Questions of the Day! {January 30 - February 3, 2012}

Inquiring minds want to know the answers to these questions!  You may reply by commenting at the end of this post, or you may email me by clicking here.  Can't wait to hear from you :)

Monday - Are you superstitious?  Do you have any beliefs or fears that are not based on fact, yet cause you to perform small life rituals to make things "okay"?

Tuesday - Chocolate Chip Cookies... do you prefer them crunchy or soft?  Do you have a favorite recipe?  Feel free to share :)

Wednesday - Real butter or fake butter?  Why?

Thursday - How many different industries have you worked in?  How many jobs have you held?  Does your experience seem to make it difficult to create a resumè?

Friday - Oh boy!  You were just delivered a blank check to spend on your weekend and all of your favorite people are available to join you in whatever activity you choose... how do you spend your weekend? :)

Note: If you wish to be anonymous in an article related to this subject, just let me know! :)

Five reasons to check out Joel Osteen Ministries

Joel Osteen was born the son of beloved minister, John Osteen, who was known for his ministry at The Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. As a person who chose to work behind the scenes for his father’s television ministry show, Joel never intended to take over his father’s ministry. He never knew that he would become the Senior Pastor at Lakewood Church shortly after his father’s passing in 1999, and certainly never dreamed of what Joel Osteen Ministries would become. He didn’t know that his own ministry would someday affect so many lives in a positive and lifting way. But life sometimes takes unexpected turns.

Five reasons I recommend giving Joel Osteen/Lakewood Church Ministries a try on Sunday mornings (via televised show):

1. One can watch his show from the comfort of home (in your pajamas if you want!).
2. It can recorded by DVR or Tivo, which means it can be watched when you choose to watch.
3. You only need to commit 30 minutes of your time to watch this show.
4. Joel uses life examples, including challenges he has faced in his own life, which makes him likeable and real. Most can relate to him as a normal person as opposed to simply a “TV Minister”.
5. Most importantly, Joel always delivers a positive and encouraging message that incorporates a few bible verses in a way that is light and (most importantly) relates to issues of today’s world.

My personal experience is that I always walk away feeling enlightened, a little bit lighter, and “owning” a little bit more PEACE… which is what we all seem to desire.

If you are seeking to find or rediscover your spiritual side, are depressed and don’t feel like leaving home, are already spiritual but just don’t have the time or desire to visit a physical church, or are simply curious about Joel Osteen Ministries, you should commit to watching his show one time and decide for yourself. You can search your local listing paper guides or simply type in “Joel Osteen” by cable search and listings will definitely pop up.

If you’re not a television fan but want to check out Joel Osteen Ministries, you can visit Joel Osteen Ministries online to:

• Access video clips from his shows.
• Read about his personal history and learn how the Ministry came to be.
• Read from his blog (written with wife Victoria).
• Sign up to receive his daily message delivered by email.
• Or visit the Joel Osteen Ministries store for other options.

You can also visit and/or “like” Joel Osteen Ministries on Facebook here.

Note: As with any television “personality”, you will find positive and negative feedback/reviews. But life is about taking what you want from each life experience. Come up with your own opinion… that’s what makes us individuals.

This and That Update - What's Coming Next Week ~

Good morning readers! Since this is a brand new blog, I thought I’d give you a little breakdown of some of things that are in the works for next week and beyond.

Starting Monday, we will be starting our Prayer Patrol listing! To view a list of those needing prayer, simply click on Prayer Patrol on my menu bar. I will post an updated list every Monday morning. By visiting that page you will also find instructions on how to receive our weekly Prayer Patrol list by email (if you’d prefer to view it that way) and how to request a prayer for yourself or others.

Also starting Monday, will be our “Question of the Day”! This is not a quiz, but an inquiry about your life, your thoughts, etc. This will be a Monday through Friday column. People interest me and I love to know what other families are doing or how others are doing things better. I will be using this for future articles ~ I think compilation is fun! You will be able to read this and comment on the actual blog by a daily (obvious) post and/or you will be able to view and participate via my Twitter account as well.

Starting Wednesday, we will be starting our “Words for Wednesday” column! We will share a few words every week that will help build your vocabulary (I know I can personally benefit from this) and possibly make you more competitive when playing those word games (wink, wink). We’ll be sure to include a useable word, a “way out there” word (where you think, “I’ve never heard of that!”) and at least one 2 - 3 letter word since many of us desire those for playing that one game… what’s it called? (Words With Friends!) J

Starting a week from this coming Saturday (February 4^th), we will be sharing a “What’s for Sunday Breakfast” recipe or menu idea from our readers! So, you talented cooks and bakers out there, please share your ideas on this. You will get credit (of course!) if I use your submission and I am not at all opposed to you sharing a picture or two of the process… even if this means simply a picture of your little cuties assisting in your meal preparation! By posting it Saturday, you will have time to shop for ingredients and get ready for Sunday morning!

