Made in America

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ramblers Way. All opinions are 100% mine.

Before I was married, I lived in a tiny town with a downtown business district. If I walked down Main Street, I'd pass quite a few businesses, nearly all family-owned and -operated. The owner of the pizza shop knew me by name (and not just because I ordered entirely too much take-out), and the postmaster would have my mail in his hand before I opened the door.  It was a great place to live, and if it wasn't so far from my husband's job, we might have settled there.

Now, when I drive though the town where I used to live, I hardly recognize the place.  It's hard for these mom-and-pop businesses to survive, and that's sad.  We also hear, all too often, about companies choosing to outsource jobs.  When manufacturing is outsourced, factories close and jobs are lost.  None of this is good for American communities.

With their Made in America mission, Ramblers Way Farm is changing the way American business is done.  The Company sources, grows, and produces their fine woolen apparel using 100% domestic resources. They have brought manufacturing facilities into distressed small towns and are helping to revitalize the communities.

Just as I appreciate the preservation of historical sites, I think it's important to preserve the small-town way of life.  It may be more convenient and less expensive to shop at the mega-store--and we sometimes do--but we also try to support local business as much as we can.

What do you think? What does Made in America mean to you?

Friday's Fave Five: Vegetables and VBS

This week has flown by! Thanks for stopping by to read about my five favorite parts of the week.

1. Vacation Bible School.  Mooseman and I are both volunteering this year, and it's been fun.  Busy, but fun and rewarding.  As my depression has flared up again, the opportunity to serve others has helped keep it at bay.  Redirecting my attention to pouring lemonade and serving Goldfish crackers has, at least temporarily, taken my mind off the "stuff" that drags me down.
2. Friends.  At VBS I've met some new people and had the chance to spend time with some friends.  One special moment happened when a friend and I realized that we were both feeling stressed.  We prayed together, right where we were standing, and it was such a blessing for me.
3. New clothes.  I don't have a lot of clothes, and my selection of church clothes is quite limited.  On Sunday, even though the weather was hot and humid, I picked out a black sweater.  Bad choice, but it prompted my husband (after he said, "Why in the world would you wear that today?!") to suggest that I get some new tops to wear to church.  I found two cute blouses on clearance, and they've already arrived.  Yay!
4. Garden vegetables.  We picked our first two tomatoes this week, on the day we were having tuna sandwiches.  Perfect timing.  We've still got an abundance of cucumbers, and the stuffed peppers I made last Friday were delicious.  As a bonus, we had enough peppers to make a double batch; after church on Sunday, I only had to reheat them instead of cooking dinner.
5. A new blog background.  Today I saw the warning that my background would be disappearing on August 1, unless I updated the code.  I decided to install a new background instead.  What do you think?

What have been your favorite parts of this week? Feel free to answer in the comments, or click through to visit Friday's Fave Five at Susanne's blog.

Design a Soccer Ball and Win from Uniroyal Tire

A program that started with humble beginnings, the Uniroyal® Soccer Program, has just celebrated its 10-year anniversary! Working with local tire dealers, Uniroyal has donated nearly $12 million in funds and equipment in the past 10 years, including almost one million soccer balls.

The Uniroyal® soccer ball has had a new design every year for the last 10 years, and your design just might be used for the upcoming year!  If it is, you'll win a Uniroyal Soccer Prize Pack valued at $5000.

To participate, just download one of the files on the Soccer Ball Design Challenge site.  Templates are available to make your design on the computer or by hand. Once you have perfected your design, mail it in or simply upload it to the site.  For more information, see the official contest rules.

Sounds like a fun contest to me!  Oh, and while you're on the Uniroyal website, check out the Soccer Ball-a-Day Giveaway, the $100 Uniroyal Tire Monthly Gift Card Giveaway, and the More Mileage For Your Money site.

Disclosure:  I have received no compensation in any form for sharing this information with you.

La Crosse Technology Wireless Weather Station (Review)

Thanks to CSN Stores, I had the opportunity to review a La Crosse Technology wireless weather station.  This neat little device not only tells me the time, temperature, and humidity in this room, but it also reports the temperature at another location (within 330 feet).

Mooseman set it up in less than ten minutes.  He says that there was little to do except insert the batteries.  He's done everything that needs to be done with this weather station; I've only looked at it! 

The receiver can be used on a desktop or other flat surface--which is what we've done--or it can be wall-mounted.  The sensor, which is intended for outdoor use, looks sort of like a television remote control; it's white like the receiver, but has no display, and it measures about 1-1/2" by 5".  We're using it in an upstairs room to monitor the temperature difference between the two levels of the house.

The weather station offers flexibility:  the time display can use a 12- or 24-hour clock; the temperature can be displayed in degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius.  It's a neat gadget.

Does it work?  I think so.  The temperature readings have been exactly in agreement with another electronic thermometer that we have.  The humidity readings are consistently ten degrees higher than the older device indicates.  This would be a dilemma for over-analytical people like me, but I tend to believe the new weather station.  I don't know if these devices become less effective over time, but I know that the older one has been subjected to extreme testing ("Look how high the humidity is when I exhale into it!").  Because of that, I believe the readings from the new weather station more than from the old thermometer.

CSN Stores carry a wide range of weather stations, so check them out if you're looking for something like this.  My purchasing experience with them was, as usual, excellent.  Although I received a promo code, I shopped and ordered through the website; I also had occasion to speak with a customer service associate on the phone, and he was both courteous and professional.  I recommend CSN Stores without reservation.

Disclosure: I received this product, at no cost to me, for review purposes.  I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.  Your experience may vary.  Thanks to CSN Stores for the review opportunity!