Homeschooling, Homeschoooling, Minecraft

Five Things you Never Knew About Minecraft

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This talks about Beacons, Hoppers, Fish, Fishing Rods, and trapped chests in Minecraft. So these are a bunch of random things that I found. Either I stumbled on them by doing them on on accident or found them online. These are things that I don’t have a full post on but that you still will want to know I promise.

1)Beacons: I just started looking at these and they are really quite fascinating. This is very advanced because you need nether star (gotten by killing the wither just see one of my earlier posts) just to make it and you need 9 to 164 blocks of precious minerals (fill the crafting table with the material). Then you have to get the thing you wanted with another precious mineral to get the power you want. The power will stay for 20 blocks (9 blocks) to 50 blocks(164 blocks) . You should use iron because there is no advantage to using more precious mineral. 

2)Hoppers: These are a piece of redstone machinery that I just got into. You use iron and a chest to make a hopper (put a chest into the middle and iron every where else except the bottom corners and top middle).  If they shift clicked on a chest the hopper will put any materials in itself into the chest. If you click on the hopper you can put stuff into them.  Also you can just drop items then they will go into the hopper.

3)Fishing Rods: I found these actually in the XBOX version. I was just starting out and I was trying the tutorial and they  had a portion about fishing. To fish you need a fishing rod you need sticks and string (stick in a line from the bottom left corner to the upper right corner and string on the rest of the right hand side). To fish you left click and throw out the line to pull out the fish right click and it will pull the line in. You should do this if you see bubbles and then the hook goes down.

4)Fish:There are 4 kinds of fish. fish can be used to tame ocelots but that’s a different post.

  • Fish these are the most common types of fish so they are called fish. They are able to be cooked and eaten.
  • salmon these are basically the same as fish but it is called something different
  • clown fish these are able to be cooked and eaten and hey look cool
  • Puffer fish these are used in potions and are poisonous 

5)Trapped chests: These are so cool. You can make a trap on your server and when they open your chest they will fall into the trap. you make it with a trip wire and a chest. when you open a chest connected to redstone it’s like you pushed a button. you could make music play when you open your chests.

So I hope you learned something you didn’t know and tell me anything you know like this! See you                                                                                                                     Nerdpie

Contesting Monday

Contesting Monday 7/6

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I hope you all had a very fun and festive 4th! 

Have some great giveaways going on over at your site? Want to enter some fabulous giveaways and win great stuff? Either way, that makes this the place for you!

So here is the deal. If you are hosting a giveaway or have a post about someone’s giveaway just leave a link. Make sure this link is to the giveaway post itself and not just the blog or it will be deleted. If you listed it last week but your giveaway is still open, list it again! Also your link must be to something family friendly or it will be deleted.

So now you need to add your giveaways and go enter some giveaways! Let them know that Contesting Monday sent you! Make sure you share Contesting Monday with your fans and followers so that they can see all these fabulous giveaways!!! 

Rememeber this linky is also being hosting over at Robyn’s Online World! You only have to add it once to be seen at both sites!

Holidays, Life with Kids, Smart Living Strategies

Tips to Enjoying Fireworks with Kids

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The 4th of July is a really big deal over here, lets be honest, because of the fireworks. It is great fun for kids and adults alike. But when you are dealing with any activity that has fire, explosions, and is after bedtime things can get a little stressful. But doing fireworks at home with the kids can be fun and enjoyable with a little planning and strategy!  

1) Be clear about when you will start doing fireworks! Nothing drives everyone crazy more than adults say later & the kids have no idea what that means so they keep asking when! Save everyone the grief and give a time a little later than when you think you will actually start!

2) Give the children something specific to do while you are waiting for it to be dark enough. There is so much anticipation that it will be hard for the kids to find something to do so help them out! Have a movie or a craft for them to do or be specific on what you want them to build with Legos. It will help keep everyone sane and out of your hair!

3)Lay out a blanket for them to sit during the fireworks. This gives them a safe, clear area to be in and it is easy to monitor. You also don’t have to make sure that they are sitting nicely or not ricking back in a flimsy outdoor chair.

4) Have something for them to do during the fireworks. There are those lulls while you are setting up, lighting and resetting fireworks. This is a perfect time for a little dessert. We also always do the glow dark bracelets from the Dollar stores. It keeps their hands busy so they don’t get restless. Make sure you have enough glow in the dark bracelets so if 1 doesn’t work or if someone wants another color there is no fighting.

