Contest Starts Tomorrow!

Don't forget to run over to my Sister's blog tomorrow for her first annual Colleenie Weenie Contest! She's giving away prizes at Simple Kind of Life, and Geeky Speaky. I don't even know if I'm eligible, seeing as how we're fam and all...and I should win a prize anyway just for being a super cool Sister! : )
I have no idea what she is giving away, but knowing her it will be something cool, not golf balls, and if you don't think it's cool...give it to me....cause we all know how I love a freebie!

Frugal Link

I love those folks over at Wisebread! They dish out some good information! I loved this post on 10 frugal things to do before you die, and anyone that knows me knows that I do, or have already done, at least 5 of them! While I will not "drink from the drip pan", or "slum my food choices", I am a big believer in thrift store shopping, Vegas being a super cheap vacay, and haggling prices - you won't get what you don't ask for!

How much is too much?

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 10:28-30

I spoke to my older Sister last night, who has been over at our Mom's this past week taking her to Dr appts and doing what needs to be done to get ready for her surgery in 2 weeks. My Mother is becoming excitable, argumentative & belligerant about little things, and we are not sure if it is a reaction to her health issues, or she is just stressed that we have upset their daily routine. They got into an argument becuase my Mother refused to buy her laundry detergent at Target. THAT is how routine they are, she HAS to buy her Cheer at Publix. She insists that she hates Target and will not purchase Cheer there...and you cannot explain to her in any way that the Cheer at Target is the same bottle of Cheer they sell at Publix. THIS is what we are dealing with.

My siblings and I are in for a very long summer. But, I know that God will not give us more than we can carry.

Insurance

And, while I'm talking about it....ALL insurance seems to have gone up around here, not just my health! Is it all over the country? Is the economy as bad as I think it is? Are we headed for a recession? Everyone in the office was complaining about the cost of thier family health plan going up by almost $100, that's a significant chunk out of one's payroll! And, it's not like you can just do without, you have to have insurance..so where is that money going to come from? Then, you have to consider the cost of car insurance, I thought when I reached a certain age that mine would go down...? Did not happen. I do not speed, no tickets, no accidents...and my insurance is pretty hefty each month, and I supposedly get a discount for using the same company for my condo insurance! Ha! My car insurance went up $5 a month at renewal last month, I thought it would go down....what's up with that? And, you do not even want to get into the soaring cost of homeowner's in this state! It's crazy the way the insurance companies just drop policies for no good reason, and people have to shop around for another carrier that is somewhat affordable! Our condo association was dropped by Allstate last year, for no reason other than they were not insuring condos anymore..like that? So, we had to have a special assessment meeting, and all owners were assessed a monthly fee to pay for the increase in the new homeowners policy, which was FOUR HUNDRED PERCENT more than what they budgeted! 400...can you imagine? Someone like me, I'm a working girl and just re-worked my budget to come up with the money, sure, it meant less funtime..but what can you do? But, what about all the retired people that live there (and there's a lot)..what can they do? They are on a fixed income...kind of hard to rework those numbers! So, my advice to you is, shop around before buying any insurance...even if it is company provided health benefitls..that's why they give you options..so you can shop them and make the best choice that fits your budget.
This is a sponsored post.

Benefits Day

Today is benefits day at work, you know the drill...you get a packet of documents to go through, for which you need a translater! Then the rep comes in with all of your healthcare and dental options...you go in knowing what you want for your choices, then they take you into a little room to sign you up and try to upsell all kinds of addtional choices by spewing all sorts of doom scenarios. You know, things like.."what if you are hurt and cannot work..how will you pay your bills?"...or, "you really should consider purchasing addtional life insurance so that your family is taken care of"....(HA, I'm just ME baby...they don't NEED any additional insurance money!)...or, my personal favorite..."if you purchase the Cancer Supplement, you'll be covered in the unlikely event you get cancer"..! Yeah, thanks, appreciate your support! Can you say "Bait and Switch"? I mean, really people...I only have to cover me, I go to the doctor (eye and girly), dentist, and dermatologist, once a year ...that's all the coverage that I need, and all that I am going to pay for!

Relax.

It is a short work week, and i have had a rough one already! When we were at the beach over the weekend, we noted that the only thing missing was a hammock! I could sure use one right now! Between work and my family issues the past few weeks, I am in dire need of some ME time....I missed out on my girls weekend due to having to run out of town so suddenly, I could have been chilling with my girlies at the beachside condo in some rope hammocks, and cool drinkies! I need to redeem the raincheck on that deal, get the girlies together and find ourselves some serious beachtime. Or, maybe a weekend cruise to the Bahamas! The island we went to, Coco Cay, was full of ocean breezes, cool sand, hot sun, hammocks, and a fully stocked bar! COCO LOCO - OOZY BOOZY, our little friend in the golf cart, cruising from hammock to hammock, or chair to chair to get you a drinky...you know what I'm talking about, right? Yeah..let's go there...NOW!
This is a sponsored post.

Summer TV Doldrums...

Already! Summer TV is horrible, there is nothing on! All of my shows have reached their season finale's...and now, to reruns and crap we go. There was absolutely NOTHING on this weekend...I thought there would be some cool movies showing for the holiday weekend. Nope. Nothing. Even my beloved TV Land has reduced itself to showing the movie Vacation too many times over the past 2 weeks. It's a great flick, but c'mon people...you can only watch it so many times. Glad the Stanley Cup started last night, that will keep me busy for a few weeks! And, Big Brother will start up in July. Until then....the crap channel, all crap, all the time.

Heads up!

Apparently, I am going to have to go back to the theatre and see Pirate's 3 again......seems there is an extra scene AFTER the credits! ACK! Wish I had known that before I saw it! SO, heads up to all of you to wait for the credits and see the extra scene.

