Remember what is truly important in your life.

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,

when 24 hours in a day are not enough,

remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed..

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life..

The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented.

The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'

The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend...

Favor to Ask ..... Please

If you could take 5 minutes of your time and vote for Jenn as the 2010 Face of e.l.f. both she and I would be so grateful. Modeling is something that she thinks she would really like to do. She has done some background work on a yet to be released movie with Meryl Streep and had fun doing it. (The movie is suppose to be released Christmas Day, so of course we have to watch closely to see if we can catch her.) You can vote once a day until New Year's Eve. Please take those few short seconds/minutes to cast your vote for Jenn.

When we saw this, we thought it would be great to take a chance and do this too. Who knows? Every college kid needs something to keep them out of trouble right?

Thanks for clicking :)


Face of ELF_2010 Jennifer_

Bibliofreak and the Great Kindle GiveAway

Have you heard about The Great Kindle Give Away? Bibliofreak, a book blog, is giving away at least one Kindle, probably more. I've entered, and I'm hoping you will, too.

Entering is easy. Just follow these steps:

1.) Click Here: http://bibliofreakblog.com/great-kindle-giveaway/?ref=2b07c0f5e7
2.) Enter your information into form that says "Newsletter Signup" and push Subscribe Now
3.) Check your inbox for an email with the subject "Bibliofreakblog List: Please Confirm Subscription". Open and click where instructed.
4.)You will receive a welcome email, showing you where you can check your points and get your unique link and banners to use for the contest.

Free Samples / Freebies / Free

Free Samples / Freebies / Free

Outback Steakhouse

As a special thanks to our Veterans,

this Veteran's Day all Veterans and Active Duty Military will receive a free Bloomin' Onion and Beverage

And as a special note from me ........

Freedom isn't free,
So I would like to THANK YOU for everything you have done and continue to do for our country.

Do you need help with Math?

I know that when my kids were in school, I sure did. Now it wasn't that I didn't know HOW to do math, although I was not completely comfortable with some of the concepts, I did know if their answers were correct or not. But for the most part, I didn't do things the way they were taught, so it was always a struggle if they forgot how it was down in class.

Here is a great website for moms and kids alike to get online math help, some of which is free or at affordable rates. Check out your very own online math help for subjects like math help in geometry or online math help in algebra or find an online math tutor in calculus or online math tutoring for statistics and probability or number theory just to pick a few. Your help could be from their free online math help or their free online math tutoring, its your choice. I think Jenn will need to check these out to see if it helps her with calculus and she is in college!

One of the great aspects of this program is that its not for a limited number of people. They have math help for everyone from Kindergarten through High School Seniors. AND its open 24 hours a day! How many middle school and high school kids leave those things they don't really "get" until the last and then at 10 o'clock say "I can't finish my math homework because I don't know how"? Now they can just click and get one on one help at math help.

Math help and online math tutoring comes in grade specific formats. You can get free online math help for grade3 or math help for grade7 or free online math tutoring for grade12 and all the other grades in-between. So if your school or your child is more or less advanced, you can move easily to another grade and still get all the help you need. They even have SAT and ACT help.

One of the other things I really like about this site is that you can actually TALK with your math tutor, while on your computer using voice over IP technology, so kids will think this is just so cool having their own personal tutor. But if they want to keep it "quiet", nobody needs to know they have a tutor because they don't have to leave the house. Mom no longer has to worry about whether she knows how to do some math problem because the online math tutoring allows that worry to be gone.

You also get your own whiteboard where you can SEE what the tutor is doing and what they really mean, step by step, and the tutor can see what you are doing, so there is an interaction with the tutor. See how it works to see how the whiteboard works with your tutor. It's not just reading a page (whether its in the same format as your own text book or not), it gives a personal touch that adds so much more to the online math tutoring session. Some kids learn the concepts better this way because they are much more visual learners. This could be part of the edge your child needs to excel, check out math help to see if this program is right for you and your child.

Many parents are looking for a tutor to give their kids an edge, and believe me that can be expensive - this seems like a great alternative to those "go to centers" since no one sees you go to your tutor. The free online math help and free online math tutoring will give your child the edge they may need to make their results shine. And doesn't every parent want their child to shine?

The Amazing Cucumber

This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.


1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.


2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!



Pass this along to everybody you know who is looking for better and safer ways to solve life's everyday problems..

A lesson that SHOULD be taught in EVERY school

I saw this post this morning on Facebook by my friend Christina Gray. I thought that this went well with some of my other postings and wanted to make it visible to more and more people - it is a lesson that should not be missed by anyone, whether you are still in school or not. Thanks Christina!

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock , did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.
When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks. 'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?'

She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.' They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.' 'No,' she said. 'Maybe it's our behavior.' She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.' And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms. Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom.

Now I am going to tell you.' At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.

Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'

By the way, this is a true story.

Please consider passing this along so others won't forget that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by U. S. Veterans. Lesson that should be taught in all schools . . . and colleges.

Prevention - the key to surviving this flu season

Many of us do not get the yearly flu shot - for a variety of reasons. This year there is a big push to get both the regular flu shot and the H1N1 shot or nasal spray. Personally I have a real concern with the H1N1 shot/spray, many of which are shared by some health care professionals who won't be giving/getting the shot/spray for their families.

I received the following in an email this morning, and decided it was something to share with everyone - whether they had decided to get the shot or not. If it helps - hey why not. I'm going to give this a shot - especially since I have never gotten the regular flu shot and don't expect to start now, even with the H1N1

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital , Bombay Hospital , Saifee Hospital , Tata Memorial etc.. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W).
The following message given by him, I feel makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know.

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is. While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu)

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and . *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.


I suggest you pass this on. You never know 20 who might pay attention to it - and STAY ALIVE because of it.

Holey Donuts Crazy Special!!

I got this email this morning and almost wish I hadn't just gotten my shipment - at this price I wish I had another freezer ....... these are really very good. My daughter (who needs to lose weight like I need to grow another arm) had one as I was breaking them into individual packages to put in the freezer - and outright told me these were too good to be Low Fat or Reduced Fat.

Hope you all will consider picking up a few boxes (oh heck at this price try multiple varieties). The shipping is a little steep (Fed-Ex in a cooler packed with dry ice) but well worth it. At this price if you buy multiple boxes you end up spreading the cost over all the donuts which really makes it sound small. And you end up with less fat than a "national" chain's donuts. These are even good if you are doing WW - since they are only 3 points!

Check them out at holeydonuts

Email directly from Holey Donuts .......

