It has been so cold here in South Carolina. We even had a white Christmas, which hasn't happened in over 45 years. The snow is slowly melting away, but the temperatures are still pretty chilly. I am ready to go somewhere warm, with beautiful beaches so I can get my feet wet in the ocean water. I told Junior he needs to look into west palm beach real estate, not to buy anything, but to find a rental place where we could stay for a few days. Brandi has been asking for years to go to the ocean, and I think this year we might actually do it. Well, I say this year, but I really mean next year, seeing as how there are only two days left in this year.
Either way, I am looking forward to some down time with my family.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
On Company Time
Do you own your own company, and have company vehicles? If so, you may want to look into vehicle tracking systems. Knowing where you employees are while on company time can save you money in a bunch of different ways. For one thing, gas prices are pretty high right now, and if your employee is using the company vehicle to run personal errands on company time, you have a right to know bout it so that you can put a stop to it. Tracking your vehicles can also insure that your employees are being efficient.
Some people may think this is an invasion of their privacy, but I don't agree with that. If you are on the clock, than your boss has a right to know how you are spending your time.
Some people may think this is an invasion of their privacy, but I don't agree with that. If you are on the clock, than your boss has a right to know how you are spending your time.
Easy DIY Quilt For My Daughter
Guest post written by Tina Carlson
I love making things for my family and I think that they like the stuff I make them. It's not like I knit them embarrassing sweaters every year for Christmas or anything, but I really think about what they could use like a new pair of gloves or a scarf to match a new winter coat.
Right now my daughter just finished up her first semester of college and it's so nice to have her back at home for the holidays. I thought that I could make something really nice for her to take back with her to use at school. While I was online I came across a site with some internet packages on it and after I looked through them, I decided to sign up for one of them.
I decided to make her a easy DIY quilt that she could put on her bed in her dorm room and have as an extra layer of warmth in that drafty old dorm. I think that she'll like it, especially because I made it to match her bed's comforter.
I love making things for my family and I think that they like the stuff I make them. It's not like I knit them embarrassing sweaters every year for Christmas or anything, but I really think about what they could use like a new pair of gloves or a scarf to match a new winter coat.
Right now my daughter just finished up her first semester of college and it's so nice to have her back at home for the holidays. I thought that I could make something really nice for her to take back with her to use at school. While I was online I came across a site with some internet packages on it and after I looked through them, I decided to sign up for one of them.
I decided to make her a easy DIY quilt that she could put on her bed in her dorm room and have as an extra layer of warmth in that drafty old dorm. I think that she'll like it, especially because I made it to match her bed's comforter.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
I'm A Charter Mom
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Charter. All opinions are 100% mine.
I just "liked" the new Charter Moms Facebook page. This is a place where mom's can voice their opinions on all things Charter. For those of you who don't know, Charter is the 4th largest cable operator in the United States, and just so happens to provide me with my cable, internet, and home phone. I have been a loyal customer for many years, and overall, I have been very happy with the service they provide.
When I heard about Charter Moms, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it. I want to be one of the first to know about new programs and features that are available. As a new customer many years ago, I didn't know about their on demand feature for several months. Once I realized what it was, I could have slapped myself for not using it before. I have almost every channel available, including all the movie channels. I like watching movies on demand with the kids, because it gives me the ability to pause and even rewind if one of the kids missed a part. I also love watching Victorious on demand. I know, it's a show geared towards kids, but I really like it. I have been known to watch it even when the kids aren't.
Don't judge me. You know there are shows you secretly watch, too.
I just "liked" the new Charter Moms Facebook page. This is a place where mom's can voice their opinions on all things Charter. For those of you who don't know, Charter is the 4th largest cable operator in the United States, and just so happens to provide me with my cable, internet, and home phone. I have been a loyal customer for many years, and overall, I have been very happy with the service they provide.
