Shopping Therapy

The last post I did made me kind of depressed, so I decided a little shopping therapy would be just the thing to lift my spirits. I have been working on getting back in to shape and losing some weight but I still want to look nice until I get to my goal.

That means that right now I am still a plus sized gal. It use to be hard for anyone who was not a perfect size 6 to find super cute clothes. A size 6, I guess I am showing my age because a size 6 in Hollywood is probably considered fat now. I think the national average for women is a 14 the last I had heard. A 14 is not bad, Marilyn Monroe was a 14 but now people think of size differently. There are a few stores that caught on to the fact the some if not most women are over a size 6.

The internet has made it a lot easier to find nice plus size clothes to buy. I just found a site called PlusSizeFix.com. They have some really cute clothes. I particularly like their selection of casual and dress tops. The have both thin strapped tops and ones with a sleeve to them. Some days I just do not think my arms look all that great and would like to have a little cover on the top. Check them out if you are looking for stylish plus sized options.

Man Sets Himself on Fire

If this is not a sign of the times, I do not know what is..... A 58 year old Chicago man soaked himself in lighter fluid and set himself on fire in a strip mall parking lot. The man had just left after his night shift at Wal-Mart when he decided to set himself on fire. Authorities have not released his name at this time.

I guess several passersby tried to help put out the flames with their coats, but the man refused their help. He was still conscious when paramedics arrived. When asked why he did such a thing, he simply replied that he "could not take it anymore". The man died later at the hospital. There was no mention in the article if the man left a suicide note anywhere.

I can understand someone feeling like they are at the end of their rope, but how bad must you feel to set yourself on fire? How people pick the means to end their life is quite a mystery to me. I can only hope that he is at peace now. My prayers go out to his family and friends.

Searching For High End Jobs

This economy is affecting us all, from the person in the mail room all the way up to the folks in the boardroom. No one wants to lose their job, no matter what part of the spectrum you are on. It seems to me though, that it is probably harder to find a high level career position than an entry level job.

If you have lost your job or just want to keep your eye on what opportunities are out there, you might want to consider using an Executive Search Firm. These types of companies specialize in finding executive level jobs for people. I read about one individual named Dennis Carey, and executive recruitment is his specialty. In my opinion it is always a good idea to consult someone who is an expert in their field. Even if it costs something for the service, often times it will save you more in time and footwork to hire someone else. An Executive search firm is also more likely to find you a better job than you might find for yourself, just because that is what they do everyday.

Also, since the economy is changing so rapidly there is more competition for every type of job. Seeking the help of professionals probably wouldn't hurt your chances of getting placed somewhere new. For more inputs on executive recruitment, check out the board placements by Mr Dennis Carey. Also, Dennis Carey can be found here on LinkedIn.

Dancing With The Stars Dancers To Wed

I have always watched people that can dance well, whether they were professionals or not. I guess a lot of people feel the same way, that is why Dancing with the Stars has become such a popular show. Dancing is so romantic and fun it makes you feel good just to watch it.

I guess the romantic spell that dancing casts has fallen on two stars from the show, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff. The couple are rumored to be getting married before the end of 2009. I can only imagine what the dancing will be like at THEIR wedding! Maybe they will surprise everyone and not have dancing at their wedding, wouldn't that be kind of funny? LOL.

What they need to do is have a special episode of that show,,what's it called,...where they teach couples to dance well for their weddings. Except for this wedding they would need to teach the guests so that they could keep up with the wedding couple. That would be great!

The Winter Blues

Have you ever heard that song that says "There ain't no cure for the summer time blues"? Well I do not know about that, but I think I might have found the cure for the winter time blues. Check out this Cancun vacation resorts website. Does this not look like a heavenly place to vacation? Especially if you are like me and live somewhere with a cold winter.

Now I know there are states that are colder, but I do not want to hear you folks from Florida complaining that it is all the way down in the 40's or 50's. We have been having between 3o above and 19 below in the past few weeks. I would love to go somewhere like Cancun and thaw out. I was looking on that website and they are even having some spring sales going on right now.

Oh my goodness, they have spa package deals. I have always wanted to get a massage on the beach or one of those beach side cabanas. I think I would sleep for a week if I got that massage, so I guess I would have to stay for at least two weeks lol. Where is your favorite vacation spot?

Vaccinations Good or Bad?

It is so hard trying to be a good parent these days. Every time you think you make the right decision on something for your kids, they find out the next week or whatever that it was wrong or bad.

I go back and forth on the issue of vaccinations. I do believe they are a good thing as a whole, but every time I have to get my kids a set of shots I get knots of fear in my stomach. It angers me that there was a possible link to autism because of mercury or something like it used as a preservative in some vaccines. If this increases the chance of problems, then there should not be a preservative in the vaccines. SO they have a shorter shelf life, or you have to refrigerate them, so be it. Any risk that can be eliminated should be eliminated!

I got my kids all the traditional vaccines, but I am not ready to get any of the new ones. Like the one for cervical cancer or meningitis. On the commercial for the mengitis vaccine called Menactra is quickly mumbles something about an increased risk of Guillain Barre Syndrome, and that anyone with a history of this syndrome should not take Menactra. It made me curious about what Guillain Barre Syndrome was. I went to the CDC website and this is part of what it said....

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC are alerting consumers and health professionals to five reports of Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) following administration of a quadrivalent (A, C, Y, and W135) meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Meningococcal Polysaccharide Diphtheria Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine, Menactra® (MCV4). It is not known yet whether these cases were caused by the vaccine, manufactured by sanofi pasteur, or if they were coincidental.
All five cases occurred among persons aged 17-18 years who were vaccinated during June 10-July 25 and had symptom onset 14-31 days after MCV4 vaccination. The five patients received vaccine from four different lots in four states: Pennsylvania (two), New York, Ohio, and New Jersey (one case each). A sixth report of a possible case was received on October 4th and is currently being investigated.
Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a serious neurological disorder that can occur, often in healthy individuals, either spontaneously or after certain infections. GBS typically causes increasing weakness in the legs and arms that can be severe and require hospitalization. The precise rate of GBS is unknown, but data from the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) indicates a background annual incidence of 1-2 cases per 100,000 person-years in 11-19 year olds.

You can read the whole article at the CDC website. Just scroll down to the paragraph headed FDA and CDC Issue Alert on MCV4 and Guillain Barre Syndrome.

I guess if your situation is that you have a higher risk of meningitis than this other disease, than you might choose to get the vaccine, but I just do not know how they can keep using something that they are pretty sure makes your risk of another health problem higher.

Thinking About Life Insurance

Do you have life insurance? For several years after my husband and I got married we did not have life insurance on either one of us. We finally got around to getting some life insurance quotes and did our research on the pros and cons of different types of policies like whole life and term life insurance.

