Florida's sales tax holiday begins this weekend, Aug 4-13! So, I'll be holding onto my Limited coupons until the weekend...to get the most bang for my buck! Sunshine State shoppers get more than a week in which they will owe no sales tax on each item of clothing (or related items) or book that sells for $50 or less. Other school supplies must be priced at $10 or less to be purchased without paying sales tax. So, go out and get the kids ready for school and save a few dollars while you are at it!
The mail was good to me today. I got 4 free samples, a free panty coupon from Victoria's Secret, and 2 coupons from The Limited for $15 off any purchase. I got one of those a few months back and got a nice pair of dress pants for work for under $10! Their regular prices are steep, but the clearance rack is where the good deals are!
I found this cute sight, I Rate My Day...it's free, of course, and you can create a login and rate your day! You can then scroll down and see what kind of day the other members are having, and why. Oh yeah, and they are having a contest right now to win a Microsoft Zune! I'm really not having a bad day, I just liked the icon of the little girl sticking her tongue out! This is a sponsored post.
Snoopy and I got caught in the rain on our morning walk. I stopped at the car and grabbed my umbrella...as it looked like it may start any minute....but not my large golf umbrella, so both of us would not fit under it (not that he was cooperating in that effort anyway!). My shoes got soaked, and he was all wet..and he does not like to get his dainty precious pink paw pads wet! So needless to say, we did not get any important outside bathrrom business done due to this.....!
This is a brief summary of an article from the Personal Finance section of our local paper....I thought it was important enough to post:
1) Not having a goal and a plan to achieve it - you have to know what you want to acheive and how to get there. Personally: I set Financial Resolutions each New Year, write them down and post them at my home desk, and cross them off as I compete them...it works for me to see my progress. 2) Not being willing to change your behaviour - If you can't admit you are living beyond your means, you can't change. Try writing down your spending for a month (don't cheat)..you'll be amazed when you see it on paper, and it will show you where you can cut back. 3) Not paying off your credit card debt each month -Misusing credit cards can jeopardize your financial future, you can spend YEARS trying to get out from under them. 4) Making only the minimum payment on your credit card debt- See #3. 5) Failing to save at all, or to save enough to be realistic- Build up an emergency fund that you can use for unexpected expenses. Saving 10% of your salary is the norm, but anything is better than nothing, even if you can only put $5 away a week, that's $260 a year...more so if it's in a high yield savings! (Ask me for a bonus referral link!) 6) Waiting too long to save for long term financial goals - Buying a house? College fund? Vacation? New Car? Patio Furniture? Start saving now, every little bit helps! 7)Failing to take advantage of your employeers 401k plan - This one is simple, the money is automatically taken out of your check, pre tax...and if your employer has a matching program, you are throwing money away. 8) Not having any, or enough, life insurance - It's not that expensive, it may be offered through your employers benefits, and it will provide for your family after you're gone. My regular readers know that my Mother has recently been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, she nor her husband have any life insurance....I almost fell over..I made the mistake of assuming it was something basic - everyone has it, right? Wrong! Do it now. 9) Overinvesting in company stock - Look up Enron Corp. 10) Letting emotion drive decisions - I have to check myself on this one daily.
As a dog mom, and all around animal lover, I wanted to share with all of my fellow dog peeps this new site I found. Just Dog Breeds is a website dedicated to dogs! They have over 155 breeds listed, you can find out the history of your canine companion, and get everything from breed history & temperament, to health issues specific to the breed. They also have an informational page, for those who may be thinking about getting a dog...it has a lot of questions listed that a potential dog parent should ask themselves before taking the plunge. Owning a dog is a big responsibility, and you should really think it through before you make a hasty decision and end up taking the pet to a shelter because you didn't know it was a high strung breed, or were unsure how large it was going to get. I found my Snoopy on there, and they have a lot of good info on his page. Basenji's are so rare, that I can never find any books on them and it was hard for me to get information about him when he was a pup and I was trying to learn who he was....I am bookmarking this site! Take a look and see if your dog is listed, you may learn something new about them. This is a sponsored post.
for some football? I am !! I love football season, and will watch it all...college, NFL..my weekends in the fall are jam packed with football viewing and, if I am lucky enough to score some tickets, game attendance! Training camp is open, and the Bucs have already made some questioning moves. They released Simeon Rice, defensive veteran , monster pass rusher, and team sack leader. WTH? The Bucs claim it was because he failed the team physical, Rice claims it was about money...yes, he was injured last season, but he came to camp ready to play. I tend to lean in his direction on this one, especially since it happened just hours after #1 draft pick Gaines Adams signed a $46 Million contract. Rice declined a cut in pay. Do you blame him? The man does his job and very well, why should he? Yeah....Gaines has some huge cleats to fill, and he's really going to have to step up his rookie season and prove he is worth the jack they spent on him, or we'll be asking for his head on a platter. Bucs fans are brutal about these things. As for Rice, someone will scoop him up fast, and he'll lead their defense in stead of ours. We seem to be playing a bit of quarterback shuffle as well....Simms is coming off his season ending spleen injury, we signed Garcia in the off season...I think we are supposed to have Jake Plummer as well...but he has been a no show, and all reports state that he's retired...did anyone tell the Bucs organization that?... I have no idea what that move was all about. Gruden is scrambling. His "Chuckie" persona has worn off in these parts, the superbowl win was 5 years ago.... we've had back to back losing seasons...and we want a winner. If they don't make the playoffs this year, I believe he's the next cut....and I will not be sad to see him go.
Cool off with some FREE ice cream! Every day the temp at LaGuardia aiport hits 80 degrees or above, the first 1000 people to register here get FREE Blue Bunny ice cream! Keep checking back, this is a daily offer from now until August 22, 2007!
Join the "Morning Impaired" Societey, and get a coupon for a FREE McGriddles sandwich from McDonalds here.
Raising all that money this morning made us hungry! So, we headed over to the brand new Tijuana Flatts in Trinity. YUM. It was pretty crowded since they just opened last Monday, but we did not have to wait in a line, it all moved very smoothly. I had a chicken burrito, not as big as Chipotle or Moe's, but dern tasty! Salsa was fresh and very good! They also have tacos, quesadillas and other tasty mexican treats!
I have been doing a lot of things to cut back on the household budget, budnling my cable & internet, grocery comparison shopping....and now I am looking at my automobile insurance policy. I had it bundled with my condo policy...and they dropped me. It happens a lot in Florida, it;s huge problem. So, since I have to shop my condo policy, I may as well shop for better car insurance rates! For my age, and being a female, I'm thinking I should be getting a much better rate that I am with my current company. I was checking around online for some better rates and found this site that gives online quotes, they have commercial and individual policies, and even liablility coverage for classic cars! You enter all your info, and they search various companies and bring back the best rate to you! No phone calls, easy peasy! They can even find you coverage if you have a poor driving record, which I do not. This post brough to you by Advantage Auto Quotes.
No, I am not wanting new boobies, mine are just fine. Healthy, too. We had a successful fundraiser this morning, spent the morning begging for donations towards the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk....and we raised almost $300! Of course, there's one in every crowd, we're trying to raise money for breast cancer, and you get the "I'd rather give to the American Cancer Society because they don't spend as much money"..(what does that mean? How do you know how much money these foundations spend?)..or, my personal favorite....the woman who opens her wallet and says, "I only have a penny, will that help?"...if course, you smile and thank these people..but inside I was saying to her IF THAT'S ALL YOUR BREASTS ARE WORTH TO YOU, THEN DONATE YOUR PENNY! Personally, I feel that healthy breasts are worth more than a penny, which is why I raise money & awareness for this cause, and walk the 60 miles! Thanks to all who donated, and you can still help by going here and supporting healthy breasts everywhere!
