Make Up Mirrors

Are you looking for a fabulous gift for a lady in your family? My mom is one that we are working on right now. She's pretty easy to buy for since she loves to pick up things at thrift stores and redo them. When we were at her house over Thanksgiving, I noticed she had some lighting issues in her bathrooms. The main bathroom that everyone uses is pretty small and it is kind of dark. It makes it hard to go in there and put on your makeup without coming out looking like a clown. The problem seems to be that her mirror is too far away from the light fixture. I've even heard her complain about it on occasion. I'm thinking if she had one of these makeup mirrors , she (or anyone else) would not have trouble seeing in there anymore. There are tons of different kinds of mirrors but I love the ones that mount to the wall and you can pull out. It's perfect. She could install it beside her normal bathroom mirror and just pull it out whenever she needed to see better to "put her face on", as she says. There are so many choices and while I'm at it, I should pick up a mirror for our shower. My hubby is constantly talking about how he could save time by shaving in the shower, if only he had a mirror.

I'm off to do some browsing. These will make perfect gifts!

A Troll In My Vacuum

Today was quite a day. I had to go to the doctor early and then stop by Walmart for several things we needed. I really dislike Walmart this time of year. It's always so busy and it seems they never have enough people on duty. It's crazy. Anyway, the girls were home doing chores and schoolwork and by the time I got home, it was after lunch. I jumped right into grammar with Caroline and Logan went to another area to work on her math. After I had gone over the grammar lesson with Caroline, I grabbed my laptop and tried to check my email. I was getting caught up when my internet connection went down and I finally gave up. I'm very impatient where the internet is concerned. That's another whole post.

I thought I'd get some chores done myself so off I went. I started to vacuum a rug and noticed that my almost dead Hoover was not picking up. I decided to flip it up and look underneath to see if there was a problem. I wish I had taken a picture of what it looked like. Honestly, I thought I had sucked up a troll. There was so much hair and other stuff wrapped around the little brush thing that I just sat there for a minute, taking it all in. I took the bottom part off so I could remove the brush and I started cleaning it off. It was nasty. Are you supposed to clean this thing regularly? I never hear anyone talk about that. I don't know but obviously I don't clean mine. I really think I could have made a wig out of the hair I pulled off of it.

If that wasn't fun enough, the kids informed me that one of our kitties had made another mess that I just had to see. This particular kitty has issues. Mental issues. She has a bad habit of playing with the toilet paper roll in our master bathroom. I'm not sure what she finds so fascinating. She doesn't just play with it. She demolishes it. You'd think that Edward Scissorhands had been in there! The kids told me that they just couldn't clean it up until I saw it. I have to admit, it was funny. The problem is that this kitty does this quite often and it wastes a lot of tissue. I try to remember to close the door but I forget. A lot.

Don't let her cute face fool you!

The pile of demolished tissue

This is her trademark

Everything is cleaned up now and it's almost time to start supper. I'm off to make some beef ravioli with tomato cream sauce and a nice salad. I hope you've had a nice day. I'm looking forward to the weekend. Our UT Vols play LSU for the SEC championship on Saturday. That should be interesting. On Sunday night, we are off to Knoxville to watch the Lady Vols play North Carolina. That should also be a very interesting game. What are you doing this weekend?

I Admit It, I'm A Neat Freak

I was browsing the daily questions over at That's My Answer and I couldn't resist one question from today. Here's the question:

If you came to my house for a friendly visit, perhaps a cup of coffee and a game of Scrabble, and noticed that the picture on my wall was crooked, what would you do?

I have to tell on myself here. I am a bit OCD and things like this bug me in my own house. If I were to notice this in the home of someone else, I would most likely just let it go. I would try and forget about it but would probably glance at it several times during the evening. I would not try and fix it unless I were at Jenny's. I'd have no problem straightening it in her house. She just makes a gal feel so welcome that sometimes I think I live there.