We ended up getting two policies, one one me and one on my husband. In our opinion you should have at least enough money to pay for funeral costs plus a few months of bills on the stay at home parent. This way the working parent will not have to worry about coming up with a chunk of money in the middle of grieving. If you can afford it you should add more of course, and we have more coverage on my husband than we have on me so that I can have some money to take care of the kids if the worst should happen.

Many people not like to think about "what if" or "some day", but to me it makes me feel more secure knowing that things are taken care of should the worst happen. I would say get as much insurance as you can afford, but at least get the minimum. We have friends that just got married and we past our opinion on to them the other day. Newlyweds often have other things on their mind than insurance, but it is so important.

So do some checking on life insurance rates and see what you can afford now, rates are often better when you are younger so the sooner you get that all settled the better of you will be

Remember Wonder Years?

Did you ever watch the television show the Wonder Years? I did not see EVERY episode like some fans did, but I liked it. I just came across and article on the guy that use to play Paul on that show. He was Kevin's best friend on the show.

It is crazy seeing the child actors when they grow up. especially if it has been a long time since the show was on the air. All of the sudden these "kids" are as old as you are or close to it. It is kind of surreal.

If you want to see how "Paul" turned out, you can check out the TMZ article I read here. They always have fun galleries of photos of "where are they now" types of lists. I like TMZ more than some celebrity news outlets. They still try and get pictures of celebrities, but on the show it always seems to me that they are a little more polite and human about their approach to getting photos or interviews.

Auto Transportation and The Economy

I was looking on an auto transport website to research auto shipping rates. Sometimes I help my friends sell vehicles on Ebay so I like to keep up on car shipping information. I found the chart that I have linked to here to be an interesting indicator of both the current economy and the relocation habits of people in America.

The Moving Dynamics website says that there was an overall 3 percent decrease in automotive relocations in January. This could mean that either people aren't moving as much, or that people are not buying as many vehicles as they were before. Either one is not a good reflection on the economy as the whole.

Another interesting bit of information on the chart was that they top three most popular destinations were California, Florida and Texas and that the top three origins where California, Florida and New York. It seems that people are wanting to move to or stay in a sunny climate. I wonder if that is where the jobs are?

They Grow So Fast

I just wanted to take a moment to vent to you all about my growing pains. Well I am not growing, but my kids are, and at the speed of light. I swear that most days it feels like I just had my first baby now all of the sudden we have three little ones. Our oldest is getting ready to turn five and our youngest is past the one year old mark. I officially do not have any "baby" babies left.

I used up the last of the formula that I was weaning the littlest one off of today, that about made me cry. While I am ecstatic at the thought of not having to make even milk bottles some day, the fact that they grow so fast makes you a little sad. I am trying to focus on all the cool things they can do that they could not do before instead of the things I will miss.

In less than two more years we will be done with bottles, AND diapers all together. Can you imagine? We have been doing nothing but changing diapers and making bottles for the past five years, and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Woo Hoo! We will be able to go places without ten diapers and a days worth of bottles, etc. Yes there are good things to the kids growing up.

It is funny to think that some day I will miss all of these tiring, gross thing I have to do as a mother. It is indeed the hardest job you will ever not get paid to do!

Car Shopping

I think I mentioned before that I like to go to a site called TheCarConnection.com whenever I want to do research on car models. My husband and I never could decide the last time we went through the whole car shopping experience.

We had it narrowed down to three different vehicles, and then he thought maybe he wanted a toyota prius instead. That is all I needed was one more choice to decide on. I love all the options that are out there these days, but it can be a little over whelming at times. Site like this one really help you weigh your options and make a more informed decision. I love the styling of the Prius and the toyota corolla or even the hyundai genesis but I do not think the size would work as our main family vehicle. They would be more geared toward a car just for my husband's day to day running.

I think the toyota land cruiser is more of a family friendly configuration than a regular car. The SUV seating gives you more options when you are hauling around the kids and all of their stuff. I like all the information I read on all the cars though, TheCarConnection.com rocks! We might go to the next car show that is coming to our area so that we can see all the cars that are out in person. Once we see them all in person then we will narrow them down to test drive candidates.

I hope hubby decides to get the Prius for the earth friendly aspects and the fuel economy. I think as a second car it would be perfect. What is your idea of the perfect car?

Can Cinnamon Help You?

I have read in many magazines and books about the health benefits of cinnamon. I had heard that it was suppose to help level your blood sugar levels for one thing which is good for anyone, but especially for diabetics. My mom tried it on my dad and says she did not see a big difference, but that does not mean that it might not help someone else better.

On top of the blood sugar benefits, I guess cinnamon is suppose to help fight free radicals and help boost collagen production. Collagen is the stuff that gives your skin that healthy, bouncy, plumpness. I do not want to have it injected into my lips like so many Hollywood types are these days, but I would not mind having my youthful firmness back to my skin. The article I read said that taking 2 Tablespoons of cinnamon a day for 12 weeks actually erased the effects of free radicals...WOW! Worth a try I would say. I might at least start sprinkling it on my coffee. I am big fan of making small changes and the fact that little things can add up in the long run.

If something tastes good AND it might help you be healthier than why not? What is your favorite little health trick?

More On Treatment Centers

I have still been looking at the options that are out there as far as drug addiction treatment is concerned. I found that one place the other day, but I still wanted to do more research. Like I said before if you or a friend needs this kind of help, you want to really take your time and weigh your options.

The place I have been reviewing most recently is called The Canyon and it is located in Peace Park in Malibu, California. What a more perfect place to go than a place called Peace Park to seek recovery from drug addiction or any other problem? From the website it looks like a beautiful setting. The other place I looked at was for women only, but this place is for men or women. I like that they take a whole body approach to healing here as well. The even offer an extra nutritious diet that incorporates organic and locally grown foods and antibiotic free foods. This is designed to help heal the body from the inside out and make you a stronger person over all. I like this idea.

The Canyon also offers several unique therapies including Equine Therapy, and Sweat Lodge Therapy. As far as the horses are concerned, I know many people feel better just by being around animals. Giving someone something new and exciting to concentrate on can give their mind a chance to get past whatever was leading them down the path to addiction in the first place. That is my take on it anyway, I am not a doctor, but it makes sense to me.

A New Online Auction Concept

Do you like to buy stuff through online auctions like Ebay? I just read about this new site called BidRay.com and they have a totally new twist on the online auction. There are several things that are different about Bidray than other sites, where do I begin? You are still bidding against other registered users for very nice items, but the bidding increments only go up by one penny at a time so they call them Penny Auctions. After a bid is made they reset the clock on the item up to twenty minutes I think it is so that other people have a chance to bid. if nobody else bids in that countdown period then you are the winner! By resetting the clock this helps give you a better chance of not losing out at the last minute by someone waiting to put in a last second bid.

Another new way they make sure people are serious about their bids is that each bid costs one dollar. This sounded odd to me at first, but when I thought about it, it keeps people from just running up the bid. The examples of finished auctions I have seen on there so far have been outrageous deals. For instance there was a Nintendo Wii that sold for .52 cents with 6 bids. This means that the winner only paid .52 cents plus a dollar for how ever many of those bids were theirs. So at the most that Wii went for 6.52..That is crazy!