Nope, not speaking any foreign languages or blogging-speak here....youc an get "featured" on Fechr-ed! Thye'll feature your blog for 24 hours, for free! That will give you a nice traffic boost, talk about your link love ! All you have to do is run over there and register your blog, but I would do it fast, as they are only doing it free for a limited time...once thier traffic spikes to 500 visitors per day, they are going to start charging..as well they should! So run over there and get some free Fechr-ed love!
I went to dinner tonight with big Sister & family, we went to a local italian joint to get pizza, to find they were on vacation! So, we went to another italian joint, as everyone had themselves all set for pizza.....to find they were under new ownership! We decided to give them a try, they had a sign in the window stating "we have pizza!". I guess pizza is a relative term. We were looking for "family" sized pizza, one pie we could order and everyone eats until they are full. The new menu boasted many italian items, with fancy italian names, and even fancier prices! The only pizza they had were "personal" pizzas....and they had fancy names and were covered with things like goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil. I like these things, and was happy to eat one of those pizzas...the kids? Not so much. They want things like extra cheese, pepperoni, sausage. You know, PIZZA toppings. So, they got plain cheese. Well, they messed up and brought us ALL plain cheese...so we had to wait for them to put the order back in and make what we actually ordered. We ate the cheese pizzas while we were waiting.....half hour later, still no pie. We all had salads, and Brother in Law ordered soup, and when he asked for crackers, an owner/manager type person told him "we don't have crackers, we have bread".....ummm, OK...BRING US SOME! We had to ASK for the basket of bread?! When the server finally said my pizza was coming out, I told her to just put it in a box as we had been there so long, and already ate the cheese pizza. She did, and when I opened the box, it was STILL wrong..and I had to show the server the menu, and point out what I ordered, and what she brought me! Of course, she did not offer to take it off the check, though I thought she should have. But, I only paid $6 for two 12" pizzas....so I guess that wasn't too bad. They lost some customers though, as we were very disappointed and won't be going back. To make up for a crappy dining experience, I went to the Stabucks in the same plaza afterwards and got myself a Rasberyy Mocha Latte for dessert, with my gift card....and it is yummy! I recommend it! Oh, and I also recommend going to the Starbucks websote and registering your gift card, of you have one. They'll replace it if you lose it, and they sent me an email after registering mine to thank me..and they added $5 to my balance!!
I am a big reader, and I love to go to the bookstore or library and just wander through the stacks...problem is, I always find something that I really-really want! While I was over at my Mom's, I wandered out to the local B&N one evening, just to get out of the house. I had a nice coffee while I was there, and wandered amogst the stacks....before I knew it I had 3 books in my hand! How did they get there? I put them back, because they were all full price, and we know that I am not buying any books without any discounts or eCouponCodes! I convinced myself that I can get them cheaper at Amazon if I really need them in my personal library. I spent a lot of time in the audio books section, I've never tried one of those...but that trip over to Mom's is a good 2 1/2 hours each way...I can get some serious reading done via my CD player! They were pretty pricey, so I decided to leave that for later and check out pricing at Amazon on those as well..I know I can get free shipping, and if I can find a discount code on top of that I will have some nice entertainment for those boring drives across the state! This is a sponsored post.
Everything went very smoothly with the surgery, Mom is happy to have the stent and bag removed from her side...and seems ready to start her chemo & radiation on Monday. I am also happy to report that she put a few pounds on, she's pushing 120! On a weekend note, we have a fundraiser tomorrow for the 3 Day walk...I'll be begging for donations outside my local Publix. Tomorrow is also younger Sister's birthday, so there is a family dinner on Sunday.
I am leaving to go to back my Mom's for a few days, posting may be sporadic, especially since I will be at the hospital for her outpatient procedure all day tomorrow....don't worry, I brought a book. Think good thoughts!
Snoopy is over at my friends house for a few days, since I am going out of town. It was a very quiet evening. I spoke to Joe last night, and he reported that Snoopy had been ill....I hate when he is sick away from home, not only do I feel guilty that someone else has to clean up my Boy's mess.....then, I start asking all kinds of "Mom" questions about the sickness...What color was it?..I need you to look at it and see if he ate something he wasn't supposed to...(Sidenote: Joe was not about looking at the doggy spitup!)..do you have any Pepto? you can give him a child's dosage if it keeps up (Yes, you can....I checked this with our Vet in the past on this, but I do not recommend dosing it to your dog unless checking with your own Vet). I have not heard from them this morning, so I assume all is well.....but, like any Mom, I still worry.
New friend and fellow blogger, D , is going to be all over this one!! You can win a free pound of Starbucks whole bean breakfast blend here just by dropping a comment!!
The last and final upgrade that needs to be done in my condo is the kitchen cabinets...the reason it's not done is that it will be a costly venture. I have inquired about pricing, and talked to neighbors who have had it done...I'm not sure if I would stay with the traditional wood cabinetry, or go with something modern like this steel diamond plate .I'm afraid if I put it off too long, the one's that are up now are so old they may come crashing down one day when I reach for a plate! This is a sponsored post.
I told you all how I cancelled my home phone, seeing as how I use the cell all the time anyway, no sense paying for a landline that I'm not using. I got the final bill from Verizon, it had showed a credit of $16.79...but no check attached...? So, of course I had to call them. And, the girl tried to talk me into buying their cell service, cable and internet, which I could conveniently apply my credit to! ....after convincing her I did not need any of their other products, I just wanted my credit please....and why do I have to call and ASK for it? Why was it not with my final bill? Because that's the way they do business apparently. Yeah, you charge a 1.5% fee on late payments, how about I charge you 1.5% for a late credit? Hmmm?
It’s very simple. When this is passed on to you, copy the whole thing, skim the list and put a * star beside those that you like. (Check out especially the * starred ones.)
Add the next number (1. 2. 3. 4. 5., etc.) and write your own blogging tip for other bloggers. Try to make your tip general.
After that, tag 10 other people. Link love some friends!
Just think– if 10 people start this, the 10 people pass it onto another 10 people, you have 100 links already!
I told you all how I recently upgraded to a Pur water filter in my kitchen faucet. reducing my plastic bottle recycling, and my grocery bill for buying bottled water! If you live in Florida, you know we do not drink faucet water..it's yucky! So, I had to get myself a nice pitcher for the fridge, because I like my water ice cold..and a few bottles for "on the go", as I always take a bottle of water with me in the car. I found the Nalgene bottles I wanted at their online store, I had read good things about them. Before I purchased, I searched for Nalgene online shopping coupons, and saved myself a few dollars, and got free shipping! I NEVER shop online without searching for a coupon code...as a matter of fact, there are a few books I want, and have been waiting for a good Amazon deal before I order them! This is a sponsored post.
My computer is in the spare room, which is my den. It is decorated with sports memorabilia (mostly Gators and Bucs!)......there is a futon in the den for random overnight guests (drunks) to sleep on, oh, and my nieces and nehews too..they like to sleep over. Hands up - Who wants to sleep on my futon? When I am in there working at the desk, or on the computer...Snoopy naps on the futon behind me. He likes to be nearby, but he's lazy. Laying around the house all day, while I work to feed him and pay his vet bills, this is apparently exhausting for him. He never helps me balance the checkbook or does any payperposts for me. He just lays there with his pal Spongebob...they're probably talking about me! Look at them, trying to act innocent......mocking me....they probably have a bet on how many times I will get up in the middle of the night to take Snoopy outside!
So, when we went to PPP Saturday morning, we're doing the introductions, and Tim and Kat whipped out business cards with their blog info on them...how cool is that? I have business cards through my job..but not for my blog, which is turning into a part time job..so why not? Plus, if I'm going to go to Postie Con in November, what a great way to network with fellow bloggers than giving out business cards with my site on them? So, I checked it out and found them pretty cheap at Vista Print, 250 cards for FREE, I just had to pay the shipping ($5)...and, the cool part is they are not just a basic black & white card. They have all sorts of designs and templates to choose from, and you can even do a custom design..which I did...because I am having them done up with my new domain on them! They'll be great for the 3 day walk as well, because you meet a LOT of new friends when you're walking 60 miles, I can keep them in my waist pack and just hand them out!