Buy all the Low Fat Gourmet Donuts you want for $5.99, today only! Last night we secretly changed all of our prices to only $5.99! per 6 pack assortment!! This special pricing is on every DONUT assortment. This sale will end Thursday October 1st at midnight. You have less than 24 hrs to take advantage of this awesome low fat ,low price"try us" offer. We know your going to love these so much !

You've got to get in on this right now as this is your chance to try the donuts you've seen on T.V and in magazines like People, Glamour and Men's Health!

Just add all the Holey Donuts! assortments you want to your cart and at checkout you won't be charged $11.95 each, but only $5.99 each!! WOW!! If you have been waiting to try Holey Donuts! this is your chance at a one time only price of $5.99 per assortment (full sized 6 packs)!

Buy any 3 great tasting low fat assortments for only $5.99 each! We have never made an offer like this before and may never make it again. So many of you have yet to try our Low Fat Gourmet Donuts, so we are offering you this special chance to enjoy these frozen treats for only $5.99 per box today during this one day only super "try us" $5.99 sale! At midnight tonight this $5.99 event will end and may not be offered again.

Our convenient 6 pack boxes are designed to easily fit in your freezer and most of these large donuts have only 3 weight watchers points each! Store in individual freezer bags to save space and create a great on the go snack!

Why is everyone talking about these "Low Fat Gourmet Donuts"? It's simple - unlike any other donut, each Holey Donut! not only tastes great, but is individually hand made, like a little wedding cake. Can you imagine how hard it would be to ship 18 individual hand made wedding cakes frozen across the country and have them arrive to you as perfect as the moment we made them?

These are no ordinary donuts, as they are hand made with fresh frosting and yummy fillings with no artificial sweeteners, and they are low in fat! Everything you would expect from a high end gourmet donut if you could buy it in a NYC 5 star restaurant but without the fat, greasy aftertaste and calories - just moist, incredibly large, soft Low Fat Gourmet Donuts with no expense spared.

Our donuts are guaranteed to arrive at your home frozen and as perfect as the pictures on our web site, we promise. Thousands of people across the country have been awe-struck, and it's been love at first taste! All products are in stock,will ship this Monday and arrive in 2-3 days at your home,frozen and picture perfect.

Holey Donuts! Low Fat Gourmet Donuts are not available anywhere but you can have portion controlled servings right in your freezer for you to enjoy anytime! From the moment it leaves its box in your freezer and hits your plate you'll know you have something so special that only a rare few can enjoy...Now its your time to eat, enjoy, reorder and celebrate your life!

"The company sells oodles of low-fat and reduced-fat donuts in ridiculously delicious flavors." Hungry Girl

http://www.hungry-girl.com/news/newsdetails.php?isid=1683


Special Note -
NO OTHER COUPON CODES OR CREDITS CAN BE APPLIED DURING THIS 1 DAY $5.99 OFFER. VALID ON NEW ORDERS ONLY.

Our Jumbo reduced fat cinnamon buns and donut holes are not included, but feel free to add these favorites to you order while saving more than half on our donuts!

11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven Giveaway

I haven't made bread in a while now - much to my family's disappointment, but here is a fantastic giveaway if you even thinking about trying to make bread!

I will have to get out my bread machine again (so very easy that way while I'm out and about) and make a loaf or two just to prove I can still do it :) Actually making some cinnamon bread for tomorrows breakfast, as everyone is running out the door, sounds really good - think that will be tonight's project.

But I digress .......... check this one out

11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven is giving away nearly $40 worth of gourmet bread mix! It will seem like your spent HOURS in the kitchen making treats like this...

...but it only takes minutes! To enter, click HERE!

Happy Fall

A beautiful picture by

Regina Chayer

Since today is the first day of Autumn. I have to say ........

HAPPY FALL to ALL.

Pampered Chef Giveaway

Do you like to cook? Do you like Pampered Chef products? Do you like to make casseroles or whatever you call your ultimate 1 pot meal? Oh and do you LOVE to win something useful? Then I have a great giveaway for you.

You need to check out one of my favorite blogs - 5 dollar dinners. Not only do you get to see some great recipes, you know that they really can be made from regular supermarket ingredients. I have been following Erin for awhile now - and have found that she has a great take on keeping it real and good tasting.

If you want to enter her giveaway - you need to check out deep covered baker giveaway and if you want good meals that won't break the budget - you need to check out Erin at 5dollardinners trust me you won't be disappointed.

National Make Your Bed Day??

I was looking through my emails (and not doing what I should be doing) and found that today is National Make your Bed Day. Of course today I have been doing other things and did not make my bed today (heavens).

Now when I clicked into Skip to My Lou, I see that it isn't exactly what I thought it was - but of course it made me feel think I was really slacking off - but I really do need to get moving and at least get my bed made and the vacuuming done. Thanks for the nudge ......

But for everyone else - especially someone with younger kids - you really need to check this out.

today is national make your bed day

I really thought it was a cute idea - maybe I will pass it on to my sister - for when she has nothing else to do with the kids. Could be a really fun way to spend some time together, especially on a rainy day.

Easy sources for Doggie/Puppy Care

You may know I have a cat who we rescued as a little kitten, who has become my 3rd "child", but as a kid I had a dog. We really had no idea how to take care of a dog/puppy so it was pretty much hit or miss as we learned what to do. Today you don't have to do the hit or miss trick - you can check out Dog Care at Shopwiki.co.uk. They have some great tips to get you started. And at Shopwiki you get a place where you get access to around 30,000 shops. Shopwiki does a lot of the "footwork" for you, so all you have to do it click and they will show you the best places to buy and best prices. Now this is a UK site, but in this day and age that little "pond" won't stop the shopping.

There are so many more things to know now about raising a puppy to a dog. Or maybe these things were always there, I just lived in my naive state of pre-teens and didn't know. There is a great section on Dog Bedding. I never knew there were so many different kinds. There are the "original" kinds of crate bedding but they have "sofa" bedding and "cave" bedding, even one that looks almost like a four-poster bed!

Like when you have kids, you are not suppose to take a dog in a moving vehicle without a carrier, kind of a car seat for dogs. Check out Dog Transport for information and selections of crates and carriers. Again, I didn't know there were so many options. They even have carriers for little dogs that looks like a baby carriage! Some of these are just so cute. They have one that is a "purse" type that I bet even Paris Hilton would love. I can hear her now "That's hot". Sorry I just had to.

Two other section to check out relates to Feeding, Watering and Bowls. The first section to check out is Dog Food . There are so many different things to chose from as far as food and bowls are concerned. I sometimes think there are almost as many different food choices for dogs as there is for people. I'm not just talking about whether its wet or dry. There are organic or vegetarian or weight control in addition to the regular beef flavor that I bet most of you thought would be "dog food".