5) Be clear ahead of time about the children’s involvement. Will they get to light 1 firework during the night? Will they get to play with the Morning Glories? What ever will or won’t be happening should be talked about before the fireworks begin so expectations are set.

6) Have a plan for when the fireworks are over. In our house everyone picks up their dessert stuff and bracelets and goes inside. We say goodbye to any friends that are over. Then they throw the garbage away and then go 1 by 1 from oldest to youngest to brush teeth and put on their pj’s. By the time they are done, Dad is done cleaning up and they are ready for bed. A little structure makes them focused and calmer!

With just a little planning you and your kids can have a fun and safe 4th of July!!!

Contesting Monday

Contesting Monday 6/29

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It is just about July! Can you believe that the year is half over? And it is almost time for fireworks!!! 

Have some great giveaways going on over at your site? Want to enter some fabulous giveaways and win great stuff? Either way, that makes this the place for you!

So here is the deal. If you are hosting a giveaway or have a post about someone’s giveaway just leave a link. Make sure this link is to the giveaway post itself and not just the blog or it will be deleted. If you listed it last week but your giveaway is still open, list it again! Also your link must be to something family friendly or it will be deleted.

So now you need to add your giveaways and go enter some giveaways! Let them know that Contesting Monday sent you!

Rememeber this linky is also being hosting over at Robyn’s Online World! You only have to add it once to be seen at both sites!

Things & Travel

The Reality of Solar and Sunrun

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While this is a sponsored post, we actually have Sunrun solar service installed at our house!  And when people here we have Sunrun there are always questions because people have so many different ideas as to what solar service is. It is great that solar energy is good for the environment. It is also great that it reduces the amount of money that goes to PG&E. But people find the process mysterious and so they don’t even check to see if Sunrun is the right fit for them. So I am going to address just a few questions that we have heard!

1)Isn’t solar always so expensive to start? No, it isn’t ALWAYS expensive to start. It depends on what you do for solar. When you do the Sunrun solar service you are actually leasing the solar panels and everything from them. So there isn’t an upfront purchase.

2)Isn’t having solar a lot of work with the maintaining, cleaning, monitoring, etc? No! 1 of the great things about Sunrun and leasing the solar is that they monitor the system constantly. If there is a problem with your system and it quits producing, Sunrun takes care of it. 

3)So does that mean people are always around in order to monitor your system? No, all monitoring is off site. You can even see how your system is doing online. 

4)A lease? Don’t you always lose money on leases? Remember, this isn’t a car. This is a 20 year lease agreement. Technology will probably change a lot in 20 years and you probably can’t sell the panels off your house.

5)20 years? So what happens if I move? The new owner of your home takes over your solar lease. There is a simple process where a credit check is run and some forms are filled out. 

This is the actual Sunrun production graph I accessed online.
This is the actual Sunrun production graph I accessed online.

6)But are your bills really lower? Yes, they really are! My husband just put together a spreadsheet on our savings for our realtor. We have saved over $750 in the last year alone. Sunrun customers save an average of 20% on their electricity costs.* *Actual savings will vary. See http://clvr.li/1dwHGKc for details.

7)What if I do all this and my house isn’t good for solar? Some houses are solar challenged but if Sunrun can’t save you money, they won’t sell you on a system! I like honestly from a company like that. 

8)So did you get all those cool cash back rebates from the government? Well, no. Those rebates will go to Sunrun because they actually own the system and not you. But just remember, those rebates are just a portion of the money invested in your system. And you don’t have to cough up those funds. 

We have been very happy with our Sunrun solar service and encourage you to check it out! I also really encourage you to pop over to the Sunrun’s Facebook page and enter win a really neat programmable Nest thermostat!
 

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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

 

 

Minecraft

Minecraft Animals: How to get your meat

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I love farming animals in Minecraft but it can get a bit confusing  even if your farming just one type of animal. First, I am going to tell you some tips to make your over all farming better. When animals eat if two have eaten they will come to each other and make a baby. No one has genders in Minecraft. I put my animals in pits 3 or more deeper with ladder to get out. Some people say have them in a small place but I make a bigger hole than I need so you don’t need to make more room later. Most people put animals in fence and I know it looks pretty but don’t put chickens in fence they get out easily. Animals will push each other in to walls especially chickens and suffocate themselves but if you put glass in the pits around the bottom the won’t die.

Here are the most common animals you will probable use.