I almost forgot to post about the Big Brother episode last night! OK, first, I am so happy that Evil Dick is HOH. I like him, he tells it like it is,to your face, you always know where you stand. Nuff said. What was up with Nick and his "top 5 guys" list? Did he read my blog and get that idea? Dude, GUYS don't have a top 5 GUYS list unless they are GAY. Nuff said. I really like Danielle, and it was a nice moment when she went to her Dad on the hammock to talk about the internal struggle she is having while in the house. Oh, and Jenitard is just dumb...there's no other way to say it. I hope she goes bye bye this week.
Yeah, so even after a big afternoon at the park.....Snoopy had me up THREE times last night to go out! THREE! Maybe I should've not let him nap when we got home?
It's not secret that I am a nature lover and spend a lot of my time outdoors. As such, I am concerned about the environment. You read that I saw Inconvenient Truth a few weeks back, and how I changed my life to immediately see what I, personally, could do to help reduce my impact on the environment. I have made changes, and it's a mindset...I'm constantly thinking "reduce-reuse-recycle", and keeping up with news articles related to this topic, so that I am "in the know". The Chicago Tribune recently reported here that the BP oil refinery in Whiting Indiana is planning to dump more ammonia and sludge into Lake Michigan, hampering recent efforts to clean all of the Great Lakes. I have been to all of the Great Lakes but for one, and I support any effort to keep them clean and natural...they are a beautiful sight to behold. However, we should gather all the facts before we report things that send readers into a frenzy. We all know that the news is slanted, right? Yeah. Happens here locally all the time. What the Tribune article does not report, is that BP is releasing only treated water into Lake Michigan, and that all sludge is treated according to state and federal requirements,with no harm to people or the environment, and NEVER discharged into Lake Michigan. Oh, and they are expanding this refinery to start processing Canadian crude oil, a secure and reliable source. Wait..you mean there's oil right at our Neighbors to the north? You mean we don't have to get it from the Arabs? Has anyone told our President this news? Yeah. You see where this is going right? Don't even get me started. BP promotes themselves as an environmentally friendly company, I'm sure you've seen the commercials, they have an ultimate fuel that reduces pollution, and are one of the world's biggest investors in lower carbon fuels and technology. The Whiting refinery, that is such a bad neighbor according to the article in the Chicago Tribune, has reduced total suspended solids in it's water discharge by 40% over the past 4 years...I think that's a big step towards helping the environment. Read the article, make your own decision...but read the article here as well, so that you can see ALL the facts and not just half of them..and then form your own opinion.
Nice Sunday down here in the Sunshine state. I weeded the beds in front of our building and planted some flowers. I made a huge crock pot of chili. I know, it's hot out, why chili? For some reason, I had a craving for it. I normally wait until fall to add that to the menu, but I had to have it...and it was good! Snoopy and I went to the park where he romped around for about an hour, and peed on anything that wasn't moving, and a few things that were! We stopped at the recycling center outside the park and dropped off our week's worth. He is now curled up in a tight little ball on my bed fast asleep....he wore himself out at the park.
Here's a picture from yesterday...that's Sister Colleen, Ted, and I .....I'm not sure if Ted is capable of taking a picture without making a goofy face...it's his "thing". You can see part of the "wall of Posties" behind me, which was cool walking around looking at people's pics and going "oh yeah, I read thier blog!". PPP Central is pretty urban and cool looking, walls are done in PPP colors, and they all have their cube areas done up in their own personal style. And they don't have those crappy "carpet wall" cubes...they have cool modern looking ones. And I think it's cool that Ted doesn't sit in an office, but right out there in the open with everyone else. Of course, he does have a freaking monster PC monitor..the thing is bigger than my TV screen! We all stared at it with monitor envy.
If you are a fan of cerebral humor, you must go read Mr Fab's blogs, here , and here. I had the pleasure of meeting him in person yesterday at the Double Secret PPP Focus Group, and not only is he Freaking Fabulous, and Freaking Funny, he's lives in God's country....for the clueless, that would be Gainesville, Florida, home of the THREE (Basketball-Football-Basketball) time NCAA National Champion Florida Gators...yes, you may call us Titletown if you wish!! Anyway, go give him a read, cause he's one of the funniest guy's I ever read...I love his movie reviews and Sculpties! He did not pay me, or threaten me in any way, to say any of this....but he should, right, pay me I mean? Where else would he get such a glowing review..and traffic from the THREE actual readers who read my blog?! Mr Fab, I see your PR spiking already!
I was sitting in my chair this evening, reading the paper......when all of a sudden I hear Snoopy lapping up a beverage..I look out from behind the paper to see what he's up to, and that sneaky dog has climbed up on the arm of the couch and is DRINKING MY GRAPE JUICE out of the cup on the table next to me!! Apparently, he is not happy that I take up his water bowl at 8pm each night.....but he cannot seem to hold it in all night anymore, and until we get to the V.E.T. next week and find out what his bladder issues are, the water war continues!
We were on the road by 08:30am (I was late, sorry!)...and at PayPerPost offices a little after 10am. I met fellow bloggers Mr Fab, Tim, Kat..and of course, the some of great folks at PPP, Ted, Pete, Veronique and the rest of the crew that were working on Saturday! Of course, I can not share any of the conference room discussion, Ted has us on double secret probation.....but it was a rousing group! When we were done, Ted bought us all lunch! Thanks, Ted! P.S. Where's our SWAG?
It's no secret that I want to take a trip overseas, I'm passport ready. My fear is that I am going to get over there and not want to come home. I have a friend who just got back from a nice 10 week jaunt through Europe, and she is wishing she were still there! We were joking on the phone about selling it all and moving over there. Obviously, that is a pipe dream, but if we did want to do such a thing, there are places on the web to search for apartments to buy abroad. This site has general information for buying properties in 68 countries as a vacation home, or any investment. You can search their property base by country, or just browse the individual listings. They even have the latest property news and related articles to get all of your research in line before you invest! This is a sponsored post.
I heart T Mobile! At the end of June I called T Mobile and tweaked my cell phone plan, due to cancelling my home phone, the cell was going to be my only phone...so I added minutes just to be on the safe side. I also added "My Faves" while I was at it, for $4.95 a month, you can program 5 people into your phone and talk to them for FREE, anytime, all month long! And, you can change your faves each month if you want to! So, since the end of the billing cycle is coming up, I jumped online to check my activity and ensure I was within my minutes....I didn't even use HALF of the minutes I am allowed! I can thank My Faves for that, cause I did do a LOT of talking to them! Ha! So, I called T Mobile, and scaled my plan back, saving myself $10 per month..and without asking, she tells me "since you have been a loyal customer since 2001, I am going to go ahead and add 150 loyalty minutes to your plan" ! Sweet!! This is NOT a sponsored post, I just wanted to let everyone know that I have been with T Mobile ever since I bought my first cell phone 6 years ago, and it PAYS to be loyal!
I haven't really been impressed with all the new "100 calorie" snacks that are out. I mean, it's nice to be able to grab a snack and know it's only 100 calories, but have you seen the prices of that convenience? Yeesh! They want like $3.50 for a box of 6 little packages! REE-DICK-U-LIE! Are we THAT lazy? For that kind of money, I can buy a large bag of something and make my own 100 calorie serving! And, until today, I hadn't really found one that was tasty enough to warrant spending the extra money on them...I found most of them to be dry, and kind of tasteless. The Oreo Crisps weren't very chocolately, the peanut butter crisps, not very peanut-buttery. Someone brought in the new Nabisco Barnum's CHOCO Animal crackers in 100 calorie packs, and they are actually GOOD. Not too dry, very chocolatey...they would be great with a glass of cold milk! YUM-O !! I may have to re-think this....find a coupon in the paper and buy some on sale! Of course, they are gearing them towards children, because we are raising a nation of unhealthy kids. Speaking of that, I have been watching that reality show, Shaq's Big Challenge and I LOVE it! It's so refreshing to see a sports figure/celebrity such as himself, who literally is LARGER than life, take a special interest in something that is so important. He has about 6 (?)overweight kids he's taken on, and is teaching them how to be healthy & fit! They learn nutrition, portion control, exercise..and through it all, they learn about themselves. After 2 episodes one of the kids who literally sat in a chair ALL day and played video games and ate, no friends, nothing....he went to a school dance with a girl! The kids have all lost 20 lbs already. He's petitioning Governer Christ for PHYSICAL education in the schools to actually be PHYSICAL, and healthier choices in the school lunchrooms. So, it's not just a TV show, he's trying to change lives here people...for real. I hope he succeeds.
