Sheilacakes

I Used to Work in Child Care.

2012-01-23T13:10:00.007-05:00

Before I was a mom, I worked in day cares and preschools. I remember when there was a holiday or it was Teacher Appreciation week, I would get gifts. Now call me old fashioned but the smile of a young child was enough of a gift to me. I received all kinds of gifts from homemade cookie jars full of cookies to flowers and an occasional gift card or two. Sometimes, the gift card is for a place I don’t shop at. I remember receiving a Starbucks gift card at one point and call me crazy but I am not a Starbucks fan. I just have never been big on Starbucks so really it isn’t my thing. Another time I received a Talbot’s gift card, I have never found anything I was interested in there, their clothes are not my style, I am more of a t-shirt and jeans girl. I really am grateful for the gifts I receive but sometimes I don’t know what to do with the gift cards. My mom loves Starbucks so I usually hook her up with those we will sometimes do a gift card exchange where she will give me one of her unwanted gift cards, or if a friend has one I can use we trade.

When you can’t find a friend or family member to trade with there are sites online that are happy to help you sell your gift cards. I have seen them on eBay before but I am very leery when it comes to buying things of value on eBay because they could go and spend the balance between your purchase and send you an empty card. Those sites come in handy if you don’t have a bank account and you can’t use PayPal. I remember a time that I wanted to order some clothes from Victoria’s Secret and I had to go to the store and buy a gift card, it was a pain to make an extra trip. I know with a gift card exchange site they work hard to verify the amounts, so you can not only sell your gift card but you can also buy them.

What is the craziest gift card you have ever received?

ATTN: Parents with Tablets...

2012-01-22T23:39:00.002-05:00

If you are a parent that owns a tablet, an iPad, or even a smart phone, you will want to take special note of this post. Remember it read it often, this is important. I like most parents, let my five year old use my tablet, to play games, take care of his fish, and draw. I always am monitoring what he is doing, with him right next to me, but I am usually on my laptop doing work related things. I am not 100% watching what he is doing every single second, but make sure that he isn’t doing something he shouldn’t. Not that he would purposely do something he shouldn’t that would endanger him, come on he is five. It is part of our daily ritual for him to ask to use my tablet to check on his fish and play the plane game. I of course can’t resist his smile especially when his cheek dimple is present. I am putty in my five year old's hands. He has an allotted amount of tablet time each day, if he misbehaves that is the first thing to go.

You can of course purchase games, apps, coins and credits for certain things. I had some extra money left over so I thought, hey I will let Noah upgrade his plane game and get him some coins and bucks for his fish game. I wasn’t going to attach it to my bank account because I had this fear, I don’t know if it was because I remember when my old best friend’s son got a hold of my phone and downloaded a few ring tones, that I had to pay for. It was only like 5 or 6 bucks no big deal. I was not under any circumstances have that linked to my bank account. So, I had a prepaid credit card that I used. I am a smart cookie, because I signed on gmail, which is what my Android account is linked to, so I could talk to one of my greatest friends Lee. I never really sign on it ever, unless it is to use gchat. I noticed in my email there were a few extra purchases made. One being one million coins on Tap Fish for the price of $99.99, which was a purchase made by my five year old trying to magically get coins. Either that or he thinks I am made of money. There wasn't that much left on the card, I think there was like 90 cents. So, it was cancelled, thank God. I used to “magically” get him coins by selling fish at night when he was asleep. He would freak out if he knew I was selling them. I was mom during the day and fish pimp at night.

Here is my important advice, if you have a tablet; it takes literally three taps for your child to put you in financial ruin. You should use a prepaid credit card for this. Seriously, you will thank me later. Never have it linked to your bank account, a normal credit card, or Paypal, if they take Paypal. Now I know it is annoying to go to the store and there is a fee of like $5, but it is so much easier than finding out that adorable child you brought in this world took your hard earned money and fighting the bank and the app people. It is worth your sanity. TRUST ME.

Shopping With Printable Coupons

2012-01-19T21:04:00.000-05:00

I am sure you guys know how much I love to save money and use coupons. I do a lot of online shopping especially when I am shopping for my brother in law who loves camping. Camping stuff is so expensive so I like to use a REI coupon when I shop for gifts for him. We all know about coupon codes but what about when you are going to an actual store? Sometimes it is cheaper for me to go to a store and avoid the shipping charges depending on what I am buying. Sometimes it is something that I can’t wait for it to be shipped and it is easier just to go there and pick it up. Well, I like to save money at the store too. That is where printable coupons come in. They are coupons you can print from your printer at home. When I started really getting in to online shopping and store coupons, I signed up for everything under the sun, to get coupons. It would make for a hefty inbox full of stuff that I might have used once at a particular store. For example I bought a gift and it was from a store that I would personally never shop for myself, last year. I signed up for the newsletter to save some money and I still get the emails every week. That’s why I prefer sites that do all the work for me and most importantly, no hundreds of weekly emails.

Do you use printable coupons when you shop? I look forward to your thoughts.

Here's to Mom MasterCard Post Holiday Shopping

2011-12-27T20:25:00.001-05:00

Now that you have finished your holiday shopping, and spent all your money you will have to figure out a way to buy the necessitates that you need to survive. I know sometimes you can find better deals for some grocery items online. Really, you can buy pretty much anything online. Remember that you can use your MasterCard to earn a reward for buying those purchases online. to sign up all you have to do is enroll your MasterCard card, do some of your holiday shopping online and after spending just $200 you receive a $20 MasterCard gift card! Remember that this deal expires on 12/31/2011, so if you haven't already sign up HERE. I look forward to seeing you all in 2012. Have a wonderful and save New Year.