Holiday Weekend

Went to Ft Desoto Park yesterday with Sister and family, had a great day on one of the most beautiful beaches in Florida. There were a lot of people out there, and lots of boats! We were sitting in the water wishing any number of them were coming by to scoop us up for a ride! Due to the Florida sun, most of them had sunbrella boat covers to protect from harsh rays. My boss went out on their pontoon boat this weekend to Anclote Key and spent the weekend camping out there, she had to have her boat professionally cleaned due to it sitting out in the elements all winter... what little winter we have down here. She spent a lot of time on the phone trying to find someone to come out and clean it for her, if she had custom boat covers, she could have saved herself some time and money on that! When she gets back, I will have to show her this site I found and she can winterize her boat next year with a nice custom fit cover.
This is a sponsored post.

Just Free Stuff!

Beat your post holiday weekend blahs with a freebie!

Free sample of Colgate Total Advanced Clean here

Free sample of Ban deoderant here

Free can of Mighty Dog dog food here

Free sample of St Ives Healthy Brilliance here

Memorial Day.

Take a moment today to remember those who have fought, and continue to fight, for our freedom. You may not agree with the war, but please support our troops!

At World's End...

Went out and saw the new Pirate's of the Caribbean movie last night, it was AWESOME! I liked how they tied it all together and did not leave you hanging. It was long, almost 3 hours, so if you go, be ready for the long haul! We went to the late show, and did not get out until just after 1AM. It was worth seeing on the big screen though, and I'd pay to see it again.

Publix Deli Meet

So, I was at Publix today...waiting at the deli counter, we all know how crowded that place can be on a Saturday morning..and there was a cute guy waiting next to me. He was wearing a Gator shirt, a nice smile, and there was no sign of a ring......3 for 3! We exchanged a few smiles...a little small talk about the wait, you know the drill. He seemed to be shopping for his Mother (not sure if that is good or bad! Ha!)...every time Mom wandered off to go get some random item, we'd go back to the smiling glances and such. I was feeling kind of frisky anyway, was fresh off a trip to the salon for a wax and a pedicure! After he got his order filled.....he left. Just walked away. No asking for my number, no meet me at the frozen food section...nothing. DAYAM! Whats up with these guys? What's a girl got to do? I gave him every signal I had in my arsenal...the eyes, the smile, the "lean in".....some of my best work! I had pretty painted toes! And I got nothing. Very discouraging.

Don't blog so close to me....

Don't Blog..Don't blog so close to me.......! Because I want to get the new police cd! Yes, that's right, you heard it. The Police! Together again! A new CD and a live tour!! Did you all know that I actually MET Sting! Yes, it's true...my one and only brush with a famous person. Here's how it went down. It happened at Raymond James Stadium, Super Bowl XXV, January 2001. I had the once in a lifetime opportunity of attending a Super Bowl, ON A DATE, which was a huge thrill in itself for me, a huge fan of football....Yeah, that's how I roll....went to the Superbowl, on a date, with Don Shula's NEPHEW, so we were on DON'S Tickets! Yeah, great seats. As if it could not get any cooler than that, please, read on. So, Sting was part of the entertainment lineup...I went to go refresh my beer, happened to be standing near an elevator..and the door opened, and who was standing there? Yes. He stood so close to me. Sting! My new friend. But, his bodyguards would not let me stand so close to him! He's actually kind of short, I never realized that before. But, yes, it was really cool, and I was extremely tongue tied, and he had an awesome leather jacket on....and he won't ever remember it, but I recall every detail, I was walking on the moon after that! Superbowl AND Sting...HA, that was the best date I ever went on!! Think he got lucky? LOL! Let's do the math:

Date + Superbowl + Sting = Every Little Thing She does is Magic!

Every time I listen to the new Police CD I will recall fondly that great day in my life!
I grew up listening to The Police! I love their songs, and this new police cd has some of their best work on it! This is a must have CD for all Police fans! TWO DISCS of awesome classic Police tunes!
Disc: 1
1. Fallout
2. Can't Stand Losing You
3. Next to You
4. Roxanne
5. Truth Hits Everybody
6. Hole in My Life
7. So Lonely
8. Message in a Bottle
9. Reggatta de Blanc
10. Bring on the Night
11. Walking on the Moon
12. Don't Stand So Close to Me
13. Driven to Tears
14. Canary in a Coalmine
Disc: 2
1. Do Do Do de da da Da
2. Voices Inside My Head
3. Invisible Sun
4. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
5. Spirits in the Material World
6. Demolition Man
7. Every Breath You Take
8. Synchronicity I
9. Wrapped Around Your Finger
10. Walking in Your Footsteps
11. Synchronicity II
12. King of Pain
13. Murder by Numbers
14. Tea in the Sahara

So yeah, DA DO DO DO Give ME the new Police CD! I will wear the music right off of it by listening to it ALL THE TIME!!

This is a sponsored post.

Bath & Body Works Sale

I found this over at D's blog. Bath & Body Works is having a great sale right now,for 5 days only, and she had a great idea about stocking up for Christmas...check out the details here.

Thanks, Wisebread!

I received my copy of Dead Man's Chest in the mail yesterday, compliments of the fine folks over at Wisebread! And , just in time for the opening of the 3rd movie this weekend! I look forward to many happy hours with Captain Jack Sparrow...good thing it's a 3 day weekend! LOL !!

Pay Per Post Direct!

Wow. The folks over at Pay Per Post have been hard at work, and they just released yet another way for all of us bloggers to make even more money blogging! They have just released Pay Per Post Direct! WHat is Pay Per Post Direct? Well, sit down and let me tell you. Pay Per Post Direct is a new service where you can have the advertisers go direct to you, cut out the middle man, cut out the overhead..which means more money in your pocket! Yeah. I am liking that thought, too! You can check out the details here, or even see some video on it here. Other paid blogging services are not offering a sweet deal like this, Pay Per Post is really thinking about their bloggers, and doing a great job at helping the blogging community get the most bang for their buck. I have only been blogging for dollars with them for a month, actually, 1 month today, but I have made some nice side cash and it only takes a few minutes a day! It is so much easier than I ever thought it would be! What are you waiting for? Run over to my sidebar and click on the Pay Per Post link...and get yourself some nice extra pocket money, too!