My husband loves to play little games with me. I cannot stand to have a rug messed up or a book out of place at home. He loves to walk through the house and flip up a rug or make something crooked. He loves me that way! When I create a mess in the house, I try to make sure it is all in one room. However, once I have a room cleaned, I like it to stay that way. Well, that is impossible because we live in our house! It's crazy for me to think I can keep things perfect and why in the world do I want to? I have no idea but I blame my mother! Growing up, my mom was a real stickler when it came to having a neat home. Even today, she lives alone in a three story house. She currently has six bedrooms (I think the house actually has nine but the bottom floor is used for storage right now). The place is spotless. Every time we've ever been up there, not a crumb in sight. Nothing is out of place, until we get there :-o) So I think I have a valid reason to blame dear ole' mom (love ya mom!).

The past few years, I've really tried to work on this. As long as things are somewhat orderly, I am happy. How about you? Are your habits similar to mine or are you totally opposite?

Things I Don't Like To Deal With

I am not an insurance person. It confuses me and makes me feel silly. My hubby has always dealt with those types of issues and I am thankful for that. I remember talking with our insurance guy as he tried to explain the types of life insurance policies they offered. My mind was spinning, trying to remember the differences between whole life and term life insurance. At some point, my brain shut off and I just let hubby work it all out.

Many people purchase whole life policies because they mature over time. When they reach 65 years of age, they can draw money out or they can continue having the insurance without paying the premium. The policy would be paid in full at that time which allows for these options. Some opt to buy whole life and then when they turn 65, they switch to a term life policy. I'm not sure what the best route is but I do think it's wise for a man to have life insurance. Since I am a SAHM, it makes sense for my hubby to have insurance to cover expenses should something happen to him. Obviously, our church would support us but having the insurance would help pay off our home. That would be a huge burden lifted.

If you are looking into life insurance, shop around and get a term life insurance quote to see if it will fit your budget and your needs. This is just one more way that families can be proactive when it comes to dealing with matters of this magnitude.

Ten On Tuesday ~ Best Games Edition

(Board games, video games, card games, etc.)

I couldn't pass this one up because we love games. We haven't played a lot lately since we've been busy with other things but in the summer, we usually try and play each Friday night with my BIL and his kids. It's a great way to spend a Friday night!

Here's a list of favorites:

1. Scattergories - I love this board game. It's great for quick thinking.
2. Pictionary - Who doesn't love this game! I am the worst drawer in the history of the game but somehow my wonderful hubby still manages to guess well!
3. Scrabble - I love this game. I've really love to have the deluxe version for Christmas.
4. Phase 10 - Wonderful card game that I've only played a few times. I love it though and it takes a long time to play a game if you have lots of people.
5. Imaginiff - Great for the kids but there needs to be plenty of players so that it doesn't get boring.
6. Rook - My FIL is a master at this game and I love playing it. I usually have him as a partner and since I'm not the greatest at this game, he gets to give me lots of pointers. He usually does this in a manner that makes me never want to partner with him! LOL! What can I say, he's passionate about this game!
7. Trivial Pursuit Genius Edition - I have always liked this game.
8. Fact or Crap - We got this game for Christmas a few years ago and I enjoy it. We've played it several times and just writing about it makes me want to get it out and play it.
9. Super Mario Bros. - I haven't played this since Nintendo first came out. My brother and I had it as kids and we loved playing it together.
10. Pac-Man (or Miss Pac-Man) - My most favorite video game in the whole world. I would love, love, love to have one of those old arcade versions in the house! I don't think I would ever get anything done!

**I'd like to give Donkey Kong honorable mention. I also loved it very much as a child. Also, Cranium is another of my favorite board games.

For more TOT's, go here.

Digital Frames Are Cool

Several years ago, we started using a digital camera and storing all the photos on our computer. I love being able to store so many pictures this way but it's hard for me to adjust to not having my film developed and the pictures in my hand. I forget about having certain photos and then I have to search through folders to find the one I want. The other day, I was in a store and happened to see a digital photo frame. They are fabulous! What a wonderful gift this would make.

Since there are many digital frames on the market, I would have to do some research to figure out which one would work best for gift giving. I am thrilled to see that they come in different sizes. The smallest digital picture frame I saw had a seven inch screen while the largest had a fifteen inch screen. That's as big as my laptop screen! I love that most of these frames come with a remote control and they display as a slide show. You could display all sorts of neat photos. During the holidays, you could display various holiday photos. If someone has a birthday, display birthday photos from years past. Very neat! Maybe I need to drop a hint that this would be the perfect gift for our home!

