Sometimes I love my job. Last night was one of those nights! I was invited to the grand opening of the brand new Walgreen’s store on the corner of State and Randolph. WOW! is all I can say. Why? Well, here’s a few pictures of my experience there:

I was impressed (and a little jealous that my Walgreens isn’t this cool). It is nice to see that the store was trying to deliver both healthy and fresh items to their customers. I really wish more stores would go that route. Granted, they still had some processed meals for those who wanted them. However, they saw what their customers wanted and took their lead. I can definitely see people popping in here for lunch (the workers) and grocery shopping (local residents). For every main product, they had several choices — milk, snacks, even spaghetti! Their prices were in line with what I’d expect to pay (well, except for the $1999 cognac. I’m pretty sure I’m not paying that much). The virtual bartender was beyond awesome. There was just so many new and crazy things in there. My pictures definitely show how awesome it was.

Walgreens really made itself a one stop shop no matter what your reason being in the store. I don’t even live in the city, and I want to go back there! I mean where else can you go and get a prescription filled, eat some sushi, enjoy a wine tasting, get your nails done, and get a flu shot?

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I recently wrote about our bucket list for our yard. There’s a ton of work we’d like to do on top of what we’ve already done.  That’s why I am excited to tell you about Kmart’s Outdoor Living Twitter Party.  My current patio set we bought at Kmart, so I know the selection and choices you have there.  Last summer, we busted an umbrellas (thanks storms!) and picked up a replacement umbrella at Kmart for this summer season.  Several bloggers have redone their backyards, so I’ll let them tell you how great Kmart’s outdoor products are: Sheena, Katja, Crissy, Courtney and Allison.

On Thursday, May 12th (yes, that’s this Thursday!) from 9 – 10 EST, there will be an awesome Kmart Outdoor party.  This twitter party’s focus will be sharing outdoor living ideas and getting backyard entertaining tips from lifestyle and party-planning experts.  (My advice is to take in your umbrella even when it’s closed when it’s suppose to storm.  Trust me on that one!).  The hashtag for this party is #KmartOutdoor and you can win $50 and  $100 Kmart gift cards during the party!

I’ll be there!  Will you?  (If you plan on attending, please RSVP!)

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This is a guest post.

The best of the evening events is going on in your town. You have to seek out and find a babysitter if you want to attend. You’ve looked around and found a sitter that you believe you can trust with your precious kids. So far, things are going off as planned. Does the babysitter that you’ve hired know what it takes to care for your kids?

Are you sure that you’re able to trust your kids to the sitter? Are you sure that you’re able to go out and have an evening that is worry-free? The experts tell us that the most important qualities that you will want in your babysitter are your trust, and their ability to handle a crisis of any magnitude. This means typically that a teenager isn’t your best bet unless they have some solid experience in caring for children and have also taken child care classes.

Finding a sitter who is well prepared.
The leading cause of injury or death for children under five is an accident in the home. Every day, statistics tell us that five kids under the age of five will die in a home accident. It is imperative that you will hire a person who knows how to handle and accident if one should take place. It is more than important that you are able to feel safe and secure in your choice of a sitter. Teens will likely be one of your first choices. Be careful when you hire a sitter who is under 21 that you ask to see their credentials and that you request their knowledge of skills and emergency skills.

What To Ask Your Baby Sitter

Several questions spring to mind instantly that you should be asking your babysitter prior to leaving them alone for your outing. Seek out a sitter from among your own community if at all possible. You can ask questions of your church, your local senior center, your school, or your youth group or teen center. Ask questions of those for whom they have worked in the past and then of the person who will be attending your kids.

Find out from your prospective sitter whether they have first aid training. Ask questions about their past positions and when you do, find out how many children the child care worker has watched at one time. Ask for references from your prospective sitter. Do not fail to check those references. In many cases, we make the assumption that because they gave us the name and number, it’s not necessary to check them. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Check every reference and ask specific questions about how well they interact with the children. Find out about their past and any classes they may have taken to help them to be better able to deal with your children. Set specific rules for your sitter, and then ask your children if they were adhered to. Make it a point to ask questions and to get answers before you leave anyone alone with your kids.

Joyce Brister is a loving parent and blogger for the My Baby Blog.  Joyce loves writing about situations that parents are often faced with.  She would like for you to take a look at the Glenna Jean Isabella Collection or her  Baby Crib Bedding Sets at MyBabyBeddingShop.com

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Right now, I am trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight. I would consider myself a beginner cook, since most of my specialties come out of a box (who doesn’t like Hamburger Helper!). That’s why when I come across blogs like My Recipes Blog I am in seventh heaven. I need simple directions that I can’t mess up. I am usually trying to deal with (fight with?) two kids and cook at the same time. It isn’t a good combination. However, if the recipe is simple and to the point, it makes it hard for me to miss something. I like the 4 to 5 step directions. I also love that these recipes actually include ingredients I have around the house. Nothing is more annoying than when you have to run to the store for one weird ingredient that you will never use again. You can also search by categories on the recipes. If you are looking for a recipe using apricots, all you have to do is click apricots on the sidebar and you have your recipe choices. I swear, you can’t make it any easier than that. Lastly, the pictures next to the recipes also look delicious and make me want to try those recipes.  If you are like me and need to figure out what to make for dinner tonight, take a peek at My Recipes Blog.

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Did you know that heart disease is the #1 killer of men and women? However, it can be prevented. Campbells is teaming up with the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women this year. This year Toni Braxton has also joined the movement and wants YOU to pick what dress she should wear to kick off American Heart Month (Campbell’s is also donating one dollar for each vote and you can vote every day!).  There are some great choices. Voting is super easy and you too can help raise awareness of this killer disease by also adding this widget to your blog!  Just remember — Vote with you heart!

Copyright © 2011 My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact mythoughtsideasandramblings.com @ gmail.com so we can take legal action immediately.