The next cool thing about this site is that the actual bid amount ( 52. cents in this example) goes to the charity of your choice from a list of current charities that Bidray works with. Charities we all know like, The American Red Cross, The United Way, UNICEF and several more. I guess the site makes their money from the 1.00 per bid so the actual sale price they send to charity. That so great when a business incorporates charity into their business plan.

You can even bid on lots of bids so that you aren't actually paying a dollar per bid. When you sign up right now you also get 10 free bids and if you help them find a glitch or typo on the new site, they will give you more free bids. How fun is that? So check them out next time you want to buy at auction.

Another Plane Goes Down

Today I heard about yet another plane accident. Why do bad things always happen in clusters, some say in threes, but usually in a cluster of some sort. The latest plane tragedy was in Amsterdam. So far I think they said nine people are dead.

I was just talking about wanting to maybe go to Amsterdam and now I hear about this today. If I were anymore superstitious I might take this as a sign that I should not go there. I definitely do not have the urge to fly currently. They keep pointing out how lucky the people that were on the New York flight were to have such an experienced captain. I think seeing the other crashes that have not ended as well lately highlight exactly how lucky they were.

I pray for all travelers by land, air, or sea...be safe and get to your destination.

Digital Photography Capturing Memories

I said that it is my daughter's birthday today. I often chase my kids around with the camera even when it is not their birthday, but I am way worse on their birthdays or other special occasions.

I was freaking out last month when it was my son's birthday. We have at least three digital cameras in this house between my mom and I. When I went to get a camera ready for pictures on my sons birthday I could not find the charger for one camera and the rechargable digital camera batteries for the other cameras were all dead. I forgot to check this the night before as is often the case. So today I started searching for deals on more batteries to add to our collection and a new charger for my mom's camera.

I found this really nice site called 42photo.com. They have a ton of stuff for the photography enthusiast. If you are like me, you want to have your cameras ready to go for any and all occasions. They have a great selection of digital and hard drive type camcorders too. I was really tempted to purchase their daily special. It is a great deal on a Nikon CoolPix digital camera.

Another thing I liked about their site is that although I can use my credit card if I want to, I can also use my Paypal account to purchase items from 42photo.com as well. Sometimes I am more comfortable using my Paypal for online purchases instead of my credit card. I could get lost looking around this site. I need to make sure I look for the batteries and charger that I went there after. Does that ever happen to you? You go to a site for a particular reason and get sidetracked by other fabulous items once you get to a site? It would really be easy for me to go on a shopping spree when it comes to anything to do with photography.

Happy Birthday!

Today my middle child turns 4! I can not believe it. Her sister turns 5 in a few weeks. Now all three of my kids are over a year old. I officially do not have any "babies" anymore :o(. It is amazing how fast the time flies by. I swear the first one just got here and soon she will be 5.

Until they are older we just have one party in the middle of the two girls' birthdays and then they get to do special things that they pick on their birthday. Today I am making cut out cookies and cupcakes. We have still not gotten the final decision on what her highness wants for dinner. We may or may not all have the same thing depending on what she picks. Earlier she thought she might just want a bowl of grits for dinner. While I like grits, I do not think they make a whole dinner by themselves.

Next year we will probably add our son to the group birthday party idea now that he has had his own first birthday to himself. I think we will do birthdays this way until they are old enough to decide on something else, or want to start having big kid birthday parties.

What is your favorite birthday tradition?

Ever Been To Amsterdam?

Have you ever gone to Amsterdam? I haven't but my husband and I were talking about places we would like to go some day and that is one that made it to the list. We both like gardening and I love flowers in particular, it would be awesome to go there and see tulips.

I decided to do a search and learn more about Amsterdam. I did not realize that is where Rembrandt is from. There is a museum of his work there at his former residence. There is a also a large Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam as well. I think it said the largest collection of Van Gogh art in one place. There are many other cool things to see in this country as well.

If you do a search for hotels in Amsterdam or cheap hotels in Amsterdam you will get a wide range of results. One result I got was the park hotel Amsterdam, it is a beautiful 4 star hotel. I do not know exactly what makes the difference between a 1 star hotel and a 5, but I would certainly like to stay on a 4 or 5 some day. If I got to go somewhere so awesome though, I do not think I would care as long as it was clean and safe.

Yes, Amsterdam is definitely on my some day list!

Slumdog Millionaire Wins the Oscar

I did not get to watch the Oscars on TV tonight, but I just got an email that said the "Slumdog Millionaire" won the Oscar for best picture.

The big deal is that "Slumdog" is a smaller independent type movie right? The previews I saw of it looked interesting, but I am way behind on my movie watching. Usually when I get out to see a movie it is pretty old. if I catch it in the theaters at all. I usually see stuff after it is on DVD and not in the new release section LOL.

I thought one time that it would be neat to watch all the movies that have won best picture over the years. Let's see, the email said that this is the 81st Oscars, so that would be quite a list. I wonder if I have already seen some of them. Did "Gone With The Wind" win best picture? I saw that 100 times. Looks like I have my work cut out for me.

Looking For Treatment Options

Have you, or anyone you know, ever needed alcohol rehab? These days it is not hard to find a place to get help, but it is harder to find a good place to go. Alcohol treatment is a serious subject that requires you to do your research. You want to find the place that is not only right, but is right for YOU.

I heard about a place called The Orchid. It is a center made specifically to meet the needs of women. It is a proven and well known fact that men and women are different in so many ways. When it comes to addictions and healing we are different as well. The program at the Orchid is made with the whole woman in mind. They have therapies that range from yoga, to acupuncture, to art therapy and more.

I like the idea of a place that understands that health is more about just one facet of your being. If your mind is healthy it helps your body and if your body is healthy your mind will feel better. You can not really have total health without addressing both aspects. If you or someone you know ever needs help recovering from an addiction, this alcohol rehabilitation center looks like a very nice place to look in to.

It looks so lovely, I wish they had a section for people that were just plain burned out on life.

Singing and Dancing Movies

Why is is that movies that have singing and or dancing in them are so inspirational? Well they are to me anyway. I do not know how many times I have watched a movie that had a lot of dancing or music and felt better after watching it. It does not have to be a full blown musical or anything, it could just have a catchy sound track, but I love watching people dance. I guess it is from a not so secret desire to dance well myself. I do not think I will ever be a great dancer, but I would love to go take some lessons. I use to go country line dancing many moons ago, but I would like to try some other forms of dance as well.

I was flipping channels tonight and came across the movie Sister Act with Whoopie Goldberg. I forgot how funny that movie is, and the music is very uplifting. The other night it was that Antonio Banderas movie, umm,, Take The Lead I think it is called. It was based on a true story of a dance teacher that got dancing put into the curriculum at several NY schools. When stories are based on true happenings they are even better. I would definitely take dance lessons from Antonio Banderas, hubba hubba! Where was I?

