How Do We Rank?

"The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I came across this quote and had to share it. I'm not sure any explanation is needed and I think it is something we should all consider. I can't tell you how disheartening it is to turn on the news and hear a story about a child that was left in the car and died because of the heat, a child that was beaten to death, or any other act that resulted in the harm or death of a child. It also hurts to read the number of abortions performed each year. That's a figure that's hard to swallow.

I love children. I don't remember a time when I didn't. From the time I was a teenager, I knew I wanted to have a family and vowed that I'd give birth to at least nine. God has chosen to bless us with two daughters currently and we pray for many more. There are so many joys I could share about having children. I pray that those of you with children already know the joys I speak of. As I talked with my hubby the other day, I related how it felt, at least for me, when I gave birth. There's a feeling that you have that is almost indescribable. It's overwhelming. It's joy and happiness. I'm sure fathers feel it to. I'll have to remember to ask my hubby to describe that feeling. All I know is that I was overwhelmed with emotion and immediately started to cry. I'm not sure if it's fear of the responsibility that comes along with having children. I know that the first question I asked was "is the baby alright?" "Does she have all her fingers and toes?" Hearing the affirmation that indeed the child was fine, made me breath a heavy sigh of relief. To lose a child would be incredibly hard.

As I ponder these things, I am forced to think about our country as a whole. How do we treat children? What value do we place on their lives? What would we do to protect children? How could anyone bring harm to a child? I'm curious to see what you think about this quote so I'll pose this question:

If you were to judge our society on the treatment of children, where would we rank? (On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being lowest and 10 being highest). Feel free to elaborate on your ranking if you feel inclined.

Dog the Bounty Hunter

I'm going to tell on myself a little here. Recently, I was flipping through the channels late at night and came across the show "Dog the Bounty Hunter". I stopped and watched about three episodes of it. I'm not sure why but I'm fascinated by the show. Besides the fact that Dog's wife needs to cover herself a little better, I find myself entertained by watching them hunt people down. It looks dangerous and there's no way I'd ever attempt to do this sort of thing. I'm surprised they don't encounter more violence with some of the people they hunt.

Something that cracks me up is the way they wear their gear. I mean, really, a bullet proof vest with a tank top? It just doesn't look safe to me. I'm no expert but I think Dog should leave his cowboy boots at home and opt for a safer alternative. He really needs to check out 5.11 Tactical Outdoors. They offer a variety of gear for law enforcement, firefighters, and military personnel. They have everything from pants, shirts, and boots, to flashlights, watches, and holsters. Dog really needs to check them out and get his team in apparel that is made for this rough kind of work. Someone needs to remind him that the golden rule is "safety first" and that's exactly what type of gear 5.11 Tactical offers.

Today's the Day!

Hi there. I hope you had a good weekend. We spent most of our time around here, trying to recover from our trip to Atlanta last weekend. I'll be writing more about that this week and I'll post some pictures too. We had a really good time but it's always nice to get home and settle back into a routine.

Last week was pretty uneventful. We had to take one of our vehicles in to have the brakes fixed and a few minor things. Hopefully we'll get it back tomorrow but I'm in no rush. I like that I haven't been able to drive much since last Thursday. For today, hubby borrowed his dad's car to drive to work because I get to go have two wisdom teeth taken out this afternoon. Joy. Once these two are out, I only have one more of these babies lingering around somewhere. I'm convinced that my dentist is still in business because of me. I've been so many times in the past year that I know I've paid his bills! LOL! As a result of having a "bad dentist" growing up, most of the work has had to be redone. Hence my monthly trips to my dentist now. I'm looking forward to the day that I only have to go for cleanings and the occasional check up.

I'm hoping things go smoothly today. I'll have two teeth removed and they are on opposite sides of my mouth....both on the bottom. I'm not letting them "put me under" since I have NEVER been under anesthesia. I just can't go there. Isn't that strange? I think I'm more afraid of that than I am of the teeth coming out. Anyway, the first wisdom tooth I had removed was so easy. As a matter of fact, I left the surgeon's office and went to eat breakfast at Shoney's with my in-laws. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain so I think I'll do fine this time around. I was talking to hubby last night about my previous trip to the surgeon for this and he cut me off right away. He didn't want me tell him what the numbing needled looked like or anything! LOL! I'm fascinated with stuff like that. Hubby did let me describe the tool used to remove my wisdom tooth though. It looked like a bottle cap from one of those old glass Coke bottles, except it had a handle on it. I could hear it grinding into the tooth when he was removing it. This time I've decided since I'm having two of them removed, I'll take my mp3 player along to distract me from that sound. I know I can handle hearing it once, but twice, I'm not so sure of.

I hope your Monday turns out to be a wonderful one. I can't wait to tell you about some of the fun things we did while in Atlanta! Of course, I'll also have to share all the details from today's visit to the surgeon. I know you're on the edge of your seats!

Penny Smashing

Lately, I've recalled so many memories from our NYC trip last year. I never thought I'd be able to go there because it's so expensive. Since hubby's company was paying his expenses, it was the perfect opportunity to tag along. I was able to see this place that I'd always wanted to see, plus we only spent half the money we normally would have spent to get there.

One of the things we enjoyed while there was touring the Empire State Building. The building is huge and the view from the 86th floor observatory was breathtaking. After taking many pictures and feeling like we were going to fall over the edge, we came back inside to make the trek back downstairs to leave. I spotted an old penny press with a hand crank and decided I had to smash a penny as a souvenir. Who wouldn't, right? The catch was that it would cost me $1 to smash my penny. LOL! I didn't care because I really wanted to smash my penny! I made my way over to the penny machine and there was a couple of girls there trying to smash their pennies. They were from Europe and spoke just enough English to ask for my help. They couldn't figure out how to work the machine. It had been years since I had operated one but I assured them that I could help. I dug into my wallet and found a penny, plus the dollar I needed to get the machine to smash the penny. I selected the design I wanted, which happened to be a picture of the State of Liberty. I started to turn the crank and something just wasn't right. I stood there trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. The European gals were talking to each other and I didn't understand a word they were saying. I'm sure now that they were talking about how silly I was....an American, in her home land, who couldn't even work this penny smashing machine! Boy were they ever right. I looked at my hubby and he just tried to pretend he didn't know me. The European girls decided they would help me and within a couple of minutes, they were cranking out my smashed penny. I have no idea what they did but those gals were able to get this machine to work. Needless to say, I was humiliated and felt like a blubbering idiot. We all got a good laugh out of it and the gals went on to make their own pennies. Not to be outdone, I reached deep into my wallet and dug out another $1.01 so that I could make myself another penny. I wanted one that I had made all by myself! This time I chose the design of the Empire State Building. I didn't want to forget the day that a couple of European gals showed me how to work a machine that I had used many times as a child. As I write this, hubby and I are laughing ourselves silly at this memory. Fun times!

Cost of entry into the ESB ~ $36

Cost to use penny machine to smash two pennies ~ $2.02

The memory of two foreign gals showing me up in my own backyard ~ Priceless

Go Pink Giveaway

Jenny tipped me off on a giveaway she saw over at Blessed Nest. In honor of breast cancer awareness month, Blessed Nest will be giving away some really cool prizes. Make sure you drop by and enter to participate. Personally, I love all of the giveaway items because my favorite color is pink!

Need A Tutor?

Is your child having trouble with math? Have you tried to find a tutor? We've been thinking of doing just that. Caroline has been having trouble in this area and it is becoming apparent that she may need additional help. Over the years, tutoring has evolved from a personal one on one tutor coming to your home, to online tutoring. This is more convenient for most people since the help can be accessed any time, day or night. TutorVista is no exception. You will receive help 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

How does it work? Well, it's simple. You sign up for TutorVista's monthly service and you'll receive as much help as you want in all subjects. Need help with algebra? No problem. Does your child need homework help? You'll find that too. One of the things I like is that you can schedule tutoring sessions any time you want. The tutors with TutorVista have graduate degrees and are equipped to help in various subjects for K-12 students, as well as for students seeking preparation for SAT, ACT, PSAT, GED, and a number of other tests.