And then you need to think about how you will feed your dog and Dog Bowls and Feeders, is the perfect place for your search. They have self feeding bowls, elevated bowls for those long legged dogs, and travel bowls so you will always have a bowl when your are traveling. They also have a section in that link for watering bowls, which include a heated bowl for when your dog is outside during the winter, and you will never have frozen water out there again.

Now I couldn't end my review without noting their section on Dog Toys. No its not as simple as taking a toy off the shelf and your dog will be happy. There are toys by size, so you don't get a toy that is too big or too small for your dog. There is even a link for toy storage. Now your dog can have lots of toys and all can be put away in its own toy box.

Some of the things I love about this site is that in addition to a description of what you can find on that page and a how to for each type, there are external links to other sites for even more information. The more information you can get the better your choice will be and perhaps the happier your best friend will be.

Good Morning

I hadn't seen this one before, but thanks to a friend, it was in my email the other morning, and now I pass it on to you.


When I say good morning I mean to say:

G-od
O-ffers us His
O-utstanding
D-evotion to

M-ake us
O-bedient &
R-eady for a
N-ew day with Him.
I-nspire others please, and
N-ever forget
G-od loves you!

If you like it send it to others.

God will bless you for doing just that!!!





HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

Summary of Life

Here is a great summary I recieved in an email from my friend Colleen. Thanks Colleen, this was just what I needed this morning.

GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:

1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats..
2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.



GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:

1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.
2) Wrinkles don't hurt.
3) Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts
4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground...
5) Laughing is good exercise.. It's like jogging on the inside.
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD

1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional..
2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.
4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician
7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:

1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus.
4) You look like Santa Claus.


SUCCESS:

At age 4 success is . . . .. not piddling in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . having friends..
At age 17 success is . . having a driver's license.
At age 35 success is . . . .having money.
At age 50 success is . having money.
At age 70 success is . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . . . having friends.
At age 80 success is .. . . not piddling in your pants.


Always remember to forget the troubles that pass your way;
BUT NEVER forget the blessings that come each day.

Where to Shop? Where to find ... ? Decisions Decisions

Have you ever decided to do a home project, a closet re-design or oh say a bathroom remodel, and think holy crow what do I need, where will I find it? Well I found the place for you. It looks like a great Workshop and Home Improvement shop online where you can "wander" to your hearts content at any hour of the day or night. They do the hard work for you - find what stores have it / what the prices are / its like having your own shopping consultant. You need to check out shopwiki.com

You can find pretty much anything that you need to do a home project or set up a great home workshop. Heck you can even find out where to get hardware (screws and such), paint and paint supplies, even duct tape (isn't that the universal tool?) at Tools and Hardware

When I think tools, I think of little things that I can use easily. I don't have to drag out power cords just to tighten a screw that has come loose on the towel rack in the bathroom, or a door handle (how do they come loose?). There is an area just for these types of tools. If you look around in Hand Tools you will find screwdrivers (all different types and when to use them) as well as recommendations on which ones to try. They also have other "options" like wrenches and pliers and hammers.

And ladies, how many of you have husbands that have a mountain of power tools but still go into your local hardware store or big chain store and drool over power tools? I know my husband does all the time. And more likely than not, we have a new must have tool every couple of months. Well this could be your man's go to site.

If he (or you) was looking for a drill he would have all kinds of options. Power Drills gives you top choices, differences in corded vs cordless, as well as drill types and extra features. I even think I see a few of the ones we have here.

Now if you need to cut something of any size I think a Circular Saw is the way to go. You still have the beauty of having a hand tool and some fantastic power without taking up a ton of space like a table saw would. My husband used a circular saw when we needed to put down plywood to replace the flooring in our entry way.

Now if you are doing molding - you ALWAYS seem to have to make an angled cut. And the cuts need to "join" together perfectly. Here is where a Miter Saw comes in. One, two, three you have a perfect cut for an angle when you are replacing the molding around a door or window. I can not tell you how many door and window moldings have been replaced in this house - way more than I want to think about. They even have some external links here to get even more information on these saws if they haven't answered all your questions.

And then when you think you are done with all the power tools you could need, you need to pop onto Workshop Accessories and pick up all those little things you don't think about. Heaters or Fans, especially if your new workshop is in the garage. Lighting because you can't work in the dark. Storage items/systems because now you have a whole new group of items to store away until you need them. And last but not least Dust Control Systems and Vacuums. With all the new construction you will have going on around your house - this should have been the first thing I listed. Sorry I got carried away with all the power flying around.

You really should check out shopwiki.com for some tool ideas. These could lead to some great holiday or birthday gifts for the "man in your life" or woman as the case may be. If you are at a loss as to what to get him or her, send them to this site and I bet you could get some great ideas. You won't be sorry. Especially if your significant other is as tool happy as mine is.

UGG Boots Giveaway

I know that EVERYONE who is ANYONE (so my daughter says) MUST have Ugg Boots. When I went back to school earlier this year (think January semester changes) with her, aside from my college days relived, as we walked through the campus we got to see all the Ugg Boots walking around. I'm thinking to myself - wow she was really out of place with her hiking boots. She tells me that she should have asked for some of these from Christmas - then she too could be in the "Ugg" crowd.

Well I have stumbled upon a Ugg Boots giveaway. Yes Ugg Boots. Each and every month free pairs of Ugg Boots are given away.

Well you have to know that I jumped right on this one. She could then be in the "Ugg" crowd.

But just to be fair to all of you - I will pass along the website for the giveaway. If you are even thinking about these ..... freeuggboots You need to jump all over this site and give it a shot.

Simple Inspirations

I realized that I haven't done any Inspirational posts in awhile - not good. We all need to have something to keep us going. Sometimes it is those funny jokes that pop into my email (and I share here) and sometimes its something that happened to me or my family and someone thought - hey I can do that or hey if it can happen to them ........ But sometimes its those little quotes that come from others that you read quickly and move on and then they come back to you while standing in line, holding (and listening to that stupid hold music) for someone to really pick up the phone.

So without further ado -

"It's not knowing what to do,
It's doing what you know." - Anthony Robbins

"People fail forward towards success" - Mary Kay Ash

"Be thankful for what you have,
If you concentrate on what you don't have
You will never, ever have enough." - Oprah Winfrey

"Inspiration DOES exist,
But it must find you WORKING." - Pablo Picasso

" The kind of beauty I want is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within -
Strength, Courage, Dignity." - Ruby Dee

"Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose" - Lyndon B Johnson

"Faith is taking that first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase" - Martin Luther King, Jr.

This one is pretty good - coming from the man that got the description of childbirth down pretty good too.