More links! I have dozens of links to add to the sidebar section of this blog. I will be working on updating that section very soon so you can blog hop compliments of Kim Funk J

And finally, for my Facebook followers, thank you so much for choosing to “like” us!! I want to be sure that I am not over posting on Facebook resulting in your status feed being COVERED in Kim Funk posts (because then you‘d want to “dislike“ me)! With that in mind, my initial plan is to post one link to the main article of the day (Monday through Friday at least) and that’s it. Anything else I want to share, I will add to the comments section of that initial daily post. So be sure to look at the comments when you see me on your status feed! Or of course, you can just visit me HERE!

Thank you for your support and remember, I am completely open to (and encourage!) your feedback. Email me at any time or comment at the bottom of any post.

Words With Friends - are you hooked?

It seems everyone is playing Words With Friends these days! Have you experienced it? Are you hooked?

Released in 2009 by Newtoy, Inc. (Now known as Zinga With Friends), Words With Friends is clearly one of the most popular and most talked about iPhone apps/games out there. Words is currently rated number three on the iTunes App Store’s Top 25 paid games list and has 3,904,088 “likes” on its Facebook Page, but moreover, friends everywhere are talking about Words With Friends!

148Apps.com Reviews calls it, “A must have for Scrabble Fans” and I agree. However, what I find comical is, even those who claim to hate playing the traditional Scrabble board game are hooked on this online game! Maybe it’s the friendly competition (one can have up to 20 games going at once), maybe it’s knowing there isn’t a rush to finish (the game waits, even if a player temporarily exits the app), or maybe it’s the convenience of being able to take it wherever (since most play on their phones). Whatever the reason is, people are loving this game!

Words is a Scrabble-like word building game that accepts 173,000 words for points. There are 104 tiles (breakdown below) and players may electronically shuffle their tiles for a new view, exchange tiles (even all at once) or pass on a turn (exchanging and passing earn zero points that round). It offers the same score building tiles such as double letter, double word, triple letter and triple word so players are always on the lookout for those available spaces.

Tile and point breakdown:
2 blank tiles - worth 0 points
E (13), A (9), I (8), O (8), T (7), R (6), S (5) - worth 1 point each
D (5), N (5), L (4), U (4) - worth 2 points each
H (4), G (3), Y (2) - worth 3 points each
B (2), C (2), F (2), M (2), P (2), W (2) - worth 4 points each
V (2), K (1) - worth 5 points each
X (1) - worth 8 points each
J (1), Q (1), Z (1) - worth 10 points each

To play Words, one must simply purchase an app or choose a free version (see options below) and download it to his or her preferred platform. Once the download is complete, players can quickly set up an account and choose a username. Then… game is on! One can choose to invite a friend to play using their username, play a “random” player, or log on to his or her Facebook account and play there.

As with many apps, there are occasional glitches or issues needing players to perform a recommended update or to restart their phone, but with the price being under one dollar, how serious can it be? Fans think it’s well worth the small price (financially and time-wise) to have to deal with an occasional issue.
I highly recommend Words With Friends. It’s enjoyable, competitive, and just plain FUN.

Helpful Words Links:
Ad-free for iPad or iPhone or iPod Touch $0.99 cents

Words with Friends Free with advertisementsWords with Friends Free Android MarketHelp and Support including a Learn to Play section

Words With Friends Facebook Page  - “Like” the page for game news and friendly discussion and have the option to play from there as well.  Be prepared to share some of your personal information, if you choose this option.

Here’s a little something extra to peek at for you techies out there. Words with Facebook: rocking a new kind of technology (with HTML5)

Finally, if you'd like to suggest a word for Words With Friends, click here! 

It's Launch Day!

Today is Thursday, January 26, 2012 and it is launch day!  I am officially putting this blog into your hands and so hope you enjoy it!  Since I am still working out a few kinks, I am more than open to feedback, so if you see something that seems out of sorts, please feel free to share with me!

Here is my official mission statement for this blog:

My mission is to inspire, enlighten, and challenge readers with helpful advice and entertaining content.

Here is why I am doing this:

I blog because I love to write and share.  I blog because it's fun.  I blog because I want to help others.  If I discover that I have enriched the lives of others in the areas of family, parenting, health, time management, organization, recipes, home decor, budgeting, writing, and/or charity and lifting others, then I will have received my greatest reward.

Thank you and welcome, welcome, welcome!