I think my all time favorite movie is Dirty Dancing with Patrick Swayze. It so sad that he is so very sick. I hope he beats his cancer, but he is not looking well. It has to be so wonderful to be able to dance or sing well, what a gift. I hope he knows how many times that movie has helped people like me get through a down day or a sad even in my life.

What is your favorite movie because of the music or dancing in it?

Comparing Acne Treatments

It gets a little daunting trying to wade through all of the Acne Products that are on the market these days. I have tried a few of the different ones that you can get over the counter and still have not found one that I am completely happy with.

I heard about a new treatment called the Lexli Acne Kit. The Lexli kit is a four part system that has an aloe vera base. I have not tried it yet but it sounds really nice. They have a comparison chart that compares Lexli to several other popular treatments like Proactive, Murad and the like. It rates each on a scale of one to three with three being the highest on qualities such as anti inflammatory properties, sun protect, antibacterial properties and more.

This would be a good place to look if you are thinking of trying a new skin product to help clear your acne.

Rihanna's Future Uncertain

I do not know all that much about recording artist Rihanna but I have heard some of her songs and she seems like a talented lady. I know even less about Chris Brown, and I do not care to know more about the guy. The reason I wanted to blog about Rihanna is because of some speculation I heard on one of the news channels.

They were wondering if this recent event of Chris Brown allegedly beating up Rihanna was going to hurt HER career and endorsements....HER career? Why on earth should it hurt her career when she is the victim? I did not even hear them ask how this might impact Brown's career, they may have covered it and I missed it, I don't know. Either way I think it is ridiculous that any fall out from this incident should land on Rihanna.

I am so tired of the lack of responsibility in this country. There is always someone else to blame for the actions of another, especially for abusive people. "Well I was pushed to it", "I can't help it I snapped"...blah blah blah. YES YOU CAN HELP IT..Many people get mad every day without hitting another person.

If this adversely affects Rihanna's career I would be shocked and and disappointed with people in general. Here is a link to what is suppose to be Rihanna's official website, maybe you can send her well wishes through there.

More Web Hosting Information

I found another site that ranks web hosting services for you, it is called webhostingchoice.com. They have their list of the top ten rated services based on factors like affordability, reliability, uptime and tech support.

What I really like about this site is their Quick Start Guide and FAQ section. The Quick Start Guide helps you learn different things that you need to know when you are setting up a new blog or website. It covers what is calls the three things you need to get a website started such as Domain Name, Web Design, and Web Hosting. It breaks it down for the beginner to figure out easily.

The Frequently Asked Question has a lot of useful information that is good for the beginner and other more experienced person alike. So this is another good site to check out if you are looking to set up a site or choose a host for your website.

Is Spring Almost Here ?

I looked out the window this morning and it looked almost like Spring time.
So I slipped on my coat and was on my way out the door to get the morning newspaper.
I opened the door and was a little disappointed by feel the still cold air.
And now in listening to the radio weather report, we are due to have another inch of snow tonight.
Now I am not against snow, mind you, but the kids are getting cabin fever and I am running out of ideas to keep them happy and me calm.
I refuse to let them turn into couch potatoes!
So I keep hoping warm weather will soon be here.

Keep In Contact

I found this cool website called iContact.com. If you like to blog or run a website you really need to check out this site. They offer all sorts of services that would come in very handy for bloggers and anyone else with a website.

There service starts at only 9.95 a month. They have newsletter software, a survey tool, an autoresponder tool and so many more things that can help you manage your contacts and keep in touch with clients or subscribers. You can go to the site and watch a video that will tell you about the many great things that their software can help you manage. You can have one place to track things like RSS feeds, subscribers etc.

You can even go to there site and get a free trial. That way you can make sure that they service fits your needs, without any cost or obligation. You can't really go wrong with something like that. Anything that helps me get more organized and makes my life a little easier is great appreciated.

Quick Kid Treat

Through out the day us moms can get pretty busy and wrapped up in the days' list of things to do.

The kids always pick the least opportune times to get hungry, like after breakfast and before lunchtime or after lunch right before dinner time.

So in an effort to make them and myself happy, I try to keep special cereals on hand to give them a treat and me a break.

Just today I ended up giving them a small bowl of dry cereal, Fruit loops.

I have never told them it was cereal...just a special treat.

Honey Comb cereal works at times, but Fruit loops is the great snack around here. They also like dry cheerios and other cereals. This is a good way for them to get a sweet treat that they like and I can still sneak in a little nutrition!

Whatever they happen to drop does not make a mess as it is not gooey like candy and the best part of all...The family dog also like fruit loops and cleans up all the floor stuff.

How cool is that ? It's a win win situation.

Red Carpet Style

Do you get in to watching all the Hollywood awards shows like the Oscars, the Emmy's, etc? I like watching all the pre-award "red carpet" coverage. I like seeing all the outfits that celebs wear. Which guys and gals will be stunning and which will be disasters, it is always entertaining to see what they come up with.

One of the best parts is all the sparkly accessories they wear. Some of the women are literally dripping in diamonds and other jewels, other are more classic and understated. I don't think I would spend 10,000 dollars on an outfit even if I had the money, but I do like to see what kind of necklaces, earring, and watches they are wearing each year. A nice watch is something I can understand spending a little money on, at least a watch is useful.

A nice watch is something more of us can afford. Check out these nice Seiko watches on this website called Bluedial.com. There is one ladies watch there called an Asymmetrical Design Dress Watch. It is stainless steal, but has a curvy design unlike any watch I have ever seen. It is very stylish. I could see a star wearing this with a nice party outfit.

Living With Ed

My husband and I like to watch all the home and garden type TV shows and there are plenty. We especially like any that have to do with green building or green living. One fun show to watch is Living With Ed on the Planet Green Channel. The show is a reality type show that follows Ed Begley and his family's quest for all things green. He is so funny and quirky that he is fun to watch.

I like the back and for between husband and wife on the show, that many married people could relate to. They are always trying to balance his want of eco-friendly items with his wife's wants. I mean she likes the green ideas as well, but she is a little more into how something looks than Ed is. They are always visiting other people's green homes or eco-friendly endeavors. Often it is another celebrity that they are visiting. Tonight it was Jackson Brown's house. Ed almost drooled over the setup that Jackson Brown has going on at his place. It is a combination of solar and wind power. I think they said Brown's house is totally off the grid, which means he completely makes his own power without assistance from any power company.

Another funny element of the show is that Bill Nye "The Science Guy" is one of his neighbors. Bill is always keeping and eye on what the Begley's are doing to add to their "green stuff" and the two neighbors are always trying to out do each other. It is pretty entertaining.

Super Tough Mailboxes

Now I have always been rather picky when it comes to keeping my mail safe. I don't live in a horrible neighborhood, but it is not the best. These days though, even the "best" neighborhoods aren't safe from mail thieves. If someone is not trying to steal actual checks out of your mailbox, then they are trying to steal enough information to steal your whole identity.