"Let us now set forth one of the fundamental truths about marriage:
The WIFE is in charge." - Bill Cosby

And my all time favorite.....

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish He didn't trust me so much" - Mother Teresa

Two of a kind, working on a full house: Keurig Review And Giveaway

If you love coffee but hate the waste when the pot doesn't get finished (I HATE re-warmed coffee), THIS is perfect. I'd love to figure out how they get to be the "reviewers" on some of these great products - I'd be doing this in a heartbeat. But since I'm not that good (yet) here is a great place to try and win one.

Two of a kind, working on a full house: Keurig Review And Giveaway

I went to look at some of the possible options for coffee and they have a fantastic selection. Go to keurig to check out their website and see for yourself. And if coffee isn't your thing - never fear, they have tea AND cocoa - and a pretty nice selection of those too.

Go check out Dee at twoofakindworkingonafullhouse and see all the great things she has to say. Oh and enter to win this fantastic Keurig coffeemaker.

And I'm back on Twitter too

Hooray I was finally allowed to rejoin twitter.

Not that I was a big tweeter - but I did like to read some of the blurbs that were posted - that is until I was stupid and allowed a link to "add more followers". I wrote about it here at if-you-have-twitter-account If you haven't checked it out - and you have a twitter account - make sure you read it and be warned.

After quite a few notes back and forth with support - I was able to get my account back. I've deleted all the offending tweets (not sent by me) and made sure I wasn't following any of those people ......... I had already changed my password when I saw what was happening. It was just changed too late to stop the suspension.

But now I am back to checking there too. Would have been a nice thing to check while on vacation ahh well that's ok I'm back online again.

Thank you Mr Twitter support personnel. You did make my day/night.

Yes sir I be backkkkkkkk

Yes I am back from the "sunny beach" as my father in law would have said. I'm beginning to think I need a vacation from my vacation, I am soooo tired now.

The ride down was pretty easy in comparison to the ride home - and all the stuff in the middle was fantastic. I already have a week booked NEXT year in July because we just loved it.

It is just such a LONG ride home - over 1700 miles (give or take). We left Marco Island Saturday morning at 9 and drove to someplace near Greenville, SC at around 9 at night, only stopping for "pee" breaks, gas and quick meal breaks. Sunday morning we left at 6:30 arriving in Charlottesville, VA to see my parents at a little after 1. We only stopped for an hour or so and got home in NJ about 8:30. It was so much easier taking the auto-train down (only 4 hours driving each way). But I'll do it again next year.

Hopefully I will upload some pictures in the next day or so.

Off to pick up the "fish" and then make dinner.

Have a wonderful evening everyone. I will spend the evening reading all the posts I missed during my vacation - got to be HUNDREDS of posts from my bloggy friends. So I will comment, fear not, but it may take a few days to get through it all.

Vacations

I knew I was going on vacation, heck I made all the arrangements, but was I ready to leave this past Friday morning? Yes and No.

Lets see where the No comes in:
bags packed? Yes
Jenn's car set for service while we are gone? Yes
everything fits in the car? Yes
Everyone ready to leave? Yes
Tickets / sign in paperwork in bags? Yes
Fish delivered to Jenn's friend? Yes
Cat delivered to Grandmom? Yes
Computer in trunk hoping to be able to get internet access? Yes
Posts set up just in case? NOPE
Post that we are going to be away and when coming back? Don't think so.

See I had lists, I had careful planning ............. and then I blew it. No posts that will automatically post so no "dead air time" for my board ........

I had great intentions - but what was that saying - the best laid plans of mice and men oft times go astray?

Well I hope I can come in every now and again to post something - pictures would be nice - but internet access is really really SLOW - like right now (wireless showing 2mbps) so I don't think pictures will be possible. But we shall see. I have some nice ones I think, but I'm afraid to look.

Sun, sand, sea shells, gulf breezes, gulf water, nice clear pool, sun tan lotion/spray, aloe for the burns, and lots of walking on the beach. And relaxation, I can't believe how easily I've fallen into that relaxation mode - and hubby ? My gosh I can't believe he cut the "umbilical cord" (ie cell phone) with his office and clients. He went to play golf today - and only brought his phone so he could call me to come pick him up!

We are here for the rest of the week, leaving Saturday morning for the long drive home. Oh we should have more vacations - mmmm when can I schedule another one??

A Family that breeds Heros - turns out to be mine!

Holy Moses, I am beginning to think I was born into a family that breeds heros!

I got a call from my Mom and Dad in response to my message to them about my son's job. And although they were really happy and excited to hear about it - they were able to top my story 5 fold.

My sister, Sharon, and her two kids came over to Virginia Beach to visit my parents on their mini vacation on Tuesday. They had a great day hanging out on the beach, etc so when it got to be evening, Sharon told them that she and the kids would come back tomorrow.

Here's were the hero part comes in. Either its that my family breeds heros or someone (read God here) decided that today was NOT the day for a 20 year old to die.

Sharon was in or by the ocean when she saw someone being thrown/tumbled around in the surf. Sharon starts yelling for help, people on the beach were yelling for help (lifeguard was in LA LA LAND) when she finally got to the girl and pulled her out of the water. The girl was purple. She had a seizure while in the water, and was tossed around and under the water. Another woman on the shore came to help Sharon and between the two of them saved this girls life. As Sharon told me later - she (the girl) was a minute from dead!

The Virginia Beach Emergency Rescue was there in minutes after they were finally called (lifeguard came back from LA LA LAND) with dad said about 5 cars and an ambulance and took over. Come to find out the girl was washed down the beach a little ways so she had been having the seizure and in trouble for a bit. Hopefully she will be ok.

When Sharon and this woman were relieved by the rescue people, they were talking about what happened, who they were, where they worked, etc. Now Sharon is a special ed teacher - a darned good one, thank you very much - and the other woman is a Emergency Room RN. Now this woman was probably use to these life or death moments with her line of work, but I'm pretty sure that Sharon has had to be involved in a lot of different things but I'm thinking this is NOT one of those things.

I don't know if the RN is from Virginia Beach or not - but obviously they were both meant to be there on the beach today to do something very special.

Employment update - the end of a saga ......

Hello all. I just had to send a quick note to tell everyone the latest on my son's quest for a "real" job.

As you may recall he graduated from University of New Haven with a degree in Fire Science with a concentration in Arson Investigation. I talked about that here: graduation-day With the current economy finding a "real" job (as he calls it) has been extremely difficult.

He has been working for a local town as a Per Diem EMT since March - working at least 4 days a month and I think one month it was at least 8 days (which was sending them into palpitations because that could make him full time). He also started working for our Township Board of Education in the "outdoor" maintenance department ...... cutting lawns, shrubs, making everything look "pretty" and dealing with the ever present bee population, in May.