American Idol - Fluffed up Finale

Sheesh...can they cram any more fluff and filler into these results shows? I didn't think so...until last night. I missed the entire first hour and a half due to being out to dinner, but was not concerned as I knew it would be all filler and they would not announce the winner until 9:58pm! I was right. I turned it on when I got home about 9:25....so see Sanjaya singing. Help me. WHY? Why did they put that schmoe on stage again? It's a good thing I had crawled into a bottle of wine at dinner...that was the only thing that got me thru that mess. So, yeah, more former Idol singers...fluff-filler.....blah blah blah...sing sing sing.....NUMEROUS commercials...and finally, Jordin Sparks is the winner. Yeah. Like we didn't already know that Ryan.

Free Chipotle Burrito!!

My Sister will be all over this! To promote National Hunger Awareness Day, if you bring a non perishable food item to any Tampa Bay area Chipotle on Tuesday June 5th, they will give you a FREE burrito, burrito bol, order of tacos, or salad! Help the hungry and get fed..what a deal! All donations will benefit America's Second Harvest of Tampa Bay. If you do not live in the Tampa Bay Area, you need to check with your local Chipotle to see if they are having a similiar promotion.

ING Direct Bonus Referrals

If you decide to open a high yield savings after reading the below post, email me at pwgatorATmsnDOTcom for a bonus referral link at ING Direct and get an additional $25 when you open your account of $250 or more!!

High Yield Savings

I opened a high yield savings account last fall, and it was one of the smartest financial moves I ever made! I got a bonus referral link from a friend which earned me money on my initial deposit. I have a liitle money transferred over every pay period, and it just sits there earning interest. When I need a few dollars for a sudden expense, all I have to do is go online and transfer it back into checking...click-click-done! That easy! If you have your money in a brick and mortar bank earning 0.005% interest, I highly encourage you to move it somewhere so it can start making money for you! Or, just start an additional savings account for yourself, a house fund, kids college, vacation or emergency fund. Why take pennies from your bank, when you can earn dollars at a high yield online bank? They are safe, FDIC insured, have all the security features of your regular bank. You can check out all the high yield savings accounts available and make an informed decision for YOUR financial house! It is my firm belief that you cannot have too much money saved! You never know what is going to happen in life, be prepared.
This is a sponsored post.

Free Shampoo!

Free sample of new Dove Cool Moisture shampoo & conditioner here.

Father's Day Freebie!

For the golfer in your life ...Father's Day is coming! Wilson is giving away golf balls - 2 ball sleeves of thier new Wilson Staff FIFTY golf balls!1000 sleeves per day until June 9, 2007! Check that out here!

American Idol Finale

I thought Jordin Sparks stole the show last night...when she sang the last song (the one written for them) and started crying at the end...you knew this really meant something to her. Blake is good, he is a performer, and he will go very far, but she is a much better singer.

Movies on iPod

So, last week while I was over at my Mom's helping out with her...I found myself pacing hallways at the hospital, and at her house cleaning floors, organizing cupboards...anything to pass the time and keep my mind clear of what was going on. To say I was bored at times was an understatement. I cannot just "sit"..and they only have ONE television...ONE...they have 80 coffee mugs, but only 1 TV !! And, they like to watch "Walker Texas Ranger"....and "Bonanza"...what's up with the cowboy thing? I brought some movies with me, only watched one as I had to put in a request to get any TV time! I did request that I be able to view the season finale of Gray's Anatomy on Thursday night, wasn't about to miss that! I had my iPod with me....would have been awesome if I had a DVD iPod Converter and then have some of my favorite shows or movies downloaded into it so I could just watch it whenever I wanted! They have one here, which offers a free trial....and I'll be checking into it for when I go back next month and have to sit around the hospital again trying to entertain myself!
This is a sponsored post.

Fundraising Update

Thanks to 2 more generous friends, I am now even closer to my fundraising goal!! I only need another $740...if you can help, go here and make your donation towards healthy breasts everywhere!! NO amount is too small, every bit helps us fight breast cancer!

Time Off

For some reason, my company cannot seem to get everyone's sick / vacation accruals done properly for the past few months. They need serious help down in the HR department. We accrue our time monthly, according to how long you have been there, so there should be an increase in each category on every other check, unless you have taken time off, and then it will decrease. Lately, every time I get my check and look at how much time I have available, it's some random number...and it's always WRONG! I then have to go to our local admin, with copies of the last few checks to show the difference, and she has to go back through her records and count everything and e mail them and send them the correct number...and then, in a few weeks, it's usually off again. Frustrating? YES! Between my check on May 4th, and the one I just got May 18th - I LOST 20 hours of vacation..without taking any!! With my Mother being ill and having to take last week to help out, and be there for her surgery in a few weeks, I need all of the time that I have been saving (which I was going to go on vacation with, but that's another post). Apparently, I am going to have to start keeping a very close eye on this to ensure that I am getting all the accrued time off I am owed.

Dinner is Served...

Nephew's girlfriend stopped by this evening to return some of my Tupperware that was at their house...I can tell she was raised properly, as she did not return it empty! One of them was full of baked ziti! Yum-O! I had it for dinner, thanks kids!

Dogs like free stuff, too!

For the pet in your life:

Free sample of Iams dog or cat food here
Free Sergeant's Gold Flea & Tick squeeze on for dogs here

Freebies!

