Marci Lall, of TheMaximumWeightLossReport.com, shares his 5 Tips for getting Tank Top Ready in this very entertaining video. Thanks Marci!! Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

Part Three of a Series by Kathy Lowers Founder of Considering Homeschooling  If I could take every conservative Christian parent to their neighborhood abortion clinic parking lot for a "field trip," I think I could convince most of them to homeschool. I would only need about an hour. Let me take you there on a Saturday morning… Dachau Concentration Camp Styled Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinic in Houston, Texas First, upon arriving at the abortion clinic, you will witness a parade of cars entering the parking lot. No, they are not Christians who got out of bed to come to pray and save babies there (those are a rare sight these days). Instead, fresh faced teens peer out at you from those cars. Having stood outside abortion clinics in several states for 22 years, praying and sidewalk counseling, I can tell you it seems harder than ever for American high school teens to find a parking space at most abortion mills. Many weekends in the suburbs and in the cities, it is double parking and then some. Now try handing out literature on alternatives to abortion and information on abstinence to these teens. Some of the young people will totally ignore you, others will curse you out, a few may threaten to beat you up or worse. Within that hour of standing in front of an abortion clinic, a teen or two is bound to talk with you. Percentage-wise, they will be from a family that professes faith in Christ, and some will even tell you the name of the "saved" church they go to. You will find that Christian teens going for abortions are often the more elusive ones -- likely to tell you they know it is wrong, but they know Jesus will forgive them after they kill their baby. (Isn't Christianity great?!) You will be outraged to see many cases of obvious statutory rape -- older men who drive up in nice cars, dropping off underage girls. You might begin to realize that there are a lot of parents out there who are totally unaware their grandchildren are being torn, crushed, sucked out of the wombs of their daughters or their sons' girlfriends. How did these teens become customers of Planned Parenthood, et al? Whose children are these who are streaming so cavalierly into abortion mills throughout our country every week, as if they are streaming into a McDonald’s? If you let the government schools have your offspring, then most likely they are yours. If your children are yet young, you have more hope -- please don't let them turn out to be future abortion clinic clients. Realize the public schools and abortion clinics are symbiotic ventures -- the first one gives the sales pitch, the latter is there to cinch the deal. Government schools strip God and His values from every subject, seeding the child's heart with cynicism and nihilism -- which makes a child vulnerable to premarital sex and the temptation to abort any resulting children. Peers and teachers of unknown morals surround your children all day in a school setting. Since you only see your child at night and since they have so much homework, you only really get a few minutes with your kids before they are off to sleep. In other words, your daily influence is negligible. Once your child understands how spending time with friends is more important in the school model of teen life than spending time with family, you will rarely see them on weekends either. Where are they really going? What are they really doing? Are they being chaste or being chased? Like those parents of the teens you saw at the abortion clinic, you are out of the loop, clueless. But if you are a loving Christian parent who can provide a safe, wholesome home where a child can thrive, you should homeschool and teach them the clear message that God made people in His image and that they should have the utmost respect for the unborn. You could even bring your child out to the abortion clinic -- to pray and save babies. And you will not be one to worry whether one of your grandchildren is being done in by some abortionist on a Saturday morning. I hope you will see homeschooling as a great way to help protect the next generation from Planned Parenthood. One group that trains teens in a pro-life summer camp is called Survivors.  I participated in pro-life events with Survivors in the past, and these teens are impressive. Most seem to be from homeschooled families, which is what you would expect.

Brightstorm Math uses online video to comprehensively cover the topics found in major textbooks, state frameworks and NCTM standards: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Precalculus (Calculus coming soon!). The site contains over 1,800 engaging online videos with clear and concise concept explanations and sample problems.

ANOTHER fabulous game from GaZima Games, Zip is unlike any game you’ve played before! Zip is “The Fastest Dice Game in the Universe!” Gazima Games as done it again! They have created another unique game that keeps you on your toes!  This game, like Ratuki, can be played in a matter of minutes, but keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time!  You will be rolling dice to quickly achieve a specific combination, and if you don’t, you cannot advance on the board! Your card might instruct you to roll a combination of all even numbers, or a “straight,” or even all 4’s!  When a card has a star on it, all players compete, and the rolling frenzy begins! My 11 year old son LOVES this game, and beats me regularly! Another thing I like about the Gazima Games is that they are very colorful, and eye-catching.  Here is a picture of the contents of the game box: The box is a small cube, which makes it easy to take along on trips,  and very easy to store when you aren’t playing it! Would you love to win your own copy of ZIP! ? Here’s how to enter to win! Visit the Barnes and Noble site by clicking HERE and tell me why you would love to own a copy of ZIP!  Be sure to check out the ratings while you’re there- it is one of the few games on the site that has the highest customer rating possible! Gain an extra entry by joining the GaZima Games mailing list by clicking HERE Gain additional entries for each of the following: retweeting this contest: http://twitter.com/vaagen/statuses/3492337388 following this blog subscribing to this blog in email grabbing my blog button and placing it on your site following this blog on Facebook rating this blog on Technorati This contest will end on Tuesday, September 1st, 2009 at 6pm!  Good luck!! Thank you for coming to Mingle Over Mocha with Anna!

