We'll be ready...just in time for Christmas!

After three years of planning, working, arguing, praying, laughing, giving up, then taking it up again...our first full length digital book...Bedtime Bunny Tales is now finished, well at least the first installment! The picture

to the right is a screen shot of page 21. Twinkles, the bunny, and Noodle, the tortoise, are in the distance.

Several months ago I started blogging as a way to generate interest in our new venture as well as chronicle the making of an app. It seems like yesterday...but it also seems like a lifetime since we started the process. Good times, bad times...rejections from Apple-all of it, will make for a good story one day...especially if the app does really well!

As you may recall....I was helping with 
the marketing and advertising but then I got a job and I left Sam to deal with everything. I know it's been stressful for him but about a month ago we found a company that signed on to help us, so now we're just shoring up the loose ends for them, preparing for launch day.
So...drum roll please...we will release Bedtime Bunny Tales, the free version for the iPad and the iPhone along with the paid version of both, Dec. 21st...just in time for Christmas. Until then...we're spreading the word any way we can. Mark Fitzpatrick, Sam's business partner in Ohio has been talking bunnies everywhere he goes...even to a crowd that isn't the typical techie. I'm sure he made it memorable! He said the ladies loved Bunny Tales...hope you do too!!

Fun in the sun and snow...

I've been reading the many posts on Facebook that express each individuals gratitude during this Thanksgiving season...and it's been interesting. I kinda felt bad that I didn't participate in the 30 days of giving thanks (or whatever it was called), but I haven't been in the posting...writing kind of mood...I've been in the "let's get together in person" kind of mood-which in turn left me too tired to write! Last Saturday Sam and I went to Wrightwood,CA...about an hour and a half east of L.A. for a little zip lining-the video says it all...


Southern California Zipline Canopy Tour | Navitat Wrightwood from Navitat Canopy Adventures on Vimeo.
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We met up with some friends-then hit the trail. It was amazing. The town itself is so far from what you'd think of when you think "Hollywood" that it doesn't seem possible that it could only be a hop skip and a jump from the city. It looked like a little Colorado mountain town...but no...it is definitely SoCal!
The craziest part about the trip wasn't dangling in mid air on a zip line but the thought of being on the beach just 2 days prior playing volleyball after a huge Thanksgiving potluck!

The stark difference of sunning near the ocean then freezing my booty off in the mountains is a true wonder. You know they say SoCal is the only place that you can go snow skiing and surfing in the same day...and now I know that's true. 
So...here's what I'm thankful for this year...
A great group of friends that are my family away from family...a wonderful city in which to live and a loving husband that didn't leave me to fend for myself when I fell on the ice in Wrightwood (you'd think an Ohio girl would know better)!

Our New Bedtime Bunny Tales Icon...You have to see this!

Not much to say today...but Sam just re-worked the Icon for Bedtime Bunny Tales...is this not darling?

Thanksgiving is close...and Christmas is right around the corner.

Funny how sometimes you have so much to say, while other times you are all out of words!

At the moment I'm listening to Christmas Music and wondering if I'm just wrong? How could it be wrong when it feels so right?? ha!

Today was a weird SoCal day...foggy, no, not smoggy, foggy. I should have taken a pic...darn, I've been lazy lately...not taking any photos. Anyway...can you believe how the time has flown by...it's almost Thanksgiving for Heaven's sake! Speaking of time flying, we are still working on Bedtime Bunny Tales. I think I told all of you that we hired a marketing company and they wanted some changes...then Apple rejected our free version...so we're trying to get it up and running! Can we run into any more problems!?!? Ughghgh!!! Sam has been pulling his hair out...trying to work with some new programmers (they're better than the first set of programmers but it's still programming!)! Regardless...everything will be ready before Christmas-I promise!

Did someone mention Christmas twice already? Yep, I did and I think if you haven't "liked" us on Facebook  this would be the time to do it. We are still giving away an iPad...and as soon as BTBT's hits the iTunes Store we'll begin the contest!! So, "like" us so you can get all the info you need in order to keep from buying your pesky toddler a tablet!

