Happy Father's Day Bayport Bubble!

No boating, no beach and no pool for this Father's Day - the rain will not go away. Enjoy your Father's Day inside.
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Bakugan Training Camp

For anyone with young boys in their house - today at Toys R Us in Holbrook there is a Bakugan Training Camp from noon-2pm. It is free and there is training, battles, prizes and giveaways! It will probably be very crowded, but we are going. You have to bring one Bakugan and one Bakugan card. I hope I can get some training too because I do not understand any of it! And I am sure they are going to try to sell me some new Bakugan toy for $50 that no boy should be without - ahhhhh!!!
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ToysRUs.com/Bakugan

Sylvan School Improvement Team

Sylvan Avenue School in Bayport has a School Effectiveness Survey online at http://bbpschools.org/newsite/Bayport/Schools/sylvan.php/

The survey is on the right side of this site. It is given annually to assess the effectiveness of different aspects of the school. The results are then used to guide the School Improvement Team in formulating it's goals. The survey will be online until June 26, 2009.
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Bayport Bubble Coupons In The Mail

The Bayport-Blue Point Chamber of Commerce Coupon Book is in the mail. It is filled with coupons and discounts for businesses in the area. Look in your mailbox and shop locally! =)

The Flower House Of Bayport

When I was little Bayport had greenhouses and flower shops all over town. This area was actually well known for their greenhouses. Most of them now are condos and a 7-11, but there are few that are still around. The biggest and oldest is Bayport Flower Houses.

Bayport Flower Houses is just a great place to wander around - it is huge. Beside plants, they have tons of other interesting goodies. The staff from the owners to the check out people are so nice and so knowledgeable and so helpful. They have a lot events here and you have to go at Christmas time. It is decorated beautifully and a great place to try to get a Christmas card photo of the kids. Every year they hold a tree lighting and have Santa available for photos - it's free and so much nicer then that mall Santa.

If you ever buy anything from Bayport Flower Houses make sure to give them your address because you will receive their newsletter in the mail. I just got mine yesterday. It is filled with all sorts of gardening tips - I am pretty much just above a black thumb in the gardening department. They also hold classes. The big plus with the newsletter is the coupons. These coupons are not the same ones they have in the local papers, they are different and better. The best coupon in the newsletter was 50% off any single item - limit of $100. That's a great coupon!

Their web site also has coupons and lots of information - http://www.bayportflowers.com/
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Is NYIP A Scam?

I received my first unit from the New York Institute of Photography a few weeks back. There is never enough time to blog about it or to do my lessons. Finally I figured out I can do my reading during the 45 minutes the kids are in Karate class twice a week. I have made it through three lessons and got all the questions right on a test! I remember stuff from all those photo classes I took. There is another test I need to mail to my teacher along with my photos from my photo assignments.

As far as I can see it is not a scam. I looked into other correspondence photo schools and as soon as I got their info in the mail, I was getting that scammed feeling. NYIP has recently updated their lessons geared to digital. In the blogs I have read that was the one drawback to NYIP. The lessons seem very up to date, but if you are still using film - the lessons are for you too.

The lessons are informative and are geared towards a seasoned amateur like me or someone who is just starting out with a simple camera. NYIP stresses there is no need to go out and buy all the latest photo gadgets. They emphasis that it is the photographer - not the equipment that makes good photography and I totally agree. The equipment helps, but if you do not have the eye - that will not make a good photo. I have a digital SLR and I love it, but I have taken some great photos with my cheapo $20 digital camera that has tape holding the double AA batteries in.

Lesson One is "Eye of the Photographer", Lesson Two is "The Camera", Lesson Three is "The Lens", Lesson Four is "How to Use Your Camera". I have CDs and DVD to go along with these lessons too, but have not found to time to play them yet - I will. Check back! =)

Blooming In Bayport

There is a group in Bayport called Neighbors and Gardeners of Bayport & Blue Point that was started in 1995. It is a garden club and everyone with all levels of gardening experience are welcomed. Last week this group held their annual garden tour. Someone I know had their garden on the tour and I went to her house to take photos for The Gazette (hopefully they'll use them). Whatever you think people who belong to a garden look like - it's true - all the ladies with their big straw hats with flowers on them. They were great bunch and so nice.

The Neighbors and Gardeners of Bayport & Blue Point are also responsible for the beautification project, which is those huge blooming planters on the street corners of Bayport and Blue Point. They also do plantings at Corey Beach, Bayport Beach, Nicholas Road and Meadowcroft. Membership to the club is very reasonable at $15 a year. There is a different program each month with presentations, live demonstrations and field trips.

To join or more info on this group - call Jody at 631-363-8713

Not All It's Cracked Up To Be - Disney Eggs

You have seen the commercials for Disney Eggs. The kids begged me for them and my son does not eat eggs. I keep telling them they are the same eggs we buy, but they have a Disney stamp and cost twice as much. This week at King Kullen the Disney Eggs are on sale, plus I have a coupon. So I finally gave in and brought them - mainly because eggs are one of the three healthy things that my daughter eats.