When I order packages I often have them sent to my parent's house because I think they stand a better chance of not getting swiped from their than on my front porch. If I order new checks I have them delivered to the bank so that they aren't sitting in my mailbox if I am not home when they arrive. I had thought about getting a locking mailbox before, but I was not sure if it was really secure enough.

I just saw a site for mail box called the Mail Boss. The Mail Boss is a security mailbox like no other I have ever seen. You can go to the site and see examples of tests they have done to prove the strength. The ran it over with a BIG truck like I have shown here, you can see a clip of it and other tests on the site. They say it is a great way to protect yourself against identity theft and mailbox baseball vandals. Don't even get me started on that, I can not stand vandalism of any kind. I wonder if that is technically a federal offense since it involves your mail? Anyway, check it out if you want to keep your mail safer!

Propranolol To Erase Fears and Bad Memories?

London reserchers are working on a theory that the generic beta-blocker propranolol may be able to significantly weaken people's fearful memories of spiders. They have been doing clinical trials and had good results with the spider tests. Now they want to continue on and see if this might help other anxiety problems like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). They are not sure how long the effects of the drug lasts.

While I like the idea of helping people with emotional problems and phobias, I would be worried about having too many of my memories "erased". I would much rather work through my fears ( and yes I have some like almost anyone else does), than to risk losing any good memories such as those of my children. I do not even know if this is a possibility with the drug, but that is what it makes me think of.

I would imagine though that if this were a risk, that it still might be worth it to people with severe phobias or PTSD. You can read the article I read here and make up your own mind.

Know More About a Potentional Boss

Have you ever had to get a Background Check for a new job? I understand why employers would want a background check before hiring someone new, but what about the new employee? I often get nervous when I apply to a new job because you often don't know all that much about the person you will be working for.

I found a website called BeenVerified.com that offers all sorts of search services such as public record, people search, criminal records etc. I never thought about using such a service to check out a potential boss, I think that is a great idea. The also suggest using it to check out someone you might have met online, a possible roommate, a maid you might want to hire, or anyone that is in contact with your children. You could do a background check on your kids babysitter, coaches, teachers, etc.

These days you can not be to careful so having a service like this available is awesome. It says their basic people search costs less than 2.00. I am going to look into it farther and see what it includes.

Antiques and Recycling

collecting antiques is kind of like recycling.
What is that line ? Oh, yes, One man's trash is another man's treasure.
How many things do we have that are handed down from generation to generation ?
Or how many of you are flea market shoppers?
This is a kind of recycling.
You buy say a lamp that belonged to someone else, you take it home and put it in your den.
You just recycled.
The old lamp did not go to the dump, you cleaned it all up and put in a new energy saving light bulb, redid the shade a little and voila ! You have just gone green !
Everyone needs to do something to save our earth and most think that you have to do something of an enormous size to have it make a difference.
This is so not true !
Every Little Bit Helps.
So I will keep on going to flea markets and do my fair share of recycling.
Maybe I will see you there one day.

If you Drive You Need Insurance

If you drive you need insurance, if not for you, for me.
I absolutely feel that if you take on the responsibility of an automobile or a motorcycle or any other street motor transportation you should buy insurance !
Most states have a minimum amount required to make it legal for you to operate a motor vehicle.
I know in this economy it is hard to make every dollar stretch to make ends meet in our budgets, but today you can go online and find affordable auto insurance to meet your needs.
Normally when a person buys auto insurance they think of it as a guard against an auto accident where one driver bangs or bumps into another drive, but the truth is there are many more serious accidents that happen that involve a car that you don;t often think about.
What about car pool moms/dads...who do you think is responsible if one of the little darlings get out of your vehicle and fall or slam their fingers in your car door ?
Y O U are !!!
What if your brakes happen to give out and you don't stop before meeting the car in front of you on the bumper, you don't have xray vision so how would you know they were ready to not work ?
I found that on the internet, you get the most comparative prices for insurance and here's something I did not think about til I checked it online, you get multiple car discounts and if you need life or home owners insurance and get it from the same company, you get an even BIGGER DISCOUNT !
Saving money, now there's a phrase you don't hear too often anymore.
But you can save when you shop around for the best prices on insurance.
And I am talking most all insurance companies not just little starter companies that take your sign up fee and disappear tomorrow.
Real true auto insurance.
I found that we saved $215.00 a year by comparison shopping online, but I am putting it away in a savings because I don't know what we are going to do with it yet, it has been a while since we had extra money.
what a nice surprise for us.

Wholesale Watches and More

Do you like having a brand name watch like Casio, Kenneth Cole, Bulova, Diesel, but you don't like paying full price? I like getting a good deal whenever possible on anything I am shopping for. But if you are looking for Wholesale Watches check out Quemexnyc.com. They are based in New York city, but you can order from their site no matter where you live.

On top of their awesome selection of brand name watches, they also sell watch batteries, clocks, costume jewelry and more! So if you are like me and love shopping wholesale, check that site out! I think I am going to find a nice birthday present for my friend while I am there. Of course I might save enough to buy something for me as well LOL!

Fewer Homes Means Less Compost?

We all know that every action has an affect on things past itself, some we just don't realize. I knew the building industry was having a slow down because of the economy. Less buyers, means less houses being sold. Then they start building less houses because there are fewer buyers of course. One outcome of this never even crossed my mind.

I did not realize that the local composting program relied on the sawdust waste from new construction to add to their composting efforts. Now that there are fewer houses being built, they are low on sawdust, which means they will be low on compost this year. I wonder how many home gardeners will be affected by this in turn. I know many people that are planning on putting in a garden this year because it will provide cheaper food and and activity for their families. So there will probably be a higher demand for compost in the area.

It is just interesting to me when you think of how things go in a big circle.

Medicine For Men

Every time my dad is watching TV and one of those ads for Cialis or any of those other ED drugs comes on, he always says the same thing... "Are there really that many guys that need that kind of medicine?" I saw they must or there would not be so many medicines for this problem. I do think most people realize how many different health problems can lead to ED. Conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and others can lead to circulation problems.

At least there is a generic option to Cialis now called Tadalafil. I don' know everything about this medicine, but I do know that generic versions of medicines are often more affordable than the original versions. If you need a medicine for whatever reason, it is always nice to be able to have options.

Mommy Daddy Mommy Daddy

Why is it that when babies are little you can't wait until they say their first words and then you wait until they choose to say either Daddy or Mommy first AND THEN they use that name so often, you wished they had learned the other parent's name first....like at 3:00 in the morning or used in a long sad chant of discontentment.
Such as, Daddy,Daddy,Daddy,Daddy,Daddy,Daddy,Daddy,Daddy,Daddy,Daddy,Daddy,Daddy,Daddy or
Mommy,Mommy,Mommy,Mommy,Mommy,Mommy,Mommy,Mommy,Mommy,Mommy.
Yes there are times I would like to change my name, but for the most I know when my name is called out, it is in need of assistance or true baby love.
How could one resist either ?
You can't.