This year got historians and archaeologists all hot under the elbow patches.

Butternut squash, sweet onions and ham give this hearty soup a distinctive flavor that's great for fall or winter.

This meatless "vigil borscht" is traditionally served in Polish households on Christmas Eve, when tradition requires a no meat meal.

Find dozens of hot, delicious soup recipes and stew recipes for families, from FamilyFun.com.

Learn about the technological breakthroughs that have shaped our lives.

Tired of the same old turkey soup? Cook up a pot of this zesty stew, flavored with cumin and chili powder.

This hearty chili is truly a snap to prepare. After browning the beef and stirring in the spices to give them a slightly toasted flavor, you simply toss everything into a slow cooker and let the mixture simmer all day.

Help your child learn his left from his right -- and keep all his favorite footwear neat in the process -- with a homemade shoe organizer.

Tidy things up in your kid's room and throughout the household with a colorful collection of custom hooks and pegs; another great craft from FamilyFun.com.

A drying rack and an organizer in one, this vertical clothesline brings instant order to even the tiniest entryway.

Tips for organizing your family home.

I was asked to particpate as a guest blogger in my friend Marci Lall’s fat loss tips post. This is a great resource for any woman looking to lose body fat. Be sure and watch Marci’s very entertaining video. Here’s the link to the post: http://www.marcilall.com/fitness/march-madness-47-fat-loss-tips-for-women#more-946 Hugs~~ Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

Navy researchers hope to use lasers for sonar detection or communicating with underwater submarines.

As a fitness expert, you know I’ll never promise you a pill is going to be the answer to that “jiggle in your wiggle.” If you want six pack abs you’re going to have to work for them. BUT… There is some very promising research out there in regards to a dietary supplement you’ve probably been hearing a lot about. Yes, I’m talking about Essential Fatty Acids. You probably have heard them called something like Fish Oil pills. How’s this for good news?! *University of Georgia researchers have found something pretty amazing about Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA. Get this: The actually help STOP the conversion of pre-fat cells into fat cells by causing them to die out before they can mature. Once a pre-fat cell becomes a fat cell, well, there’s no turning back. You’ve got that fat cell for life. Imagine, actually decreasing the accumulation of fat by taking an Essential Fatty Acid supplement containing DHA! Now let me do my best infomercial voice for you… But wait, there’s more! Seriously, that’s not the only benefit of Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA. According to studies** done at the University of South Australia people that combined exercise with Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA saw greater fat loss than the test group that only exercised and did not take the supplement. How can you not be excited by these research studies?? Now, personally, I don’t like Fish Oil pills because they cause you to burp like crazy. If you’ve ever taken them you know exactly what I mean. And they aren’t always the highest quality. I prefer EFA Icon from Prograde Nutrition because they use Krill Oil. It’s been found to be a superior source of Essential Fatty Acids containing DHA. Plus, with EFA Icon there are NO fish burps. And I haven’t even mentioned all the amazing health benefits from this dietary supplement. If you’re looking to accelerate your fat loss results than I really recommend you go with Prograde Nutrition’s EFA Icon. You can get it here: http:/inspirationfitness.getprograde.com/icon Remember, EFA Icon is NOT a miracle solution. You will need sound nutrition and exercise. BUT the research is there. It’s definitely a supplement with powerful fat loss properties. http:/inspirationfitness.getprograde.com/icon * Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 136:2965-2969** American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85:1267-1274 Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

Latest news available on the peanut recall.  Read it here:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090120/ap_on_re_us/salmonella_outbreak Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. day everyone.  My husband is off today so we are enjoying a half day of school.  My oldest attended her school co-op and my 6th grader is only working on a science project today.  We are almost halfway through our school year already and I don’t even know where it went.  Seems like each day passes faster and faster. That’s the thing though when it comes to fitness, each day will pass whether you decide to make changes or not.  Why waste another day?  Is it not possible for you to focus on one new, healthy habit this week?  One change is doable.  This week is going to pass anyways.  How many days, weeks or years have you let pass while you continue to say, I’ll start on Monday, tomorrow, or after the holidays?  Don’t allow yourself to make excuses anymore.  Can you make one of these changes this week? Drink one less coffee, tea or pop each day. Eliminate one processed food item from your grocery list. Learn one new, multi-joint exercise. Write down everything you eat each day. Drink 4 glasses of water each day. No one said change had to be done all at once.  Some people are able to do that without looking back, but I believe they are a small percentage. Pick one goal this week and stick to it.  Let me know what it is.  My goal this week is to only drink two cups of coffee each day.  I got a little out of hand with our -20 degree weather last week. Come on!  We’ll cheer each other on. Hugs~~ Coach Angela Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

Iceman may have accidentally drank water containing one of the mosses and used another to wrap food.

Find dozens of Valentine crafts and Valentine gift ideas for the classroom.

The moon holds a mystical place in the history of human culture, so it's no wonder that many myths exist.