The weekend is upon us once again! Tomorrow morning I am headed over to PayPerPost offices in Orlando, with Sister, to participate in a focus group. I was fine with the whole deal until I just found out we have to sign some release forms for Rockstartup (the PPP reality show) ...kind of made me nervous. A little skeered. Still going. But a teensy bit nervous. I may need a shot of liquid courage before we go in! HA!
It's only 11 weeks away! I can'et believe it's almost here already! I got a nice email from the Breast Cancer 3 Day this morning, congratulating me on reaching my fundraising goal. Special thanks to everyone who donated, and Sister for helping drum up donations for me! Of course, we are never done fighting cancer, and you can still help by going to my team page and dropping something in my cousin's bucket, she still has to meet her goal...as the final line of my email from the Breast Cancer 3 Day stated "Every Dollar Helps"!
I talked earlier today about the troubles we are having getting my Mom to eat, and when she does eat something, getting it to stay. Maybe I can get her a My Daily Veggies Free Sample and see how that works out? We have been trying lots of different veggies & proteins, as all of her doctors, from Oncologist to Surgeon to Radiation Dr, have advised her to bulk up now, for when the chemo starts she may either not have an appetite, or just not be able to keep anything down at all. With a tumor in the pancreas, it messes with the digestive system and enzymes, so most of the fresh veggies & fruits we have tried to give her aren't working out real well, so a supplement is exactly what she needs for her newly sensitive digestive system. I know that personally, I try real hard to eat good and I never get my daily vegetables, and it's been really hard trying to get her to eat right, she refuses to try anything a second time if it didn't stay in the first time..I feel like I have a kid! If we can get her to take this daily dietary supplement at least we'll know she's getting something good & healthy to help bulk up her system before she starts chemo in 2 weeks. This is a sponsored post.
My neighbor called me when I was on my way home from work, she was concerned because she could heard Snoopy scratching at my front door pretty hard. When I got home, not 30 mins later, I found him sprawled out on my bed without a care in the world. He may have heard someone in the breezeway, he tends to scratch at the door & sniff at it pretty hard when that happens. He may just have had to go out and clear his bladder. The house was fine when I got here, and he was too.....so I guess I'll never know.
I love Vegas, who doesn't? Even people who have never been are dying to go! I have been 3 times....but that is not stopping me from going to Postie Con in November! There's always something to do there, and it's not expensive if you, pardon the pun, play your cards right! This time I'll be going with Sister & her Husband, and some internet friends old & new will be there as well. And, Since there will be no children along, so I'm sure we will be hitting up the Las Vegas Nightclubs, like Jet or Mist...places I've only seen on travel channel or Real World! This is a sponsored post.
You all know that your Girl called up Post and got the skinny on her cereal, right? Yeah, it's what I do. I call a company when I am upset with a product or service, but, I also call when I am PLEASED with a product or service. So, I got Maryann at Post customer care.....I think Maryann was amused that I was so happy about a box of cereal. (Or maybe she thought I was a nut when I told her I had 6 boxes in the trunk of my car?) Anyhoo,I told Maryann how giddy I was that the orignal Alpha Bits were back, and why do they say "Limited Edition" on them? Must I buy them all so that I have enough on hand to fulfill my cereal needs? Here's the story she gave me: Sweetened Alpha Bits were pulled off the market in 2005 to make room for *cough-cough* New Whole Grain Alpha Bits with Zero Sugar...ummm, yeah. We all know how that went over right? They were pulled from the market in 2006, less than a year later. She stated that they got numerous calls from unhappy consumners when the original was pulled, and then more calls when the *cough-cough* Zero Sugar AWFUL Bits came out, and they were calls from consumers complaining about the taste. Hey, Post - take a note from Coke, DON'T MESS WITH THE ORIGINAL! So, she made a note of my call, told me to enjoy my cereal (Oh, I will Maryann...every bite!), and she also mentioned that they have had a spike in calls recently now that Sweetened Alpha Bits are back, from happy consumers like myself. HOWEVER, they are only back for a limited time. Until Fall 2007. So, if you love the Alpha Bit's corn & oat goodness as much as I, please call 888-725-0288, and tell them how happy you are that they are back....maybe, they will leave them in the store where they belong!
Oh, and P.S. I did not lie to my new friend Maryann at Post, I called her on the way home from yet another stop at Target this evening..where, in fear of them running out or being pulled from the market again, I cleared the shelf of 6 boxes of Yummy Alphabet Goodness.....3 for me, and 3 for big Sister!
I am going to Mom's next week. Sister is over there this week, she took her to get the port (for chemo) installed in her chest, and to the radiation doctor, they had to "mark" where they are going to radiater her? All went well, and they will probably start chemo & radiation week after next. She will be getting chemo Mon-Fri, and radiation every day as well. I am going the end of next week to take her for another outpatient procedure, the ERCP. The tumor is strangling her bile duct,so it cannot drain alone, and she has had a drainage tube and bag on her side every since her first surgery in May...she hates it. Her GI doctor is going to rig something internally for her so she does not have to wear that bag on her side anymore, she is happy about that at least. Other than digestion issues, she feels fine. We are learning as we go what she can and cannot eat, and when we find something that stays down, we stick with it!
I had something to return after my recent home improvement project , and was very displeased with the so called "ease" of said return. I bought the item at Ace Hardware, because I could not find it at the big box home improvement stores. It turned out to be the wrong size, so I put it back in the bag with the receipt, and went to the store to return it. As it turns out, I did not have the credit card in my wallet that I purchased it with. So, they could not give me the credit, nor would they give me the cash, which was under $10. BUT, "they would be happy to give me store credit". I don't think so. I never shop here, and I just want the credit back on my card please. So, now I have to go back again, with card in hand to get my money. There's something to be said for the ease of a return at Target, they scan the receipt, scan the item..and PRESTO...your card is credited. Easy Peasy.
My Mom's house needs a furniture overhaul. Her house is new, but her furniture is not. The bedroom furniture in her guest room is non existant....she had 2 twin beds in there, we call it the "Ozzie & Harriet room"..there's no dresser, and no place to put your stuff when you are there! She also need somedesk furniture home office , I was nominated to help with the money and bills, and her desk is NOT big enough, which is why she's not organized. Her living room sectional is in sad need of an upgrade, it is sooo uncomfortable that I sit at the brekfast table to watch TV! She can get everything she needs in one place, but I will have to approve any spending since I was nominated to be in charge of the money! This is a sponsored post.