He has been searching/testing/applying up and down the East Coast for a job with a fire department since March 2008. He even took the test for a job with Hilton Head South Carolina the morning of graduation (since it was offered at the university) and has been progressing up the lists/ranks/steps in a local town, Hilton Head,SC; Charlotte,NC; Virginia Beach, VA; Cherry Hill,NJ; Bethlehem or Allentown, PA I can't remember which. So this has been a very long drawn out process. I know I have been getting discouraged (especially with the economy the way it is) and I know he has been feeling a little concerned.

He had to be in Virginia Beach over the July 4th holiday - since he had an interview on the 6th. About the 11th of July he received a letter saying that he had a conditional employment based on the results of his physical at the end of July and some other "research" thing by Social Services. So back down to VA for July 27th Physical and Uniform fittings and something else. He felt everything had gone well - everything had been signed off so he had to sit and wait again as they had 3 weeks of physicals to do (but only 25 people made this cut). He had seen a list while at the physical that showed him as #2 on the list and since he was the first physical (8AM Monday morning) he thought that he might have just done really well in the interview. When they first did the test back in November, I think he said they had sent invitations to 1700 applicants.

Today he received an email from City of Virginia Beach dated today, with the Final Offer Letter of Employment! So as of today, my son has gotten a "real" job. The letter was to congratulate him on his new position as Firefighter Recruit with the Virginia Beach Fire Department.

So of course the real fun begins. He has about 1 month before the academy starts, but he has to move, get his EMT certificate transferred down there, get a VA drivers license, change his bank account, decide what has to be done with his truck (my name is still on the title with his so its on MY insurance) and probably get auto insurance .......... and who knows what else he will need to do.

Well just wanted to fill everyone in - I will have one less child living at home in 34 days.

I thought I would be so happy to say that - and in a way I am because he has a job in the field he really wanted - but my little boy isn't a little boy anymore; he's moving out and moving on. Wow talk about mixed emotions here.

If you have a Twitter Account .....

If you have a Twitter Account do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT click on any of the links you may find that say something about clicking to get more followers.

Silly me had a Twitter Account (kat1126) and at the moment it is suspended for Abuse. Since I haven't been on Twitter since sometime last week and hadn't been on the computer since last night I was at a loss. Then when I signed in this morning I opened twitter because I got an email of a new "follower" - I see I had sent a tweet about 3AM about getting more followers ......... so I tried to cancel my account with that site AND changed my password with Twitter. About an hour ago I see an email from Twitter telling me my account was suspended until August 17th.

The link for the messed up site is something like tinyurl.com or tiny.cc/LTRYc

Please be warned - it will mess up your account so that you too will lose your twitter account (at least for a week) and after that time you can petition to have your account restored.

Perhaps this is part of the problem Twitter was having last week - the flood gates opened with this site. You would think that Twitter would have figured out that this site is the problem when EVERYONE has the same link in their mega postings. So I'm guessing if and when I get my account back I will have been ignored by all my followers (not that there were that many) or blocked from everyone.

Just be warned - Twitter is taking this seriously - but YOU will be the one that gets suspended not the site that took over your account.

Questions regarding Health Care Bill

Now I will probably get flack for this - but I received an email today with a copy of a letter that a doctor sent to his Senator.

I don't know if all of these references are still in the bill - and I bet the Senators don't either since I'm willing to bet that most of them haven't read the bill (any version) just like they didn't read the "bail out" bill from last before they voted for it. If these items are still in the bill (as it stands now) I worry about what will happen to us.

Yes Health Care NEEDS to be reformed. Yes Health Care NEEDS to be available to everyone. Where is the REFORM to lawsuits that are for anything that strikes someones fancy - I don't like how my "nose job" turned out - I'll sue ..... That needs to be in here too since that would decrease costs. I'm not talking about real malpractice - I'm talking about the idiotic suits that get settled because its "cheaper" when in reality it just increases my premiums. As expensive as my current policy is (and I don't use it very often) I don't want anyone to tell me that my plan is "too good" and I have to decrease it for the same amount of money (or more). If anyone knows if these items have been eliminated from the current version of the bill - please advise.

Here are the points that the doctor included - and to be honest I've not heard ANYONE in ANY "discussion" about Health Care Reform show where these points don't exist, in some discussions they ignore the question/point. This may not be exactly what the President is saying he wants for Health Care Reform - but unfortunately we all know the Congressmen and Senators love to put in these little things that get hidden in huge bills that no one knows about until things start happening. And then we are digging out of a bigger hole and blaming those that are just using the "benefits" that were put into the law.