When I heard about Charter Moms, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it. I want to be one of the first to know about new programs and features that are available. As a new customer many years ago, I didn't know about their on demand feature for several months. Once I realized what it was, I could have slapped myself for not using it before. I have almost every channel available, including all the movie channels. I like watching movies on demand with the kids, because it gives me the ability to pause and even rewind if one of the kids missed a part. I also love watching Victorious on demand. I know, it's a show geared towards kids, but I really like it. I have been known to watch it even when the kids aren't.
Don't judge me. You know there are shows you secretly watch, too.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Four More Days!
I can not believe there are only four days until Christmas day. This is the first year, in many, many years that we have not had to borrow money to get the kids their gifts. Sure, it's not going to be a big Christmas, but each kid is going to get exactly what they asked for, which doesn't happen very often around here.
We have lots to do the next few days, too. On Christmas Eve, we are going to visit some of my husband's cousins, and then we are going to my sister's house to exchange gifts with my dad. Christmas Day will be spent with my mom, of course, which I am really looking forward to.
I am also looking forward to seeing what Junior and the kids have for mt under the tree. It's been many, many years since Junior and I have spent money on each other, letting the kids pick out gifts for us. We decided that we will worry about "real life" stuff like car insurance and changing our cable package after the first of the year. We have until February to pay for our yearly car insurance policy, and I think I have until March to decide about the cable. It's nice to put those things on the back burner for the next week or so, and not worry about money. Or even worry about anything.
We are dedicated to enjoying this Christmas, stress free.
We have lots to do the next few days, too. On Christmas Eve, we are going to visit some of my husband's cousins, and then we are going to my sister's house to exchange gifts with my dad. Christmas Day will be spent with my mom, of course, which I am really looking forward to.
I am also looking forward to seeing what Junior and the kids have for mt under the tree. It's been many, many years since Junior and I have spent money on each other, letting the kids pick out gifts for us. We decided that we will worry about "real life" stuff like car insurance and changing our cable package after the first of the year. We have until February to pay for our yearly car insurance policy, and I think I have until March to decide about the cable. It's nice to put those things on the back burner for the next week or so, and not worry about money. Or even worry about anything.
We are dedicated to enjoying this Christmas, stress free.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Shopping On Black Friday Is The Best
Guest post written by Rolf Tate
It's the first day of the Christmas shopping season. Stores put everything on sale at phenomenal prices. Okay, the traffic is snarled and the people are militant, but there's a reason for that. Women drive the economy; it's a statistical fact. It's women who shop on Black Friday and women who buy most of the Christmas decorations and presents. So you crawl through the crowds with your purchases clutched to your chest and actually make it to the checkout.
But I got the deal of the century on a new coffeepot. I was in Kohl's and saw a black twelve cup Mr. Coffee coffeepot for twenty dollars. The sale price knocked it down to fifteen. At the register, unbeknownst to me, was yet another discount and so I got a great coffeepot for eight dollars! I put the coffeepot in the car and went back in to get a gift for my three year old granddaughter.
I happened across a set of blocks with letters and numbers to help my daughter teach her to count and teach her the alphabet. The set was ten dollars but with the discount at the register, I got the set of blocks for four dollars! I just love Kohl's!
As I watched satellite TV that I got after seeing this Directtv comparison, I was very thankful to be home with few bruises.
It's the first day of the Christmas shopping season. Stores put everything on sale at phenomenal prices. Okay, the traffic is snarled and the people are militant, but there's a reason for that. Women drive the economy; it's a statistical fact. It's women who shop on Black Friday and women who buy most of the Christmas decorations and presents. So you crawl through the crowds with your purchases clutched to your chest and actually make it to the checkout.
But I got the deal of the century on a new coffeepot. I was in Kohl's and saw a black twelve cup Mr. Coffee coffeepot for twenty dollars. The sale price knocked it down to fifteen. At the register, unbeknownst to me, was yet another discount and so I got a great coffeepot for eight dollars! I put the coffeepot in the car and went back in to get a gift for my three year old granddaughter.
I happened across a set of blocks with letters and numbers to help my daughter teach her to count and teach her the alphabet. The set was ten dollars but with the discount at the register, I got the set of blocks for four dollars! I just love Kohl's!