I am participating in this MasterCard Promotion and I received a complimentary special Here’s to Mom kit for my participation. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip Review

2011-12-16T15:51:00.001-05:00

I am lucky because Noah likes to eat healthy. I know many other parents that struggle with their children are eating habits. Noah loves fruits; we are still working on some vegetables. He seems to like carrot sticks and celery sticks. We are still working on peas and corn, but he loves raw green beans. I like to get some of the precut carrot sticks and slice my own celery, because it is cheaper. We had the opportunity to try out some Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip. I really like the Marzetti product line. They make delicious salad dressings and my personal favorite caramel cups. I thought that Noah would like it, because he loves yogurt and dips anything he can think of in it. He creates his own wraps and recipes all the time so I knew it would be a hit. I am sure he has dipped his carrot sticks and celery in yogurt before we tried the Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip.

We went to get our test sample of the yogurt dip and were excited to try it. Me being a picky eater I wasn’t really interested in trying it. I am very persnickety about what foods I will eat so I had my review team try this out. My review team consists of my five year old, and since we are in Florida my mom. I had my mom pick out the flavor to appease her taste buds, as I thought she would be the one eating the most of it. We went with Spinach and Artichoke. It is also gluten free, which is great for those who can’t or choose not the eat foods with gluten. Noah was a little hesitant to try it, as he is with most foods. I was able to have him try it and he really liked it. Just as I suspected, he likes it with carrots and celery and I think I saw a grape or two dipped in.

My mom really liked it too; she thought the texture was really good, and very flavorful. She said it is hard to find a good spinach and artichoke dip that is ready made when you want a snack and don’t have time to make it yourself. She is really pleased and will buy it again and wants to try different flavors like the Chipotle Cheese and the Garden Herb and Ranch. I think this would be great for a holiday get together with a veggie platter, or as a snack for game night, or even just as an afternoon snack. They have some good recipes on their website too, I know my mom’s mouth will water when I share them with her. I can’t wait to tell her about the Spinach and Artichoke pizza and the other recipes. I am sure you could even make up your own recipes to try or substitute any recipe that calls for veggie dip for Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip.

Have you ever tried Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip? What is your favorite flavor? Do you have any recipes that you have used with it? I look forward to your thoughts.

I was one of the bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company and Clever Girls Collective to host a Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip review. They provided me with product to test myself and compensation for my time. However, my opinions are entirely my own.

MasterCard Here's to Mom Holiday Promotion

2011-11-23T18:28:00.006-05:00

It is definitely time to start your holiday shopping. There are so many different presents you are going to buy for your children, loved ones and friends. When I was young, I used to always give my teachers and bus driver holiday gifts. They were sometimes homemade, but other times we would buy them a little something. I know that teachers really appreciate those little thoughtful gifts, as a daughter of a teacher. Unfortunately, the economy isn’t at its best, so we rely on sales and promotions to help us stretch out our holiday bucks. You all know how much I like to shop online. I won’t be fighting the crowds this holiday season. I will be shopping online for gifts, that way Santa’s special gifts will remain a secret, until Christmas morning.

I am so excited to share with you a promotion from MasterCard. The promotion is called Here’s to Mom. Being a mom is hard work, so MasterCard thought they would celebrate us. Signing up is really easy. All you have to do to receive your $20 MasterCard gift card is go HERE and enroll with your MasterCard card (credit or debit) and e-mail address, shop online with that card between November 15 and December 31, 2011. After spending $200 online you’ll receive and e-mail where you can redeem your gift card reward.

This sounds like such a great deal and I hope you all will sign up and earn the rewards. I mean you are going to use those cards anyways, right? May as well, be rewarded for it. I love that it includes debit cards so, it shows that MasterCard really wants to reward us. Let me know if you sign up. It takes only a few minutes and then you can kick back with a cup of hot chocolate and shop in your jammies.

Happy Holidays!

I am participating in this MasterCard Promotion and I received a complimentary special Here’s to Mom kit for my participation. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Les Gold Stars in Hardcore Pawn

2011-11-13T13:56:00.000-05:00

Image from Wikipedia

In April or May I was introduced to a show called Hardcore Pawn by a friend of mine. It’s about Les Gold and his family who own a pawn shop in Detroit. The first time I watched it, I was hooked. I know there are shows like Pawn Stars but I like Hardcore Pawn because they focus on the family dynamics versus what is actually being pawned and what it is worth. Of course people go and pawn things and they show that, but most of the show is about Seth and Ashley who are Les Gold’s children and how they are kind of in a turf war over American Jewelry and Loan. They also show a lot of the people that come in to pawn stuff, most of them are eccentric and outrageous. I sometimes wonder if they are for real. I have never been to Detroit, I have heard some scary stuff about it, but I am convinced that not everyone from there is crazy. With all shows they always show the craziest stuff because it is good for ratings, and frankly it would be boring. It wouldn’t be Hardcore Pawn, it would be BORING. They just finished up the third season, and I hope there is a season 4. There was only a month break between season 2 and 3, hopefully they won’t make me wait too long. You can see it on TruTv at 9pm, you can see older episodes before and after.

Do you watch Hardcore Pawn? What do you think of it?

What a Friend is to Me

2011-11-11T13:53:00.000-05:00

What is a friend? This is a question parents are asked by their children at some point. I want to share with you what I think a friend is. If you would have asked me this before I would have said someone you care about that you hang out with and do things with. In theory that is somewhat true but there is so much more to it. A friend is someone you care about who cares about you back just as much. A friend is someone you share a bond with. A friend is someone who lifts you up when you are down. A friend is someone who even though they might not completely understand what you are going through or why you feel a certain way about something or someone but they try and understand. They are the ones that you can run to be it in person, on the phone or even through text and they always know what to say or do to try and make you smile. Sometimes it just goofy pictures of them sticking out their tongue or a funny joke only you two understand, but it helps. A friend is someone who does not tear you down. A friend is someone who you can get in to an argument with and know at the end of the day, you will still be friends. A friend, a true one, is a lifetime commitment. People mess up, I do it all the time, but I know that my friends will love me for me and understand that I mess up. Just as I understand that they mess up.

