With the husband away, working in Hawaii and the snow falling outside my window, I can’t help but search for a warmer climate. After one trip to the Carolinas I was hooked. Southern charm, mild weather and not too far from the extended family make North Carolina very appealing.

I was really impressed with the Cary NC Real Estate listings I found. The prices on 4 or 5 bedroom houses were within our budget. I love that despite its growth, it’s maintained its small town feel. And being near a bigger city like Raleigh would offer the same as advantages as our current proximity to Pittsburgh.

I’m even more interested in the housing market there, given the fact that we overbuilt for our first neighborhood, losing consderably in resale value. At least with a home in Cary, that isn’t likely. All in all, Cary North Carolina seems like a perfect town for my family.

I know there are many Windows resource sites on the internet. I know many look much better than this one. But MDGx WinDOwS Tricks Secrets Bugs Fixes has one of the most extensive lists I’ve ever seen.

This site includes older versions of Windows and even those files are updated regularly. It’s a bit challenging to get around the site and I’m not a fan of the site’s use of frames. But the info is good and up-to-date so I’ll overlook a few visual flaws.

It’s definitely worth a bookmark. When every other prettier site fails, you’ll probably find your answer here.

I’m all about herbs and natural remedies. I love experimenting with different combinations. I’ve found this great Herbal Remedies Chart that makes finding the right herb a snap.

All of the herbs are linked to a detailed explanation of the plant. Did you know that Dandelions are great for callouses? Or that rosemary leaf is great for hair and white willow bark is useful for acne prone skin? Find out how to use the dandelions and other herbs like these from Gardens Ablaze. You may discover a medicine chest right in your backyard.

A lot of people are surprised to learn that my kids learn about evolution in their Catholic school. I learned about it in the same school. You see, Catholics believe that evolution can exist alongside Genesis.

When my kids were studying evolution last year, we found the Becoming Human documentary online. My kids were fascinated by it and ultimately did quite well with that science lesson.

The entire site is packed with great info but the documentary is the real treat. Since this past August, you can even download the documentary to your computer. Be sure to check this one out.

I love blogging. Apparently, many others love blogging, too. That’s great. It gives me more to read online. I’ve found some really interesting and entertaining blogs on a variety of topics. They do all have one thing in common: better than average spelling and grammar.

Unfortunately, a number of bloggers either don’t take the time or simply never learned how to spell or how to construct a proper sentence. I’m not talking about the occassional typo or momentary brain freeze; I’m pointing to those who need some serious help.

To that end, I have found two excellent resources.

First, Big Dog’s Grammar is exactly what it claims to be: A bare bones guide to English. Starting with Subjects and Verbs and working through the list to modifiers and pronouns, Big Dog steps yo through with an easy to understand text. Explanations and examples drive the lessons home. I actually go to this guide often, simply to verify my writing.

Next, an excellent source for parents, teachers and students as well as bloggers is Grammar Bytes. Not only are there Tips and Rules for quick look-ups, but Grammar Bytes also offers interactive exercises to test your knowledge as well as printable handouts in pdf format. Oh, did I mention that this is all free?

Whether you’re a blogger or just love the English language, these are two great sites. Absolutely worth a bookmark.

If you’re using a Windows machine, chances are you’ve wondered about the files running on your computer. Anytime I have to troubleshoot one of our computers I usually check for running processes first. It used to be, with Windows98 and prior, that I could easily figure out which files were not usually listed and may be causing problems. With WindowsXP, that all changed. I don’t always recognize he files listed so I often spend too much time researching each file.

But there’s a better and faster way. Just type in the file you’re wondering about at What Is That File and watch as the information appears as you type.. Web 2.0 is cool like that sometimes.

If you don’t find your file in their database, you can add the file and any info you have for it, to the site. The more people who use What Is That File the better it will be. So the next time a file has you stumped, check there first. And be sure to add your own files so the database there  will grow.

I was never very good at science in high school. I mostly got turned off by biology, probably because the formaldehyde odor in the lab gave me an awful headache. And since I did so badly at biology, I never even considered taking chemistry. I mean, really, Typing III seemed a much better fit at the time.

Jump ahead 3 decades and I’m up to my elbows in soapmaking, lotion making, cream making, shampoo making and all the chemistry that entails. Why didn’t any of those teachers tell me that cosmetics and beauty products are all about chemistry? I would have forced myself to withstand the stench of the biology lab if I could have made my own moisturizer or hair conditioner!

And that brings me to this great find. ChemFinder makes looking up various chemicals a snap. No googling and clicking all over the place. This one site gives you all the info you could need for any chemical. For more comprehensive data, students can purchase a one year subscription to ChemIndex for just $30/year. That’s a great bargain, especially for such a useful reference site.

Even if you aren’t a student, go ahead and check out the site. Look up a chemical, like caffeine, and see all the info you get. Enter a chemical from the ingredient list of one of your cosmetics or your shampoo. See? Chemistry really is interesting, isn’t it?