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 Here's a few of them that for me were keepers.

Funny

I am in total control of one thing; so are you

But first some gab:

It's 3:30 in the morning and I can't sleep.

Our country and the world is in a mess for so many reasons. Obesity, cancer, sudden tragedy and life threatening illnesses are at an all time high from my perspective, not to mention the insanity that's going on with our "leaders"; that's another can of worms.

I'm reminded of a cartoon where animated characters make a small snowball but it gets away from them and it begins to roll downhill, picking up speed, more snow and everything else in its way, with its creators chasing helplessly behind.

A haphazard array of arms and legs jut out of the massive snowball as it flattens houses in its path.

The cartoon characters are powerless to stop it.

That's happening to our world and our lives. It's all that families can do just to keep their heads above the water. The stress of treading water is wrecking our health.

But, there's one thing we are not powerless to control, that can help us to keep our heads above the water and that's what we eat.

I am in complete control of what my fork puts in my mouth. I haven't always been and three months ago I weighed 205 pounds because of that lack of control.

The food we eat has the power to either build us up or tear us down both physically and mentally.

Now I weight 183 pounds. My blood pressure is down, I feel more positive and even though my eating habits won't change the world, it will help me and my family to deal with our stressful lives, through a strong immune system and plenty of energy to face what's just around the corner.

One of the most important things we can do for ourselves  is to take care of the one body we were given. Consume vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and avoid pizza and cheeseburgers like they are the plague because they kinda are.

Here's a list of foods that are (some) surprisingly bad for you: The SIXTEEN DEADLIEST FOODS YOU EAT EVERY DAY!

And this link is the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) Guide which is a scoring system that rates foods on a scale from 1 to 1000 based on nutrient content. 

The image below is the ANDI score of Green vegetables and non-green vegetables but beans, nuts and seeds and herbs are also on the ANDI Guide. Check out herbs, especially basil, WOW! Basil has a higher score than any of the listed fruits, beans, seeds, nuts AND NON-GREEN VEGETABLES below!  

I still have a long journey before I get my health back but I'm in control and on the right track.

Help Understanding Fifth Grade Fractions: Worksheets Included

My fifth grade daughter is struggling with math so I turned to Google to search online math help. We tried a few video sites and LOTS of worksheet sites. She needed more than worksheets.

What she needed was someone who could explain it to her in simple terms, without being complicated about it. Her math teacher throws it out there, if she gets it great, if she doesn't, too bad.

Her teacher explains it for the students who are good at math and those like my daughter get left behind. It's now my responsibility to get her help. Doesn't seem right or fair but that's the way it is.

Last week they were learning addition of mixed fractions. My daughter was lost. While I was trying to explain it to her, she had a look of torture on her face; her forehead was wrinkled, her eyebrows raised, upper lip almost a snarl. She looked like she was in pain.

In the middle of the 'addition with fractions' week, while searching for HELP, I came across this youtube video:

Adding Fractions with like denominators - 5th grade math tutorial

I immediately recognized that my daughter would be able to understand Jason Gibson's explanation of adding fractions with like denominators. 

I ended up buying the Mastering 5th Grade Math Bundle. It has been well worth it. After four days of videos my daughter doesn't look like she's in pain, her face is relaxed, she has confidence now.

The lessons come with worksheets and an answer key. It's available for immediate download, which is what I did. 

This morning before getting on the bus, I gave her some problems of addition mixed fractions with like denominators and with unlike denominators. She worked them quickly, confidently and CORRECTLY!

An amazing change in a short time. She still has a long way to go in bringing up that F but now she has a fighting chance.    

I highly recommend these videos to any child struggling with math. 

   

Best Wired USB Keyboard for Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.4 Pro Tablet and Slim Cover

Belkin Wired Universal Micro USB Keyboard for Android Tablets (B2B127-BLK)

I purchased a Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.4 Pro Tablet and it's amazing, everything I could want in a tablet from gaming to writing. It's lightning fast in very aspect; hasn't missed a beat.

I wanted a slim cover for my galaxy tab 8.4, screen protectors to prevent the screen getting scratched and something I really wanted was a small USB keyboard.

The first two were easy but researching was required to find the best wired USB keyboard that will work with the Galaxy Tab 8.4 Pro since most tablet keyboards are bluetooth wireless. I didn't want the handy dandy wireless bluetooth keyboards simply because I didn't want another device that had to be charged!

I finally settled on the Belkin Wired Universal Micro USB Keyboard for Android Tablets (B2B127-BLK) . 

The price was $29.99. I refused to be excited until I plugged it in but from the moment I plugged it in, the little keyboard has worked perfectly. No adapters, no charging or anything needed, nothing to do except plug it in!

The keys are full size and it has every shortcut button that I can imagine ever needing. I can't say enough great things about it.

Pellem 2014SC Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 Case - Ultra Slim Lightweight SmartCover Stand Case 

The Pellem cover fits my tablet perfectly and it's not bulky. The inside of the front cover is soft, almost like velvet. The front cover folds into a stand for the tablet. The cover stays folded in place because of a magnet on the edge of the flap. 

This case is very similar in texture, weight and function (auto wake/sleep) to my Kindle Paperwhite case. When I close the case the tablet 'sleeps' and when I open the case the tablet 'wakes up'.

The case at $12.99 was a great buy!

I don't usually use the cover stand (when I'm using the keyboard) because it lies too flat for me. I have a Smartstand from Office Depot that I sometimes use with my Samsung Galaxy Proclaim cell phone that also works well with my tablet. The Smartstand holds the tablet securely and at a perfect angle for viewing.

Mr Shield Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4" 8 Inch Anti Glare [3-pack] with Lifetime Replacement Warranty Screen Protector

The third accessory I wanted for my Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro is probably the most important: screen protectors .   

This screen protector has a rating of 4.5/5 out of 100 customers and the three pack is only $7.95. That's hard to beat!

The screen protector was easy to apply. I'm not a patient person with tedious tasks which explains the three tiny bubbles in the applied screen protector. If I would've taken more time applying it, the three bubbles wouldn't be there.