I am a cereal hound. I love cereal, always have 4-5 boxes in the pantry. I can spend 15 minutes in the cereal aisle of my grocery trying to decide what I want in my pantry. I grew up in the 70's on your classic sugar coated cereals...Super SUGAR Crisp (now called Golden Crisp), SUGAR Pops (now called Pops), SUGAR Smacks (Now just Smacks)...you see, back in our day, we didn't have to worry about eating all that sugar, because we went outside and PLAYED all day! None of this sitting around on the couch, or hanging in our room...in our day, that was PUNISHMENT. As I've grown older, my favorite cereals have evolved, and not into something good. Franken Berry does not taste the same as it did when I was 12, and it does not have the familiar white sugar coating on it. In our day you could SEE the sugar on your cereal, and it was okay. Trix? yeah, they used to be these wonderful little balls with the white sugar coating, and they came in 3 colors, red, orange and yellow. Then, they changed them into fruit shapes, and added all these different colors...and they just weren't right. I know, they are "new & improved" round little balls again, but they still are not right. And, my all time favorite sugar cereal? Alpha Bits. Crunchy little letters of corn and oat, coated in sugar. The absolute best. Cereal, shaped like letters....we were not only eating, we were LEARNING! They're A-B-C-Dee-licious! With the exception of adding marshmallows back in the late 80's, Post never changed them. (I didn't care for the marshmallow version, big Sister loved them) Always the same crunchy, sweet alphabetty goodness to take me back to my childhood in each spoonful. And then, a few years ago..the unthinkable. THEY TOOK THE FREAKING SUGAR OUT OF MY BELOVED ALPHA BITS! They made them..dare I say, HEALTHY?! I tried to eat them. They were not good, they were.....AWFUL BITS!!! I called Post, I wrote letters. Nothing. NO more sugar. Gone were my beloved sugar coated letters of corn & oat goodness. No more memories of my childhood in each bite. I think that didn't go over well, because then, all of a sudden, I didn't even see the "new & improved" non-sugar version in my cereal aisle. So, imagine my surprise today, when browsing my local Target, I find a shelf full of that familiar blue box.......! I had to do a double take, I thought I was dreaming..I picked up the beautiful box, and it was real...they were Post Alpha Bits...SWEETENED Corn & Oat Cereal!!! OH HAPPY DAY!! Why does the box say Limited Edition on it? I took them home, and after calling big Sister to brag of my find, (to which I was berated for not buying the entire shelf) I ate these beloved bits in a bowl with milk, savored every bite...and, once again, they took me back!
Side note: I have no idea why they are Limited Edition, I scoured the internet for answers, and came up empty.......but I am going back and buying more! I am also calling Post and begging them to leave my cereal alone!
So, I went to Target on my way home from work, because my laundry detergent, Purex, was on sale this week. (Hint: Do NOT buy this sort of item at the grocery store, you're almost always going to overpay!) I had a coupon from the Sunday paper for $1 off 2 bottles of Purex liquid, and another coupon for $1 off 1 bottle of Purex Liquid Concentrate. The Purex Concentrate (32 load bottle) was reduced to $2.99, with my coupon I got it for $1.99 - that's 6 cents per load! The Purex liquid 20% BONUS bottle (38 Loads) was marked down to $2.84, with my coupon I got 2 of them for $2.34 each - that's 6 cents per load as well! That's a lot of laundry for a very cheap price!
This is a novel idea,fitness personals! It makes sense, though. I mean really, who hasn't gone to the gym or the Y checking out the opposite sex? Admit it, you have so. I know that I have! Even though the place smells like your junior high locker room...you're looking around, who's that guy on the treadmill next to me, what's his story? If you are fitness oriented, then fitness dating is the place to find a new friend who has the same workout goals as you do. It's free to join, and you can meet all sorts of new workout buddies in your area!
I was going to go into an entire rant on cruelty to animals and what kind of a sick person does such a thing. I cannot stand to watch or read anything regarding cruelty to animals or children. They are both innocent, and it takes a sick person to hurt either one. So, Micheal Vick, number 1 draft pick in 2001 and starting QB for the Atlanta Falcons, is being indicted on charges that he ran a dog fighting ring out of his home in Virginia, gambled on said fights, and particpated in the killing of 8 of the dogs that weren't good enough to fight. One of the highest paid players in the NFL. What's the matter Vick, too much money and nothing to do in the offseason? Did you do it out of boredom? The Atlanta Falcons should let him go immediately. The NFL should dump him as well as any sponsors. I know I will never purchase a product he pushes. What a sick bastard, I hope they throw him in jail.
When my Sister was little, my Stepmother ordered some of those personalized storybooks for her. You know the kind, they have a standard storybook tale, but they add in the childs name, pet's names...she even had one or two that had me in them. I am 11 years older than her, but I guess her Mom figured she could relate to a story with me in it, and hey, it made me feel good having my name in print too! Identity Direct makes these same books we had, and I have some little cousins that I think would enjoy having a story where they are the star! I need to add that to my Christmas list! This is a sponsored post.
Ummm, yeah, Jen in the red UNITARD....that was so not working for me! She was running around in that thing like she was freaking Wonder Woman or something..she knew you could see through it, right? Yeesh. What was up with her going around threatening all of the players in the veto competition? What a witch. And, what's up with Amber and all of the crying all the time? That's going to get old fast. Yeesh. I was very pleased that Danielle won the veto, again, and took herself off the block...I like her. Then JENITARD can't decide who to put up in her place. Her strategy apparently must be "I'll put up Nick because I like him, and he doesn't like me back". Umm, helloooo....None of the guys are flirting with you because you are a self centered beeyotch..get it through your thick head! So, thankfully, JENITARD put Joe up in her place....that pleased me as well, I hope he gets voted off. Can't stand him. And, please, whoever wins HOH this week....put the JENITARD up for eviction and make her freaking life miserable. REALLY can't stand her.
What do you do when you are out of town and out of minutes on your cell phone? I had this problem come up when my Mom was in the hospital last month and ended up going over on my cell phone minutes! Hated. If I had a prepaid calling card, this would not have been an issue, I could have dialed everyone up on a payphone and gave them the information they needed. I need to think about this for the upcoming 3 day walk I am doing as well. There will be no electricity, so nowhere to charge my phone....what if I need to call someone? I'll be walking by many payphones over those 60 miles, so a prepaid calling card may be just the pitstop I need! Pingo has prepaid domestic calling cards, and cards that can be used oninternational phones. This would have been helpful for my friend who just returned from Europe, she emailed me a few times to find out how my Mom was, as she could not use her cell phone over there, her emails were quick and to the point, because the internet time was so expensive. Had she an international prepaid calling card, she would have gotten 4 hours of free calling time just for signing up and could have just dialed me for a quick update! They are also having a $5 Usermercial promotion right now , they are paying five dollars to the first 250 Pingo usermercials posted! This is a sponsored post.
Sister and I were talking about this one night when we were at my Mom's house. Every woman has a list of "their" 5 guys, here's mine (in no particular order) :
Richard Gere (Pretty Woman Era) Kevin Costner Nicholas Cage Al Pacino (Godfather Part II Era) Jeff Probst
Sister is an LPN, and has been working on her RN degree, online, and it's all work at your own pace. This worked out real well for her with the situation that came up with my Mom recently, as she obviously had to put her e-Learning on hold for the time being. But, she can pick up right where she left off when things slow down for us with Mom. This type of distance learning seems to be the way to go in our electronic world. Why go off to school when you can take classes in the comfort of your own home? Capella University is an accredited online University that offers Graduate and Undergraduate programs in business, psychology, education, and IT in a distance learning environment. This is a sponsored post.
Tony Dungy was in Tampa today signing his new book. There were 2 opportunities to see him, and I missed out on both. Apparently Coach Dungy still has a very large fan base here. He was at Borders on S. Dale Mabry from 4-6pm...I showed up after work, and was encouraged by the lack of a line and easy parking. Foolish little girl. There was a sign on the door stating that you needed a wrist band to get the autograph, and when I opened the door, there was a guy there turning people away. They had sold every copy they had of the book, and, due to time constraints, could not allow anyone else in. No worries, there was another signing at Lifeway Christian Store in Citrus Park from 7-9pm, right on my way home, and I had 2 hours before it even started! Foolish little girl. I pulled into that parking lot at 5:45pm...and the line was out the store and all the way down to the end of the plaza..there were hundreds of people there. And, they had obviously been there for some time, they had coolers, chairs, and umbrella's..which they were going to need because the black sky, thunder & lightning were rolling in! I really like Tony Dungy, he's a great coach and an even better man....but I was not about to stand in the rain for 2 hours just to see him for 30 seconds and get an autographed copy of his book. So, no book, no autograph...nothing.