Page 22 of the HC Bill: Mandates that the Govt will audit books of all employers that self insure!!
Page 30 Sec 123 of HC bill - THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get.
Page 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill: YOUR HEALTH CARE IS RATIONED!!!
Page 42 of HC Bill:The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your HC Benefits for you. You have no choice!
Page 50 Section 152 in HC bill: HC will be provided to ALL non-US citizens, illegal or otherwise
Page 58 HC Bill: Govt will have real-time access to individuals finances; a National ID Healthcard will be issued!
Page 59 HC Bill lines 21-24: Govt will have direct access to your bank accounts for elective funds transfer.
Page 65 HC Bill Sec 164: is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in Unions; community organizations: (ACORN).
Page 84 Sec 203 HC bill: Govt mandates ALL benefit packages for private HC plans in the Exchange.
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications for of Benefit Levels for Plans = The Govt will ration your Healthcare!
Page 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill: Govt mandates linguistic appropriate services. Example - Translation: illegal aliens.
Page 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18: The Govt will use groups i.e., ACORN; Americorps to sign up individuals for Govt HC plan.
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans. AARP members - your Health care WILL be rationed.
Page 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill: Medicaid Eligible Individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No choice.
Page 124 lines 24-25 HC: No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No "judicial review" against Govt Monopoly.
Page 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill: Doctors/ American Medical Association - The Govt will tell YOU what you can make! (salary)
Page 145 Line 15-17: An Employer MUST auto enroll employees into public option plan. NO CHOICE!
Page 126 Lines 22-25: Employers MUST pay for HC for part time employees AND their families.
Page 149 Lines 16-24: ANY Employer with payroll $401k and above who does not provide public option pays 8% tax on all payroll.
Page 150 Lines 9-13: Business's with payroll btw $251k and $401k who doesn't provide public option pays 2-6% tax on all payroll.
Page 167 Lines 18-23: ANY individual who doesn't have acceptable HC according to Govt will be taxed 2.5% of income.
Page 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill: Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay)
Page 195 HC Bill: Officers & employees of HC Admin (GOVT) will have access to ALL Americans finances /personal records.
Page 203 Line 14-15 HC: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax" Yes, it says that!
Page 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill: Govt will reduce physician services for Medicaid Seniors, low income and poor are affected.
Page 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill: Doctors, doesn't matter what specialty you have, you'll all be paid the same!
Page 253 Line 10-18: Govt sets value of Doctor's time, profession, judgment etc. Literally value of humans.
Page 265 Sec 1131: Govt mandates & controls productivity for private HC industries.
Page 268 Sec 1141: Federal Govt regulates rental & purchase of power driven wheelchairs.
Page 272 SEC. 1145: TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS - Cancer patients - welcome to rationing!
Page 280 Sec 1151: The Govt will penalize hospitals for whatever Govt deems preventable re-admissions.
Page 298 Lines 9-11: Doctors, treat a patient during initial admission that results in a re-admission -Govt will penalize you.
Page 317 L 13-20: PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Govt tells Doctors what/how much they can own!
Page 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3: PROHIBITION on expansion- Govt is mandating hospitals cannot expand.
Page 321 2-13: Hospitals have opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input is required. Can u say ACORN?!
Page 335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339: Govt mandates establishment of outcome based measures. HC the way they want. Rationing.
Page 341 Lines 3-9: Govt has authority to disqualify Medicare Advance Plans, HMOs, etc. Forcing people into Govt plan.
Page 354 Sec 1177: Govt will RESTRICT enrollment of Special needs people! Unbelievable!
Page 379 Sec 1191: Govt creates more bureaucracy - Tele-health Advisory Comittee. Can you say HC by phone?
Page 425 Lines 4-12: Govt mandates Advance Care Planning Consult. Think Senior Citizens end of life patients.
Page 425 Lines 17-19: Govt will instruct & consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney. Mandatory!
Page 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3: Govt provides approved list of end of life resources, guiding you in death. (assisted suicide)
Page 427 Lines 15-24: Govt mandates program for orders for end of life. The Govt has a say in how your life ends.
Page 429 Lines 1-9: An "advanced care planning consultant" will be used frequently as patients health deteriorates.
Page 429 Lines 10-12: "advanced care consultation" may include an ORDER for end of life plans. AN ORDER from GOVT!
Page 429 Lines 13-25: The govt will specify which Doctors can write an end of life order.
Page 430 Lines 11-15: The Govt will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of life!
Page 469: Community Based Home Medical Services = Non profit organizations. Hello, ACORN Medical Services here!!?
Page 472 Lines 14-17: PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORIGINATION. 1 monthly payment 2 a community-based organization. Like ACORN?
Page 489 Sec 1308: The Govt will cover Marriage & Family therapy. Which means they will insert Govt into your marriage.
Page 494-498: Govt will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, rationing those services.

Make it YOUR Bank Account

A wonderful story/idea that we should ALL take to heart.
I'm planning on starting each day with this in mind.

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even hough he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today..

His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.

'I love it', he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year old just having been presented with a new puppy. 'Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'
'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied. Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged .. it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.

It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.

Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life..

Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in'.

So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!

Thank you for your part in filling my Memory Bank. I am still depositing.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

Spread this message to every other people you meet today. You will receive a miracle tomorrow.

Now, STOP! Did you hear what I just said. You WILL receive a miracle tomorrow. So spread it right now!

Have a nice day, unless you already have other plans.

Twitter is down ........

But is it down for the count??

If you have tried to access twitter today, you have been extremely frustrated. But I have the answer ......... I just heard it on the news.

Twitter is being hit by an external attack giving a denial of service to its users.

Twitter is trying to fix this for its many users, however it will not give a time frame as to when they expect people to be able to access twitter again.

I'm suspecting this is a rather "serious" attack.

I'm also glad I am not twitter dependent ......... I'd be going into withdrawals by now.

Zappos.com The North Face Review

Recently, I was asked to review the website Zappos.com, specifically for The North Face products (zappos.com/The-North-Face), so of course I went to check it out. I love going to see new places and new products, especially when there is no pressure to buy.

There is a quick history of North Face so you have an idea just how the brand came to be. The North Face company was started in 1966 by two hiking lovers and just seemed to blossom from there. High performance products were designed with their love of hiking in mind, but it didn’t stop there. There are clothes, shoes, boots, jackets, bags and sporting bags and all are available through zappos.com/The-North-Face.

One of the first things I noticed was that the index showed a breakdown by type and classification. Many sites will give you the classification, Men’s or Women’s, for example, and then you have to click and click and click to find that part of the site you are looking for. Zappos.com gives you the classifications, types and how many of each are available right on the initial search page. It also tells you, under a separate heading, New Arrivals by type, On Sale items by type, as well as the ability to view the whole collection. When you pick the type of item you are looking for, the site moves you to a new search screen, where you can narrow your choices even more.

Lets look at Women’s Shoes to show you what I mean. To see this search screen click here zappos.com/womens-the-north-face-shoes and you can see all the subcategories of women’s shoes. What I really like is that instead of having to look through all 158 pairs of Women’s shoes, you can narrow that down by type, size, width, color, and even price range. I really like this feature. I found 35 pairs of running shoes in my size AND under $100 in less than 5 seconds.

Another plus to Zappos.com is the Free Shipping – both ways if you decide your purchase is not the correct one for you. Yes, FREE shipping as well as a 365 Day Return Policy. Where else can you find that long a return policy and free shipping even if you return it? Those days and places are few and far between but at Zappos.com, this is the norm. Check it out here shipping-and-returns and you can see for yourself - unbelievable.

There are so many things to choose from that I am having a hard time deciding what to try. In this day and age of casual/business casual/dressed down days at work there are many items you could get. If you just want something to wear for your day off or on your vacation, this is the place to look. I bet you could even find something to use for back to school – some of their bags would be great backpacks for all those heavy text books.

Go check them out at zappos.com/The-North-Face . Believe me, you won’t be disappointed.

Do they know?

One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't "anymore".

No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute."

Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, say "I love you."

So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick.

This is true for marriage .....
And old cars ..
And children with bad report cards,
and dogs with bad hips,
and aging parents and grandparents.

We keep them because they are worth it,
because we are worth it.

Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a sister-in-law after divorce.
There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.

Life is important, like people we know who are special.. And so, we keep them close!

I received this from someone who thought I was a 'keeper'! Then I sent it to the people I think of in the same way... Now it's your turn to send this to all those people who are "keepers" in your life, whether you copy it from here or just make sure that they know.

Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know you love them?