You Want It Free And delivered ?!

How often do you see the word "FREE" and find out it is not always free.
Most of the time there are some strings attached to the free.
I surf the net a lot to see what I can find that is really free and I ran across a great web site
that deals only in freebies.

Free Samples are a blessing especially when free if you are trying a new product, then you can get it for nothing and if you find you do not like it there is nothing lost, but if you like the product, it is a great find.

It is kind of like treasure hunting. You keep looking and testing new foods, products and merchandise for you and your family and sometimes you hit on something that is either really needed or a wonderful treat or all.
So don't give up looking for free stuff, just choose wisely.

Searching for a Party Place

I went to local.com to search for places in my area that you can have birthday parties at. I have a few ideas of what I might do for my girls' birthday party, but I thought I would look around the web and see if there were any ideas that I might not have thought of. It is always cool when you use local.com because you not only get the local yellowpages when you do a local search, but you get all the reviews for local restaurants, local weather and even coupons for businesses near you.

I entered birthday parties for my search and it was useful. It gave me the idea that I could do a bowling party if I want to. I am not use to the fact that now that they are older, they can do more things than tiny kids. So now I will have to add this to my list of party place ideas and see which one would work out the best. I think this is tied with going to one of those places with all the bouncy toys.

I would love to rent one of those bouncy houses for our yard and let the kids play all day, but when the birthdays are at the tail of winter, you kind of have to think of inside things to do. There is nothing worse than have it be too cold or get rained out after you have spent ages planning a party.

Hurray For Libraries

It seems these days that some people think that libraries aren't as useful as they once were. With many people having computers in their homes and the internet at their fingertips they think all of their needs are met. What some do not think of is that on top of the people that do not have a computer or internet at home, that libraries offer so much more than access to research.

I often take my kids to the libraries for story hours, craft times, and other special events. Often time these things are free or a very minor charge. It makes it really great to have somewhere warm to take the kids when they are suffering from cabin fever in the winter, or just to let them meet other kids any time of the year. It also gives stay at home moms like me a chance to interact with other parents. I can feel good that I am doing something for my kids that teaches them to socialize with others, develop a love of reading, and a respect for the resources of our community.

Where else can you go and have fun, meet new friends, make a craft, read, learn and even take home some books, movies, or educational games for the rest of the week? THE LIBRARY! So don't forget that the library is way more than a roof over a collection of books. It is often the heart of a community.

Flowers Are Good For So Many Things

Many of you have will probably send or receive flowers this Valentines Day. I stopped by 1800flowers.com today to look at flowers for another reason. I wanted to see what types of arraignments they had to send as a "Get Well" wish. I have an aunt that is in the hospital right now and I wanted to send her something to make her smile. I do not have a ton of money to spend so I am glad they have arraignments in a wide price range.

They have an occasion selector on the site so I chose "Get Well" and the results gave me several cheery bouquets to choose from. I am still trying to decide between a set of tulips and a lovely bunch of daisies. I am leaning toward the daisies because it made me think of the movie "You've Got Mail" when Tom Hanks brings Meg Ryan a bouquet of daisies. They talk about how daisies are the happiest flower. I think they might be right, I know that I can not look at daisies in a vase or growing in a field and not smile. Yep, daisies it is!

There are other types of gifts you can send from their site as well. So keep them in mind when you are wanting to send something thoughtful to someone you care about.

Australian Fires

Did you see that news about the fires in Australia? It is sad enough that the fires were so fast and furious that they killed at least 100 people. What makes it even worse is that authorities think that arson was involved. I do not get people at all. Why do people do things like start random fires. If you are a pyromaniac, stay at home and play with your fire place, get a barbecue, etc.

The loss of innocent lives is always a tragedy, when it is because of someones ignorance or malice I can not stand it. My heart goes out to all those affected by this horrible event and I hope they catch the person or people involved.

A Book To Help With Depression

I think we have all known someone in our lives that has dealt with depression in one form or another, it might even have been our own depression. I know that especially in times likes these when the economy is tight, that stress and sadness can take a toll on anyone. It seems that depression can affect the elderly even more than younger people. I do not know if it is a chemical thing as you age, or if it the thoughts we all have about getting older, etc.

I am not a doctor, but I heard about a book by a doctor Valentin Bragin, M.D., Ph.D called Conquering Depression in the Golden Years. It sounds like it would be good for anyone dealing with depression, but it is geared specifically toward senior citizens. The doctor gives specific exercises to help retrain the brains thought patterns or reactions to things. I have a few older family members that are dealing with depression partly because of other health conditions. I think being sick is a common cause of depression in my opinion. I think I will recommend they read this book.

I like the idea that the book, Conquering Depression in the Golden Years - Innovative Strategy to Fight Depression: Sensory Activities, Attention and Memory Training has actual exercises to and not just advice. If you or someone you know suffers from depression you might want to check it out.

The Pregnant "Man"

I saw that show about the pregnant man last night on TLC. I had heard about the modern miracle in the papers and things when it first happened, but I never heard the whole story. I still did not get to watch the whole show, but it answered some more questions and raised some more in my mind.

The basic premise or motivation for him to get pregnant was because his wife could not conceive a child. I had seen pictures of this "man" and thought that he looked a little feminine in spite of his facial hair. His skin for instance was super smooth looking compared to the average man. I wrote this off to the hormone therapy that I figured had to be a part of this whole procedure. Well, come to find out, this man used to be a woman!

Now do not have anything against transgendered people. I think anyone that makes a commitment to go through all it takes to change your sex really was suppose to be the man or woman they are trying to become. I do have a bit of a problem with a person switching back and forth whenever it suits them. If you hated being a woman so much that you got the hormone therapy to become a man, then you gave up the right to carry a baby in my opinion.

I already had apprehension about whether this was a safe way to have a baby as it was when I thought he was a man. I did not understand how the baby was surviving inside "him", now I know that he had a uterus underneath his manly facade. What kind of long term consequences could there be down the road for the little girl this couple had. The "Dad" had to have a raging battle of hormones going on inside of him. First he was a woman, then he floods his body with testosterone, then he stops that. Did doctors then have to give him back some extra female hormones or what? This does not sound like an ideal growing environment for a growing fetus.

I think they could have adopted a child in need of a loving family instead of risking the possible long term affects that this might have for their little girl. She is liable to face health problems, but is almost certainly going to have a lot of social issues to deal with. Is that fair to do that to a child? Ugh, I don't know. I am starting to think that just because a doctor can do something, it does not mean that they should. I think this couple was selfish in trying this drastic measure to have a child. People like this and that woman who had a total of 14 children with the help of doctors are abusing modern medical science for their own selfish gain. It makes me so sad.

