HDVision - A Must Have

Okay, so they aren't the coolest looking pair of sunglasses...... but I'm not the coolest guy in the world either. So if you look at it like that, my HDVision sunglasses and I are a perfect pair. The "As seen on TV" pair is well worth the $19.95 for 2 pairs that you pay. It brightens up the world around you and really does cut down on glare while driving. I recommend them to everyone!

Not 2 Die 4

I checked out the new BBQ joint over in West Glen Shopping Center in West Des Moines called 2 Die 4 the other day and was not too impressed. Definitely would not die for that. They have a very limited menu, meat was a little dry and BBQ sauce was served cold?

Still the best in town...... that title belongs to Woody's Smoke Shack on Cottage Grove. That brisket is awesome!

Bear vs Will Ferrell

Tuesday June 2nd on Discovery channel, check out Will Ferrell on Man vs. Wild. You can see Bear Grylls take Ferrell on an outdoor adventure in Sweden. This should be hilarious!

Be Green and Save Money

Here are two interesting facts for you:

-Did you know that a reusable beverage bottle can eliminate 365 disposable water bottles / year (based on avg. use of 1 disposable bottle per day)
-American’s use 3.3 million plastic bottles every hour but recycle only one in five.

I use to take 2 plastic water bottles a day to work with me. But not any more. I have found a better solution, the Rubbermaid reusable water bottle. I purchased 6 of them for $18.00 total for my wife and I to use. We stopped buying the disposable plastic bottles and have never looked back. Doing this has saved money and helped us to go green a bit. I figured that we purchased a 24 pack of water every two weeks for $5.00. That's $10.00 a month and $120.00 a year. So over a years time that is a savings of $102.00! Not bad at all. I recommend everyone pick up their own reusable bottle today.

The Vaccination Question

One of the things that has hit me the most since I became a dad is the fact that I'm responsible for another life. The decisions I make now could forever change the way my daughter is when she grows up. That's a lot to take in........... But, I have to. That's my job now.

One of those decisions as a parent that you have to make is about vaccinations. Although, for most parents I think this may be a no-brainer. What I mean by that is they don't give it any thought and just do what the doctor says to do. I would guess that most parents don't even know all the shots that their infant is getting. I'm not saying that they are bad parents, but I think that parents need to be educated more about vaccines. If you look into it a little more, you will find many questions you may want to ask your doctor. Here's my thoughts and questions after my searching:

-I think that Americans are over vaccinated. Plain and simple. In 1983 when I had to get vaccinations, there was 12 total vaccines to get...... Now there is 36. So why the increase? If you do some research, you will find other countries around the world give way less shots than the U.S. and they don't have any serious outbreaks from diseases. My only answer here is that Drug companies are really running our medical world here and having more vaccines is just another way for them to make money. Would that really surprise you?
-Here is a little tidbit of info I found interesting. The recommended dose for your infant at their 2 month checkup is 7 vaccines. That is 7 vaccines injected into a 13 lb. 2 month old infant which is equivalent to 70 doses in a 130 lb. adult. That seems like a lot to be shooting into your little child!
-There is a great book out called the Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears. It gives you both sides of of arguments for and against vaccines. It also gives a breakdown of what actually is in some of the vaccines like mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, cow and monkey cells and much more.

So once again my point is that every parent should be educated on what's going into your child's body. Don't be scared to ask your doctor questions or ask about an alternative schedule. Your paying big money for medical service and you have the right to get what you want.

Long Time No Blog

It has been forever since I have blogged about anything. Don't worry, over the last 2 months I've had many new thoughts to share with you. Being a new dad has really taken away my time at the computer, but now that I have figured out a schedule, I will be a writing fool. Stay tuned.......

Easy Dips to Make for your Superbowl Party

Here are 2 really easy dips you can make at your upcoming Superbowl party. Yes, even you guys can put this together.

Pickle Roll Up Dip
What you need: Sour Cream 8oz container, Whipped Cream Cheese 8oz, 2 packages Carlbuddig Corned Beef, 1/2 Jar Dill Pickle Relish, 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Cut up Corned beef into small pieces, mix all ingredients together stirring well in medium sized bowl. Serve with crackers (wheat thins taste great). Tastes just like eating a pickle roll up without the mess!

Ultimate Cheese Dip
What you need: 1 can Hormel Chili (with our without beans), 2 lb. box of Velveeta Cheese, Crock pot

Throw the hunk of Velveeta cheese in crock pot along with chili. Set on medium and let the cheese meltdown. Make sure to stir it every 10 minutes or so until ready to eat. Takes about an hour until it's nice and hot. Tastes great and is way too easy!

Asian Hamburger Helper?

I was walking down the aisle in my local supermarket and something new caught my eye. I almost did a double take when I saw that Hamburger Helper now has two new varieties of Asian Helper. There is a Beef Fried Rice and a Mongolian Beef flavor to choose from. Generally speaking, I'm not usually a huge fan of Hamburger Helper (aka shit in a box), but even I couldn't resist trying out the Beef Fried Rice. It was pretty easy to make, just cook up some hamburger add seasoning and rice. When it gets done, you add 2 scrambled eggs to give it that classic fried rice feel. Overall, it was okay. It definitely needed a little salt and pepper to help it out. I probably wouldn't buy it again, but it does make me wonder....... What's next? Irish Helper perhaps? Maybe a corn beef and cabbage flavor? Only time will tell. :)