Good Intentions for 2012 ~ Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! January hit and the buzz was all about resolutions. Usually, we hear about resolutions in regards to health and fitness, or perhaps one’s financial ways. But this year seemed different. Most articles I’ve read (so far), suggest not to choose or publicize official resolutions. Perhaps it’s to eliminate that let down feeling if a big goal isn’t achieved, but either way, I like resolutions. This year I’m going to call them intentions, maybe that’s a better way to go about it.

Here are five reasons why I like a fresh batch of intentions every year:

1. I’m a lists girl! I have lists going everyday.
2. I like to set goals for myself and...
3. I think it’s good to set an example of goal setting for my kids!
4. A list of goals/resolutions/intentions keeps me in check, just as a daily to do list does. It helps me see what I’ve accomplished as well as showing me what I keep putting off (and need to push myself on).
5. Finally, it gives me an excuse to get creative! We scrappy and crafty girls like to create fun and colorful ways to display these things. I’ll create mine soon and post a picture of it for you later. I’m thinking a cheerfully decorated clipboard is in order.

For now, my top five Good Intentions for 2012 are:

1. To get physically fit. Please stop shaking your head. J Before you think of this as another losing weight issue, it’s not. I was involved in a rear-ending car accident five months ago. I can’t help but to wonder, if I had been “fit” (stronger back and abdominal muscles), if my healing would have been faster. (It has not been fun).
2. To find additional ways to find (and capture) inner peace. I am a worry wart. I worry, I think too much, etc. This does not help my acid reflux, my stiff neck, or my family when I allow my worries to make me grumpy. So, I think 2012 would be a great time to get that under control. I’m thinking yoga!
3. I will try to be better about written (on paper) communication! I’m an old-fashioned girl and love writing letters and sending cards but I have really gotten away from it, and want to make a real effort this year to change that.
4. Right in line with the paper communication is sending birthday cards to family and friends so that they receive them on time! (Ouch!)
5. Maybe if I get all of the above taken care of… I’ll actually send out Christmas Cards again… sadly it’s been years!

I naturally want to continue to try to do well at my top two jobs ~ wife and mom ~ love my family so much! But that’s an everyday task, no need to be on the numbered list. :)
I wish you ALL the very best in 2012!

Welcome to my magazine! ~

Hi there!  I am delighted to finally be posting on my new blog ~ yahoo!

My name is Kim (Dalton) Funk and I have been blogging for several years.  My friend Sarah started a blog, showed it to me and I was instantly hooked.  I then got my friend Gabby hooked as well (she now has a very active blog life!).  I look at the blogs I started back then, and those I've created since then and laugh (and cringe a bit too)!  Back then, there were only basic template designs (with not many editing options for layouts) and they were all BRIGHT!  I looked at a few of them today and thought to myself, "Wow!  I would NEVER put that out there with my name on it now!"

I've used blogs for personal day-to-day things, family reunions, compiling quotes (love them!), a bit of business AND I've used them in time of need for fundraising efforts and for remembering dear friends we've lost along the way.

Wait... you didn't know I blog?  You didn't even know I write?  Ouch!  You're calling me out on it?  Yes, that would probably be (no, for sure it is) due to my perfectionist issues...which have always lead to me not sharing my other blogs! I can't tell you how many times I've started a new blog, then deleted it in frustration.  I have always wanted my blog to look perfect - after all, it has my name on it!  (My mentor Jim Roberts was very picky about putting the Roberts Hallmark name out there... I think it rubbed off on me!).
Growing up, I wanted to earn a journalism degree at Napa College.  From there I figured I'd go on to write for the Napa Register.  The year I graduated from high school, Napa College decided to drop their journalism program... so that was that.  I figured I needed to choose something else, so I chose to work towards a medical secretary degree.  That didn't last, and I became a retail manager which I loved (and miss) but I have always been a writer at heart and always will be!  I wrote for a few local magazines in the past but haven't done so in several years... hmmm...

Well... that was yesterday and today is today!  Since I haven't shared my writing due to the perfectionist thing, I did what any smart person would have done years ago!  I hired a custom blog designer and I absolutely love what she created for me!

Kendra with Key Lime Digital Designs was the absolute perfect choice for me.  She understood how important it was for my blog to be very "Kim Funk", and she knew I wanted it to be more than just an ordinary blog.  She put time into getting to know me, listened to my ideas and concerns, and was very patient with me when I requested that we change things "just a bit" on more than one occasion.  She found the perfect "funky" fonts for me and well... I just love it!

I want to write a column somewhere!  I want to run a magazine!  So here we are ~ this is my magazine.  You'll find articles written by me and by other contributors as well!  (After all, magazines are composed of pieces written by many writers). I have decided my theme for 2012 is simply, "Make it Happen".  So here we go!  Hope you enjoy my magazine and visit often!