Yes, I know...I've been gone and you've been missing your freebies!! Well, here's a few to help with your laundry!
Go here for a free sample of Cheer Free-n-Gentle
Go here for a free sample of Tide coldwater

Enjoy!

Credit Cards

How many credit cards to you have? Do you carry a balance or pay them off each month? Do you know how much interest you are paying, and how much it is costing you over time to carry those balances? These are questions you should ask yourself about your own credit card debt. And, if you don't have any credit cards, DON'T get any! I read too many articles in the paper, or on the news, about the rate of credit card debt in this nation. People get credit cards and do not use them for emergency only purposes..they are using them to live! To buy groceries, gas, clothes. If you are not paying them off each month, this can create a mountain of debt depending on what kind of interest rate you have...you are spinning your wheels trying to get ahead paying only the minimums each month. Unless you have 0% credit cards and are using them wisely, you can get into some serious financial troubles. This site has some great information on zero interest cards, and articles related to credit card debt.I encourage your to check your balances, look at what you owe, and the interest you are paying...see if you can transfer the balances to a lower interest card, or call the credit card issuer and see if they will lower your rate.
This is a sponsored post.

Sleep. Finally.

I finally got a good nights sleep last night. First one in 5 days. You cannot sleep at my Mother's house. It is impossible. Once you get your mind to slow down, you hear all sorts of random noise. Her house has the thinnest walls ever. If there is a hurricane, it will blow away, it does not block out inside OR outside noise. AND, she and her husband get up at dawn's crack. Yeah. We're talking OH-SIX-THIRTY. EVERY morning. And they do not know how to use their "inside voices". And the TV must be on loud enough for the neighbors to hear. And, garbage day is Tuesday-Thursday..at 7am....with the loud truck and the rattling and the noise....and recycling day is Monday-Wednesday..at 7am....with the loud truck and the rattling and the noise. And, of course, Friday, the lawn guy came...AT SEVEN A.M...and it is my firm belief that they turned on a weed wacker, sat it down outside my window...and walked away. It was THAT LOUD. It felt good to be in my own bed, with Snoopy next to my leg where he always sleeps. I slept for TEN hours. TEN. GOOD. QUIET. HOURS.(Other than an interruption at 4am to take Snoopy out). I felt very rested this morning.

Organized Chaos

While we were away, we tried to do a few things with the kids so they could maintain a sense of normalcy in the midst of the chaos. Playing cards, fedding the birds and the bunny in the backyard, watching DVD's, a trip to the library. We Also all went to see Shrek 3rd, it was VERY good! I thought it was LOL funny, we all enjoyed it, and it gave us a few hours of down time where we did not have to think about reality! I also had a 4 hour Monopoloy marathon with my 15 year old neice, which did not end until 1AM, and the bank actually ran out of money! I have never played Monopoly long enough for the bank to go bankrupt, and according to the rules, you are to make your own money with paper and keep playing! We both decided that since it was well after 1AM, we would just finish the game. For the record, I was the winner with just over $8670....if only that were real money!

Out of Minutes

So, when you are out of the area dealing with family medical issues, the only way to let the rest of the family know what is going on is with the phone. My cell phone got a MAJOR workout this week, so much so that I am afraid to see the bill this month. I tried to use the landline as much as possible when we were at the house, but I didn't want to run my Mom's phone bill up either! I sure could have used an emergency pre paid calling card! I did a quick check when I got home for thebest prepaid calling card service available, and found Pingo. I need to look into getting one of these prepaid calling cards before I have to go out of town again, because right now, they are having a $25 FREE merchant giftcard giveaway, and $5 in free calls for signing up here!
This is a sponsored post.

Back. But not normal.

Arrived home today. I've been gone 5 days. I can't even remember what I did last weekend! What a nightmare, I would not wish this on anyone. The thought that you may have to take care of one, or both, of your parent's can be mind numbing. I cannot begin to describe the stress I have experienced this past week, or the emotional roller coaster ride it was. Thank you to all who called, my apologies for rambling on over the phone, as the need to vent was critical at times or I felt I would explode. Sitting at the hospital waiting is not what I do. I suck at it. I hate hospitals. My Mother is home, and doing well for now. Her color is back, the stent they put in helped drain her bile duct, and it seems to still be working. We really don't know much, all signs and symptoms point towards Pancreatic Cancer, but we are not sure. What we do know is there are tumors that are causing blockage, and they cannot even get in there and take a clear picture or even a needle biopsy. As of right now, surgery is scheduled in a few weeks. It is major surgery, but she is a strong woman with no health issues until now, so we are confident that she will pull through. Until then, we hope & pray, and deal with the unknown. Her husband (not my Father) has exhibited signs of demetia/early alzheimers, which has added a monkey wrench to the entire situation - he cannot seem to function normally without her there to tell him what he needs to do. They live on the other side of the state, a 3 hour drive, causing a logistical nightmare when this all started. My siblings and I had to jump immediately, drop everything, throw some things in a bag and go. We were at the local Target more than once picking up something that was forgotten in the rush! It's good to be home.

Out of Office

My apologies for the lack of posting, I am away from the blogosphere at this time. I am currently out of town dealing with a family medical emergency....hope to be back soon.

Free Senseo Coffee Pod System!

Yeah, not just free coffee, or a free coffee mug...I am talking the whole darn machine!! Click here to fill out a survey about your coffee habits, Senseo is selecting people to give their Senseo single serve coffee pod systems to, WITH free coffee pods and a storage container! I already did it, and hope I get one because I am a coffee hound and have wanted one for a while now!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mom's out there! Snoopy allowed me to sleep in, and I was grateful for that small gift! I am going blueberry picking today with my Sister, her kids, and my Stepmother....should be fun!

Who Gets?