If you're looking for a tutor, stop by and give TutorVista a try. You're sure to find the help you need.

Thursday Thirteen...Dental Woes

Thirteen Things I Dislike About Going To The Dentist

I was inspired to do this one since I have to go see an oral surgeon on Monday to have two wisdom teeth cut out. I'm almost 34. Why are these things not gone already?!

1. All the money is costs me! LOL!
2. Being scolded because I only use my Water Pik once a day instead of twice
3. When my dentist continues working on a root canal even though my numbing meds are starting to wear off
4. Having my occlusion adjusted
5. Having my teeth cleaned. Something about all the scraping and violent flossing just doesn't make me look forward to it.
6. Having my teeth polished. I don't like the tool they use. It tickles.
7. The tool they use to suck the saliva or water out of your mouth. That thing makes a mess and I'm always wondering how sterile it is!
8. The drape they clip over your clothes. They always clip my hair up in that thing! LOL!
9. The dentist or dental assistant will ask me questions or try to have a conversation with me while their arm is half way down my throat. What's up with that?
10. Talking to the receptionist, who happens to be the dentist's almost 90 year old mother. She's very pleasant as you are leaving the office but just call her on the phone to change your appointment or explain a problem! Boy are you in for a treat! Stand at the window to check in and she'll ignore you for ages. I've learned to just go in and sit down.
11. Trying to control my tongue and keep it out of the way while I'm being worked on. Don't laugh. You try keeping it relaxed and still!
12. The sound of the drill that I cannot seem to ignore while it's in my mouth.
13. The thought of having someone looking that closely at my teeth. What if my lunch is still stuck in them? LOL!

For more TT's, go here.

Suddenly Seeking Ideas

As I look ahead to Thanksgiving, I am already planning our meal in my head. I'm not sure yet where we'll spend the day but I do know that there will be lots of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, yeast rolls, and anything else I can dream up.

I want to dress my table up with some different things this year. I'm trying to think of natural elements I can use. I'm thinking I can do some sort of centerpiece with fake leaves and acorns from our backyard. I want to get a new tablecloth and some cute salt shakers . Maybe I'll add a berry garland around the turkey plate. I love cranberries and would love to think of some ways to use them on the table.

I would also like to play some games. We have tons of board games so maybe we'll use one of those. For Jeff's family, Thanksgiving has become like any other "regular" day. My BIL always hosted Thanksgiving dinner at his house, until a few years ago, when his wife decided she needed a new man and was tired of raising her children. Since then, it's been hard to replace that festive time. We need a new tradition, a change. I want the day to feel special to everyone.

So I'm asking you to share your ideas with me. What do you do to make Thanksgiving dinner special? Do you have special decorations you use? Special foods you cook? Special games you play?

Shawna's Having A Giveaway

Shawna, over at Scamp's Place, is celebrating her one year blog anniversary. In honor of this wonderful event, she's giving away a $10 Starbucks gift certificate! Get on over there and enter to win. Be sure to check out her place while you're there. She's a wonderful writer and has beautiful pictures of her daughter that are sure to capture your attention.

Digital Marketing Solutions

Over the past several years, the Internet has grown wildly. As a result, many talented people have started to offer a variety of unique products and services. What is it that has helped them become successful? For many, it has been the product or service that they offer, as well as a good marketing plan. How do they come up with these marketing plans? They turn to companies like iCrossing.com for help.

iCrossing.com offers Internet marking services and consulting. Their goal is to learn all they can about your company so that they can execute programs designed to help you reach your marketing goals. A few of the services they offer are search engine marketing and optimization, research and analytics, display and rich media advertising, social-media, and word of mouth marketing. All of these things will help your company successfully reach the goals you have set.

At iCrossing's Great Finds, you will find many topics on the latest in digital marketing. Acquisition Strategy, Customer Insight, Online Visibility, and Reputation Management are only a few of the categories you can peruse. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the latest headlines. Not only will you be well informed, but you can relax knowing that your company is getting the professional help it needs to soar to new heights.

TBR by the end of November

Since I need to be accountable for reading time, I wanted to jot down a reading list that I want to complete by the end of November. I've had several things distract me lately so my reading time has been inconsistent. I read constantly but most of it is online reading. So anyway, this is the list that I will have finished by the end of November.

1. Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
2. At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
3. The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers
4. Club Sandwich by Lisa Samson
5. Waiting for Morning by Karen Kingsbury
6. A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist
7. The Homeschooler's Book of Lists by Sonya Haskins
8. Mr. Darcy's Diary
9. Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
10. Northanger Abby by Jane Austen
11. The Divine Appointment by Jerome Teel (won this from Julie)

I'm currently halfway through Screwtape Letters and I've started Mr. Darcy's Diary. My friend, Sonya Haskins, was kind enough to give me a copy of this new homeschooling book and I'll review it when I'm finished. If you're a homeschooler, you're going to thank her for writing this book. I have several other books waiting in the wings so I need to start chipping away at this list. My problem is that I am easily distracted and wait until very late to start reading. Then I get tired and don't get anything accomplished. I'm going to have to start setting a time to read. So how do you get your reading time in? Do you have a set time? How does that work for you?

Do You Love Popcorn?

While Jeff and I were in NYC last year, we went to a place that I had heard so many good things about. Every review I read before going up there said that we owed it to ourselves to go to Dale & Thomas Popcorn. I was thrilled when we found it because we were to fly home the next day and I really didn't want to leave without trying it. It was quite a trek from where we had been spending most of our time but I'm so glad we did find it.

If you've never had Dale & Thomas, you will have no idea what I mean when I say that this is the best popcorn I've ever put into my mouth. There are a variety of flavors including BBQ, chocolate drizzle, and my favorite, peanut butter and white chocolate drizzle. I'm telling you, this stuff is so good that if we ever go back to NYC, I'm taking an empty suitcase just to fill with this popcorn to bring home. Until then, I'd love to have one of those old popcorn machines and try to come up with my own flavors.

I'm curious what flavors of popcorn you've tried and what your favorites are? Have you ever had Dale & Thomas popcorn? If you ever have the opportunity, try it. It's expensive to order online but if you're in NYC, you can swing by and get a big bag for a little of nothing. It really is that good folks!

ABC Meme

I love doing these little things. I learn so much about others. I ran across this at Enjoying the Ride. Jump over there are read her answers. If you do this one, be sure to let me know so I can learn a little more about you!

A- Attached or single: Attached, married to a great man!
B- Best Friend: My hubby
C-Cake or Pie: This is tough....I guess I'll go with cake. I really love red velvet with cream cheese icing.
D- Day of choice: Monday, Saturday, Sunday...football baby!
E- Essential Item: laptop
F- Favorite Color: pink
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: worms, of course!
H- Hometown: Appalachia, VA
I- Indulgence(s): Reese cups, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pop Tarts
J- January or July: July
K-Kids: 2 daughters
L-Life is Incomplete Without: My family
M- Marriage Date: December 19
N- Number of Siblings: 1 brother
O- Oranges or Apples: Apples but I do love oranges. Just hate to peel them.
P- Phobias or Fears: My children being hurt, heights, deep water
Q- Quotes: "Discontent is an ungrateful sin, because we have more mercies than afflictions; and it is an irrational sin because afflictions work for good" (Thomas Watson)
R- Reason To Smile: My family, God's creation
S- Season: Fall/Winter because of Thanksgiving and Christmas
T- Tag: Whoever is reading and wants to play along
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I won the 3200m event in the state track meet my senior year in high school
V- Vegetarian or Meat Eater: I love me some meat!
W- Worst Habit: I nag my hubby too much
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Ultrasounds
Y- Your Favorite Food: Japanese
Z- Zodiac: Capricorn

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

While we were in Atlanta, I had the urge to go to a baseball game. Since the Braves didn't do so well this year, that wasn't possible. I would however, love to have world series tickets. This year, the Rockies are playing the Red Sox and it's sure to be an awesome game. From the way the Rockies have been playing, I think I'll side with them. Since I don't have tickets, I'll just have to watch it on t.v. The first game is tonight at 8pm. I can't wait! We're gonna fire up the grill and have us some hotdogs so we feel like we're in the stadium!

