelves with her Linux manuals. It was made to be on a desk next to the latest Stila palette.

In other words, this case was made for me. I just know that someone reading this really wants to get it for me. Remember, November 12. I’ll be checking the mail for packages.

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At the risk of sounding sexist, I can’t help but think that the more women who find their way online, the more likely we’ll be to find great deals on the internet. Maybe it’s just the men in my life – and I have a husband and five sons! – but I’ve never seen a man willing to use coupons at the grocery store or even do some quick mental math in order to comparison shop. No, my guys grab the closest item so they can get out of the store.

Maybe it’s different online. Perhaps men are more likely to comparison shop online. I wouldn’t know since my guys leave that stuff to me. I do know that when I find a site that helps me to save money by rounding up all the online coupons floating around the interweb, that’s a definite bookmark for me. My latest discovery, Deal Locker, may just be the ultimate coupon site.

The folks at DealLocker.com have combined coupons with social networking. This is the place to get your coupon codes, share your coupon codes and to report back on how well those codes worked. This is what Web 2.0 was meant to be!

Since I’ve been in a beauty and make-up mood lately, I was scouring the site for Beauty coupons. So many of my favorite sites were listed that I just didn’t know where to go first. In fact, I even found one site that I’d never heard of before. How could I not try out the Eyes Lips Face coupons? I just love finding new online stores!

Of course, I finally landed at the Sephora coupon codes page and that was like finding a treasure! I found 23 coupon codes there! Can you imagine that? Naturally, with so many great deals for my favorite beauty site, I had to check for some of my other favorites. From Old Navy to GNC, there were coupons for all the sites I love.

Okay, there are a lot of coupon sites online. I know that. But this one is gets better the more people use it. Each user submits their own coupon codes; each user rates the codes they use. And to make it really easy, there’s a FireFox bookmarklet that lets grab coupons for any site you’re visiting! There’s no need to click to other tabs to look for coupons. They’re all right there, in front of you whenever you’re shopping.

Even if you’re not in shopping mode right now, head over to DealLocker and set up an account. Grab the Firefox bookmarklet. Look around and get familiar with the site. You know Christmas will be here before you know it and shopping online is going to be so much easier now that we’ve found DealLocker. I think I’ll start my Christmas shopping early.

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Looks like it’s my week for finding great online deals. This is one that comes in handy for gift giving or just to keep and use for yourself. I keep re-reading the site to make sure I haven’t misunderstood, it’s that good.

I know we’ve all seen gift cards in stores. They’re nice as gifts because they’re a little more personal than cash but still allow the recipient to choose exactly what they want. At my local grocery store, I can buy gift cards for just about any restaurant or department store within 100 miles of here. Nice, huh?

Well, how nice would it be if you bought one of those cards for $50 but the value of the card was $55? Yeah, real nice. In fact, that would make it more than worthwhile to pick up a few of those gift cards to use yourself.

If this sounds as good to you as it does to me, then head on over to CityDeals.com to see all of the national brands available. Whether you’re in the habit of eating at Chili’s every week or you’re planning to pick up some new jeans and t-shirts at Old Navy, using a gift card from CityDeals.com gives you 10% more on any card you buy.

With school starting in another month, this is exactly the kind of deal my budget needs. And Christmas isn’t that far away, either. It’s time to stock up on these great bargains. So what are you waiting for? Head on over to CityDeals.com and start getting more bang for buck!

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Listen up, folks! I’ve got to tell you about a really great company and the awesome service I just recieved. I spend enough time complaining about various companies so I figured I ought to let you all know when an company comes through with flying colors.

You might remember the picture I posted that was taken on Father’s Day. It was my parents, my sisters and me, all together around my parents’ dining room table. My mom was right next to a window so the lighting wasn’t perfect but the picture still came out pretty good.

You might also remember that I was going to send the picture in to Canvas On Demand, requesting that they turn that photo into a 16×20 canvas picture for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary gift. Well, let me tell you about my experience with Canvas On Demand.

First, the website was super easy to navigate. Everything was explained well and I placed my order in record time. My only question as I was ordering was which delivery service would be used. I called to ask and not only was I told the finished photo would be shipped via FedEx ground but the customer service girl also pulled up my order and checked my photo right there to make sure everything was in order. She mentioned that the photo may have to be a 14×22 due to the shape, which was fine with me.

The following day, another representative from Canvas On Demand called to let me know that they would need to add a border to the photo in order to not cut off part of my mom’s face. I told them that was fine. I really appreciated being updated with this kind of information.

Here’s the really amazing thing. I placed my order on the 26th. It shipped on the 28th and I recieved it on a Saturday, the 30th! I couldn’t believe the service was that fast. I know of only one company with that kind of turn around and I still buy all my makeup from them. When the customer service is that good, I stick around forever.

Oh, and the quality of the product? Well, judge for yourself. I hung this on my office wall to get a feel for how it will look. I love it! If I wasn’t so sure my parents will love this gift, I’d keep it for myself. In fact, I’m putting together some pictures of the kids for a collage I want to order next.

Yep, I can see myself becomeing a repeat customer of Canvas On Demand.

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