Okay, all of you who read this blog (all 3 of you!) know that I am all about the freebies! I have a friend who calls me "code name freebie"...I found this cool site, whogets.com. It's a site where you can win all sorts of cool prizes, valued from $10 - $600! It's free to become a member, and once you are in you can enter each contest one time! The contests run in 2 rounds, you enter when you see the prize you want, and then they have a random draw for 7 entrants to the final round, where you write 100 words and tell them why you want or need the prize, then all the members vote on who wins the prize! Easy peasy! There's a lot of prizes there, so the more you enter, the more opportunities to win! Go over and check it out, you might win something!
This is a sponsored post.

Total Randomness....

• Went to a Pampered Chef party last night, and it is thier "Whip Breast Cancer" month, a portion of all proceeds go to fight breast cancer, and they had a few cute limited edition pink items!
• Which reminds me, I got another donation toward my 3 Day walk this week, there still time to get yours in, run over to the donation link on my sidebar!
• Tomorrow night is the season finale of Survivor...when did that sneak up on me? They are still at final 5, I though they waited until final 4 for the finale..?
• Lot's of family funtime in the past 24 hours, it can be exhausting!

For my Single Friends....

I don't know about the rest of you, and I've said this before, it's tough out there for a single gal, or guy. Where do you meet quality people? Referral from a friend? Been there done that. Bar scene? Been there done that. Dating Site? Yep. But, why should we have to pay to go into your site and find our soul mate? Check out It's Just Coffee, a free online dating site...that features witty brainiac and nerds! These all seem like nice, genuine folks, looking for someone to share thier life with. Smart guys and gals need love, too! And they usually have good jobs and are more responsible than the average bear! And I can personally vouch from going to my high school reunion that the smarter, nerdier kids got much better looking with age, and the cool kids did not age well at all! Ha! I love when that happens!
This is a sponsored post.

Free Sample, for the Ladies.....

Free sample of Tampax Pearl here.

Ashes to Ashes...

OK, so the wind has changed again, and the smoky haze was back last night....along with, ashes. Yes, ashes from wildfires all over the state, none of which are within a 100 mile radius of me, are on my car. My nice BLACK car. Which is now dotted with white ashes. AGAIN. Please, pray for rain. We need it badly, these fires are bad, and they are spreading. Pray for the firefighters, they are tired, relief has come from around the state...but they need some rain to help them. TS Andrea, she is nothing but a blob hovering in the gulf off the space coast (Melbourne/Cocoa)..she has not given us what we need, which is rain. She has produced wind, which has done nothing but help spread the fires. Rain, Rain, come today....

Welcome, Matthew!

My Nephew has joined the blogging ranks.....check him out here, drop him some comment love, some link love, or just plain love..he's my boy!

Save or Spend?

I came across this article over at The Simple Dollar, and I really liked it. He gets to the down-n-dirty of how he saved money, and some tips to help you save over the long haul. These are great tips, and I already utilize many of them. The only things I would add are what to do with a windfall (Work bonus, tax refund, birthday check, prize winnings) - most will tell you to spend half and save half. I am of the mindset to save it all if you do not already have an emergency fund. (If you don't have an E Fund, e mail me for an ING Direct Bonus link to get yours started with an automatic $25 bonus!) If you already have a fully funded E Fund, then treat yourself to something nice, but still save at least half, if not more. However, if you have any high interest debt, I would use the entire windfall to try and pay that down first. That's just me, I'm a saver. Cheap, Frugal, Thrifty - call it what you will, doesn't bother me!

It took me a while, but I Heart PPP

I do. I love Pay Per Post, the consumer generated advertising network. I started blogging last August, and I signed up for Pay Per Post after my blog was 90 days old. And then, I did nothing. I kept on blogging, but never took advantage of all that money Pay Per Post would have PAID me to blog. Duh. So, a few weeks ago I woke up and started blogging for dollars! I have been doing paid posts for about 3 weeks, and have made $87! I have to say that I am very pleased, it was clean and easy to sign up and start making money! In hindsight, I do think I needed those 5 months of non-paid blogging, to get accustomed to the blogging game, learned a few tricks as far as linking, posting pictures and just learning to be a better blogger, instead of just diving in head first because someone was paying me to do so. You can get paid to blog too, click on that pretty green PPP button on my sidebar and get in the game!
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Five Cent Nickel HUGE Blogiversary Giveaway!

Five Cent Nickel is celebrating their 2 year blogiversary in a big way!! Just 2 years ago they started giving out personal finance tips and advice to the masses, and they do have a great blog, it's worth a good look! To celebrate this milestone, they are giving away five great prizes,including 2 iPods!! All you have to do is run over to his sight and drop a comment to enter! How sweet is that? You only have until 8pm tomorrow to get your entry in, so hurry!!

Haagen Dazs New Flavor Day!

Tuesday May 15, Haagen Dazs is giving away FREE scoops of their 2 newest flavors, Cinnamon Dulce de Leche, and Sticky Toffee Pudding....mmmmmm! Who doesn't like free ice cream? 4-8pm only, check the website for more details.

Free Soda!

Sign up here for a coupon good for a free 2 liter of Diet 7up! While supplies last, so hurry!

American Idol

It's anybody's guess as to who is going home tonight. I was not really impressed with the "Barry Gibb" episode last night. While, back in the day (dating myself here) I was a HUGE Bee Gees fan, and had the mad 8th grade hots for Barry Gibb (I got the album, Spirits Having Flown, for my 14th birthday), he has not aged well. What was up with his mouth? It was like he had false teeth or something and they were too big for his mouth. Weird. Anyhoo, I didn't think any of the top 4 did that great of a job, but I also didn't think they had much to work with choosing from in his song catalog. I'm guessing LaKeesha or Blake are out.