Awards and Such

A wanted to say thanks to a couple of people who have blessed me lately. First, Shawna over at Scamp's Place, was kind enough to give me this:

If that wasn't sweet enough, Jenn over at Enjoying the Ride, gave me this:

I couldn't have been any happier....until I opened my email yesterday and found that I won The Divine Appointment from Julie over at Joyful Days! Per her suggestion, I'll be giving this book away once I've finished reading it.

It's been a great week! I've really enjoyed all of these blessings. Having a blog has become an interesting ride. I am really loving all of the things I'm learning, friends I'm meeting, and ideas I'm gathering. You guys are the best!

 

Kitchen Makeover....I Need One

Jenna's post has inspired me to start thinking about how I will make over my kitchen. It needs alot of work. It very useable, it's just outdated and needs some repair. Apparently, the people who lived here before did alot of the work themselves when they did any kind of repair or renovation. As a result, the kitchen floor needs to be totally replaced. I have dark cabinets and want to also do something to spruce them up. I cannot bare the thought of painting them white because the girls are forever putting their messy hands on the walls and other things that show dirt. The thought of having to wipe them down everyday almost gets me. LOL!

The ceilings are all popcorn and I just don't like them. I'd love to scrape them down and make them smooth. I've never done this and it would be so much work. I'm not sure it's something we can tackle on our own. The popcorn texture seems to trap every piece of dust in the house. I do want to replace the lighting with some kichler lighting. There's currently a ceiling fan over the table and a fluorescent light on the cooking side of the kitchen. I want to make it look more elegant but comfortable.

Have any of you come across any Web sites that might help me with this? How about magazines that have good pictures of kitchen makeovers? I am not good at pulling the entire look together and I need some really great resources to help me in this area.

How Many Germs Are On Your Keyboard?

Found this over at Blogozine. I couldn't help myself so I took the quiz. Now, I'm a cleaning nut so I was very surprised by the results! If you take the quiz, let me know how many germs are on your keyboard.

2,247,000How Many Germs Live On Your Keyboard?

There are about 2,247,000 germs on your keyboard right now! That's equivalent to the number of germs on 449 toilet seats.

Party Time

With birthdays coming up in December, there's sure to be a party at our house. One I thing I love almost as much as the party itself is sending out party invitations. I have so much fun searching for them. There are so many choices that I sometimes have a hard time narrowing those down. Caroline seems to be very interested in sharks so maybe I'll look for some neat invitations with that theme. I need to get a head start because the time always slips up on me! I can hardly wait to start shopping!

100 Acre Personality Quiz

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!

Found this over at Chocoholic Life. Cute, fun, but I'm wondering what it means by telling me I'm a little slow? LOL!

Should We Get Them?

I've never owned alot of jewelry but I do like it. I work with my hands so much that it's just not appropriate for me to wear much. The only rings I ever wear are my wedding band or the silver set of wedding rings hubby bought me for Mother's Day a few years ago. The silver set is really reserved for church or special occasions since I bang my hands on everything. I hardly ever take my gold wedding band off unless it's absolutely necessary. That thing has been through the ringer.

A few months ago, I noticed my FIL's wedding band. It's just your average gold wedding band and there's nothing real special about it. What I did notice is how thin it is getting. Apparently, he never takes it off unless it's a must (like surgery or something). He and my MIL have been married for almost 51 years so the ring has some age on it. As I looked at it, I reflected on their 51 years together. It's worn appearance reminded me of all the things it had been around for; illnesses, deaths, marriages, births, baptisms, etc. It's special because it's the original ring he's had since early on in his marriage. I thought maybe we should buy him a new one but I wondered if he might hate to part with his old one. So, should we get him a new one? And what could he do with the old one? Have it melted down? Should we maybe buy his mom and dad matching wedding bands for Christmas? We'd like to give them something very special and this seems like the perfect thing. What do you think?

We Made It

We made it in to the Atlanta area around midnight. We made great time since we didn't actually get out of town until around 8pm. The drive is pretty easy and it seemed to go quickly. A few things I did not enjoy about the drive were:

• Stopping at a McDonald's for a sundae and having to wait in the drive thru for a good fifteen minutes. Did they have to make the milk?
• The terrible Route 25 going through Greeneville, SC. The bad thing is that alot of it is new four lane. It's just an awful road. I don't like it. It just seems dangerous at night. The visibility is terrible or something.
• The many big trucks on the road. I know they have to be there but hey, I don't like em' on the road when I'm on it!
• The fact that McD's people didn't give us any napkins with our sundaes. I had to ride from Greeneville, SC to Atlanta with sticky, icky ice cream covered hands. That's because they took so long to get it to me, it was half melted. Did I mention that they didn't give us enough spoons either? LOL!

A few things I enjoyed about the drive:

• It's very easy to reflect when you're riding in a car. Lots of time to think about things.
• That the drive was safe.
• The Mexican food we ate before we left town was wonderful.
• All of our stuff fit into the car.
• We didn't have any car trouble.
• That the hotel has internet access that actually works! Woo hoo!
• Listening to the girls giggle.
• Talking to my mom on the phone.
• Talking to my MIL on the phone.

It's late and I'm off to bed. Hopefully we'll make it to the aquarium in the morning and to The Varsity for lunch. For now, good night. Until we meet again.....

Denim Shirt

Recently, I was asked to do a product review of a denim shirt . I received the free shirt a few weeks ago and have had plenty of time to form an opinion of it. First of all, I love denim, however, I prefer light weight denim. When I opened the packaging, I was pleased to find a ladies Port Authority long sleeve shirt that was just the right weight. It was faded blue in color and the size large fits both myself and my daughter perfectly.

Over the past few weeks, this shirt has had a work out since both myself and my daughter have worn it many times. We've washed it over and over and it has held up very well. We've noticed no fading, tearing, or drawing up of the shirt. The shirt works well on its own but we've also worn it over short sleeve shirts.We received the shirt free of charge for reviewing it but I was pleased to find that the shirt is very affordable at only $12.78. In my opinion, the quality of the shirt is worth every penny of that.

If you are looking for quality shirts at affordable prices, check out them out online at Clothing4All.com. If all of their products are made as well as this shirt was, it is money well spent!

And We're Off.....

We're about to head out the door for our trip to Stone Mountain. I'm really looking forward to it. The whole day has been a blur. There's been packing, cleaning, doing laundry, going to the store, washing the car, gathering food, and this massive toothache I have. Yep, that's right. I'm going on this trip with a horrible toothache that just won't go away. I've had it for about a week. I went to the dentist on Wednesday for something totally unrelated but I did mention it to my dentist. It's only one of my wisdom teeth coming in, no big deal. Right..... It's only not a big deal if it doesn't hurt! I'm almost 34....shouldn't these things have already come in and been taken out!!! Argh....Anyway, I'm not gonna let that get me down. I'm putting on a smile and hitting the road. I'll just have to remember not to smile too big. If I do, my mouth hurts worse! I'm hoping to post each night to tell you how we've spent our day. I'm not sure if I'll be able to (read: not sure if I'll want to go to the trouble) post pictures but if so, I'll try. I've got some great tips on places to eat and I've got many of our activities figured out. The weather is supposed to be wonderful. So watch out Stone Mountain cause here we come!