It continues....last night Snoopy was up at 2am AND 5am....I was less than pleased. Why has my precious boy suddenly become an insomniac? Why does he insist on waking ME up, too? Why can he not hold his water all night? I have tried everything.
One of my dearest friends is moving to East Tennessee very soon, like, in about a month. While I am sad to see her go, I cannot wait to visit her in the fall when the season is changing! I have visited Tennessee and North Carolina many times, and would love to take a vacation in the mountains in those tennessee cabins! Get a group together and rent one, hang out in the mountains, hiking and fishing..not THAT is a real vacation! North Carolina is on my list of places that I want to live, so nc mountain real estate is always on my list of things to check out. They have the best of both worlds there, winters not too cold, and summer is not too hot...not too far from the beach, beautiful mountain lakes and the Appalachian Trail! Someday, I am going to move there. Seriously. This is a sponsored post.
If you live in Florida like I do, then you have met a roach, otherwise known as cockroach. My first apartment was affectionately called "the roach motel", as there were so many of them, and at the time I could not afford professional Pest Control. Roaches are here, and it's not a sign of dirty living as it is in other parts of the country. I have had friends and family visit from up north and get literally morified by a midnight roach sighting...as if we were living in squalor! It's Florida, it's nighttime in the house..you'll probably see a roach scurry across the kitchen floor! Luckily, with a little home pest control service every month, you can keep these critters out of your home and in the woods where they belong! This is a sponsored post.
Citibank Direct Ultimate Savings $100 Bonus offer!
Citibank Direct is again offering a $100 bonus for opening up an Ultimate Direct savings account! There is NO minimum opening deposit, new citibank customers only, and they are currently offering 4.75% interest. I opened one back in May when they had this offer, with only a $2 deposit....it sat there and a mere 45 days later the $100 bonus was deposited into my account! Not a bad return on my $2 investment! As always, read the fine print ..and the current offer expires August 31st.
So, of course, Jen nominated Danielle and evil Dick for eviction. Yeah, like we didn't see that coming. Bitter, party of one! She is so self centered, and obviously jealous that former football dude is not flirting with her, I guess she figures get rid of the other chick and maybe he'll look st her? Yeah, not so much ya self centered witch. All of your inner qualities are shining through and making you look like the ugliest duckling in that house! When she went to her HOH room, she complained about all the pics they gave her, and even took down the picture of her & her Mom because she had no makeup on in it? Whatever. And she's mad at evil Dick because he told her she was self centered. Yeah, the truth hurts, don't it? Oh, and all of that weighlifting that was going on in the backyard between Nick and the other hot guy....yeah, feel free to show that footage as much as possible...YUMMY!
Icy Hot is my friend today. Surprisingly, I was not in any pain when I got up this morning after our 10 mile jaunt yesterday....with the exception of my lower back, which is now slathered in Icy Hot.
We met up at 8am this morning, stretched and headed out for our 10 mile walk. We started at the Pinellas trail on Main St in Dunedin, walked north to Curlew Rd (pit stop at McD's to use the rest room), then went west on Curlew out the Dunedin Causeway to the 2nd bridge, turned around and came back. It was brutal. The trail has little to no shade, the causeway has no shade, though there was a slight breeze off the gulf. I think they miscalculated the mileage on this one, it had to be more than 10 miles....it took FOUR HOURS. Four hours in the smothering, blistering, heat! I was dying. My fingers were swollen like little breakfast sausages, so much so that it hurt to try and close my hands! I had on all of my cool max "moisture wicking" gear, special sports bra, special panties, special socks, special tank top....we were still overheated! Sister & I stopped at Walgreens on the way back to borrow some of their air conditioning, we were literally leaning against the cooler area where they keep the individual sodas, so that we could feel the cool air off of it! Then, we had to buy a popsicle to cool off! I was so happy to get home, strip down and take a cool shower! Then Snoopy & I took a 2 hour nap! I feel better now.
When I was growing up, my Father was always investing in some "get rich quick" scheme..whether it was products to sell in local stores, or an ice cream parlour venture with a friend (my personal favorite)..he was always trying to make a fast buck. I rememeber him coming home with gold & silver jewelry and telling my Stepmother it was an "investement". I think that gold & silver are fine investments, but I am not sure jewelry is the route to go when one is makeing that type of investment. You can go to Monex Deposit Company to find out how to invest in precious metals. The site explains how to invest in precious metals and coins, what the latest trading prices are, and even a section with experts Q & A ! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go see if any of the coins I've had stashed away for years are worth anything! This is a sponsored post.
Headed out for a 10 mile training walk this morning with some fellow 3 Day walkers in the area. Doesn't look like rain, though it did storm in the middle of the night. Walking a portion of the Pinellas Trail in Dunedin (partial shade) , and then out the causeway to Caladesi Park...NO shade..should be a hot one! I've got a bottle of water and a bottle of powerade, an organic protein bar, some peanuts and a nectarine.
My grocery shopping price comparison project is complete, and I am very pleased with the results! I compared the prices of 30 items that are staples my my kitchen. Items compared were the same size & brand, and regular prices only.
PUBLIX was the winner with total of $70.41! Albertson's came in at $76.61.
While Albertson's does have really good sale prices (you have to have their little shopping club card to get the advertised prices) , they were higher on almost all of the regular priced items I compared...by more than just a few pennies!
I'm glad Publix came in cheaper, as the store is less than 2 miles from my house and I can walk there if need be. They keep a nice clean store with neat fronted shelves, I've always been happy with their store brand products, and they have a new line of Greenwise organic products that is expanding rapidly.
I will still watch all sales flyers and purchase any really good deals at other stores, but, for now, I remain loyal to Publix for my regular grocery shopping.
I have not been to Disney World all year. I gave up my season pass last year and now I haven't been going as it's too expensive to get in for only a day! There is talk of going in the fall with a friend of mine, to the food and wine festival at Epcot, which I have never been to. Since I am not an annual passholder anymore, I need to find some discounted Walt Disney World Ticket's. Orlando Fun Tickets has the lowest discounted tickets to many of the best Orlando area attractions & dinner theatres, including Disney, Universal, and Kennedy Space Center! And, they have park hopper options as well! I need to check on those Space Center disounts, as they are only about 30 mins from my Mom's house....all this time we are spending over there we can make a nice day at the Space Center with the kids. I also need to share this site with my Sister, as they are going to Universal in a few weeks, with 4 of them they will need some good discounts! This is a sponsored post.
No, I didn't find a wad of cash. That'd be to easy! You've all heard the term "found" money, right? You either find actual money..or something worth money. As far as actual money....I only find coins on the ground, which I throw in the coin jar. I have friend (Hi Joe!)who is always finding PAPER money...and I am not talking dollar bills here! He finds 10's or 20's. Lucky dog. That never happens to me. Anyhoo, last night, I needed to find some paint in my hall storage closet for the work I was doing on the front door, so I am pulling things out of there and digging around. (Amazing what you actually find when you're looking for something!) I pull out this plastic bag from one of the home improvement stores, and in it are 2 tools that were never used. Obviously bought for a tile job, which was done about 6 years ago, still in the packaging. Now, I keep receipts, but not for that long. I had to go to that store anyway for the specific job I was doing, so I figured "what the heck?"...can't hurt to ask if they'll take it back right? Don't ask, don't get , I always say. So, I did. And, they did! They gave me a gift card with store credit for the amount of the merchandise! The moral of the story is, it doesn't hurt to ask! (Oh yeah, and pick those pennies up off the ground and put them in your coin jar, they add up!)