I have shared with you guys before that I have had some toxic friends. These people were not good friends. I thought that they were. I always look for the good in people. That is how I was raised. I can’t stop doing it, but I need to be cautious. I am so lucky to have such wonderful true friends now. It really makes me look back and think wow, those so called friends were not friends at all. Thank you to all my true friends. Without you, I am not sure where I would be. I would name you all but, I would probably forget someone so you know who you are.

Tune in 11/11/11 for a Special Extreme Home Maker Over for Veterans Day

2011-11-10T11:20:00.000-05:00

Veteran’s Day is very important to not only our country, but to me personally. One of my friends was killed in action in Iraq in March 2004. It is very important to remember and thank our Veterans, every day for the sacrifices they make and their families make, everyday. I wanted to share something that is really cool with you.

ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is teaming up with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) to present a one-hour special: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition “Rise and Honor” A Veterans Day Special. Airing on Veterans Day (11/11/11), host Ty Pennington will take us back to some of the most heartwarming military stories featured over the years. The Veterans’ Day program will include appearances by Whoopi Goldberg, Jewel, George Lopez, J.R. Martinez, Rachael Ray, Sherri Shepherd, Robin Williams as well as Major League Baseball (MLB) players Daniel Murphy of the Mets, Shane Victorino of the Phillies and Clay Buchholz of the Red Sox – all encouraging the public to donate via phone and web at www.riseandhonor.org.

The funds raised during #RiseandHonor will benefit the following veteran-serving organizations:

· Fisher House Foundation

·         Hire Heroes USA
·         Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
·         USO (United Service Organizations)
·         Volunteers of America
·         and Welcome Back Veterans.

These organizations provide vital services and support to our nations veterans and their families including housing, job placement, career readiness, health care, rehabilitation and mental health treatment.

I will be tuning in and I hope you all will too. It is really important to celebrate and remember our Veterans. There are so many Veterans that end up with nothing, and on the streets. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be in a war. We should give back, what they gave for us. I am sure I will end up crying my eyes out, because stories about the Military always make me cry. They make me think about Chris and how he and so many others gave all for the land of the free.

Noah's Accent

2011-11-09T13:49:00.000-05:00

I am first generation American on my Dad’s side. I am both Irish and English. I find it hilarious that sometimes when Noah talks he either talks with a slight British accent or in British slang. Now, he watches Kipper, Peppa Pig, and Thomas and they are all British shows. There is a character on Kipper named Arnold. If I ask Noah if the little pig’s name is Arnold (Ar-nold) he will say no its ahh-nold. Peppa Pig is a weird show where the pigs look like they have pink hairdryers for heads and they walk around snorting all the time, which seeing as they are pigs that would make sense. All the other characters along with Peppa Pig’s family will talk in their British accents and then randomly make their animal noises. Most other shows with talking animals do not do this. Noah loves popsicles so now he calls them “ice lollies”. He will say can I have an ice lolly mommy? I am always thinking popsicle Noah popsicle.

He has become very fond of legos and when he wants help taking them apart, he asks me to break it in to bits. I am not sure where he learned that from but I think it’s funny and cute. One last British thing Noah says is when he wants to do something he will say “Can I have a go?” I bet my dad would think it is funny that Noah sometimes talks with a British accent. When we go to England someday, Noah will fit in as long as there are lots of ice lollies and everyone is named Ahh-nold.

Should We Drug Test People on Government Assistance?

2011-11-08T12:24:00.000-05:00

I briefly touched on the topic of food stamps, and welfare on my bully post, but I have been meaning to write this post for a long time. I figured while I have my soap box out I would go ahead and write it. There has been a lot of talk about people on assistance and how they should be drug tested to receive assistance. Which is stereotyping people that need the help, and it is wrong. I am sorry but if someone needs the help I would rather them get it, then have them go hungry or have medical problems. Just because they need help doesn’t make them a crackhead. I would be naïve to say that no one does drugs that are on assistance, because I am sure some do. You really don’t know why the person needs it.

They could have a sick child who has medical bills that use up the money they do have, they might have a reason they can’t work. Maybe they are a single parent and they can’t afford to work and pay for daycare and food. Maybe they are supposed to get child support and the other parent doesn’t pay it. There are many reasons that people need help. I am sure there are people who abuse the system, its not perfect but it is not a reason to look down upon or make fun of someone who is trying to provide for their family. As someone who is against drugs, if someone acts like they are all strung out, by all means make them take a drug test. It should be a case by case instance. Not everyone on assistance does drugs, not everyone on drugs gets assistance.

Another thing that really makes me angry is when people say things like, oh my gosh, look at the junk food those people are getting with their assistance! They shouldn’t be allowed to get chips and candy and cupcakes and cookies. They shouldn’t be able to get the “extras” if they are on assistance. Really? Did you really just say that? It really makes me want to knock someone off their high horse. Why does anyone think they can determine what someone else puts in their shopping cart? I think children deserve a treat. I think that a child deserves a bedtime snack, if the parent wants them to have it. Why take that away from a child? They should have the chance to have cookies or candy every so often. I don’t see anything wrong with that.

I hate it when people say; things like I pay for your kids or you sit at home and do nothing while I “support” your kids. I am pretty sure at some point they did have a job. Taxes are taxes; you will pay them if there are 10 people on assistance or 10,000. The government would find a way to come up with something to use it for. That is one thing that I don’t like about Judge Judy when she says things like that. Really we don’t know the full situation; we shouldn’t judge people for seeking the help that they really do need.

I think before we are quick to make comments like those or even judge or look down on someone, we should stop and think about it. We don’t know their reasons, we are not the ones that should decide who does or doesn’t deserve the right to have help. If there is someone you know that is abusing the system or doing things they shouldn’t be, you should anonymously report them and at least let your concerns be known if there is a legitimate concern. Someday you might find yourself if their shoes and I am sure you wouldn’t like to be labeled because you are trying to help your family. I think if you need the help you shouldn’t be too proud to ask for help. It doesn’t make you a bad person. What is wrong is needing the help and not getting it and letting your children go hungry.

This is an extremely controversial topic so I have chosen to do something I have never done and close the comments on this post. I just wanted to share how I feel on this topic and I do respect everyone’s opinions, I don’t want to start an argument. I am sure you can understand my reasoning behind this decision.