I was thinking...I could die today, tomorrow or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said.

Let every one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do.
And just in case I'm gone tomorrow

Hey listen up now--
I LOVE YA!!!
You mean the world to me

Live today to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised to anyone.

Sorry I've been MIA

Can't believe its been almost 2 weeks since I posted last. I don't know if its the weather here (rain or high humidity or both) or too much going on (strange sicknesses, employment procedures, meetings, all around blah) or none of the above.

I have been reading different bloggers - most on my favorites list, but not all - and making comments but just haven't had anything to say here. I wish I could say HEY ALL Dan got his formal notification of employment, I wish I could show more pics of Jenn's photo/movie/tv shoots, or something exciting like that. Unfortunately I got NADA. I may have to get my sister to tell me what's going on - since she seems to be more in the loop with my son than I am ......... at least where the job situation stands. I'm going to have to figure something out.

Vacation starts in exactly 13 days. I am excited to go - haven't been to Marco Island in too many years to think. Even if all I do is lay by the pool, swim, sit in the jacuzzi or walk on the beach for a week I will be in heaven. I guess I'm just so tired of all the rain we have had, I am tired of being stuck inside. Being in Florida in the middle of August is what we did for years - but being on Marco is so much different than other parts of Florida (that I remember) because you have the constant gulf breezes that the heat doesn't seem so bad.

Hopefully I'll have some nice pictures to share and be able to come back refreshed - looking forward to fall (even though it doesn't seem like we had a summer here) and be able to announce other good news.

Success

The greatest waste of our natural resources, is the number of people who never achieve their potential. Get ou of that slow lane. Shift into the fast lane.

If you think you can't, you won't.
If you think you can, there is a good chance you will.
Even making the effort will make you feel like a new person.

Reputations are made by searching for things that can't be done,
and then doing them.

Aim low: BORING
Aim high: SOARING

Is this the norm or is it time to replace this doctor?

On Wednesday at 4PM I go with my son to his eye doctor's appointment (in case he couldn't drive home) and of course we had to wait until almost 30 minutes after his appointment time to get called. After we go back into the exam room, they take him to check his eyes with a machine that exacts the prescription he would need. Then they bring him back into the room and a different person checks his eyes with the "manual" version of the prescription to check for "fine" tuning. He asks if his prescription had changed and if so was it alot. The tech said what's his strength now - which, because he had his contact box in his pocket, told her. She said "oh yeah it changed alot" and then she told him the strength. I think she gave him the glasses prescription compared to the contact strength, but who am I?

Finally the doctor comes in. She checks his eyes for glaucoma and talks about his health, etc. Because of his prescription strength they talk about Lasik, which she brought up, but he was thinking about it. He said he would think about it. We asked for a copy of his prescriptions since he may be moving soon. The prescriptions for the contacts were just a .25 step up from his old prescription, but a different type from his old ones. The prescription for the glasses (for a backup) was a .25 step DOWN from what we were told by the tech. We ordered 1 box of contacts before we left.

When we got home I had a copy of the prescription from last year for his glasses and it was the same as what we had been told in the office by the tech NOT what was on the prescription by the doctor. So already I'm concerned.

Today I got a call telling me that his contacts were in. Since he is working, I went down to pick them up. I get there and they are his OLD prescription and the OLD type. I said those aren't the ones we ordered. And we went into this whole thing with the prescriptions/visit/and this order. Now I have to wait until tomorrow when the doctor is in this office to talk to her - which of course I will be bringing the prescriptions with me.

If there was a problem with the prescription/type of contacts why didn't they talk to the doctor and then if there was a change call us? Why would they order the old prescription - did they think we wouldn't notice? Or is this incompetance on the part of the "office" the doctor, the tech, the contact order person? Oh and I heard that there were people waiting for over 2 hours today for their appointment ....... no way would I have done that one. There would have been hell to pay on that one.

Anyone else find that people don't seem to give a damn anymore - even with health care items? You would think with all the discussions on health care of late (and the insurance fiasco) people would be taking a bit more time and make sure things are done correctly the first time.

Small town with Everything?

I can't believe it has been over a week since I posted to my blog - where has the time gone? What did I do with myself?........... To be honest, I have been a raving lunatic.

Monday I had to take my son's truck to the dealer because the window stopped going up or down. Thankfully it was stuck in the "up" position. Oh and the front axles were leaking (not that we realized until it was being inspected) so that too was fixed under the extended warranty. And then I had to run (ok drive) home to make the dentist with my son. And find something to make for dinner. Ah and my son got a letter of conditional employment for his dream job - now he just has to pass the physical and some social service report and he will be a full time employed citizen, no more multiple part time jobs. Fingers crossed but very hopeful.

Tuesday had to get an eye doctors appointment for my son as well as do a Costco run. I try to do the Costco trip once or twice a month (especially in the summer) so that I don't have a ton of stuff to put away, nor all that stuff in a possibly hot car trunk if the sun is beating (not that its been that warm this year). And pay some bills - how I just LOVE this job (NOT)

Wednesday I had to get some food shopping (oh how I hate doing this one) - sale stuff and things I can't get at the Costco. Oh and stop at the jewelers to have my watch fixed (thankfully only a battery needed) And of course get back in time to go to the eye doctors just in case son couldn't drive after the exam. And then make something quick for dinner. And then take daughter to doctors to do a check on spider bite.

Today, Thursday, I thought I would do some laundry and try to re-arrange my food "storage" area - you know the overflow when things are on sale, great buy at Costco's, paper towels and toilet paper (you know you can never have too much of that).

Whoa I really did have a full week, no wonder I've been feeling a bit run down.

But as I was sitting here thinking I really should go through the mail and look at the papers that has been sitting here for a few days. So I grabbed the "Your Business" section of Tuesdays paper and low and behold I see I am living in one of the TOP best small towns in the country!

As a matter of fact ....... I live in the 6th best place to live in the country, according to Money Magazine. Thank you very much. Now I'm almost 12 years older than the median age and my house is about 2/3 of the median price but hey I do live in a top rated small town. Oh and my mayor said we're #1 in New Jersey ......

Now I have to find the Money Magazine to read who was number 1. To see if I want to move there, nahhhhh I'm stuck here - unless maybe its closer to where my son should be moving to.

Free Fiber One Bar and Coupon offer

I have become a Fiber One follower. I really love the fact that I can have good food (muffins are pretty darned good) and have a higher "fiber content" to keep me getting closer to the RDA every day without having to go crazy.