We got them home and the eggs have different color stamps on them of Lightening McQueen, Tow Mater, Wall-e, Eva from Wall-e, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. My daughter likes her eggs hard boiled and once they were boiled the stamp wore off. Ahhhh!!! What a dud! I won't be buying them again. I guess if you are trying to get your kids to eat eggs it might work. And the inside of the eggs are just like regular eggs - I know the commercial makes you thing the yolk is Mickey Mouse.
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The Beach Is Back!

We went to Davis Park on Fire Island this past weekend and the beach is huge! Over the winter there was a huge restoration project going on. They did that last year too, but one storm wiped all the sand away. This year the sand stayed and I cannot believe how big the beach got. It looks like the Davis Park of 15 years ago before The Casino fell into the ocean. Last year at high tide the water would go up to the dunes and under the houses. That will not happen this year. Did they steal the sand from Robert Moses? A few fields are closed there due to erosion. =)

The photo is of The Casino - look at all that sand!

Could This Really Be The Montauk Monster?

Ever since the Montauk Monster was in Newsday, we have been hooked. A real monster! When we were in Montauk last fall we searched the town for a Montauk Monster tee shirt and could not find one. Maybe the residents of Montauk don't want The Monster hanging around. I am actually a fan of The Montauk Monster on Facebook. The Monster also had it's own special on The History Channel. He's got a good PR firm.

And now here's a theory on what the monster is on Gawker.com. Could it really be a raccoon that had a Viking Funeral? Who knows. It's fun to have an urban legend like this. When in Montauk I will be looking for The Montauk Monster!
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Toys And Rewards

Some useful information if you shop at Toys R Us - they now have a reward card. The Bayport Bubble has a Toys R Us store at the Sun Vet Mall in Holbrook - just outside The Bubble. The reward card is the same as other stores. You spend a certain amount and you get coupons and rewards. Between all the birthday parties and holidays for the kids, we are there a lot. I have used my card a few times now, but have not received any rewards yet.

Deals are there at Toys R Us if you look for them. They have ads in the newspaper with sales and sometimes coupons. I just brought a bike for 50% off. When you are in the store look for clearance items - they are there. And use your reward card.

Toys R Us also has a birthday club, which I signed my kids up for. Right before my daugther's birthday I got a $3 off coupon and Geoffrey the Giraffe called on her birthday. It's not that great - I would have liked a $10 off coupon and my daughter would have liked a call from Pinky Pie Pony, but it was something and it save me $3.

The Secrets Of CVS

A friend of mine that knows someone that works at CVS in Bayport, told me about this. Not sure if it is every CVS, but it works in the Bayport CVS - I did it. You know about the CVS Extra Care Card and when you check out, coupons print to be used at your next visit. I always have these $5 off coupons that I forget at home or they expire. You do not have to worry about that anymore because in the store are kiosks where you scan your CVS Extra Care Card and it prints coupons tailored to you before you check out, including $5 off. Wow!

In the Bayport CVS there is a kiosk right when you walk into the store. It is on the end cap of the makeup section. I know I must have walked by it 1,000's of time and never noticed it because it is labeled as a price check scanner. But just scan your CVS Extra Care Card and coupons pop out. There is another kiosk towards the back of the Bayport CVS on an end cap by the pharmacy. So do not worry about forgotten or expired coupons - print them when you get into CVS in Bayport.
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Your Recipe Of The Day

I love recipes and I am always in search of a good one. While surfing the King Kullen web site, I found out they have a recipe of the day. For almost a year I gotten a new recipes in my inbox a few times a week. King Kullen is in Blue Point and is where I do most of my shopping. It is always good to look at the sites of stores you shop at a lot. Check online because most stores - national and local have web sites. There are bargains and other useful info on these sites, like the recipe of the day! If you live in The Bayport Bubble and shop at King Kullen here's their web site http://www.kingkullen.com/default.asp

PS - Does anyone else remember what King Kullen in Blue Point was before it was a King Kullen?
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Finally Credit

Finally I get photo credit in The Bayport Blue Point Gazette! Seven of my photos are in the paper this month. With two on the front cover and two on the back cover. I am very excited. It is not a paying gig, but gets me exposure and practice and it's an outlet for all these photos I need to take all the time. The Bayport Blue Point Gazette is a totally local paper dealing with only these two towns on Long Island. Last month I had two photos in The Bayport Blue Point Gazette, but they forgot the photo credit.

For the June edition I covered the Bayport Memorial Day Parade, SEA-BBS Festival and the Bayport Fire Department Big Bucks. Yeah!
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The Poop On Sylvan

I want to know who walks their dog on Barrett Avenue in Bayport on the sidewalk by the side entrance to Sylvan Avenue School??? Once a week this dog takes a humongous poop on the sidewalk right where a 100 kids and parents walk each day to get to school. Clean up after your dog or make him go on the grass.