I Took One Look at Her and I had to Pull Her Toonie

2011-11-06T12:21:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share with you some misheard song lyrics. I actually had a desk calendar one year full of misheard song lyrics. Of course there are tons of them out there. I thought it would be fun to tell you ones that I thought were something else.

From One of These Days by Tim McGraw I thought he was singing I took one look at her and I had to pull her toonie. I wasn’t sure what a toonie was. I looked it up on the internet and didn’t figure it out. I was just looking up what is a toonie. I thought it was some country slang for something sexual or something. I tried to use context clues like all the English teachers in the past told me to do. The next lyric was and at 17 you only want one thing. So, I thought that it had to be that. The correct line is I took one look at her and had to pull her to me. Sorry Tim McGraw.

Damnit Janet from Rocky Horror Picture Show I thought the lyric was it’s better than bedding on a rohand. I remember asking my mom what a rohand was. I figured she would know. She hadn’t any idea. I remember watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show with the captions on one night and after singing it like that for a long time, I learned the lyrics are its better than Betty Monroe had, which was the bride at the wedding they were at in the beginning of the movie.

Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues, it was one of mine and my ex’s songs. He would always play it on guitar. I really thought it was called Whites in Knight Satin. So, yeah I was wrong on that one. I wasn’t too sure what that song was about with a name like that.

What are some misheard lyrics you have been completely wrong about?

I Will Never Have My Own Cooking Show

2011-11-05T13:46:00.000-04:00

I used to want to have my own cooking show. Imagine me an eight or nine year old little girl in my kitchen talking to the imaginary camera, while I was cooking. It was really cute and I wish it was really videotaped because I am sure it was hilarious. It was long before Food Network and most cooking shows. Those were mostly shown on Sunday mornings on channels like PBS. I knew a woman who had her own cooking show on a local station in North Carolina. I wanted to have my own show someday. When Food Network started I was in love and dreamed someday I would be on there too. Eventually, I realized it wasn’t going to happen. It wasn’t because I was not going to be discovered. It is not I am not an awesome cook, because anyone who has tasted my cooking knows otherwise. The real reason is because I am not an exotic chef. I don’t want to make half the food those chefs make. I would never touch lamb anything. I don’t like baby arugula or curry or anything like that. I would be a very simple chef that makes food that real people like. There isn’t really a market for that.

I would love to be on a cupcake show or a challenge show but, really I wouldn’t use any of those weird fancy ingredients that make me gag at the thought of not only putting them in a cupcake let alone in my mouth period. I wouldn’t win because they judge on eccentric ingredients. I can hear Kerry Vincent saying in her British accent, your cupcakes are a bit plain and unordinary, I expected a bit more of you. My philosophy is that food doesn’t have to be full of weird and expensive ingredients to taste good. Have you ever tried to make some of those recipes? Most of the ones I would eat have really expensive ingredients. Especially spices, who wants to spend sixteen dollars to buy a jar of organic Bolivian green sweet pepper flakes for one teaspoon? I don’t really.

One thing I fell in love with when I was visiting my aunt and uncle was that the grocery store they shop at sells spices in bulk so, in that instance you could get just as much as you need, but not many places do that. That is how I ended up flying home with 2 pounds of Cumin. I made sure I labeled it a bunch because my uncle told me that it looked like gun powder. This is the same uncle who told me they were going to think I was the Unabomber because I had his old Montana license plates in my suitcase from another trip out there. He likes to pick on me as I am the baby of the family. Anyways, I would have things like fried potatoes, meatloaf, taco bake things that are easy to make and not something you have to spend a week in Morocco to eat. It would be all classic things that wouldn’t make you poor by making them. When I watch cooking shows I think well you didn’t have to actually pay for your ingredients and you got them from a giant warehouse where you can have access to the finest everything. I just once want to see one of the products not be perfect, like a bruised fruit or something a little moldy. Not that they would have to cook with it, they could get a new one, but make it like real life. I am sure we have all had a bruised fruit or something that went a little bad at least once.

I have also noticed those thirty minute meals never take thirty minutes. Most people are not really fast choppers or have little distractions otherwise known as our children who constantly need something or throw paper airplanes in the kitchen doing something to distract us. Normal people do not have Rachael Ray’s super power of being able to carry twelve things at once. She must practice because she never drops anything. I think she is part octopus, really I do. If they really took thirty minutes, you spend at least twice as long cleaning up and doing the dishes. I don’t really get the idea of a garbage bowl, its just one more thing that has to be washed. Pull up the trashcan next to you. Everyone owns a trash can right? It’s cheaper and it eliminates the two extra steps. So, don’t expect to see my bright and shiny face on a cooking show anytime soon. I don’t have a broad enough palate for it.

No Bake Cookies Recipe

2011-11-04T13:38:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite types of cookies is called No Bake Cookies. I have been eating them for as long as I can remember and probably even before I can I remember. They are so delicious. There are two ways of making them, one with peanut butter and one without, I have always had the kind with peanut butter, because I personally love peanut butter. If you have never had a no bake cookie, you are seriously missing out on something amazing. I used to say they should sell them in the store. It took them many years but sometimes you can find them in the bakery section. I refuse to eat a prepackaged no bake cookie because they are really easy to make and I am sure mine tastes better. I have probably made thousands of no bake cookies so far in my life, so I have it perfected and could probably do it in my sleep. I don’t think I should use the stove in my sleep though. One of my ex boyfriend’s favorite cookie was no bake cookies so I would make them for him every other week or so. My no bake cookies are always really liked.

There have been a few mishaps in my no bake cookie career. I remember when I was babysitting, we made no bake cookies and they looked pretty gross and kind of slimy. I am not sure if was the milk being non skim milk, but they still tasted pretty good. A few times I get a little oatmeal happy or I get distracted, so the cookies are really crumbly.

no bake cookies
Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup peanut butter
3 cups oats

Melt Butter in a big sauce pan. Put in Sugar, Milk and Cocoa. Then Bring to a Boil, continue to boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from head and add the peanut butter. Stir and then add in oatmeal, blending well. Quickly drop mixture by the spoonful on wax paper. Place in the refrigerator to cool.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

Do you enjoy No Bake cookies? I can’t wait to see what you think of my recipe.