As I watched satellite TV that I got after seeing this Directtv comparison, I was very thankful to be home with few bruises.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Brandi's Teacher's Christmas Gift
Did you follow that? Since Brandi is my only kid who still wants to give her teacher a gift, I decided to make it special. As some of you know, Brandi is in an all girl's class, and the room is done in pink and black prints. This is what I came up with:
brI know the picture isn't the best...my camera broke, and my mom left her's here over the weekend, so I tried using hers, and, well, it's not like mine at all. That said, I think Brandi's teacher will like this.
DIY iPad Case
Guest post written by Sam Rodriguez
I kind of wanted an ipad for a while, but I broke down about a month ago and finally bought one for myself. I actually have gotten quite a bit of use out of it, so I'm satisfied that I'll eventually get the money's worth out of it, which is the reason that I put it off for so long.
But I still haven't bought an ipad case for it yet. I thought that could wait. I wanted to shop around for that anyway. When I was shopping around for one online one night, I actually found some information about Clearwire wireless internet systems and decided to change over my home internet access to that provider.
I found all kinds of great cases that looked like I could actually recreate myself, so I decided to just pull of an DIY ipad case. I mean, I didn't think that would be too hard to make. Now this way I could even personalize my case with my name and make it exactly how I want it.
I kind of wanted an ipad for a while, but I broke down about a month ago and finally bought one for myself. I actually have gotten quite a bit of use out of it, so I'm satisfied that I'll eventually get the money's worth out of it, which is the reason that I put it off for so long.
But I still haven't bought an ipad case for it yet. I thought that could wait. I wanted to shop around for that anyway. When I was shopping around for one online one night, I actually found some information about Clearwire wireless internet systems and decided to change over my home internet access to that provider.
I found all kinds of great cases that looked like I could actually recreate myself, so I decided to just pull of an DIY ipad case. I mean, I didn't think that would be too hard to make. Now this way I could even personalize my case with my name and make it exactly how I want it.
Monday, December 13, 2010
DIY Ribbon Bulletin Board
Guest post written by Stacy Carlson
I'm so bad about forgetting to hold onto business cards or pictures or other little random things that people give me. I end up throwing a lot of them away or losing them under my couch, which can really cause problems when I try to find them later. But here lately, I've been trying to be a little more organized. I've bought a few different organizational things and everything. However, I still hadn't found anything that would be perfect to use to store all of that stuff while leaving it out for me to see and remind myself of what I do have.
I went online to try and find an organizational solution for that and actually came across some info about York Wireless internet deals and decided to order one of them to change over my internet access.
After a whole lot of searching, I decided that a ribbon bulletin board was exactly what I was thinking. I could easily make it and just stick cards or whatever I needed to hold onto it with the ribbons so that they wouldn't get ruined.
I'm so bad about forgetting to hold onto business cards or pictures or other little random things that people give me. I end up throwing a lot of them away or losing them under my couch, which can really cause problems when I try to find them later. But here lately, I've been trying to be a little more organized. I've bought a few different organizational things and everything. However, I still hadn't found anything that would be perfect to use to store all of that stuff while leaving it out for me to see and remind myself of what I do have.
I went online to try and find an organizational solution for that and actually came across some info about York Wireless internet deals and decided to order one of them to change over my internet access.
After a whole lot of searching, I decided that a ribbon bulletin board was exactly what I was thinking. I could easily make it and just stick cards or whatever I needed to hold onto it with the ribbons so that they wouldn't get ruined.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Getting The House Ready
Have you ever been the victim of a flood? The way it was raining here last night I was convinced our little home would be swept away. The weather men had talked about it snowing, but thankfully it was just rain. Today is Brandi's birthday party, and if I had to worry about applied structural drying the party would be ruined.