Cell Phone Accessories

So, I finally got a nice new cell phone, with a camera in it, and a cool color screen so the first thing I did was take a picture of my precious boy, Snoopy, and download him as wallpaper! Yeah, that's how I roll....I wait until almost everyone else gets the latest gadget, and THEN I buy it....I like to let you guys work out the kinks! Ha! Problem was, it didn't come with any cell phone accessories, what's up with that? That's okay, Wirefly has re-launched their accessory store! First thing I had to have was a charger, can't have a cell phone without that! Now, I am in serious need of some sort of a handsfree kit for when I am on the road. I was checking out this bluetooth headset, it's PINK! You know I am all over wearing pink to show my support for breast cancer!
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Coupon Cutter

My friend Amy sent me this article from her local paper on cutting your grocery budget by combining coupons and the internet. You can find all sorts of coupons on the internet, and in the Sunday paper. There are also websites that, for a fee, will sort through weekly flyers and match up coupons with your local grocery stores sales, and send you an email on the deals offered! Now, for a someone with a family, or working Moms & Dads without a lot of free time, it's worth the small fee they charge. But, for myself, I can sort through the coupons and the sale flyers and match up my own deals, though the 4 week trial for $1 is tempting, just to see if they can save me even more money! The article is a good read, you might learn a new money saving tip!

Give the Dog a Bone...

..or 6 free rawhide bones! Found this offer over at wisebread. Snoopy cannot have rawhide, as it it causing the enamel on his teeth to chip off, but if you know a dog, or dogs, than can benefit from this great offer, check it out!

Why Blog Readers Comments are Important

I think it's important to drop a comment once in a while on the blogs that you read. Only takes a minute to let the writer know you agree/disagree, maybe you have an idea, or differing viewpoint. As blog writers we appreciate comments....it means someone, somewhere is actually reading! My comment over here saved this fellow blogger money, and she sure appreciated that! Glad I could help, maybe someday your comment will help someone too...so don't hold back, tell the writer what you are thinking. Just be nice!

Free Sample Tuesday!

Free sample of new Quaker Granola Bites here!
Free sample of Oberto O Boy Beef Jerky Crisps here!
Enjoy!

Drivers Ed 101 - My Car Stalled, what do I do?

Apparently, this is going to be a continuing series! I left work about 5:15 yesterday, and it took me FORTY-FIVE MINUTES to go the first 5 miles. To say I was less than pleased is an understatement. I could not understand why traffic was not moving. Granted, traffic is normally heavy that time of day on that road, but not like that. I was moving about 5 feet, then sitting for 5 minutes, then moving another 5 feet. The radio was reporting the major snarl, which was affecting 2 major arteries, but not what the was causing it. I tried to think of other things, listen to NPR..anything to keep me from feeding on my growing aggravation! When I finally got to the point where the problem was, I expected to find numerous cop cars, body parts on the road, and car mangled beyond recognition. What did I find? What , do you think was cause a THREE LANE major artery to back up for miles?? A car. A stalled car in the middle lane with it's hazard blinkers on, and the driver sitting behind the wheel. No police. No debris. No dents. No body parts. Just, a car. Sitting there. Ummm, excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you...but some of us would like to get home this evening, before midnight...would it be too much bother for you to GET OUT OF YOUR FREAKING CAR AND PUT IT IN NUETRAL AND PUSH IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SO IT DOES NOT BLOCK THE ENTIRE COUNTY FROM GETTING HOME? That would be lovely, if it's not too much to ask. Yeah. One jackass in a stalled car turned my 45 minute commute into an HOUR and forty five minutes. You wonder why people get road rage? I don't!

Smoke -n- Ashes

I awoke this morning to the scent of....fire..? Yes, apparently the wind is blowing just right, and the smoke and ash from a 16 acre wildfire way down in Lee, Collier & Hendry Counties has made it's way up here to the Tampa Bay area. I could smell the smoke at my house, and there was a very mild haze. When I got to work, in Tampa, the smoke scent is much stronger. WE NEED RAIN. And, not the kind that starts fires. The ground is so dry, that lightning from the storm on the weekend is what started this brush fire.

Spring Cleaning for the Computer

My computer is only 2 years old, but has been moving very slow lately, and I don't think it's just because I am the last remaining person in the free world on dial up! Now that I've been on it more blogging, I've been wanting to get my nephew over to clean it out for me, he's my resident computer guru. I have no clue what to do, or how to clean it out. I know there's not a bunch of junk downloaded in it, because I am the only one that uses it and I don't download games or any of that. My virus software expired a few months after I got the computer, and I am not about to "extend my subscription" - as it keeps reminding me to do when I boot up- when I can get free Norton Antivirus. I am going to have to cook up a nice hot meal, invite the nephew over and have him check out this site so we can decide which antivirus software I need, and clean this puppy up!
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Drivers Ed 101 - Turn Signals and How to Use Them

Yeah, the automobile turn signal. Which is defined, literally, as a SIGNAL to advise other drivers that you are going to TURN. You see, like most people, I am not psychic, I need you to show me what you are going to do when you are in front of me in a 2000 lb machine. It's that lever on the left side of your steering column. Push it to the UP position when you are turning right, and to the DOWN position when you are turning left. And, then, all the other drivers around you will know what you are going to do, and NOT have to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting you. Amazing little invention, the turn signal, try using it. There will be a test on my commute home today.

Coupons

I am a coupon girl. I cut grocery coupons from the Sunday circulars, organize them in a little coupon wallet, and USE them! I saved $23.60 this weekend at the grocery! As a couponer, it's only natural to use coupons for other stores as well, even when I shop online. You can get all kinds of coupon codes for your online shopping. I always search for a coupon before I buy anything at Amazon, which is where I buy most of my books and movies. With Mother's day coming soon, and a few May birthdays coming up that I have to buy for - I'll definitley be searching for some Amazon coupon deals before I make any of my final purchases.
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Paycheck to Paycheck

I read this great article in my local paper, The St Petersburg Times, yesterday. They are doing an occasional series in the Sunday Money section called "paycheck to paycheck". What a role model this guy is for his little girl! He is a single Dad who works, is going to college, and is, like most Americans, living paycheck to paycheck. Unlike most Americans, he actually budgets his money, and after all is paid for, has $5 a day left to live on. And do you know what he said about living on $5 a day? "It beats being in debt". What an inspiration he is!