I was a Stuckup Snot in Jr. High

2011-11-03T12:17:00.002-04:00

I don’t know if you can believe it or not, but I was once stuck up. OK I am still quasi-stuck up, I will admit but in Jr. High it was bad. See I grew up in a really nice town that had a reputation of being full of snobby and stuck up people. It was and probably still is very well known. I didn’t like telling people I was from Carmel because you were called a Carmelite, and were immediately labeled, rich and stuck up. I remember I went on a cruise when I was in 7^th grade and there happened to be some kids that were from Indianapolis and when we found out we were all from Indiana you automatically say well I am from such and such as anyone from a common area would do. I remember them calling me a Carmelite. I wasn’t too thrilled with that, because I wasn’t too sure what it meant.

When I was in 7^th grade, my math teacher was named Mrs. Cooke and her room was completely pink, I was surprised her hair wasn’t pink as much as she loved it. She would always wear pink. There was this kid named Mike, who was in my class who said that he shopped at Goodwill. Being the punk I was I said, that’s were poor people shop. I referred to him as poor. How rude was I? I mean I was a stuck up girl that shopped at Limited Too and Express and I was calling this kid poor. Now I love Goodwill. I don’t shop there often anymore but I have in the past. I have nothing against Goodwill, I think they do wonderful things and I even shop there. It’s just funny how you remember certain things from your past and regret what a huge snot you were.

I Call Him Red

2011-11-02T12:14:00.002-04:00

For as long as I can remember, I have always been attracted to guys with red hair. Not orange hair but dark red. Not famous men with red hair. I like my famous men with gray hair (Mark Harmon and George Clooney). It has to be natural red hair too. I don’t really think that fake red hair is attractive. I guess it must be the Irish in me. I have dated a few guys with red hair. I am not sure what it is so alluring about it. My ex doesn’t have red hair. I guess I am a hair girl. I am mostly an eye girl. I like those eyes that you can get lost in and see the depths of the person’s soul.

Of course appearance is not everything and personality wins over every time. A good personality is the most important thing because that is what truly makes up a person. As the brilliant Judge Judy says…. Beauty fades…Stupid is forever. You never know what the future will bring. I know that a lot of people focus what is on the outside but your outer beauty could be taken from you in an instant. Your inner beauty is forever. Nothing can take that from you as long as your heart is good and you remain true to yourself. I am sure my dream guy is out there somewhere with red hair and a heart of gold.

So, as a lame attempt to meet a guy… If you have red hair or know of a guy who is single and nice let me know!

Sorry, Your Email has been Compromised

2011-11-01T12:11:00.001-04:00

Have you guys been getting a lot of e-mails about your e-mail address being compromised? I have. It seems like a lot of the big-name companies that I have signed up for their e-mail newsletters lately have been compromised. I assume that's because they all used the same service called epsilon. I have probably have received at least five e-mails from different companies saying that they are sorry but your e-mail has been compromised. But it's only your e-mail not your information or credit card numbers and it also reminds you not to open e-mails and click on links from people you don't know. Which of course is a great reminder but at the same time it kind of bothers me because if my e-mail address is compromise what else could be compromised. It makes me leery to participate and their websites anymore. I personally already get enough spam e-mail as is I don't need more.

Some of the companies that I received e-mails from so far our target Walgreen's Hilton Marriott and HSN. I know it's just our e-mail and all that's going to happen is that we might get more spam but NL hadn't felt like they should have done a better job about it. I really think that they should've been up-to-date where the best software where something like this would not happen. Sure it could be worse it could be all of our credit card numbers and our addresses and then we would have people pretending to be us from Nigeria scamming other people and end up on shows like Judge Judy or the people's court. I know the chances of that happening are pretty small but you never know. I know I've talked about e-mail scams before and I'm not saying that the breaches in the is a scam but it opens us up to being scammed even more and you better know what the scammed are like obviously you're not going to a win 10 million trillion dollars from some bank and Japan or something. You know that is not going to happen like my mom always says that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. And even though it's been going on for 10 years, people still fall for that kind of scam.

AAHHH! Real Monsters and Casper DVD Review

2011-10-27T17:29:00.008-04:00

I know I have mentioned this before but I hate scary movies. I used to get really bad nightmares. I really liked watching Casper when I was little because it wasn’t scary; he after all was the friendliest ghost. I like the fact that he is not scary because it shows that not all ghosts are mean or scary. I think it teaches kids not to stereotype which right now is really big in my house, when Noah is scared of someone just because they have green hair. I try to explain to him that everyone is different and it’s not nice to think something bad about someone because they are different. So, to celebrate Halloween this year, I received the Casper animated series. Shout Factory released Casper this year for Halloween. I think it is awesome. This is the old version of Casper. I personally think that the older cartoons are better. I think that they have a special magic about them, they are not trying to look like they are real and you really know that it is just a cartoon and make believe.

CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST COLLECTION 3-DVD Set
Casper The Friendly Ghost is undoubtedly, the most famous ghost on earth. Sweet, caring, funny and amiable, Casper doesn't like to haunt or scare people but instead spends his time looking to make friends. Joining him on his escapades are The Ghostly Trio, who endlessly tease Casper but love him and Casper ’s good friend Wendy the Good Little Witch. All of their adventures and more will come to life on October 11, 2011, when Shout! Factory releases the Casper The Friendly Ghost Collection just in time for Halloween. The 3-disc DVD set will include all 81 cartoons created between 1945-1963 as well as extensive bonus features giving fans and collectors the opportunity to own the most complete Casper DVD set for the first time. ($29.93 SRP)

Three monsters I will never forget are Ickis, Krumbb and Oblina, they are from the show AAAHH, Real Monsters. The show used to be on Nickelodeon in the 90’s. I loved that show. I was so excited when I found out it was released by Shout Factory on DVD. Now I can share AAAHH Real Monsters with Noah. I can relive all of those goofy situations that Ickis, Krumbb and Oblina got themselves in to. Each of the characters have a distinct feature. Ikus has really big ears, Oblina has a huge mouth. Krumm is my favorite character because he is stinky and he carries his eyes in his hands. I just really like him.