Why I Love Football

I know I probably drive some of you nuts with my football speak. I just love it and get so excited about it. Who wouldn't love SEC football? I mean, did any of you watch my Vols play Kentucky on Saturday? What. A. Game. That's all I can say. It was amazing. It took four overtimes for us to prevail! Our team blew a 17 point halftime lead and by the fourth quarter, I was writing them off. Who blows a lead that big? Somehow we managed to get back into it and I had to sit through all of those overtimes biting my nails. My stomach was hurting and I covered my eyes sometimes. I just knew we were going to get beat. Then big Dan Williams blocks the game winning field goal and our hopes were alive again! It was awesome! If you didn't see it, you missed a great one. It was almost as good as that LSU/Arkansas game last week. The Vols will head to Atlanta this week to take on LSU in the SEC Championship game. LSU is a great team and I hope we can hang with them. I'd love to see another nail biter. I wish I had tickets to that game. That would pretty much make my week!

I hope all you football fans enjoyed your week. I had a good week since my Colts and Cowboys won on Thanksgiving Day. The Vols game topped it all off. This week promises to be just as exciting with our Vols playing for a championship and Dallas playing the Packers this week. The Packers are playing great and you gotta love Brett Favre. He's just a swell guy and looks like he's having so much fun playing the game. I usually pull for them but since they are playing Dallas this week, I'll be cheering for T.O. to put a hurtin' on Green Bay. Hey, you don't have to like him but you do have to applaud his talent.

Did I mention that it is also basketball season? The Lady Vols are ranked #1 and we'll be taking my FIL to watch them play North Carolina this Sunday night. We take him every year for his birthday and I am so glad we started this tradition! Our oldest daughter has started going with us too so it's a fun trip. The Vols mens basketball team is ranked #7 and we are hopeful for their season. We'll take FIL to watch them play in February. While many are out shopping and enjoying their December that way, you'll find me wherever the sports are! That's how we roll in this house! LOL!

I'm going to leave you with a question. Concerning the NFL, how do you feel about excessive celebration penalties? Last night, I was watching the Bengals play and Chad Johnson (Ocho Cinco) did his normal excessive celebration thing. He ran up to a camera and started pretending to film. Harmless. Of course he was flagged for it and his team was penalized. I understand how this could hurt the team if it were a close game but my question is really whether or not players should be flagged for excessive celebration in the first place. I'm remembering how psyched I was while playing a great basketball game or winning a track or cross country meet. You get pretty excited. I can even understand if the players were taunting each other but this is rarely the case in the NFL. Usually it's just a player scoring and then doing an end zone dance or some other little funny. What do you think? Should players be flagged for excessive celebration for end zone dances and other things like that?

Progressive Dinner

I'm trying to get back into the swing of things as far as working on our house goes. Back in the summer, I started painting all of our trim inside the house white. I didn't get very far because it took at least four coats of paint to cover. I finished our living room and started on the hallway. That's when I stopped. It was so much work and I just got burned out quickly. I haven't touched it in months. In fact, there's still blue painter's tape around some of the doorways.

A lady in our church decided to organize a progressive dinner. These are fascinating but I've never been to one. The concept is really cool. You have three courses; appetizer, main meal, and dessert. You have each course at a different house. As she is working out details, she's been looking for volunteers to open their homes for one of each of the courses. Our house is fine to accommodate a small group so I volunteered. Great, right? Ah yes, if you like animals, you don't mind blue painter's tape on the walls, and you don't mind being squished together (the rooms in our house are small). Still, I am willing and would love to host the appetizer or dessert course. Having said that, I know I have to get myself in gear. I don't have to have everything perfect but it would be nice for the house to have an intimate feeling for this dinner. I don't think blue painter's tape will add to that affect. LOL!

So, now starts the task of getting things in some kind of order. The cats are going to be kicked out more often so they will stop thinking they own the furniture. I would love to have a plasma tv on a plasma stand, with one of those videos of a roaring fire going. That would make things feel very cozy. There are lots of things I need to do and I need some great ideas on how to make things feel more cozy. This event is for adults only so I want to make sure the adults have a great time if they do come here for one of the courses.

Have you ever participated in a progressive dinner? Did you enjoy it?