So, I told you all how I went and saw the documentary, Inconvenient Truth, and how it opened my eyes. Yeah. When he got to the part near the end, and he talks about scientists predicting that Greenland is destined to melt, and the actual sea level of our oceans raising...he shows a re-drawn map of what Florida would like like...and he as data to back it all up? Yeah. My town? Not there. Underwater. The entire west coast moves in, then the east coast..looks like the state is shrinking. There was a collective gasp in the room, knowing WE would all be underwater. That was enough for me! I'm in, Al...where do I sign up? What can I do to help this to NOT happen, and ensure our children's children live in a better world? I've already switched to CFL's. And my neighbor takes everyone's newspapers to the recycling center each Saturday. I installed a water filter so I don't have to buy bottled water anymore. I don't drive a gas guzzling SUV. Not enough, I tell myself. I can do more. The recycling center 2 miles up the road from me, and CONVENIENTLY located at the park where I take Snoopy to play? The one that was an INCONVENIENCE to me before because then I would have to sort out my garbage, and save some of it to haul over there instead of just CONVENIENTLY tossing it in the dumpster right here in my complex? Yeah, THAT ONE. I'll be visiting there every weekend now, with my newspapers, and plastics, cardboard, and other recyclables. What are you going to do?
Not only did I install my new Pur Water filter system on my kitchen faucet with no help, I also replaced my doorbell and put a new "peephole" in the front door! Quite handy, I am! (In my best Yoda voice)
Do you do any online chatting? Participate in boards or chatrooms? I found this discussion board, www.mindsunite.com where you can talk about anything from politics to religion to sports and business. You can get answers to the "question of the day" in any catagory, or just get yourself caught up on the latest news.
Still not real impressed with Big Brother this season, but I'll keep watching it as long as there is nothing else on! They still have time to reel me in. It's almost like, when these reality shows have been on this long, the "players" have been watching it so much it's not real at all.....they start drama on purpose, lie on purpose..all part of "their game". I guess that's what keeps us watching right? And what was up with Julie Chen's necklace last night? Did she yank that from Wilma Flintsone's jewelry box?
Ever since all this Cancer stuff started with my Mom 2 months ago, and I seem to have lost myself between my world and her world.... I have been dreaming of getting away. Taking a trip. Away from the stress, and the cancer. Away from MY PHONE! Just hanging out someplace new, maybe lay on a beach with some nice drinkies! I cancelled 2 trips since this all started because of my need to be here, one long weekend and an actual week long vacation. I really need some time away. I have been to many of the islands in the Caribbean, I'm thinking Bermuda would be nice. Never been there, always nice to explore a new area. I have friends who ran off and got married there! From the pics it looked awesome! They have lots of things to do , sailing, snorkeling, fishing, golf....I'll take any of that! Nice pink sandy beaches. A Bermuda High is just what I need right now. And, NO, that is not what you think, sickies...it refers to their gorgeous sub tropical weather! No rainy season like we have down here, don't have to worry about a Hurricane spoiling my trip. Yeah, hook me up with a nice piece of that real estate...I'm coming. Soon. And I'm not bringing anything but my Bathing suit and a towel! This is a sponsored post.
I almost forgot to tell you, I did go and see the movie last night, An Incovenient Truth: A Global Warming, and I highly recommend it! It really opened my eyes to the need for everyone to conserve and recycle, so we can leave a good environment for our children's children. And, on the walk back to the car, which was about a half mile on raised boardwalk through the woods.....I spotted a deer with 4 inch antlers! He was close, but not close enough to get a good picture with my camera phone.
I got one of these! I have wanted one for a long time, because all I drink is water, juice, iced tea, coffee, or milk. No soda. Florida has hard, nasty water...I don't know anyone who drinks it unfiltered out of the faucet. Bottled water can get expensive when you drink as much of it as I do, and then I have to take the bottles to the recycler. It was $19.87 at Target, and there was a $5 off coupon in the paper this past Sunday, bringing my cost down to $14.87. You have to replace the filters about every 3 months, at an approx cost of $18....which works out to be about 60 cents per day...much cheaper than bottled water, and I am reducing my recycled waste by eliminating bottled water! I live in a condo, and do not pay a water bill....so there are no hidden costs. Once I install this...filtered water, all day long right out of my faucet!
I'm going on a 10 mile training walk Sunday morning with some other 3 day walkers. Even though it starts at 8am, it will still be HOT and HUMID...I'm bringing lots of water & Powerade with me!
Tomorrow is "Cow Appreciation Day" at your local Chik Fil A. What does this mean you, dear reader? Well, go to any Chik Fil A restaurant fully dressed as a cow, and get a FREE combo meal! Chik Fil A defines "fully dressed as a cow" as "making an effort to be dressed as a cow from head to toe! If you come in "partial cow attire", you can get a free sandwich. "Partial cow attire" means any cow accessory, such as a vest or purse. I wonder what you would get if you brought in a live cow? LOL ! Now, I love Chik Fil A, it's one of the few fast food restaurants I will eat at..but I will NOT be dressing as a cow to get any free meals. Of course, if I had a cow print bandanna or hat...I would get myself a free sandwich. But, I do not...so I will not be eating any free Chick Fil A tomorrow.
The Brooker Creek Preserve Education Center is one of the places in my community full of all sorts of fun, free, and educational things for adults and kids. From hikes in the preserve, animal awareness, to book readings and lectures, I always learn something new when I go. Tonight, they are showing the movie, An Inconvient Truth: A Global Warming, at 6:30.
Did you know that you can go to the Federal Citizen Information Center and get all sorts of free consumer information? This is a Government website, so you won't get any junk or pop ups..and there is a lot of free, cheap, and valuable information there for you and the kids! Everyhing from travel, to health, food, money, they have a section where you can look up scams and frauds. The money section has free CD Roms and booklets on how to manage your finances, where to invest for your future, and even a Teen's guide to money! You can sign up for the electronic newsletter, or order free publications. I urge you to go there and get some free learning!
I was very pleased to wake up TO THE ALARM this morning and realize I did not get a 4am wake up call from Snoopy and his full bladder! Little things make me happy these days!
Normally, the Victoria's Secret semi-annual sale is when I "stock up" on all of my unmentionables. This year, I was disappointed, to say the least. Of course, when I finally showed up for the sale, it was the last day...been too busy with other things to even bother. And, the VS in my local mall is changing locations, so they are in a temporary store, and they do not have the store fully stocked.....all they had was a few sale tables, a table of the Pink Collection, and some regular undies and bras. That's it. And for the few things they had in the temporary location, it seriously overstaffed...they were after me like a turkey vulture on county road 1. Yeah, I'm here for the cheap undies, you're not going to make ANY commision off me, Sister. And, NO, I do not want to open a VS card to pay for my $9.63 clearance panty purchase..no matter HOW many coupons I get! Sheesh.
I work in Tampa, which has a very high latino population, a nice mix of cuban & puerto rican. I used to work with a girl who's Mom's came here from Cuba 20 years ago, and she still did not speak any english! I was curious as to how she got along all those years in a world where she does not speak the language..apparently, you don't have to! There are little latin neighborhoods around here with grocery stores ,restaurants, car dealers.... where the employees are either bilingual or do not speak any english! Everyone has a sign on the door "hable espanol"! Now, they can go out and find some latin singles without leaving home! This site is free to sign up and find your new latina hookup! I am going to tell my amigas that will only go latina dating where they can go on the web to search for a new friend!
I was taking a walk through my Mom's neighborhood, and at the house on the corner there are TWO BASENJI'S! I couldn't believe it! Basenji's are a pretty rare breed, so I hardly ever see them.....and I'm always excited when I find one. There is a boy & a girl, the boy, Ramses, is brown & white same as Snoopy, and the girl, Chloe, is black & white...and they are sooo cute! I take a walk over there every day to say hello to them and get my daily doggie fix. Then, the morning I was leaving, I was reading the local paper, and there was an ad for some new condos...and the picture had a lady holding a dog..and she was holding a BASENJI! So I cut the ad out and put it on the refrigerator!