AAAHH!!! REAL MONSTERS! 2-DVD Set

Scary doesn't get any sillier than Season 1 of the classic ‘90’s nostalgia, Nickelodeon show Aaahh!!! Real Monsters! Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm are monsters-in-training who make fright a hoot as they try to learn the tricks of the scary monster trade. Determined to be terrifying, they try with a great herculean effort, to master The Gromble's class on proper scare techniques at the Monster Academy . Die laughing as the monsters focus on perfecting fright lessons so bizarre, they're both ahhh-some and hilarious! The DVD will be in stores October 4, 2011. ($19.93 SRP)

So, this Halloween celebrate with me by watching some good wholesome cartoons like Casper and AAAHH Real Monsters.

Thank you to Shout Factory for providing me with Casper and AAAHH Real Monsters on DVD for my family to check out. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Importance of having a Good Bed

2011-10-27T09:52:00.000-04:00

I think it is important to have a good bed. I have a wooden bed that I love. It has a really nice head board too. I think that wooden beds last a long time. I have had a wooden bed for as long as I can remember. I had a wooden sleigh bed in high school. It was a twin bed though. I have had my current bed for five years, and it was my mom’s before that. My mom still has her old wooden bedroom furniture including her wooden bed. This bed is at least twenty five years old, because I remember it from when I was five. It has been passed around to my sister and now my mom has it again. The great things about wooden beds are that you can pass them down and last forever. I think it would be cool to have one of those bedstar leather beds. I have never slept on a leather bed, but we have had a couple leather couches that are the most comfortable couches. I remember when I would have friends sleep over in high school we would take turns sleeping in my wooden bed and on the leather couch in my room, so I can imagine a leather bed would be extremely comfortable.

I was lucky enough that my sister and I never had to share a room. I think that was a good thing as we both really liked our space. We would share a room sometimes at my dad’s house, though. I wish we would have had bunk beds. That inevitably would have meant arguing who slept on which bunk. I am not sure which one I would have wanted to sleep on. The top bunk is where all little kids want to sleep. I remember sleeping on the top bunk when I was little when I was at friend’s houses. It was fun to be up high and having to climb up a ladder. Now that I am an adult, I would be afraid that I would fall off the full over full bunk. I tend to sometimes wake up suddenly. I also would constantly feel like I am falling. So, if I was visiting someone who had bunk beds I would definitely choose the bottom bunk if I could.

Noah had a loft bunk bed experience and he wanted to sleep on the bottom bunk. He went up to the top bunk with some help but then he got stuck and didn’t know how to come back down. I am sure it was because he was unfamiliar with bunk beds and my mom had to climb up there and encourage him to get down while I had to reassure that I would “catch” him. I am sure he would get the hang of it. I think it would be a must if you share a room with a sibling especially if you don’t have a lot of space.

If I would have had bunk beds, I wouldn’t have the fond memories of doing fun bed with my sister, which is where we took the mattress off my bed, jumped on it, used it as a slide and sometimes jumped off a chair or the dresser. Noah has started taking his mattress off his bed but, he is using it as a ramp and a slide for his stuffed animals. I hope he never finds out the crazy things his mommy and his aunt Julie did that were dangerous.

Do your kids share a room? Do they have bunk beds? Now, for the most important question: Top bunk or Bottom bunk?

Halloween with Pottery Barn Kids Review

2011-10-26T09:41:00.014-04:00

I am a self proclaimed Pottery Barn junkie. I remember when the one close to me opened. I would spend an hour looking around thinking about all the things I wanted to own from there. My family has two really cool photo boxes from there with little albums in them. They are really neat. When I found out I was pregnant with Noah, I was excited because I could shop at Pottery Barn Kids. My favorite thing I purchased from PBK is Noah’s Octopus Sprinkler. I bought it when he was 1. It is the most adorable thing. I have pictures of him playing with it at different ages and it doesn’t matter how old he is in the different pictures he has the same look of joy and excitement on his face. It is his favorite summer toy. My philosophy is if it is from Pottery Barn Kids, it’s going to be adorable. I think when I get married again someday I am registering at Pottery Barn. I would love to have my whole home decorated in Pottery Barn stuff.

I had the opportunity to review some Halloween products from Pottery Barn. They have so many cute things for Halloween. I was able to review two items. I reviewed the Halloween Treat Basket & Liner. It is this huge basket with a Halloween themed liner. I love Halloween and passing out candy to the trick-or-treaters. Growing up we had this particular wooden bowl for Halloween candy. I am not sure if it is lost or packed away somewhere, but I haven’t seen it in a while. The trick to the perfect candy is to have a good variety of candy and mix it up so you give the goblins choices. I remember the wooden bowl had to be refilled all the time and it was kind of hard to mix the bowl up. The Trick or Treat Basket with Liner is big enough to mix and hold a huge quantity of candy. It’s easy to manage though. You can even get it personalized with your last name, if you want.

The other item I reviewed is a Pumpkin treat tote for Noah. If you are going trick-or-treating it is important to have a good sturdy Halloween Treat Bag to haul your goodies home with. When I was little we used pillow cases. I think that Noah is too young for a pillow case, so I would buy him a plastic pumpkin. It worked for the night half the time. I took him in his wagon and sometimes the handle would fall off and candy would be in the wagon. I never took the pumpkin and put it up after the candy was gone so it became Noah’s new toy, it would be without a handle and smooshed in. So, every year I had to buy him a new one. I am so excited to have an adorable one from Pottery Barn where I know it is well made and I know that it will last for a long time. I can’t wait to show it off when we go trick-or-treating. Pottery Barn Kids also has adorable Halloween costumes. I wish I would have waited to buy Noah’s costume but I found his at the end of August and since he is obsessed with space, he is going to be an astronaut. I really like that some of the Pottery Barn Kids costumes can fit preteens and they are also really well made. That is something I have noticed about costumes is they can be really flimsy and kind of weird looking. This is the first year Noah is not being an animal for Halloween.