Chickens: These are awesome. When you kill them you get feathers  for arrows (a stick in the middle an arrow on one side a flint on the other) and chicken to eat (just cook it in the furnace) and they lay eggs every Minecraft day. Chickens are the smallest animals being only one block high. They eat  and follow seeds and when you throw an egg you have chance to get a baby chick

Sheep: I use these lots. When you kill them you get wool which makes carpet (two squares of wool side by side) beds (a row of planks then a row of wool) and pictures (a frame of sticks and a wool block in the middle) also mutton to eat (just cook it). You can get wool with out killing the sheep by shearing it by right clicking on the sheep with shears (two iron ingots diagonal ) which will give you 1 to 3 which is more than when you kill it because you only get 1. They eat and follow wheat.

Cows: These are probable the most helpful animals.  When you kill cows you get leather for armor and books (a leather in the corner and 3 paper around it) and beef to eat (just cook it). And you can milk it and you can get unlimited milk and the don’t have to be milked. They also eat and follow wheat.

I hope this will get you interested in animals and farming them and be sure to comment if I left any thing out or any cool tips.                                              

Nerdpie

Contesting Monday

Contesting Monday 6/22

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Have some great giveaways going on over at your site? Want to enter some fabulous giveaways and win great stuff? Either way, that makes this the place for you!

So here is the deal. If you are hosting a giveaway or have a post about someone’s giveaway just leave a link. Make sure this link is to the giveaway post itself and not just the blog or it will be deleted. If you listed it last week but your giveaway is still open, list it again! Also your link must be to something family friendly or it will be deleted.

So now you need to add your giveaways and go enter some giveaways! Let them know that Contesting Monday sent you!

Rememeber this linky is also being hosting over at Robyn’s Online World! You only have to add it once to be seen at both sites!

Contesting Monday

Contesting Monday 6/15

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I think I officially hate selling a house and moving;). I mean the people are fine but I have been unable to actually get any posting done. The house is all done and will be officially on the market on Wednesday but now it is VBS week. Hopefully that means I can get a little work done in the mornings… But we will see. 

Have some great giveaways going on over at your site? Want to enter some fabulous giveaways and win great stuff? Either way, that makes this the place for you!

So here is the deal. If you are hosting a giveaway or have a post about someone’s giveaway just leave a link. Make sure this link is to the giveaway post itself and not just the blog or it will be deleted. If you listed it last week but your giveaway is still open, list it again! Also your link must be to something family friendly or it will be deleted.

So now you need to add your giveaways and go enter some giveaways! Let them know that Contesting Monday sent you!

Rememeber this linky is also being hosting over at Robyn’s Online World! You only have to add it once to be seen at both sites!

Contesting Monday

Contesting Monday 6/8

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Life is crazy here! We are putting our house on the market and it is birthday week for my 2 girls. I am boxing up things like mad! What are you up to?

Have some great giveaways going on over at your site? Want to enter some fabulous giveaways and win great stuff? Either way, that makes this the place for you!

So here is the deal. If you are hosting a giveaway or have a post about someone’s giveaway just leave a link. Make sure this link is to the giveaway post itself and not just the blog or it will be deleted. If you listed it last week but your giveaway is still open, list it again! Also your link must be to something family friendly or it will be deleted.

So now you need to add your giveaways and go enter some giveaways! Let them know that Contesting Monday sent you!

Rememeber this linky is also being hosting over at Robyn’s Online World! You only have to add it once to be seen at both sites!

Apps, Things & Travel

Odd Mom Out: Are You?

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I admit it, I am an Odd Mom Out in most circumstances. Between the fact that I work from home and homeschool and am a geek and love to cook… Well, all those things don’t necessarily go together…

So I got a chance to screen Odd Mom Out, Bravo’s new scripted show, I was very interested to see it. And I was not disappointed! It is a fun and light hearted look at what it is to be, well, the odd one out. Not only are the characters relate able but it is a poke at all the Real Housewives shows (that yes, I watch;). Our Odd Mom, Jill,  is the more common sense rich person we all think we would be. We see her trying to retain her common sense and sometimes failing.

One of my favorite aspects of Odd Mom Out is that she does have a good support system. Her husband and marriage is very solid. Her best friend gives her that reminder of who she is and supports (or laughs) her when she gives in to the crazy around her. 

It is very entertaining so I recommend you make yourself a Mom-osa (if you drink) and you kick back to watch the Odd Mom Out premiere on June 8, 2015 on Bravo! But you don’t have to wait for taste. Pop over to Bravo’s Odd Mom Out page to check out the trailer right now!

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A Pro Nerd Family of Pro Family Nerds.