Do you have a "goth" in your life? You know the type....black clothes, black eyeliner, black, red & blue hair. Seen them at the mall? All hanging together in a goth group? I never went through a goth stage, but we have a family member who is leaning towards goth (she'll never admit it), and I have a friend who's daughter is the full blown goth type. Both are straight A students, they just choose to express themselves in a goth style of dress. Nothing wrong with that, "different" is what makes the world go round. And, they have their own dating site too! Find your goth soul mate and go goth dating! They seem to hang out in their own crowd, as they seem to be a unique personality...so where else to go and find the perfect gothic dating partner? I usually only see them at the mall, in Hot Topic, and at scary movies....I wonder where you go on a goth date? Things that make you go "Hmmmm".
All of this time i have spent over at my Mom's, Snoopy has been staying at a friend's house. Luckily I have them to look after my boy, and don't have to worry about him being in a kennle. After I got back from my Mom's Saturday, I picked Snoopy up from my friend's house where he had been staying....when I got there he wqas running all over the yard like a fool with his tongue hanging out! Apparently he spent his time there helping with the gardening, and trying to decide who's bed to sleep in! We got home and he spent the rest of the day on my bed curled up in an exhausted little ball! And, he is STILL getting up at 4-4:30am every morning to go outside and tinkle! What is up with that? He's going to the vet in a few weeks, I am going to have to inquire about his incredible shrinking bladder!
How come it rains every day over on the east coast of the state, and it never rains over here? I saw more rain in the few days while I was at my Mom's, than I have seen over here in a month!
A few weeks back I upgraded to high speed, and had Nephew come over and install some spyware and clean out my machine. He's pretty computer savvy so I trust him to do such things...I would never know where to set this sort of thing. Plus, his was FREE! There is a site you can go to, Computer Security Software Reveiws, and read up on all the latest spyware, firewall, anitvirus and other software. Good for clueless people like me! This is a sponsored post.
Yeah...watched Thursday's episode, none too impressed, but it's early in the game. I can say that the young gay guy who dropped the "Gonnareah" (did I even spell that right?) story......he needs to be gone just for airing that dirty laundry this early! Dude, TMI...you are not going to make friend in the house that way!
That's what i did today. Went to church, ran to the mall as it was the last day of the Victoria's Secret Semi Annual Sale...and then, a whole lotta nothing.
Have you ever been on a trip and brought back an elongated coin? You know the kind...you go to the Statue of Liberty, or the Zoo..and you put 51 cents into the penny machine, turn the crank and out pops a smashed penny with a picture from the landmark you are visiting....you have yourself a cheap souvenier! I collected them for a while, and actually used to have a book to hold them all in. It's a nice cheap reminder of your trip, and the kids like the fact that you can do it yourself..it's almost like you made your souvenier! Sometimes they had 3 designs to choose from, and you got to pick the one you wanted to smash on your penny. I don't see those around much anymore. I wonder what happened to my collection?
I've discovered the wonders of Vera Bradley. I never thought it would happen to me..but when I saw these little pink elephants, the 30% off tag, and a portion of the proceeds goes to breast cancer research....I could not resist....
Am I going to be drawn to the matching wallet and accessories? Is it an addiction? Is there a pill?? A support group? Can anyone help me?
We had an appt with my Mom's oncologist yesterday to get test results. Bone Scan results came back NEGATIVE for cancer cells! The cancer has NOT metasticized! NO CANCER cells in any other organs! And, the tumor in her pancreas has NOT grown since the scan in April! We thank God for answered prayers and these small rays of hope! She starts chemo & radiation within 2 weeks.
Going through my Mom's finances and budget over the past few days, helping her pay her bills and showing her where to save money....she says to me "I'm not such a whiz with this math stuff!" LOL. Yeah, me neither Mom.....if it weren't for the math tutors I had back in middle school, I would probably be in worse shape than I am! Apparenlty, I am better at it than my siblings, (which isn't saying much) because they gave all financial related tasks to me. Goody. Now I can worry about Mom & her hubby's finances as well as mine. Good times. This is a sponsored post.
I have now offically hit my goal, and could not have done it without my Sister's help! Thanks!
You can still donate, my cousin Tammy is walking 60 miles right next to me in Philadelphia...and she still needs to reach her goal, so if you can send her a dollar or two right here ..it would be much appreciated!
Thanks again to everyone who donated to this important cause!
Three things you really don't want to plan your day around unless you have to:
1) Having a meeting with your parent's financial advisor to find out how long the retirement money will last. 2) Having a meeting with your paren't lawyer to amend thier healthcare surrogate and discuss thier will. 3) Having a meeting with your Mother's oncologist to discuss "how long?"
I was tagged by D and Colleen, to reveal 8 things about myself.....now, the only question is, how much do I want to reveal?
The rules:
Share 8 random facts/habits about yourself Tag 8 people to do the same - Ha, do I even have 8 readers? People who are tagged should write their 8 things on their own blogs, and link back here.
Here goes:
-When I was an infant, my Aunt Doris told everyone that I had perfect eyebrows and would never have to wax or pluck them - she was right!
-I still have one of my baby teeth
-I tend to be a neat freak (like that's a surprise to some of you!)
-My first job was a Burger QUEEN (yes, not KING..!)
-I have only owned 4 cars in my lifetime, and I always keep them until they are paid for, and then some!
-I love shopping at thrift stores
-I have only been in love once, and he broke my heart twice
- The guy next to me just farted (Im at the library.....!) running out of things here....
I am tagging Matthew, and Sindy...cause I don't think I know 8 bloggers well enough to do this!
Headed back over to the east coast to my Mom's this morning, we have a few doctor appts that I need to be there for. It's decision time. I'll be back over the weekend.
Headed up to my Stepmother's house today for BBQ and swimming in the pool with family & friends. We do the traditional 4th menu, burgers & hot dogs on the grill, potato salad, baked beans (my specialty - they're in the oven!) , deviled eggs (I have to make those, too!), watermelon...everyone brings something, so the burden is not on one person...and it's a good tme!
Run over to my Sister's geekified blog, Geeky Speaky, and get yourself entered into this month's Geeky Speaky Giveaways! The grand prize is an MP3 player!! What are you waiting for? It's FREE!!
Albertson's vs Publix. Hmmm. I used to shop at Albertson's, until Publix moved in a mile and a half up the road, and then, out of convenience, became and avid Publix shopper. I do like thier store, it's always neat and clean, and shelves are always fronted....however, Money has been tight lately, and grocery prices are going UP. Milk, almost $4 a gallon. Orange Juice, yeah..about $3.99 a HALF gallon for the STORE BRAND. Coffee..over $3 for the brick. REE-DIC-U-LIE. Prices are insane lately, so I have to do my best to get the most for my grocery dollars. I am going to start a little project, comparing prices at Publix vs Albertson's...and see what I come up with. Don't worry, I'll keep you in the loop!
I am thanking a lot of people that past few days, and I am loving it! Each one of these fine folks has found the special offer on my Sister's site and made a donation towards my 3 day walk! Thanks to Greg Watson and his generous donation, I am now just $400 shy of my goal!
Remember that little campaign? RIF? Dating myself again. I have a friend who cannot get her kids to read, which is so foreign to me, because I am an avid reader! I devour anything I get my hands on, I have a shelf full of books waiting to be read..and love to go to the library just to browse the stacks and enjoy the atmosphere! Maybe if she got them reading tutors like the ones I see at the library sometimes working with the kids, she can get them into reading. It's a whole new world when you open a book! This is a sponsored post.
A huge thank you goes out to Barnett Associates for their generous donation toward my 3 day campaign! Looking to buy or sell in the Marysville, WA area? Check them out!
Random thoughts from a 40-something single Mom to a 8 year old Basenji named Snoopy.....I love my dog more than I like some people, that's just the way it is.