Why Penn State Officials Didn't Call the Police | Yahoo!

I haven't posted in awhile...

I don't know what to say. I've been battling it out on Facebook for the last few days concerning the Tragic Penn State Scandal. I can't talk much more about it. I'm done talking and I'm still reeling from some of the comments I've heard and that stupid riot at the University. I'm going to re-post my status up date from this morning...then I'm going to move on...but first...you've got to read this article...

Why Penn State Officials Didn't Call the Police | Yahoo!

The Penn State tragedy is nothing less than disgusting but this does give us a chance to find out who and what people value and then discuss. I was thinking...Paterno stood side by side with the pervert...knowing for years that he was not only raping little boys but he had set up a foundation for kids living in dire circumstances. The man was cunning and knew that if he preyed upon those who didn't have a parental voice that he would be safe, safe from a mom or dad's suspicion, safe to manipulate, abuse and take the innocence from the innocent.

Would you turn in a co-worker if you knew he was doing such a thing? Even if it cost you your job? How much is an innocent life worth? Do you have courage...and if not...how do you find it?

Let us all forget football, the legacy...blah,blah, blah and focus on the young men whose innocence was taken at such a young age. Find the courage...even if it kills you.

Crepes-I love them so I tried making them...

 My new obsession-Crepes. Well, it's not really an obsession and it's not really new-can't believe anything I say!

Seriously....since visiting France a couple years ago, I love me a good crepe! The savory one's are ok...but my favorite of course, are the one's with lots of whip cream! Actually...I've been trying to do away with cow's milk and I'm doing pretty well but when it comes to half and half in my coffee and whipped cream...there's no substitute. Anyway...here are some pics of my first attempt at being a crepe maker.
 First...I used the traditional buckwheat flour. Buckwheat is great for gluten intolerant peeps and it's kinda good. Contrary to popular belief...it isn't wheat at all-it's an herb, kin to rhubarb. It's cultivated for it's seeds and then ground into flour. It's earthy tasting...kinda nutty.



I don't know what happened...I think I needed to pour the mixture slower or something because I got a lot of bubbles in the batter. Regardless of it's look-my first wasn't very good, so I just slathered on a lot of my very own pumpkin mixture. Cream cheese, canned pumpkin, Chai tea powder (trader joes), pumpkin spice, sugar and honey. That was good...the crepe was just a vehicle for the fattening stuff!I kept trying and finally I got one crepe that was smooth and looked good...and actually it tasted good.





Maybe practice really does make perfect?

Saturday Morning and talking pre-teen...

Saturday morning is one of my faves...I get to sleep in, work out, hang with the dogs and listen to This American Life with Ira Glass on National Public Radio.

You gotta check out  this program. Ira...the host is amazing and this story is fascinating. I learned today that middle school is where you excel at whatever you really like. According to one of the experts interviewed, at about the age of 12 you are well equipped at retaining information.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/
For example...if you decide you want to play the ukelele, this would be the perfect time to take it up (fine tune your skill). The expert talked about how she could still remember the dance steps to some routine she learned in middle school. Come to think about it...I can too. "Brass Monkey-that funky Monkey", well-I remember how it begins. I bet my BFF back home could do the entire dance.

Another segment close to the end of the show is about a middle school boy who had out bursts of anger when his fellow classmates would make fun of him. He smelled...kinda badly and the kids didn't like it-so they told him, and  they didn't like his reaction. Come to find out he didn't have electric. The roof on his home had caved in the week prior and he was also taking care of his ailing grandmother who would wake up in the middle of the night...walk around and then this little boy would carry her back to bed. Unbelievably sad and yes I cried, but the reason for his odor wasn't because he could help it...he didn't have warm water or the time to take a shower. After the kids found out his story they started talking him through his anger helping him to work through it. How extraordinary! What a teacher! She discussed the problem with him and then coordinated a meeting with other students. She also helped him clean up-something my BFF I mentioned above did for one of her own students. Awesome! I don't want to spoil it for ya so just take a listen...it won't be available until Monday...
http://feeds.thisamericanlife.org/talpodcast