Weather

So, yeah...the rain did not last long, it did, however, bring in a bit of a cool front. So, I actually was able to turn off the A/C and open the windows, as the humidity is low and it's only going up to 80 today. This saves a few bucks on the electric bill, which makes me happy.

Amazing Race All Stars - Winners

Was it me, or did they fly through this final episode? I liked it better when they start the finale with 4 teams, and it's a 2 hour nail biter to the finish. Seemed like there was not a lot of drama , and you knew all along who was going to win. It was Eric & Danielle...I wanted the blonde beauty queens to win, but whatever, anyone BUT Charla & Myrna was fine with me. Oh, and the kayak challenge..I can personally vouch for how difficult that is, ESPECIALLY against the wind and over those waves! My nephew and I did a kayak excursion on a Bahamas cruise a few years back, in the Atlanic ocean, from one island to another...and it was against the wind coming back - and it was a serious workout on the upperbody, I was exhausted! But, so worth it, how many opportunities to you get to kayak in the Bahamas?

Sweet Rain

It's raining! Nice hard rain! And boy do we need it, we need it to continue for about 24 hours - but I don' think it's going to hang around long enough to make a difference.

I Saw S3

Yes. I braved the theatre on opening weekend to see Spiderman 3, along with a few friends. It was good, it dragged a bit in the middle with the whole Spidey in his black suit /Peter Parker alter ego deal, but overall a good movie. I enjoyed the action and Topher Grace was awesome as Venom. They do need to stop at 3 though, I don't think they can take the storyline any further without ruining the whole series.

iPod Giveaway

Do you have an iPod? I heart my iPod. I will never again have to buy an entire CD just because there is one or two great songs on it! I can download all of my favorite songs from borrowed CD's (which is why I also heart my library!), and the internet. You can get an iPod, too....Addison Avenue is having a 30 gig ipod give away! No Joke!They are giving away 30 iPods in 30 days! They also have free checking, free web bill pay, and free direct deposit! Run over there and check it out, and sign up to win one of 30 iPods! What are you waiting for, I did, and if I win, it will be going into the gift closet for a lucky friend or relative!
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Mo' Money!

Not only did I raise another $40 for my 3 Day walk today, but I got to spend some nice quality time with friends! It was a hot one, so the bottled water was a big hit! And, almost all the baked goods went, the little bit that was leftover stayed at Jill & Marty's house. I was up very early today, so a nap is in order. The sale was not to start until 8am, but they said there were people there at 07:05! I know community yard sales are good, but sheesh - that's a bit early folks!

Mother's Day

Next weekend is Mother's Day. Yeah, that kind of creeped up on me real sneaky like. And I have TWO Mom's to buy for, my birth Mother and my Stepmother who raised me. My Mom lives over on the other coast, so she usually gets the card, and if my Sister is sending flowers I'll chip in on that with her so I don't look bad! Ha! My Stepmother lives over here not far from me, and I see her a lot...so I usually get her a gift on Mother's Day, not just the standard card. One of the biggest postal weekends of the year, everybody sends Mom a nice card for Mother's Day. Lot's of flowers, too. Pretty standard gifts right? Card, flowers, and phone call. EVERYBODY calls their Mom on Mother's Day, sometimes the lines are so crammed you can't even get through! So, how about, instead of calling Mom on the landline, you get her a free cell phone, and you can always get through! Wirefly has an awesome deal right now if you sign up for Cingular service you get get a free Motorola Razr, in PINK - for Mom, cause ya know, she's a girl and all. (And so she can show her support for Breast Cancer!) You also get a bluetooth headset in this deal, and FREE Fed Ex 2 Day shipping! So, you sign up for the deal, have it shipped to her - and then you call her on Mother's Day on her new Pink Razr cell phone!
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The Power to Keep Going!

Energizer batteries has joined forces with Susan G Komen for the Cure! "The battery that keeps you going every day also keeps the hope going with a minimum guaranteed donation of $350,000 to Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation"! Yay Energizer! You can help them out AND get yourself a cool pink tote bag with proof of purchase from Energizer batteries.

Garage Storage

Is your garage a mess? It seems like everyone I know has a 2 car garage in Florida, and none of them have cars in them! I have seen people store so much stuff in their garage they have to clear a path to get to the laundry! What they need is to organize their garage storage area, and get organized with some cabinets, workbenches and flooring - you can actually make your garage like it's another room in your house, rather than a giant "catch all" of stuff! My Father has a garage that he restores cars in, these garage cabinets can make it look like a new car showroom!
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Friday Freebies!

To help you out with your spring cleaning!!
Free sample of Clorox Wipes here
Free sample of Ultra Downy here
Free sample of Cascade Action Packs here

Happy cleaning!!

Survivor

Don't you love how the producers and editors of these "reality" shows make you think everything is going a certain way? They had me, I thought Yau Man was a goner last night. They were only showing the scenes of Cassandra , Stacy, and Dreamz consorting with Alex on how dangerous Yau Man was, and now was the time to get rid of him. I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker! But, alas, Alex - you're closing arguments did not work. I give you props, you're a lawyer, you did what came natural - you presented a good case. I'm glad it didn't work, I like Yau Man. Of course, now things are going to get interesting, as the so called "alliance of 6" starts picking off their own. I like Yau Man, Dreamz, Cassandra, and Earl in the final four, or, "core four" as Earl coined it last night. I like Dreamz winning it all. C'mon, he's a homeless guy who literally grew up on the streets, you can't help but cheer for him.