The Truth About Credit Cards

Do you need credit help? If so, I've found a wonderful place for you to find an array of information. The Truth About Credit Cards is a blog that offers help in areas such as raising your credit score, how to read a credit report, how to complete a balance transfer, and many other topics. You probably know someone who has a mountain of outstanding credit card debt and just keeps digging themselves deeper. The good news is that there is help out there and The Truth About Credit Cards is a great place to start.

One post I found especially helpful was "get to know your spending habits". I've never thought to do this but this post suggests that you look at your year end summary, which will be broken down by month and category. This will help you see where your money goes and help you better assess the areas that you need to cut spending. Brilliant! I often wonder what we're spending our money on! It's easy to make a few purchases early in the month and forget about them toward the end of the month. Viewing your year end summary will clear up your "faded" memory. Another thing this post mentions is restaurant spending. Let's just say, well, I'm not even going there. One of our favorite pastimes is eating out and although we try not to put meals on our credit card, we sometimes do for special occasions. If we're not careful, this can really add up.

One other really interesting post is the one concerning the RevolutionCard. This thing sounds neat! It doesn't have any information embossed on the card. Instead, each time you use it, you use a pin number to complete the transaction. This thrills me because I am forever worrying about loosing my card or someone stealing it. With the RevolutionCard, you don't have to worry. Unless a thief has your pin number, there's nothing he can do with it! Fabulous!

I have only touched on a few of the topics addressed on the blog. In short, this blog is very useful and can provide you with the information to help you better understand your credit standing.

 

Thursday Thirteen ~ Stone Mt. Edition

Thirteen Things We'll Be Doing While in Stone Mountain

1. Going to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta
2. Spending our nights in a hotel in Tucker, GA
3. Eating at The Varsity or The Flying Biscuit (both these places were recommended by Coach J and Jill...thanks girls!)
4. Going to the Stone Mountain Highland Games
5. Spending time at the pumpkin festival
6. Hanging out with members of our clan on Saturday night. Each year, the Newman family hosts a potluck supper of sorts. There's tons of food, bagpipe playing, and guitar/banjo picking.
7. Playing with our MacBooks
8. Worrying about our kitties back home in TN (the in-laws will be taking care of them but these are our babies.....no one loves them like we do!)
9. Taking lots of pictures for all of you to see
10. Going to the top of Stone Mountain (If you've never seen it, it really is a sight to see. We've been to Stone Mt. many times and it's always awesome to see the mountain.)
11. Watching the laser light show in the park
12. Maybe meeting Jill, if it time allows
13. Making wonderful memories with the people I love most

For more TT's, go here.

Going to Maryland?

We've never been up north but if we get the opportunity, I'd really like to visit Maryland. I hear that it's quite lovely up there in the fall. While we're there, we could check out the Restaurants in Towson MD . Towson is one of the largest unincorporated county seats in the U.S. It's also home to Towson University. Several notable people either live in (or lived) or are natives of Towson, including Johnny Unitas, Don Shula, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. That's enough reason to make me want to visit!

Scraps by Wendy Bagley (Drawing)

D.J., over at Chocoholic Life, is having a book giveaway that all of you scrapbook lovers will want to check out. She's giving away a copy of Wendy Bagley's book entitled Scraps. If you're interested in entering her drawing, head over and visit her so you can get your name in the hat!

Ten On Tuesday ~ Internet Site Addition

Ten Useful Internet Sites

1. Merriam Webster ~ We all forget how to spell a word sometimes :-O
2. Wikipedia ~ You can find anything here....it's great!
3. MSNBC ~ Great if you need a quick overview of worldwide news
4. Mapquest ~ I use this all the time
5. Christian Spotlight on Entertainment ~ Great for movie reviews
6. Google ~ Find anything with Google search
7. All Recipes ~ Great variety of recipes
8. Martha Stewart ~ Come on, you know you love her ideas!
9. Gmail ~ I'm convinced everyone should have a Gmail account for email
10. Vegsource ~ An invaluable resource for homeschoolers. Can find tons of new and used curriculum on their homeschooling swap boards!

For more TOT's, go here.

Menu Plan Monday ~ Oct. 15

I've been lazy for the past month and haven't really done a menu plan. This is not good. I find that it is so much easier to do one and follow it. It bring peace and harmony to my kitchen....except when the hubby tells me he's not in the mood for a particular food I'm cooking :-o)

This week will be a short one since we're leaving Thursday evening to go to Stone Mountain, GA. It should be easy to follow and I hope to keep up the menu planning. I appreciate all the people out there who are storing your recipes somewhere for the rest of us to try. I'm finding some truly yummy recipes!

Monday: Bowtie pasta w/tomato cream sauce (thanks to a friend from church), salad, french bread

Tuesday: Leftover Santa Fe Soup (Fix It And Forget It), cornbread

Wednesday: Asian Orange Chicken, rice, egg rolls (Thanks Carrie!)

Thursday: We'll hit the road as soon as Jeff gets in so we'll pick something up.

Friday: We'll be enjoying the GA Aquarium

Saturday: We'll be enjoying the Stone Mountain Highland Games and Scottish Festival

Sunday: We'll enjoy Stone Mountain Park and a few last minute stops in Atlanta before heading home.

I need some good ideas for lunches for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Breakfast is covered since we'll eat at the hotel. We get tired of sandwiches all the time for lunch and if that's our only option, we'll end up eating out for lunch. I almost can't stomach the thought of that either. So, if you have lunch ideas for me, please, share the love. It'll need to be easy to transport since we'll be on the go with it. We'll have a cooler so it'll be easy enough to take things that need to be chilled.

Check out more MPM's at Laura's.

Keeping Warm in NYC...or Not

When Jeff and I were in NYC last December, it was quite chilly. I took a cruise around Manhattan one day while he was in a meeting and I almost froze to death! The wind cut through me and my face was chapped like never before. I have never felt a chill like that in my life. I tried to enjoy looking at the Statue of Liberty from the boat but there was no way. I had to take my gloves off to snap photos and they felt like they would fall off within a matter of minutes after I uncovered them. It wasn't much better the night we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. I had on a long wool coat but it felt like the wind was blowing right through it. One thing we noticed was that everyone around us seemed to have on a North Face jacket.

I'm not sure if I'd ever opt to go back to New York in the middle of December but I will say that it was nice not to have to deal with huge crowds of people. I hear that the summer months are overrun with tourists. I do know that if I ever do go back in the cold months, I will buy me one of those jackets! There has to be something special about them if almost everyone living up there has one.

How Fast Will This Thing Go?

Since Monday was Columbus Day, we took a holiday from our studies and drove to Asheville, NC with my friend D. D loaded up five of her six children and came to our house to pick up the girls and I. It's a short drive, only about an hour, and the scenery is just gorgeous. The mountains were so beautiful and some of the leaves had started to turn. We got a little hint of what it'll look like in a couple of weeks when we reach peak season. We arrived in Asheville in just over an hour and headed out to a few local bookstores.

I'm a bookstore kinda gal. I like to peruse the books, check out the comfy chairs they have sitting in various areas throughout the store, and yes, I like to smell the books. There's nothing that smells quite as good as a new book....except new electronics. I digress. We went to a Christian bookstore first so that D's ten year old daughter could spend some of her birthday money. She took some time and picked out some doll clothes for her Elsie doll. After that, we headed to Mr. K's. We have a Mr. K's around here but it's still cool to visit one in another state. We spent about an hour there and Logan and I found a few nice books. Logan found a nice copy of Little Women, one of her favorites. I was thrilled to find a brand new copy of The Exploits and Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy for only $4. I'm not sure I'll like the book but for $4, I couldn't leave it on the shelf.