As it is now, the girls and I are trying to get the house clean and ready. I am baking meatballs to go with my ziti, Brandi is cleaning the bathroom, and Kasi is working on the floors. We have mostly hardwoods (the fake kind) and an area rug. The rug seem to be a catch all for every piece of dirt in this house, and I hate having to drag out the vacuum just to clean it. Most of the time, I just sweep it, but that just gets rid of the surface dirt. I really need to look for some rug cleaning tips so I can get all the ground in dirt out. I would hate to see what a carpet cleaner would pull out of it.
If I had thought ahead, I would have looked up some do it yourself upholstery cleaning tips and tried to clean the couch. Most of the time I keep a sheet on it, so it's not too bad. It's just nice every now and them to do a little Spring cleaning, even if it is Winter time.
As it is now, the girls and I are trying to get the house clean and ready. I am baking meatballs to go with my ziti, Brandi is cleaning the bathroom, and Kasi is working on the floors. We have mostly hardwoods (the fake kind) and an area rug. The rug seem to be a catch all for every piece of dirt in this house, and I hate having to drag out the vacuum just to clean it. Most of the time, I just sweep it, but that just gets rid of the surface dirt. I really need to look for some rug cleaning tips so I can get all the ground in dirt out. I would hate to see what a carpet cleaner would pull out of it.
If I had thought ahead, I would have looked up some do it yourself upholstery cleaning tips and tried to clean the couch. Most of the time I keep a sheet on it, so it's not too bad. It's just nice every now and them to do a little Spring cleaning, even if it is Winter time.
Do You Want To Be A Teacher?
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of 2tor. All opinions are 100% mine.
For all you busy moms out there, going to school online is an easy way to continue your education without sacrificing time with your family. You can study on your own time, and work your school work into your own schedule. Depending on what you want to study, there are several different schools that offer online classes. If you are interested in becoming a teacher, you should check out the The USC Rossier School of Education’s MAT@USC program. If you qualify, you can participate in their accelerated program, which you can finish in a little as 12 months. You can take classes online and gain field experience in your own area. Again, this is something you can fit into your own schedule. They also offer tuition reimbursement and scholarships, which will come in handy with today's economy. If this sounds like something you are interested in, you can check out the program information for yourself.
I have been toying with going back to school for a while now, but I can't seem to make up my mind. I need to find out about transferring my credits from when I went to college years ago, though I doubt many of them will be transferable. I will most likely have to start over, which I don't really mind. It's just that it can be expensive, and we are tight on money right now. But, if I do go back to school, when I graduate, I will make more money, which makes it all worth while.
Right?
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Free Dating Site
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of luvfree. All opinions are 100% mine.
More and more single people these days are turning to the internet to find their soul mates. There are so many different sites dedicated to helping a person find a compatible mate, it can get confusing trying to find the right one for you. Some boast they can match you with someone who meets all your needs, while others leave it to you to browse and find someone yourself.
On LuvFree, it's a little different. The more time you spend on the site, the more matches you will make. In fact, if someone is searching for a specific attribute that you possess, if you are online, you will be on the top of their match list. You can video chat, view profiles, message people, and rate photos, all for free. That's right. One of the biggest things that sets this dating site apart is that you are never charged for any of their services. There are no hidden charges, either. When they say free, they mean free.
I am thankful that I am happily married, and not having to deal with being single. It has been way too many years since my last date, and I would hate to have to do the whole dating thing again. It's scary out there.
Monday, December 6, 2010
2010 Ornament For Ryan
It's Beginning To Feel Like Christmas
It is cold today! Our high is only going to be 40 degrees. I was thrilled this morning when Brandi woke up still not feeling well, because that meant I didn't have to go to the bus stop when it was twenty something degrees. She has been fighting a cough for a while now, and it seems to be getting worse instead of better. So, instead of school we are taking a trip to the doctors. I'm hoping he'll be able to give her something to knock the cough out.
I have gotten used to the "not so cold" Christmas' we have here in South Carolina. That doesn't stop the stores from decorating like we're living at the North Pole. I love all the Santa villages and snowmen. Whenever we go to a store or the mall, I always think to myself that it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. Now if I could just finish up my shopping, things would be perfect. Kasi is the only one I have left to shop for, but whenever I try and find something for her, I find things I know Brandi would love.