Spiderman 3

Yeah, my Spidey senses are tingling, that means it must be time for Spiderman 3! It opens this weekend! For some reason, I was thinking that it wasn't coming out until Memorial Day weekend, so I was happy to see the commercials last night that it is THIS weekend! So, yeah, I love some Spiderman, grew up reading the comics, and will probably brave opening weekend at the theatre - because this is one I have to see on the big screen!

Tampa = Atlantis

I have lived in the Tampa Bay area for many years, dating myself here - but 32 years to be exact! I have heard a lot of stories about the history of Tampa and surrounding communites, it's pirate origins, we celebrate Gasparilla every year which is when the pirate, Jose Gaspar, sailed into Tampa Bay and took over the city with the pillaging and the looting and the wenches! But, today I stumbled across a website that goes into a lot of detail on how The Americas were once Atlantis, which talks about how the Americas, from the southern end of South America to the northern end of Alaska, were once the sprawling kingdom of Atlantis, and Tampa, FL was the location of the royal city, and there was an island in Tampa Bay which was called Atlantis! The site goes into a lot of detail in regards to the origins of Atlantis and The Ten Kingdoms, and the history of the Greek Gods behind it. Did you know that Poseidon pulled up 2 springs of water, both hot and cold, from beneath the earth and made varieties of food spring up on the center island? And that he named it after his first and eldest male twin, Atlas, whom he also made king ?I have lived here all these years, been in Tampa Bay on boats, and seen some islands - didn't realize I was actually living and working in a Royal City!

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Cookies & Brownies & Breads, Oh My!

I now have, piled on my kitchen counter, 72 chocolate chip cookies all wrapped up in little packs of 4 with pink ribbons; 2 pans of brownies waiting to be wrapped all pretty in pink, and 2 banana breads that need to be sliced and wrapped. Hoping to generate some more money for the cause!

American Idol

PLEASE I want Phil Stacey to go home tongiht, can't stand to look at his pointed bald head and eyebrows anymore! What is wrong with his eyes? Is it just me, or does something about his eyes/eyebrows/bald head just not look right? So, yeah, he can go home, and Chris Richardson, AKA, Justin Timberlake's twin. Both of them. NOT my girls, Jordin, Melinda and KeKe, and definitely not Blake! I LOVED his rendition of "you give love a bad name" - and was it just me, or did he look like a young Bono with the new hair color? Slap some of those glasses on him and it was working the Bono angle for me.

My Eyes

I have pretty green eyes. I cover them in contact lenses every day, have for years. Not green contacts, my eyes are naturally green! Those of you who know me real well have even seen me in my glasses, which I only wear at night when I take my contacts out! I have a few friends who have had Lasik surgery, and my Father has had it as well, they all swear by it, and say that their vision is much better since having it. I never had the nerve to get it done. At first, I blamed it on the money, it was expensive surgery and in it's beginnings was not covered by health insurance. I can't use that excuse anymore, it's covered. The thought of someone doing surgery ON MY EYES, with them WIDE OPEN..like I'm watching...just freaks me out. They are MY EYES, and the only pair I have - I need them! What if something goes wrong? What if the doctor has to sneeze? This new report just came out on Lasik, that due to new technology advances & procedures the probability of getting a good result on Lasik and similiar eye surgery are significantly improved. Maybe it's time for me to start getting serious about my eyesight. I can get rid of contacts for good - no more solution, no more going to the eye doctor every year..no more fumbling in the dark to see what time it is when I wake up!
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Mmmmmmmmmmm.....

The smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies is all through the house! Yes, I am baking. Again. A friend's neighborhood is having their community yard sale this weekend, and it is a high profile, high traffic neighborhood..so she invited me to pull up a table and sell my baked goods on their driveway while they sell their wares! So, another bake sale this weekend to generate more money for the Breast Canmcer 3 Day Walk. 72 cookies done tonight, so I can relax and watch Idol at 8pm. I am also baking brownies and banana bread, but I'll work on those tomorrow night! I'm putting away my spatula and cookie sheets for this evening.

31 Cent Scoop Night!

Tomorrow night is 31 cent scoop night at Baskin Robbins! From 5pm-10pm, to benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Baskin Robbins will make a $100,000 donation toward the cause.

NFL on HDTV

I may be the only person I know that does not have a big flat screen HD Plasma TV. I would looooove to have one, and have wanted one for a while now. I just can't justify spending that much money on a TV. Something inside me won't allow me to do it, maybe my inner cheapness? I come by it naturally, my Father raised us as a cheapo. I love watching football on the Plasma HDTV, it's an awesome picture. Now there is a way for those of us that either cannot afford, or choose not to spend the cash, an HDTV, a car, and lots of other cool prizes. bid4prizes has a interesting bidding process wherein the lowest unique bid wins the item! So, i can bid, say TWENTY NINE CENTS for that plasma HDTV...and I may just win it for that! What a concept! And, if I won it, I would KEEP it...I would have to rearrange my living room to fit it in there...but it would happen, and then I would throw an awesome Super Bowl party so everyone could enjoy it!

We Need Rain. Seriously.

Whoever coined the phrase "April Showers bring May flowers" did NOT live in Florida in Springtime! Spring is drought season here. We haven't had significant rain in weeks, maybe months. I can't remember the last time it rained. Ponds are receding, alligators are on the move due to the receding ponds...which is going to do nothing but get them in trouble. When the gators get restless, due to lack of food or water, it's only instinct. But, it causes the locals to get restless and call the police out when they find a gator in their pool. And that just turns the poor gator, who was only doing what he knew, into a handbag or a belt. We need good rain. Nice, steady rain...for hours. The kind of rain that seeps into the ground and gives everything a good drink, and replenishes our water supply. NOT hurricane rain, which does nothing but dump buckets and buckets of water on us in a small amount of time and cause major flooding and damage. I'm going to do my rain dance now.