We had lunch at a little Chinese place and that was a riot. There was only one waitress in the place and she was waiting tables and running the check out register. When we were there, it was peak time. The poor girl stayed in a dead sprint the entire hour we were there. On top of that, the poor thing had to deal with us. Two moms, seven children, lots of jello and fries on the floor beneath our table. Uh, I'm certain she did a cheer when we were gone!

We headed for home after that, which was even more fun. You see, I'm real nervous in a car unless I'm driving. I'm convinced no one is as safe a driver as I am (obviously I know that's not true but don't pinch me, please). We were in D's fifteen passenger van and that thing is the size of a small country. Suddenly on the interstate, the lanes were much smaller than when I am driving my small car on them. The whole drive back, I gripped my door (as if that would help) and many times I pushed my imaginary break pedal. The deeper into conversation D and I got, the faster she drove. She didn't realize it of course. When we were about halfway home, I finally spoke up and made a joke about how fast she was going. I think I told her I expected us to take flight any minute, or something like that. Thankfully, she wasn't offended at me and she slowed down. We had a good laugh and I told her it would make perfect blog material! Fun times y'all! It was a great day trip and I really enjoyed it so much that I've convinced hubby to take a drive over soon just to see the leaves.

How about you? Are you a nervous driver? Or is it just me? LOL!

Steak On Sale

I've really been in the mood for a good steak lately. The problem is, it's hard to find a really good one. I've heard alot about the Kansas City Steak Company but I've never ordered from them. Besides their wide selection of steaks, they carry roasts, steak burgers, pork, seafood, and desserts. Just looking at their products made my mouth water!

From October 15 through October 23, they are offering 15% off all orders over $100 on all KC Steak products. This is a web only special so hop on over there and place your order. You can order now and have them shipped during the holiday season. If you'd like to buy me some for Christmas, it'll be helpful to know that I like the Kansas City Strips. Mmmm, mmmm.

Football Anyone?

I think everyone who reads here knows how much I love football. There are a few of you who share this love with me. So I have to ask, Stacy, did you see the Dallas game on Monday night? Oh man what a game! And to think that in the third quarter, I let myself go to sleep because Romo was looking pretty bad. Thank goodness the hubster made sure I was awake to see the end. Twenty seconds left in the game and it looked as though Dallas was going down. Twenty seconds in football time is an eternity! Dallas pulled it out by a field goal but not before Buffalo's coach pulled that "right before the snap time out" trick. Can I just say how lame I think that is!!!!! I know, I know...it's strategy. I just don't like it.

Hubby posed an interesting question to me the other night. First, let me say that I really love two NFL teams. The Colts and the Cowboys are my teams. I like a string of others but these two are my favs. I have loved football for as long as I can remember. I don't even know when it began. I think I was born loving it. Anyway, back to hubby's question. He asked me who I'd pull for if Dallas and Indy went to the Super Bowl. Now, I love me some Peyton Manning. I think he is the smartest quarterback ever to play the game. He's all about business when he's playing. It's not "just a game" to him. It's his job. Every spare minute he has on the sidelines, he's studying or talking to his receivers. That's why it shocked me when I heard my answer to hubby. Hands down, I'd pull for Dallas. Can you believe it? Peyton is a UT alumnus. How could I do that to him? Well, I guess it's because I'm loyal to my hometown boys. Jason Witten is from Elizabethton. We used to live in Elizabethton pretty close to the high school where Jay played ball. Every Friday night, we could stand outside on our porch and hear the games. We live about fifteen minutes from there now but we are constanty driving over there. So, part of me feels like I still live there. Then there's Julius Jones. I grew up two miles from his hometown (our schools were rivals) and I ran track with a few of his cousins. You see my logic here. Two hometown boys trumps one UT alumni. Ahhhh, the torture of loving two teams!

On to the next order of business. Jenny is also a football fan and we talk about it often. This leads to a little dilemna. Our teams play each other this weekend (college football). My UT Vols vs. Jenny's MSU Bulldogs. I think our teams have about the same record so it should be an interesting game. One of us has to lose though so Jenny, I'm sorry for your team! LOL! I wish you lived closer so I coud invite you over to watch the game and for some chili and cornbread afterwards....to cheer you up from the loss, of course.

How about you? Do you watch football? What team do you like? If you answered Dallas or Indy or even the TN Titans, hold your hand up in the air. Did you feel that? I just gave you a virtual high-five!

Drug Addictions

Every morning, I check out local and national news on the internet. Each time, I find at least one article about someone who has been arrested for drug abuse or distribution. I'm glad there are places out there that troubled people can go to for drug treatment. I really think these people need to escape the environment that allows them to make bad choices. Once they have entered a facility, they can completely devote themselves to becoming healthy again. Brittney Spears is the perfect example. She lost custody of her children because of this very thing. I cannot imagine being separated from my children. It must be heartbreaking.

We live in a day when role models such as movie stars, clergymen, counselors, teachers, and peers are all over the news for these types of things. I've been fortunate enough to live my life never knowing anyone close to me with this type of problem. For that, I am thankful. I hope that remains true as my children grow up. Let us do our very best to make sure our children flee from the bad choices that might lead them to a drug addiction. How do we do this? By teaching them to love and fear God, obeying His commandments at all times.

Friday's Feast #164

Appetizer
When was the last time you were surprised?

*Wow, I'm not sure I remember.

Soup
Fill in the blanks: My eyes are _______, but I wish they were __________.

itchy and red, clear and closed (I need a mid-morning nap)

Salad
If you were a Beanie Baby, what would you look like and what would your name be?

*I'd definitely be a pink kitty with a peach nose and long whiskers. My name would be Sassafras (it sounds sassy and sweet all at the same time).

Main Course
Name two things you consistently do that you consider to be healthy habits.

*I have good hygiene and I keep myself active (I'm not a couch potato).

Dessert
What brand of toothpaste are you using these days? Do you like it? Why or why not?

*Baking soda and peroxide Crest. I like it better than anything I've used before. It leaves my teeth feeling clean and my breath minty fresh :-o) I think I could do a commercial for them!

To read more feasts, go here.

Wordless Wednesday...Bagpipe Edition

As my hubby would say......

For more WW's, go here.

Do You Need Help?

 

Do you have bad credit? Are you looking for a way to regain good financial standing? If so, look no further. Badcreditoffers.com is the resource you need.

At badcreditoffers.com, you'll find people willing to help you get back on your feet. The staff is committed to helping you find the best "bad credit" home loans, auto loans, personal loans, and credit card loans available. They spend much time researching these loans to find one that fits you based on interest rate and ease of approval, as well as other factors. The staff is happy to help you better understand your credit report and they also offer credit counseling. All of this will help you slowly rebuild your credit so that you may achieve the good standing you desire.

Remember that dream home you've been hoping to buy? Or that van you need to fit your growing family? These dreams can become your reality with the help of the staff at badcreditoffers.com. What are you waiting for? The assistance you need for good financial standing is only a click away.

I'm in Love and His Name is Mac

Hubby's company bought him a brand spanking new MacBook Pro last week. Can I just say that I LOVE this thing. If you've never used a Mac, just like I hadn't, you really don't know what you're missing. Every single minute that Jeff will give it up, I'm babysitting it. I don't know what to do without all of the errors I usually get with my Windows machine. It's so awesome and I'm so much more productive. I can't believe I've lived without a Mac all this time. As you can see from the picture above, I'm making sure the Mac is working properly. Why, just this evening, I spent about two hours going through my Google Reader, reading all about your interesting lives. I'm telling you, this thing is worth its weight in gold. There are so many features that come with it, I may never learn to use them all! I've been really shocked at how everything just works with this computer. There has been no down time. No freeze ups. No error messages.

So I'm curious. Do you use a Mac or a regular PC?