More Valentines Gift Ideas

Are you still looking for that perfect little present to give to your sweetheart? I found a site called LusterForever.com and they have a very nice array of jewelry that you can buy right online and have shipped to you or to your loved one. Even better, if you order over 70.00 worth of items you get free shipping, I love free shipping. Then you save gas money and are still not out the shipping money, this makes it a lot less expensive than running around to all the malls.

I was looking at their assortment of silver bracelets and charm bracelets because I was thinking of getting something for my daughters this Valentines Day. I did not realize all the cool stuff that is out for men these days. I really like the look of a leather bracelet sometimes, for a guy or a gal. Leather bracelets look nice with a semi dressy or casual outfit. They have plenty of other stuff on that site for the guy on your list, so don't rule the men out in the jewelry department.

My oldest daughter saw one of those beautiful millefiore heart bracelets at the store the other day and her eyes about popped out of her head. I think she will have to get a little older before I get her something that fancy, but she definitely has good taste in jewelry!

Murphy's Law Is a Pain

OK, so when I said before that I got into a bathing suit, that was only in my house. Well I actually went out in public and got IN the water with my kids. That part was so great! I loved seeing them play and be happy in the water. My son was not all that into it because the water was kind of cold, but my daughters were very excited.



Then Murphy's law kicked in. I swear before I left that YMCA I had run into not one, not two, but FIVE people that I knew. I have not seen that many people I know in one day in forever, let alone when I stuffed my chubby butt into a bathing suit..ugh!



I still think that forcing myself to live while I lose weight will inspire me to so more to get myself into shape and in the mean time I will not be missing out on things just because I feel "fat". If you have been putting something off until you lost weight please stop, you could lose a lot of memory making opportunities instead.

RV Camping in the Carolinas

You know how it goes with family vacations. Sometimes you aren't even done with this years vacation and you start to plan next years. You have to plan ahead though when you are trying to accommodate an entire family, especially if you want to go anywhere that is very popular.

I was thinking that next year when we visit our relatives in the Carolinas that we might stay at one of the nc rv parks I had heard about. I tried a couple of different search terms like rv park nc and rv park north Carolina. One of the most interesting results I got was CampNorthCarolina.com which is the site for Sycamore Lodge.

This place look so awesome. You can either park your RV there and then enjoy the fun amenities, or rent one of their cute little cabins. They have everything there that you would want in a nice fun place to stay from miniature golf to an historic 6000 square foot lodge..wow! The pictures on the site makes it look gorgeous. I am going to have to show this to my mom and dad also, since they are going down that way to scout for property. They could make a mini vacation out of it.

Cut Backs and Bail Outs

Article in paper this morning is talking about our local utility company having layoffs.
This is too bad in this economy.
But the thing I noticed that made it almost OK is that the company had a freeze on pay raises.
The layoffs were said to be cost cutting measures and I wasn't so sure until I saw the pay freeze statement.
At least the Utility is not asking for bail out monies then giving raises like some other companies.
And the President is not having to rule on a cap of monetary gains for the higher ups here.
It is refreshing to see that all the company is working together not just the little guys.

Kids' Stuff

We like to do crafts with the kids and they love it when we do.
It is such a fun time and they learn so much from these activities.
For example, you want to do a craft that involves say, math and cooking...you can supervise the kids and teach them How to Make Playdough.
In this craft it will teach them about measurement, cooking and or baking, colors and art.
I don't think there are very many crafts like this one that could teach them so many things at one time and still be a fun time for all.
And the art and sculptures and goodness only knows what you would call the items, are absolutely one of a kind and so precious.
You build character and confidence in the young ones and build memories at the same time.
What a wonderful way to spend a day with family!
There are a lot of creative fun things to do with your family, you just have to look around for the simpler things in life.

Ever Had a Hanini Sandwich?

Oh my goodnessd, have you ever had a Hanini's sub sandwich? I had my first one today. My husband goes there from time to time when he is on lunch break from school. He had told me about it, but I had never gotten the chance to go there with him. So while we were out and about today we stopped in for a sandwich.

Hanini's is a carryout like many other sub shops, but this is a lot different than other sub shops. We got their steak and cheese subs, one for him and one for me. We could have split one for sure, but what fun would that have been? Besides I wanted mushrooms on mine and he wanted jalapenos...ouch. They were soooo good with all the melted provolone,,yum!

I probably could have finished the whole thing, but it would have made me way too full. I decided to be nice and bring the other half home for my mom to try. SO if you have a Hanini's near you I would suggest you stop in for a sandwich and bring a friend if you are in a sharing mood. I was going to link to their site, but I must have written it down wrong.

Video Games For Cabin Fever

Do you or your family play video games? My family use to play some games together, and my husband had played a lot of different games and systems over the years. I think my husband has tried just about every system there is and he is very good at the games. He is especially good at role playing games which are his favorite.

It seems that every year video games become more and more popular, and for good reason. It is a relatively cheap source of entertainment and now with systems like the Nintendo Wii gaming is becoming even more popular among whole families. I read somewhere that a quarter of all software sold last year was for the Wii, that sure seems like it is catching on. Many of the games are geared toward multiple players which gets the whole family involved, like bowling. Since you have to get up and move to play these games it is also a good way to get some exercise and fight cabin fever in these cold months of winter.

Check out the site I linked to above, it goes to a cool site called TotalVideoGames.com. That site is a great place to go for cheats to help you through the games, and plenty of daily news and other daily content to keep you up to date on the video gaming industry.

Potty Training

My son is wanting to try and potty in the pot already, he is only a little over one year old. While I am glad that he is wanting to try I am not getting my hopes up. Both of my daughters started trying kind of early and then the stopped. It was like they said, Ok I tried that now I am bored.

I do not want to discourage him at all though. My mom said that my grandmother had my brother and I trained before age one, so I guess anything is possible. I can not imagine my life without diapers and bottles and binkies. The binkies will go first, then the bottles, then the diapers. I am always sad to see my little ones grow so fast, but it will be so nice to be able to go out of the house without so much stuff to carry.

So when I get sad about them growing fast I look at the benefits that the future will hold. We will eventually be able to just jump in the car for a short trip to the park without it taking an hour or more to pack everything up and get ready. Yes there are definitely good things to them growing up!

Plumbing Insurance?

I was talking to a friend of mine from Arizona the other day and she was telling me that there is a company out there offering plumbing insurance. What is plumbing insurance I asked her. She says this company will give you residential coverage for around one dollar a day. The plan covers repairs and replacement if need be on things like your pipes, garbage disposals, faucets etc.

They even offer 24 hour emergency service and commercial plans as well that are just a little more than the residential plans I guess. So if you are looking for a plumber in phoenix, arizona I would check out that site and start from their. That sounds like a reasonable rate for covering your plumbing needs. They are a company called American Discount Plumbing and they are located in Phoenix Arizona. I think I am going to contact them and see if they have a similar thing in my state.