I found this adorable umbrella that I know Brandi would love. I mean, it's a ladybug, and you all know about her ladybug obsessions. She reminds me of myself with elephants. Anyway, this is part of a Kidorable deal where they are offering this umbrella free with purchase until December 15. I am hoping I can find something to buy for Kasi, so that I can get this free umbrella.
If only I could find something for Kasi. Who knew it would be so hard shopping for a 13 year old girl?
I have gotten used to the "not so cold" Christmas' we have here in South Carolina. That doesn't stop the stores from decorating like we're living at the North Pole. I love all the Santa villages and snowmen. Whenever we go to a store or the mall, I always think to myself that it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. Now if I could just finish up my shopping, things would be perfect. Kasi is the only one I have left to shop for, but whenever I try and find something for her, I find things I know Brandi would love.
If only I could find something for Kasi. Who knew it would be so hard shopping for a 13 year old girl?
Friday, December 3, 2010
Almost Done
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pier 1 Imports. All opinions are 100% mine.
Last Friday, Junior and I ventured out to do a little shopping. It was Black Friday, so we were hoping to find some good deals. We didn't go out until after noon, so most of the great deals were long gone. however, we were able to get most of our shopping done. The only kid I have left to buy for is Kasi, and I just need to get her a few more things. One of the things I want to find is a flat wallet, which seems to be a popular accessory these days. The last time we were in our local mall, we found a kiosk that sells them, but they were $30 each. I flat out refuse to pay that much money for one wallet, no matter how badly she wants it.
I decided to look online to see if I could find a cheaper one, and I found a few that are pretty nice at Pier 1. The best thing is that they are on sale. I found these on sale for $3.98.
That is a huge savings. I also found these for $11.18, and I am thinking about getting her the zebra print one. I bought her a zebra print purse she was wanting, and this would match that perfectly.
Pier one also has a ton of decorations for your holiday entertaining. I know that when I step one foot into that store, I am going to want to buy everything. I love Christmas, and even though we don't have people over to our house for the holidays, I love decorating it anyway. The girls and I had fun putting up our tree last weekend, and I know all the decorations help to get them into the Holiday mood.
Pier 1 is collecting toys for Toys for Tots, so make sure you bring an unwrapped toy with you when you shop to donate. You can also make a cash donation at the register. If you are like me and running low on cash, you can always donate by going to the Pier 1 facebook page and "like" them. For every person who does this, they will donate a dollar to Toys for Tots. This is an easy way to give when you have nothing to give.
I'm off to go find a store in my area so I can buy Kasi that wallet.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Top Droppers ~ November
The following blog dropped here the most last month:
Comedy Plus ~ A place for a few laughs
Moonangelnay on Etsy ~ A contemporary handmade, fine art, photography, crafts, gifts, jewelry, fashion and Etsy focused blog, sharing weekly features, tutorials, original works and interviews of the new artists of Etsy.
my kids are my world ~ This is a blog about my life as a wife and mother of three kids, who are, obviously, my world.
Sparkle ~ Sparkle is the author of two cat-to-cat advice books (no humans!), has her own Muse Medallion-winning calendar and is one of the original cat bloggers - she has been blogging since January, 2003!
Random Ramblings ~ Personal observations on a wide variety of subjects. Photographs of creatures and things that are taken on seeing the unusual as well as everyday things.
Technology News ~ All about Technology
Traders' Hub ~ My blog gives trading advice, makes critical reviews of related sites, and teaches trading techniques.
Confessions of a Fitness Diva ~ The Fitness Diva shows you how to be fit and fabulous while still indulging in some of the more "sinful" things in life. Tips on how to be decadent, but still smart enough to stay looking amazing!
Da Dude's BBQ Thought ~ Da Dude's BBQ Thought & other things. The thoughts and rantings of a Barbecue God Wanna be!
The Sewing Mom ~ Personal blog showcasing my fabric creations. I also talk about family, friends, hobbies, cooking and daily life.
Thanks to all who dropped by!
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