Faucet Direct

I have always wanted a claw foot bathtub for our house. The problem is, our bathrooms are too small to accommodate that kind of tub. Maybe one of these days we'll buy an old farm house to fix up and I can get that tub. For now, I will just spruce up our showers. I found some nice shower faucets that would be perfect. They will jazz up the look of the shower. Our current shower faucet has two separate knobs for hot and cold. I'd like to have a faucet that has only one knob for both. I found plenty of choices over at faucetdirect.com. They offer fixtures for bathrooms and kitchens, and they even sell parts for that broken faucet you've been meaning to get to. Now you have no excuse. Get on over there and get the part or fixture you need! Your wife will thank you.

Football Time In Tennessee!!

Another cool thing happened this weekend. Our Vols decided to show up and played a great game against UGA. Oh yeah! Show some Vol love!

Best Priced Furniture

It's about time for me to update my computer desk. My current desk has way too many cubby holes and I pack them full of junk that gets in my way. I think I've figured out just what I want. I browsed through Bush furniture and found a really neat L-shaped desk. I was surprised to see that they make a lot of other things as well. They have bookcases, conference tables, and filing cabinets, just to name a few. Whether you need home office furniture or stuff for your business office, you'll find a great selection at bestpricedfurniture.com.

 

Guess What I Had?

Photo courtesy of: http://www.limbueytor.com/

Guess what I had for dessert last night? Doesn't it look heavenly? Well, it was. Every.....Last.....Spoonful!

Hubby took me to Olive Garden to celebrate his getting a raise this week. We don't go to OG a lot, because that's a splurge for us. Our budget can't take too many trips. That's fine because it's so much more special when we can only go once in a blue moon. Supper was just wonderful. There's nothing like real Italian. I had a new dish, Chicken Gnocchi Veronese. Yummy Italian dumplings with sauteed chicken and roasted red peppers, in a parmesan and ricotta cheese sauce. OH MY WORD! It was so tasty. If you go there, you must try it. You must love dumplings to love this dish. Hubby doesn't so he opted for the Chicken Scampi. It was yummy too. You know, actually, for the meal we ate and the quality of it, it was well worth the money and really not that bad as far as expense is concerned. Anyway, it was a real treat.

We were celebrating the fact that my hubby was given a good raise at work this week. We are continually amazed at God's goodness and care for our family. Every time we have a need, God provides. It's not always exactly what we want but it is always exactly what we need. There's a huge difference. This raise was somewhat unexpected so we are thrilled. I'm thrilled for many different reasons. The monetary side of it is the least of it though. You see, my hubby loves his job. He loves the company he works for and he hopes to retire with that company. He has no desire to make a six figure salary. His only desire is to provide for his family and he does that well. His boss allows him to work from home three days a week. That is also a real blessing because the office is an hour from our home. He is very productive in his job and he is constantly learning new things. It's pretty wonderful to know that he gets up every day and is happy to do the work he does.

This is just one of the many ways we were blessed this week.We are very thankful. Each day is a blessing, a gift from God. How were you blessed this week? What are you giving thanks for this week?

Affordable Jewelry

I like jewelry but I've never owned a lot of it. Most of the things I like are way to expensive for our budget. I have recently found Quanta Bella Jewelry and it is very affordable.You can find bracelets, rings, watches, a bridal collection, and even some nice costume jewelry. The beautiful Tiffany inspired sterling silver ring they have is just lovely and just right in price. I would love to have it to wear on special occasions, like my anniversary that is coming up in December. Did you hear that honey?

Five On Friday

Color Your World

1. What is your favorite color?

I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count!

2. What colors do you like to decorate with?

I usually decorate mostly with neutral colors because they are "safe". I do have a bedroom that is jovial orange and I love it. My living room is caramelo and I adore it!

3. Is there a color that you absolutely hate?

I can't say that I hate any color really. There are colors that I only like in certain situations. Oh, no, just thought of one. That 70's gold color is U-G-L-Y!

4. Which colors look best on you?

Is this a trick question? I have no idea. I pretty much buy pink everything. I think my hubby has told me I looked nice in red.

5. Which colors do you wear most often?

Again, is this a trick question? LOL! I wear PINK most often because I ~heart~ pink!

I found Five On Friday questions here.

East Scotland Cottages

It's no secret that my hubby really, really wants to go to Scotland. He always tells me he's afraid to go visit though because he will not want to come home. He would move there in a heartbeat if he could find a job. One of these days, when we are older, that may just happen. We'll pack up and move to Edinburgh. Until that day arrives, we'll have to settle for vacationing there. We can stay in a east scotland holiday cottage and explore all the villages along the coast. These cottages have incredible views and are only a short drive from most of the places we'd like to visit. It sounds like the perfect plan for us.! Watch out Scotland, here we come!

 

On The Road Again, I Just Can't Wait.....

Ok, I need some help. We've just planned a spur of the moment trip to Stone Mountain, GA in a few weeks. We've been there several times because we try and go to the Stone Mountain Highland Games each year. We will be leaving on a Thursday evening and will not have time to do anything then. However, Friday, we have the entire day free. Jill suggested we visit the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. Saturday we will be going to the highland games all day. Sunday will be open but we'll be coming back home Sunday evening. It's a short trip and we'd like to do some different things. We usually never visit Atlanta on our trips to Stone Mountain so we are hoping to do a few things around that area. I've pretty much ruled out Underground Atlanta since the reviews are, ahem, scary.

Help me out. I need a plan for Sunday. We don't have alot of time on this trip so we just need some low key things that are affordable for our family of four. I'll take any and all suggestions.

Need Some Light?

Are you looking for new light fixtures? Well I am and I need a bunch of them. Our house was built in the 80's and everything is outdated. I need new bathroom light fixtures to go along with the new faucets I am getting. I also need to replace the fixtures in our kitchen. I've been looking at chandeliers because I think one would look cozy in our eating area. The problem is, I am overwhelmed by all of the choices out there. I hate having to go from store to store to look at all the options.

Farreys.com is a great place to find all of my home lighting fixtures. The search feature on their web site allows me to be very specific about what I'm looking for. That'll save me alot of time since I know the style and brand I'm looking for. They have fixtures for every room in your house, and they even carry ceiling fans. With their huge selection, I'd better get over there and narrow down my choices!

El Cheapo, No Way!

Stephanie, over at A Time For Everything, has a post on thriftiness vs. extravagance that you should check out. Something she said in that post really made me think. First, let me say that I try to be frugal as much as possible. Sometimes I lean toward cheap a little more than I should. Stephanie said this:

Let us all remember that being frugal is to give more glory to God and to be using our resources for Him. Sometimes that means making an investment in something for quality rather than buying something cheap to save money.

I've been known to buy the cheap thing before just because it was cheap. I didn't think about the quality of the item. I just needed something cheap so that's what I got. A good example of that was an office chair I bought years ago. I didn't want to spend alot of money on a chair. I just wanted something inexpensive that I could push up to my desk. I didn't figure I needed a big ole' comfy chair just to sit in while checking email. The chair was cheaply made and it turns out, it was pretty uncomfortable. I used it for awhile and then had to get something that was comfortable. In the end, I wasted money by purchasing the cheap chair in the beginning.

I've learned my lesson but sometimes it's still hard. Just this week, my sweet ole' hubby was ordering me a new laptop. I need a good one that will last me for a few years since I am trying to launch a home-based business. I didn't want to spend the money necessary to get the one he suggested. I went back and forth but finally made the decision to sink the money into it. After all, it is an investment that I'll have to live with. Better to spend more for something that will meet my needs for the next four years, rather than spend money on something that I know won't last. So, I took his advice. I'm slowly learning.

I hope Stephanie's post proves helpful to you. I know it encouraged me! How about you? Do go for the cheaper item or spend a little more for the quality item?

Got Bed Bugs?