I do have a feeling it might be done on purpose. Sorry Bayport-Blue Point School District does not have buses and we must park on the street by your house to get our children. There is nothing I can do about it. But we are gone within 15 minutes, so please curb your dog.
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I am Inspired!

Since March 30th I have lost 9 pounds and 8 inches!!! Where does it go??? I belong to Curves in Sayville - next to Stop and Shop on Main Street. A new owner took over the gym about six months ago and gave it breath of fresh air.

It has been three years since I joined Curves in Sayville and I never really lost any real weight, but my body felt good doing the exercises. The main reason I joined is because they have a play area for the kids, that I do not have to pay extra for. There is a TV with a DVD player, toys, table, chairs and markers. There is no one but you watching your kids. While working out you can see your kids the whole time and it is very safe. It is a kid friendly place.

Sharon Boyle is the new owner and she is doing a lot of new fun things. The one thing that I think helped me lose the weight is The Curves Fitness & Weight Management Plan that I started in March. The book cost $10 and Sharon gave the classes after hours for free. The plan is very easy to follow and there are three phases. You just open the book to what phase you are on, look for what meal you need and there are tons of options.

I always thought I was eating right, but this book help me tweak it and I lost! You actually eat a lot to get your metabolism going. For breakfast today I had two eggs with mushroom, spinach and low fat cheese and a piece of whole grain toast. Yum! I do give into temptation here and there. I had two small brownies for dessert on Saturday. You have to have a little fun or you'll go nuts. Call Curves at 631-218-2916
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Whiskey Ed Says - Drink The Pinot Noir

Houdek's in Bayport is holding a wine tasting class at Collins & Main. I have not been to any of these tastings yet. It is hard in the summer time months, but I plan on going in the fall or winter. Here's the info and if anyone in The Bayport Bubble goes - email me at ZFPhoto@Aol.Com and let me know how it was. =)

Pinot Noir Tasting

- Second Class Added!

Tuesday June 23 @

Collins & Main Restaurant in Sayville

7:00 to 9:00 pm

Only $30 per person - includes a light snack
631-472-1300 www.Houdeks.com

Patz & Hall Sonoma 2007

J Russian River 2006

Bouchard Beaune du Chateau 2006

Joseph Drouhin Gevrey Chambertin 2006

Joseph Drouhin Laforet Bourgogne 2006

Domaine Drouhin Oregon 2006

Dr. Loosen Two Worlds NV

Oyster Bay 2006

9th Island 2005

What's For Dinner - Again

The one thing I hate more then emptying the clean dishwasher is figuring out what's for dinner. I have to feed three very picky eaters. Sometimes I end up making four different things and no one eats anything. Ahhh!!! I came across this site from Kraft that might help - http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/Dinner/Pages/DinnerLandingPage.aspx?cm_mmc=eml-_-rbe-_-welcome-_-web

There is a side bar where you type up to three ingredients and a pull down menu where you choose if you are making dinner, breakfast, etc. I tested it out cause I had scallops and tomatoes, but nothing came up. Probably too gourmet for Kraft. So I just put in scallops and got five recipes. It's in my favorite's file now - maybe if I could just get one meal out of it that everyone would eat.

A New Munchkin In Sayville

The Bayport Bubble now has a Dunkin Donuts close by in Sayville. A brand new store just opened on the corner of Main Street and Greene Avenue. Very exciting stuff - if you have little kids. I took the kids yesterday and got chocolate Munchkins and pink donuts. They loved it! And the most exciting part for them was that the door handle was a pink "D". I got some blueberry coffee - yummy!!! Anything having to do with blueberries - I love. It was way cheaper then a cup of coffee from Starbucks and Starbucks does not have blueberry coffee.
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Kids Eat Free

It's true - kids eat for free at J & R's Steak House Sunday - Thursday. You have to have a paying adult to get a free meal and there are only certain items that are free, but it's food kids love. My kids enjoyed their free meal as much as Mom and Dad did paying for it. J & R's Steak House runs all sorts of specials. There are happy hour, early bird and senior specials.

They have five locations on Long Island and we went to their newest one on Main Street in Patchogue. If you cannot find parking in the front - there is plenty of parking in the back, but there is no back entrance so you have to walk through a walkway to the front. When we went on a Thursday night at 6pm and we had to wait about 20 minutes for a table. Service is great, food is great and price is great.

Go to J & R's web site http://jandrsteakhouse.com - there's lots of great stuff here. You can sign up on their site for email specials - which I did. And J & R's has online coupons. I printed one for a free appetizer and they gladly accepted it.
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My Newsday Shrank

When I pulled my Newsday out of the plastic bag this morning it shrank! I like it. It looks more compact and will be easier to read on the run. It will also save paper and will cost Newsday less money - even though they will probably charge us more. I am sure their classified revenue is being hurt by free web sites like Craig's List.
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