Salary Cap

What do you think about the salary cap that our president had imposed on executives? He has set it as 500,000 which seems like plenty of money to me, but I am not in that world I guess. I think it is just for the companies that get any bail out monies which made sense to me at first, then I heard another spin on the idea.

Some people had the fear that Barack Obama had socialist ideas. This cap seems like it might be the first step to ease us into the idea of capping salaries for all professions. I do not like that idea at all. While I do feel that some professions receive outrageous salaries, it is the pursuit of these pots of gold that make people in America strive to do things. I do not want them to cap a doctor's pay for instance because I never want a doctor that feels he does not have to try and be a better doctor because it won't get him any more pay than the next MD.

I am happy though that the President is keeping an eye on the companies getting bail out funds. Some of these companies were supposedly giving bonuses to the CEOs and what not with these bail out funds. The is just ridiculous in my opinion. Do you get a bonus at work if you do not do a good job? Why do these corporate types get these big bonuses and severance packages when the helped run a company into the ground? I just do not get it.

Anyway I hope this is the president looking out for us and not trying to change America into a socialist nation.

Living With Student Loans

My husband and I made the decision a couple of years ago for him to go back to school. At the time we thought we would be using his GI Bill benefits. There was an unforeseen snag with that plan so we had to get Student Loans in order for him to finish the schooling he had already started. We did not see any point in throwing away a year of education that he had already completed just because of "money".

We did apply for financial aide through the college as well as scholarships. We decided to make up the difference with Private Student Loans . While we are accumulating a bit of debt there is a big difference in debt from College Loans as opposed to other types of loans or credit card debt. The interest rate on student loans is often considerably lower than a conventional loan and you do not have to start paying them back until 6 months after you graduate.

Think of all the things you make payments on like your house, your car, credit cards, etc. Don't let the fear of one more payment keep you from going to school. There is no better investment than a good education, especially these days. Getting a better job down the road will help you pay off all of your bills a lot faster in the long run in most cases. If you have been thinking about getting some more schooling, just make a start. It is not easy but it is definitely worth it.

Speaking of my Weight

Another thing I have been trying to stop avoiding is the water. I have not been in a swimming pool for probably 15 years because I did not want to get in a swim suit. I finally got into one today. Oh my goodness! I will not be taking the swim shorts that I got to go with them off, but at least I think I can get in to the water with a minimum of humiliation.

I have always wanted to get in the water with my kids as babies and my youngest is already one, so I needed to get off my butt and into the water. Like I said I want to make myself stop putting off life while I am trying to get into shape. I think it is going to be a BIG motivator to me cutting back on what I eat and working out more.

If I feel bad in front of people in the suit, then I need to change what I look like right? Wish me luck...at least don't care what size I am, they just want to play and I need to get past my fears for them.

Peek a Boo Valentine

I, like many women am not exactly happy with the way my body looks. I know I need to lose some weight and get into better shape, and I AM working on it. In the mean time I have been trying to make myself wear things besides my comfy but drab sweats and Tshirts. I often forget how much the clothing we wear affects the way we feel and the way we carry ourselves.

This holds true for bras and lingerie items more than anything else I think. Haven't you ever bought a pretty bra or panties and you felt a little more sexy just knowing you had them on? It does not matter if anyone else ever sees them, YOU know you have them on and it makes a difference in your attitude.

I decided to buy some new Valentines Lingerie this year as a treat to myself and my hubby. This site ValentinesLingerie.com even has plus sized items. There is no reason why I should not have something sexy and lacy in my wardrobe. I can always get something smaller down the road. I want to quit avoiding life while I wait to lose weight. This site really has some gorgeous stuff. They even have some yummy looking gift baskets there too.

Steroids and Older People

My aunt called my Mom today and said she was at the hospital and they were checking her for a lumbar fracture.
Mom immediately asked her if she had fallen.
Aunt said no, that it was probably due to the steroids she had been on for some time according to her doctor.
My aunt has breathing problems and she has inhalers she has to use a couple of times a day and once in awhile she has to be put on prednisone for lung problems.
So the doctor said the long term use of these drugs and her age had taken its toll on her system.
At one time her doctor recommended that she take a calcium supplement for her bones and she did not listen to her doctor. So now she is paying for it.
Come to think of it, about 2 months ago, my aunt was in the hospital for a foot fracture that happened when she just twisted her foot the wrong way while walking.
You know it's not like people aren't getting educated about bone density loss, I see commercials on TV all the time about pills and meds to help your bones...do older people not heed the warnings?
Or is another case of, oh that would not happen to me, just other people.
Older people should be well aware that bones can get fragile and wear out.

Our Myrtle Beach Vacation

We are all so ready to go back to Myrtle Beach again.
It was such a wonderful time for all of us. Such memories we have.
A vacation in Myrtle Beach is so worth the drive for us. We got to sight see on the way to and from.
This past year we rented a private home on the Cove Resorts area and this year we have already got it set up to rent a condo right on the beach front. The kids are excited and so are my Mom and Dad.
This is a trip our whole family goes on and it is so much cheaper to let a condo or a private house as there are 7 of us. Sometimes we have to take our own bed linens and towels and other times not, they are provided. It depends on where and what you rent.
We had a chance to bring our family pet dog, but we opted not to, as it would have been a little too warm on the ride for here. But there are a bunch of rentals that allow you to bring your pet if you want or need to.
Dad likes to go golfing and Mom likes to walk on the beach, go to museums and theater and the kids and I like to go to the Pavilion Nostalgia Park and ride the merry-go-round, eat cotton candy and win toys.
Of course we all like to shop and go out to eat and there is a restaurant for every ones likes.
Hubby likes to go scuba diving and sight seeing and we all like to go hiking on the trails.
There is so much to see and do at Myrtle Beach so what we save on our housing rental, we get to spend on us for vacation.
Are we back there yet ?!

Kids and Energy

When the heck do kids run out of energy ?
They have so much at such the wrong times and it always seems to do nothing but get them in trouble.
It seems like the later at night it gets, the more energy they acquire.
The later it gets in the day, the less I have and it shows.
How do kids recharge so fast ?
And the later it gets, the cuter they become and get so silly.
I end up laughing and crying at the same time.
I have tried to have a quite time time before bedtime to help try and calm them but that does not work to much either.
I need super sized vitamins I think.
Whew ! What a day !
But yah sure gotta love them.

Maternity Clothes Have Come A Long Way

I can't believe how cute and trendy they are making maternity clothes today.
When I needed to buy clothes, it did not matter much what you bought, they all looked like the same pattern, just different materials.
My mom said I was fortunate to be able to choose from the styles I did, in her day all the maternity clothes looked like flour sacks, just different color printing on the bags...lol.
And I not only find this web site with cute clothes, but they have great sales often for as much as 75 % off.
When you go to their web area look for the promo codes too.
Some of these outfits are so adorable and fashionable, I bet I could get away with wearing them for everyday clothes.
Oh, yeah, I almost forgot...Bloggers get a 20% discount just because we are bloggers.
Pretty good deal.