Every night before Caroline goes to bed, she yells to us and says "don't let the bed bugs bite". We laugh about it but did you know that bed bugs really exist? Most of us have heard of these pesky critters. They are tucked away in our mattresses, just waiting to come and suck our blood. That's what they do. They feed on our blood and each time they bite, they drink our blood for about five minutes. Yes, it's gross, but it's true. It doesn't hurt but they do leave little red bite marks.

If you think you have them and need to get rid of bed bugs, just call the exterminator and he'll come wipe those little buggers out. Steam cleaning will work too. Show those little critters that you mean business!

What's Your Method?

Here's something totally random that has been on my mind today. Do you prefer to communicate on the phone, via email, texting, or some other way? I am not a phone person. In fact, several years ago, we got rid of our regular phone and now we use cell phones. We were tired of telemarketers calling and just the aggravation that goes along with that. Since getting cell phones, we rarely ever get spam calls. It's wonderful. However, I've noticed that I still do not prefer to communicate by phone. I'm constantly screening my calls when they come in.

Am I the only one? Are there more of you who would rather communicate some way other than by telephone? My preferred method is email. I'm on the computer alot during the day because I use it for our schooling. Therefore, I constantly have my email program pulled up. I can see when a message comes in and I respond pretty quickly to email. Is it strange that I would rather talk to people this way? I don't think it is but I'm curious about you. One thing I don't get is texting. I can see how it might be useful in some cases. I mean, it would have been perfect for that time, while in New York, hubby thought I had been kidnapped and left for dead (but that's a whole other story). For me, it would take longer to text so I have never been a fan of it. My niece and two nephews do it all the time. It drives me mad! LOL!

So I'm curious. How do you like to communicate with people? Phone, email, text, letter, or something else?

Personalized Pens

You would think in a homeschooling house, a pen would never be hard to find, right? Wrong! It seems that the pen monster eats ours. The little thing sneaks in and when I'm not looking, he snatches my pens, never to be seen again! I'm going to have to build up my stash and I've found these really cool promotional pens that are affordable and just what I need! I can personalize the pens and they will even ship them the next day. They have such a variety, that I can order several different ones. The orange ones could be personalized with UT logos. I can even use my own artwork to go on the pens! What a great idea and I'm so glad to know that this kind of service is available.

Thursday Thirteen ~ Favorite Desserts

13 Favorite Desserts

1. My all time favorite.....Molten Chocolate Cake from Chili's
2. Moolatte ~ From DQ, any flavor, but caramel is my fav
3. Tiramisu
4. Baklava
5. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pop-Tarts (these double as breakfast and dessert!)
6. German chocolate cake ~ My grandmother made the best, when she was able to cook
7. Butterscotch pie ~ Also a specialty of my grammy when she was able to cook
8. Cheesecake ~ Any kind, any way
9. Sopapilla w/ice cream
10. Dirt cake
11. Brownies ~ There's nothing you can't do with brownies so I like to add various things to them (caramel, etc.)
12. Hot fudge sundaes
13. Oatmeal cake ~ My MIL makes a mean oatmeal cake!

For more TT's, go here.

Canon A630

About a year ago, I bought a new digital camera. The Canon A540 was about the best thing around. Now, of course, my camera is outdated and has been replaced by something newer and more powerful. The Canon A630 has better resolution and is cheaper than the camera I bought a year ago. It has a wide range of accessories, including a nice carrying case.

This camera is such a good deal, that I think I'll buy my mom one for Christmas. I'll need to head over to shopping.com to compare prices so I can get the best deal possible.

Moolattes, Dilly Bars, and Boston

I've made it very clear that my favorite dessert in the world is molten chocolate cake from Chili's. I'm not shy about the fact that I can eat the whole thing by myself. It's just so good. Next in line on my favorite desserts list would be a Moolatte from Dairy Queen. Yummy, yummy. I love all of them. I think the caramel one is my favorite.

Caroline is staying all night with Jeff's mom so Logan, Jeff, and I went out for dessert after supper. We went to DQ, where I ordered a French Vanilla Moolatte. It was heavenly. As we were driving home, flipping through radio stations, we came across an old Boston classic. Hubby really liked Boston, back in the day. So here we were, driving down the road, windows open, music playing, having our dessert. I looked over at hubby and he's singing away. He was trying to eat his dilly bar but kept dripping chocolate on his shirt. He looked so cute.

Moments like this make me smile. I hope that when I'm old, I will remember stories like this to tell my grandchildren. I hope that when we are old, my hubby will still remember the words to that old Boston song. I hope he'll still love dilly bars for dessert, and I hope he'll still drip it all over his shirt. And I hope I'm still around, sitting by his side, laughing the entire time!

Discover New Films

One of the things we enjoy as a family is movie watching. We are somewhat picky about the kind of movies we like and sometimes it's hard for us to find anything at the video store. We have found several low budget and foreign films that have turned out to be some of our favorites. It isn't easy to find these gems either, since the store shelves are full of movies pushed by Hollywood.

Film Fresh is a small company, dedicated to bringing you the latest information about movies made across the world. Through their web site, you can find new movies, purchase movies for home delivery, or even download movies. You can talk with other interested viewers about these films and you can even find reviews through the Film Fresh blog. For movie lovers like us, Film Fresh will help us discover new films and weed out the ones we aren't interested in.

Win A New Template From Splat Designs

I love a good contest and there's a great one going on over at Splat Designs. Need a new template? Well, get over there and sign up! Three winners will be chosen and since I'm going to win the first prize, you guys can have the second and third prize. Isn't that nice of me! LOL! Really, go sign up. I've seen some of the templates Lindsay has done and they rock!

No Mrs. Green Thumb

Several years ago, we were in the home of some friends who had invited us over for supper. While we were chatting, I noticed that they had some silk trees behind their couch. They were decorated with clear lights and they added so much charm to their cozy little home. Ever since then, I've wanted some of those trees for our house. While I'm at it, I think I'll pick up some of these Gerber daisies. They would look lovely on our kitchen table or in our living room. They are one of my favorite flowers but I shy away from buying real ones because I am terrible at keeping live plants! Mrs. Green Thumb, I am not!

Wordless Wednesday....Wait Just A Minute

Caroline ~ 2001

 

Caroline used to do things like this all the time. She had such a temper when she was a wee one. She had to let you know her feelings and if you started talking, she was quick to tell you to wait just a minute....exactly like she's doing in this picture! For more Wordless Wednesdays, visit 5 Minutes For Mom.

Bathroom Faucets

We moved into our current house about four years ago. It was built in the late 80's and when we bought it, everything was all original. We've upgraded many things and the next thing on our list is the bathrooms. They all have 80's style cabinets and bath faucets. We want a more modern look to the fixtures so we'll be checking out the variety of choices that faucet.com has to offer. Personally, I love the vessel style sinks and the vessel filler faucets. The spout on them is higher and my hubby will be able to get his big hands under it easier.

At faucet.com, you'll also find faucet buying guides as well as installation instructions. I also noticed that they were offering free shipping on orders over $99 so head over there and check it out.

No Love For Self Check Outs

Is it just me or do the self checkouts at Walmart really, really stink? Every single time I check out through one of those, something goes wrong. I am not exaggerating. It is really very frustrating and such a waste of time. Aren't these things supposed to make it faster and easier for me, the customer? Why then, does it take me twice the time to use them?

Logan and I went to get groceries and since Walmart was on our way, we decided to do all our shopping there. We spent about 45 minutes grabbing what we needed and then headed to the check outs. As usual, there were about four cashiers on duty and several self check outs available. Since the lines in the regular check outs were way too long for us to stand in, we popped into one of the self check out lanes. Things went downhill from there. First off, the computers that they use are crapola. They are awful. Some of my items wouldn't scan and the automated voice kept telling me to place my items in the bagging area. Duh! That was exactly what I was doing. Then, the skip bagging button kept popping up. Did you know that if you hit that too many times, the computer stops and a Walmart employee has to come over and punch in their "secret code" to make it work again? Twenty minutes later, we finally made our way out of the store.