For more information please visit Pottery Barn Kids

Thank you to Pottery Barn for providing me with samples of the products I mentioned in my post for me to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ward Off Vampires This Halloween with Garlic Turbana Plantain Chips

2011-10-25T10:26:00.000-04:00

I love Cuban food. I am sure some of you remember my recipe for Cuban Sandwiches on my blog. I am a pretty picky eater and I was unsure about trying plantains for the first time. I think I probably had to be coerced to try them. I ended up loving them. My favorite kinds of plantains are the chips. When I lived in South Florida, I happened to live pretty much across the street from my favorite Cuban restaurant that I ended up going to a few years earlier on vacation a couple times. The smashed plantains are good too, but not as good as the chips. That was my favorite thing to order from the Cuban restaurant with my Cubano. When I first fell in love with Plantain chips, I was living in Indiana. I remember going on a plantain chip hunt with my ex husband. We probably when to four Latino grocery stores before we found plantain chips back in 2004. So, when I had the opportunity to review some Turbana Plantain chips you knew I jumped on that opportunity. Turbana is a company that is based in South Florida, close to where I used to live. They make flavored plantain chips. They are a much healthier choice than the normal potato chips. They would be a better afterschool snack or even with Halloween coming up as a better alternative for Trick or Treaters. You know that your kids are going to end up with tons of candy, it would be nice if some people gave out some Turbana Plantain Chips, hopefully the garlic flavor for two reasons. The first reason is to ward off those vampires. #2 so I can eat them all.

When I received the Turbana plantain chips to try out, they seriously lasted a hour. I salivated at the thought of garlic plantain chips. I think that the company must have done their research on me and knew that garlic is one of my most favorite things to eat. Yeah, they were shoveled in my mouth by the handful. I was so sad when they were all gone. I had Noah, who gets his picky eater syndrome from me, try one. He thought the garlic ones were hot. I wasn’t too sad, I said to him, more for me then. I asked him if he wanted to try the regular plantain chips, I told him they weren’t hot, and he loved him. He said and I quote. Plantain chips are my most favoritest food. Noah doesn’t really eat any chips though so I am glad he loves plantains as much as I do. I felt good about giving Noah them because they have 30% less fat than potato chips and twice the flavor. I am sure someone out there is unaware of what a plantain is. I didn’t know for most of my life. It looks similar to a banana, but it doesn’t taste like one. It’s a tropical food, it is used a lot in Latino cuisine. It sounds different but we love them. So, from my picky eaters to yours, check out Turbana Plantain chips.

For more information please check out the Turbana Plantainchips website.

I received some samples of Turbana Plantain chips for my family to try out. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Seducing Christopher Mendoza

2011-10-23T13:28:00.000-04:00

I have been known to watch some guilty pleasure shows in my time. Some of the shows I watched were on Fox Reality. It is not on any more and sadly Fox Reality, which was a channel full of reality shows, a lot of them are kind of trashy. I used to watch a show that was only on at like 3 or 4 am, and I have insomnia so, I was up and started watching it. It was about a woman who was a private investigator who busted cheaters. There wasn’t much on TV and I kind of found it interesting. The show I watched all the time was called Seducing Cindy. I am not sure why I cared if Cindy Margolis found love or not, I found it interesting. Basically, there were 20 or so guys were fighting to win Cindy’s heart. There was this guy named Christopher Mendoza, who was Cindy’s number one fan. Christopher was the sweetest guy on the show and he was often picked on by Timmy Z. who was a total jerk.

I cheered loud enough to wake the neighborhood when Timmy Z. was told to leave. I often tweeted with my friend about the show and I remember celebrating with her via Twitter when Timmy Z was gone. I remember this one episode of Seducing Cindy, where they pretending Cindy was in a horrible accident to see who would be there for her completely. Christopher was really afraid of needles and he almost passed out during the blood test for a kidney match. He would have given her his kidney, and I was crying when he realized she was absolutely fine. Christopher is a total catch. He is so sweet, and a total hunk. I wish more guys were like him. He would always say a prayer before she said who was leaving. He is stinkin’ adorable!

I watched the show for him, secretly tweeting to my friend Jessica about how I was going to marry Christopher Mendoza. I was going to take him from Cindy. Once he was voted off, I couldn’t bear to watch anymore. I cried real tears because she threw away her Prince Charming. I wanted them to be together although, I am not sure she deserved such a loving man. I don’t think I would win in a fight with Cindy; she looks kind of like an Amazon woman. She’d probably knock me out. She ended up picking this guy named Leighton. He was nice but he was no Christopher Mendoza. Cindy and Leighton broke up shortly after the show ended. I wasn’t really surprised. I think she picked him for the wrong reasons. I hope Christopher finds the woman of his dreams that is worthy of all the love he has. Maybe he will pick me. I have family in San Antonio, so Christopher if you are reading this…let’s chat.

Mall Surveys

2011-10-22T13:31:00.001-04:00

I went to the mall the other day with Noah and my friend Ben. We went to the Lego Store and a couple other places. Noah was really excited to go to the Lego Store because we had never been and he is huge in to Lego. As I am typing this I hear the sounds of Lego bricks being moved around. I let Noah pick out a set and we also filled a small container of odds and ends Lego pieces, like tires and other assorted random pieces. Noah made some really cool things with the pieces. I had not been to that mall in at least six months if not longer, so I wanted to walk around and see what was new. We only wanted to go to a few places but walking to the end of the mall it happened. I am not sure if your mall has those people that come up to you and ask you if you want to answer some questions or do a survey.

