Carol's Top Ten Firefox add-ons

I recently started using Firefox again as my default browser. One of the big reasons I favor it over MSIE is for the nifty add-ons. Here are my top ten favorite add-ons and built-in features:

1. Undo Last Closed Tab - Brilliant and self-explanatory. Perhaps the #1 reason I made the switch.
   
2. AdBlock Plus - Instead of ads on websites, I see pure white bliss. Pages load a lot faster too!
   
3. Search Bar - has a pulldown where you can choose to search Google, Amazon, Wikipedia, or a host of other common choices. Customizable. I use those three a lot!
   
4. Fast Dial - Maybe this is just a visual way to sort your favorite bookmarks, but I love it.
   
5. Foxmarks - Automatically sync your Firefox bookmarks on any computer that you own or use (also syncs Fast Dial)
6. Password storage - I just like that you can wait to answer the "would you like me to remember this password" question until you know for sure you typed the right one! FF asks the question in a drop down bar instead of a pop-up window, and you don't have to respond right away in order to proceed.
   
7. ForecastFox - Tiny, tidy current weather and forecast, subtly in your status bar. It would be even more perfect if it could detect what city I'm in when my laptop goes on a trip!
   
8. Yahoo Mail Notifier - the only reason I ever used the bulky Yahoo toolbar, this version takes only about a quarter-inch of real estate on your status bar.
   
9. Google Calendar Sync - whether or not you actively use Google Calendar, did you know you can use it to keep your Outlook calendars automatically synced across multiple computers? (this one isn't Firefox-specific, I'll admit)
   
10. Prompt/Ability to save all current tabs when you shut the program down.

What did I miss? Tell me your favorite features in the comment section...

Bubbles!

Noah has always loved when mommy blows bubbles, but today he learned to blow his own!

Thank You!

Noah is signing "Thank You" to Uncle Thomas & Aunt Amy and his cousins, because he is finally big enough to climb up, crawl through, slide down, and enjoy the heck out of his playscape! He's had the sliding down pat for a while now, but the climbing is pretty new.

Kite Festival at Zilker Park

And Hey, this is my 100th post!

I can't believe he ate the WHOLE thing!

Does it sound like an Alka-Seltzer ad? It should. Last Friday the four of us took a road trip to Houston, PoPo (grandma) sitting in the back with Noah. We'd packed his typical finger-food dinner for her to feed him in the car, and we stopped at Subway to get sandwiches for the rest of us. PoPo picked a sandwich that she could "share" with Noah. But she made the mistake of letting him eat first. She didn't get a bite. My little 24 lb monster ate all six inches of turkey sub, including the spinach. And some of his own dinner after that. Where does he put it???

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone has a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2009!

We celebrated at the playground, where Noah had a blast on the big-kid slides and swings. Of course it's not in the photo, but the best (new) part for Noah was getting to climb up the steps and slide down all by himself.





And this twirly thing captivated him for the longest time:

Whose Favorite?

We thought Noah's new GeoTrax would be Daddy's favorite Christmas present, but it turns out that Mommy is the one addicted to making new track configurations. Noah likes it too, until the trains crash, and then he cries. And if WalMart doesn't stop clearancing the track packs, it's going to take over our living room!

Hellooooooo, anybody there?

Yes, it's been ages since I've posted, and even longer since I've posted regularly. It hasn't been just the normal back-to-school stuff that's been keeping me busier than usual, it's incubating this cute little booger:



Noah's going to be a big brother! We found out the gender today, but before we announce it to the whole wide world, we're going to make you go take a guess in our baby pool. Is the suspense killing you?



Hope your Christmas was wonderful. Ours was, and I promise to post (more) photos soon!

Merry Christmas!

Yes, I tweaked the date on this post... it's almost New Year's by now, but it's never too late to wish you a Merry Christmas!

Happy Halloween!

When the streets started to bustle, we took our little Batman out in the front yard to check out the action.



Noah had a blast running around and watching the other kids, but I don't think he ever realized his little cape was flapping around behind him.



He also enjoyed sorting our Halloween candy. Good thing his little fingers can't get the packages open yet!



By the end of the evening, Noah was running to the door for every trick-or-treater, helping them choose their Hot Wheels and candy, and shutting the door behind them. He had a blast. Oh, and he tried to steal someone's sword.

I think after yesterday he answers to "Batman" better than "Noah." Go figure.