I could understand if this were a one time thing but I'm telling you it happens EVERY......SINGLE.......TIME.....that I use them. I leave very frustrated and ranting about how I'll never use them again. All I want to know is how in the world do these things help anybody? Ok, maybe if you have one or two items but if you have more than that, you're in trouble. It just drives me nuts. So, my mission is to stop using the self check outs. No way, no how. For my sanity, I'll just walk right by them. I'll stand in line and wait for a real person to scan my items and put them in bags. After all, I give Walmart alot of money!

 

Logo Design Contest

My husband is a Web developer and programmer by trade, and has designed many company sites and logos. I think he is talented and I can't wait to tell him about this neat logo design contest.

Ford Blue Oval Scholars program is sponsored by the Ford Motor Company Fund. It allows Ford Motor Company scholarship winners to share information with each other and learn about internships and job opportunities within the company. Their goal is to make this program as unique as possible and they are starting off with this national logo design contest. Participants 16 years old and up are invited to participate by creating a logo that will be used to represent the scholars program. You don't have to be a professional to enter, so all you amateurs come on down and enter! Your design will become the official logo, and will be used on the Web site, as well as in any promotional materials used by the program. A panel of Ford Motor Company employees and design experts will choose the top ten designs and then Ford Blue Oval Scholars will vote online to determine the grand prize winner. The grand prize winner will receive Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, which retails for $1700! Second and third place will receive money toward purchasing the design software of their choice, while fourth through tenth place will receive a $50 music download card! Sweet!

So what are you waiting for? Get over there and sign up for this contest! This is your opportunity to showcase your creativity!

Poor Daddies Video

If you haven't already seen this video, you must take a minute to watch it. I found it over at Shannon's place. The video shows dads who are taking on diaper changing duties. I laughed so hard that I almost cried! Please make sure that you aren't drinking anything when you watch it. I will not be responsible for soda spewing out of your nose!

Flash Drives

My husband loves electronic gadgets. He is like a kid in a candy store anytime we go to an electronics store. He buys alot of things online and has spent hours doing research on various electronics items. Not long ago, he expressed a need for a flash drive. I thought he was nuts and told him that he'd never use such a device. He won that argument and proceeded to order one. Since he got that little thing, he has used it more times than I care to admit. Since he works from home most of the time, the flash drive really comes in handy. Without it, there's no way he could work from home because he couldn't easily transport his files. It seems they are very popular with most business people who need to have portable data. It's smaller than a money clip so it looks pretty cool also. Most of them even come with a neat little neck strap so you can just throw it on and go. I'm learning to embrace the flash drive. I am thankful for it because without it, hubby would be stuck in a lonely cubicle all day!

Ten On Tuesday

10 Television Shows You'd Like to Have (or Have already) on DVD

1. Lost ~ We used to have a couple of seasons but kept selling them to get the new seasons. We'll probably buy them all in the future.
2. House ~ I love this show. I didn't start watching it from the beginning so I'd love own them all.
3. Smallville ~ I like this show alot but I always miss it.
4. The Closer ~ I like Kyra's southern accent in the show. Hubby says she tries too hard and hates it.
5. Cold Case ~ What can I say? I love to solve things.
6. CSI ~ I like this show but again, I always miss it.
7. Who's Line Is It Anyway ~ Wayne Brady cracks me up! Plus, he has an amazing voice.
8. ER ~ I used to be a faithful watcher but then Lost came out. I have missed alot of episodes so I could catch up if I had the DVD's.
9. Dirty Jobs ~ This is a fun show and I love the guy who hosts it. He's funny in his own way.
10. Who's The Boss ~ I always loved this show growing up.

For more Ten On Tuesdays, go here.

Sunset Malibu Drug Rehab

Between Brittney and Lindsay, Nicole and Paris, drug rehab facilities have really had a workout lately. I wonder if they ever "did any time" at Sunset Malibu Drug Rehab Center? I'm sure they would enjoy the beautiful rooms that look more like luxury suites. Since the center is secluded, they could also enjoy the beautiful views and the many outdoor activities offered to them. They could take a hike or do some horseback riding, and reflect upon the things that drove them to their particular addictions. Hopefully they would learn alot about themselves and come out of the center ready to start doing some sober living. They really are embarrassing themselves, not to mention putting their families through much pain.

Time Travel Tuesday--First Home

This week, Annie is taking us back to our first home. What memories do you have from your first home? How did you make that first house a home?

I want to tell you about the first house we purchased. A little more than a year after we were married, we had the opportunity to purchase a home. My hubby was working in the public school system and heard about a little house that was being renovated nearby. Since we lived about twenty minutes from hubby's work, he decided we needed to check out the house. It was within five minutes of his work. It was perfect for us and newly renovated so we went ahead with the purchase.

We moved into the house in the dead of winter. Never, never do that! It was so cold but we eagerly moved our things right before Christmas. It was a small house, having just 960 square feet. We loved it though because it was cute and cozy. Plus, we weren't wasting money renting anymore. It had two bedrooms, ONE bathroom, kitchen, living room, a room that could have been a bedroom but we used it as a computer room, and a long laundry room. We added a big deck to it about a year after we moved in. The house had been previously owned by an elderly lady who had passed away. She must have smoked like a freight train because it took forever to get the yellow muck off of the few walls that did not get painted in the renovations. Still, we were so happy to have our own place. We quickly made friends with several neighbors. We were the youngest people on the block. Most of the neighbors were at least 30 years older than us. The houses on our street were pretty close together so you really didn't move without your neighbors knowing it. That actually made me feel safe. Our neighbor across the street, Margie, was a nice lady in her 70's. She used to let the kids come over and pick blackberries from a bush in her backyard. The neighbors to our left, the Winters', had a veggie garden and often left fresh veggies on our porch. Fred and Ruth lived on the corner and they took us out for supper several times. It was a nice place to be. It was also two or three minutes from Jenny's house!

We lived there for about five years. The day we put it up for sale, we were kind of sad. It took about nine months to sell the house because, at the time, interest rates were really low and people wanted more for their money. We sold it and moved out in January 2004. Yes, we moved AGAIN in the dead of winter! We have many fond memories of our first home. There's something really special about owning your first home. I don't think you ever forget it. I know I will not forget our first home.

Real Travel

How many times have you researched your vacation before actually going? We all do it. We get online and read various brochures about this resort or that hotel. We get all the details but what we really want is the opinions of people who have visited these places. We want to know what they liked or disliked and if it was worth the trip.

Real Travel is the perfect place to begin. Use the free trip planner to detail your travel plan. You will find the travel reviews of others as well as learn about new destinations to visit. You will find special deals on travel, hotel, and even some package deals. You can read the editor's picks and even create a free travel blog so you can tell others about your trip. If you have questions, check out the forums for a wealth of information. There's no need to visit several websites to find this information. Real Travel has it all!

 

A New Haircut

Over the weekend, I finally took charge and gave Caroline a little haircut. I've tried to "talk her into" letting me trim it for a few months now. Every time I go to have my hair cut, she always mentions wanting to have her hair trimmed. I'm not sure why she has been so opposed to me cutting it. Anyway, she's got long hair. It's straight as a stick and the prettiest orange-red I've ever seen. Couple that with a lot of cute freckles and a strong personality, and you've got yourself one entertaining character!

I finally sat her down on Friday and gave it a good trim. I guess I took about two inches off. When she saw me lay the hair down, I thought she would faint on the spot! I talked her through it and she did just fine. She's still not very happy about it but it does look much better. I think she was upset because her hair was waist-length and now, it's shoulder-length. I'm hoping she'll forget all about it in a few days and forgive me :-o)

I only cut this much off!

I thought it looked pretty good.

Caroline was not so thrilled :-o)