Now FiberOne is giving away a free bar and cereal sample AND $5 off coupons for Fiber One products. I've asked for mine already. Maybe you should ask too - especially if you aren't a FiberOne fan already. Click here for your chance to try it free - fiberone

Happy Fourth Of July

On this day - Our Independence Day - we should stop and remember what this day really means for us. Yes it is a day for family and friends. A day for picnics and parties and good times. But it is also a day that men fought hard for, a day where men gave their lives so that WE could be FREE.

This is a great video that someone put together so that we can remember just how far we have come but to not forget those that gave us this freedom.

vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=21689194

I do hope you enjoy it.

It is because of the early patriots that we were Free. It is because of our soldiers that we remain Free. To each and every one of them, we owe a debt of gratitude. So after you see this video (or even before) every time you see a soldier - make sure you say thank you.

Remember Freedom IS NOT Free. Every soldier is paying for your freedom.

Fullbar - The Alternative to Surgery

I'm sure you have seen the commercial for fullbar- the alternative for gastric-bypass surgery, I know I have. To be honest, it sounded like an interesting concept. Going to the doctor is NOT high on my list of things to do - unless it is something for my kids, or I'm dying. So if I had ever thought of gastric bypass surgery for myself (although I wouldn't be a candidate) - well THAT wouldn't happen, but a non surgical alternative ? ? ? That peaked my interest.

This morning I was at Costco's to pick up a few things before the holiday weekend and I saw 2 for the 5 flavors of Fullbar there. You can check out all the flavors here: fullbar-flavors. So since I wanted to try it - I picked up the Cocoa Chip, which was pretty darned good. The box size of 15 bars is smaller than what you can buy from them direct, but it was perfect to try. Since I thought the cocoa one was good - I think I might get the peanut butter one next time I go. The bar was not super chocolate tasting, and really not very sweet, but had a very pleasant flavor. It was soft and chewy, with no unpleasant aftertaste as is sometimes the case with "diet" foods.

I had 1 bar, with a large glass of seltzer after I had put everything I had bought away. Now it was about 1:30 and I was STARVING. I figured it would either help me to slow down when I did get to eat and therefore not overeat, or show me that you need to have the bar before your hunger gets too great.

Let me tell you - I had to force myself to eat something at 2PM I was no longer hungry. I will also try this again when I get dinner ready. I will eat one while I am cooking dinner and see how it works with dinner. And to really make it a test - I'm making chicken parm with penne - a favorite of mine.

If you are interested in reducing that scale number without feeling deprived, you really should check it out. To see how it works - in their own words jump on over to their site here and read how-it-works. And if you would like to know the who behind this great discovery, read Dr Snyder's bio here meet-dr-snyder

I'm really glad I found fullbar.com - and hope you will check them out too. I am really hoping that with this and continuing on my weight loss menus I will finally be able to kick these last 20 lbs out the door ....... and who knows maybe I'll go for 30 :D

FitFlops ........

These look like the most comfortable "flip flops" around. Now they aren't flip flops but geez it looks like I could live in these shoes. Now Feisty Frugal and Fabulous is giving you the chance to win a pair. The giveaway is open to US and Canadian "viewers" and is open until the end of July - LOTS of time to enter. Now I didn't wait - I entered already because I don't want to miss out.

I'm also ordering a pair now so that I can try them out long before I win (hehehe, wouldn't that be nice!)

Check it out and give a shout out to Tenille - I'm sure she would love to hear from you when she gets back from VACA ..... fitflop

More Email Tips and Tricks

I just love when my email has interesting yet helpful information. Here are more tips that I got from on office. They are such helpful people!

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little "stringy things" off of it. That's how the primates do it.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in a double boiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!

Reheat Pizza Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy.. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs - Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting - When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size.. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster

Broken Glass - Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

No More Mosquitoes - Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away! - To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper.. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Flexible vacuum - To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling - Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing pantyhose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... ta da! .. static is gone.

Measuring Cups - Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield? - Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the window s fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening envelope - If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Conditioner - Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Goodbye Fruit Flies - To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants - Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it "home," can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.)
He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material ... I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well ... the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit.
You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free ... that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box ... well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen..

This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it!
He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower)is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush)at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that.

So, I thought I'd share!

Absolutely wonderful product

I will be honest, I do not remember exactly how I stumbled onto Vocalpoint, but I am so glad I did. They are part of or related to Procter & Gamble family. I do love P&G products, although I don't use them exclusively, I do have a very large supply of their products throughout my home.

Funny story - well its funny to me. When I first moved into my home (28 years ago) I pretty much had to set up everything from scratch - dear hubby didn't bring anything with him. Since he was a volunteer fireman in town, a lot of our friends were fireman and their wives. They had always made me feel comfortable, but really made me feel welcome when I left my family and moved into the town. For the Christmas Holidays, I decided that we should have a party for everyone to show my appreciation. Most of the men worked for P&G - just not my hubby, and at one point everyone was in my kitchen going through the cabinets, if it was a P&G product much cheering erupted and if the product wasn't ........ they decided it needed to be thrown out. Thankfully there was more cheering then anything else. Hence part of my love for P&G products.

Ok back to my reason for loving VocalPoint .... last week I received a box from Vocalpoint that had a fabulous product - the Bounce Dryer Bar. It smells AMAZING. I put it in my dryer almost immediately and have been using it ever since. It attaches to the drum and works its magic every time you use your dryer. No need to dryer sheets that ALWAYS seem to be on the floor in front of the dryer (somehow NO ONE picks them up) but your clothes have the wonderful dryer sheet smell/freshness/anti-staticness (ok is that a word?).

If you would like to test products or see what's new / coming to stores sign up to be a member of Vocalpoint. I don't think you will be disappointed, I know I haven't been.

Isaiah 65:24

I received this in my email this morning. I wonder if there is something coming into my life that I need to be reminded of this.

It continues to be a reminder that God knows our needs before we do!!


This beautiful story was written by a doctor who worked in Central Africa .

One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts.

One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). 'And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.

During prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God' she prayed, 'Send us a hot water bottle today. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon. While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her? As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say 'Amen'? I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the porch was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly... excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.

From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the...could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!' Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked, 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her? 'Of course,' I replied!

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that afternoon'.

'Before they call, I will answer.'

When you receive this, say the prayer. That's all you have to do. No strings attached. Just send it on to whomever you want - but do send it on. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost, but a lot of rewards.

Let's continue praying for one another.. This awesome prayer takes less than a minute.

Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this. I ask You to minister to their spirit. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence to work through them. Where there is tiredness or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding, guidance, and strength. Where there is fear, reveal Your love and release to them Your courage. Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders and friends to support and encourage them. Give each of them discernment to recognize the evil forces around them and reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat it. I ask You to do these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will bless you both.
Passing this on to one not considered a friend is something Christ would do.