I was aware of them because they have been frequenting the mall that I was at for many years. I was on high alert, they are like secret agents that pop out the shadows and bam you are asked will you please answer some questions. I always say no, because I know my adorable five year old doesn’t want to sit through it and neither do I. Well, Ben being the guy that talks to anyone for long periods of time about anything, decided to say yes. I was hoping that Noah would have thrown a fit at that time, to get out of it. I really like Ben; he is just really friendly to everyone. I am more reserved and shy. So, we follow the lady who was very nice and she started asking us questions about fragrances. She said it would take only a few minutes, time had either stopped or we were misinformed. I thought ok we will fill out her questionnaire and we would be on our way. No big deal, I can write fast. I could already tell Noah was not thrilled to say the least.

After we both answered questions, and filled out our information we were led in to an office. I remember a long time ago I did a survey for cough syrup, it was not a pleasant experience so I said never again would I do a mall one. Maybe that is why the lady asked me if I did a survey with her before a long time ago. Maybe I was in the training video of upset clients. I don’t really remember the circumstances, but I remember it was bad. I think I ended up walking out and telling them to shove their cough syrup. So, after we went in the office they verified our information, and then called us on our phones. What if it were a home phone? How could they verify? Noah and I were taken in a room and I had to be sprayed with a perfume, that smelled pretty good. It was citrusy, it kind of reminded me of Clinque Happy. Then I had to wait and answer questions on a computer. I had to wait until the timer ran out. I was relieved when I had finished, and then she sprayed my other wrist with a perfume that I didn’t like at all and wait and answer questions. Finally I was done. I collected my pay for my hard hours work, two George Washington’s , yes two dollars. Ben got three and didn’t have to do as much as I did. I guess equal pay for men and women is still not in affect. I think it was gender discrimination. I am just kidding.

I don’t know if you have ever worn two different perfumes or colognes at the same time, but by the time we went to dinner I stunk. Every time I put food in my mouth I could smell it and as it worked out I am left handed and the stinky perfume was on my left wrist. I wasn’t allowed to rinse it off. They were supposed to call me to ask me more questions, they called once and I was in the middle of dinner and I had really bad service in the restaurant and we got disconnected. I had a great time with Ben though. I know Noah did too. Noah was so incredibly good.

Finding Your Soulmate on Craigslist

2011-10-20T13:29:00.000-04:00

I know I have talked about Craigslist before, sometimes when I get bored, I go and check out my local Craigslist. I wouldn’t buy anything or meet anyone off Craigslist personally. I know some people have positive experiences with it, I just don’t wanna chance it especially after the whole Craigslist killer thing and all the scams. There is a section called Missed Connections, where if you see someone you want to get to know and don’t get to talk to them or if they are in a car at a stoplight you can reach out to them in this section of Craigslist.

After looking at it one day, I noticed something about a woman at our local Kohl’s the ad said: We talked about Christmas shopping, dinner with family, and touched on work as we were both leaving Kohl's. After we left, I wondered why I didn't ask to see you. Get in touch! So, thinking my mom was at Kohl’s that day I asked her jokingly, did you meet a guy at Kohl’s on Monday and talk about Christmas shopping? She was like no, I didn’t; I wasn’t even at Kohl’s on Monday, why what is going on? I proceeded to tell her about the missed connection section on Craigslist. She was like so, these people think they will find someone by posting about them on Craigslist and hope that the person they are looking for goes on there? I was like I guess so mom. It’s kinda creepy in my opinion. I think if you want to talk to someone talk to them, don’t post about them on Craigslist in some stalker-like fashion. I know I personally wouldn’t be flattered if some guy wrote about me like that. I don’t care who the person was. I would run for the hills as fast as I could. I also personally don’t like to be approached by strangers that are interested in me. I hate being put on the spot and don’t want to be rude, maybe it’s because I am shy or something.

I don’t think that if I happen to go to the store at the same time as someone else, there is some kind of fate there. I believe that I needed something from the store and so did they. I don’t believe that those “missed connections” are a potential soul mate. I guess I believe, everything happens for a reason within reason. Of course I believe in fate and all that, just under the right circumstance or every person you came in contact with would be potentially the love of your life, which would stink if you worked at a counter job or was like a mail carrier.

Save This Holiday Season with CouponChief

2011-10-19T22:16:00.000-04:00

We are approaching the holiday season. I know I like to do a lot of my shopping online. I am a single mom so, when I go shopping my son is always with me. When he was a baby, I could easily buy his presents with him with me and he wouldn’t even notice. I was able to get away with that until he was two. Even trying to hide the presents in the cart under things doesn’t seem to work well either. I have had to start buying presents for him online. Sometimes you can find some great deals and toys you can’t find in stores. I always scout out for coupon codes from different websites like CouponChief to save extra money or sometimes get free items. I could sign up for every stores newsletter but, I get so much email as is with all the newsletters I have already signed up with. I also like to try shopping at new stores since Noah’s major interests right now include space and sea life. Both of those are hard to find at just any store. I also have to support my VS habit, which I couldn’t do without coupon codes.

Scooping up the Field Mice and........

2011-10-19T13:25:00.004-04:00

I am sure you have all heard the song Little Bunny Foo Foo. It’s the song about the bunny and the field mice and the good fairy. I loved that song as a kid, I did all the little hand movements and sang it all the time. Years later I found out they changed my beloved Little Bunny Foo Foo from scooping up the field mice and bopping them on the head to scooping up the field mice and kissing them on the head. I am not sure if there was a rash of children dressing up like bunnies bopping mice on the head or what, but I am not sure that it is as effective now. Before it taught children that it was wrong to hit others and not to be cruel to animals, now I am really confused what is wrong with kissing someone. It is almost like they are saying you are bad for loving animals. What was the punishment in the story Bunny Foo Foo was turned in to a goon. A goon is a bad scary creature so little kids wouldn’t want to become a goon.

I must have listened to and sang Little Bunny Foo Foo millions of times. I never turned in to a goon or even touched a field mouse. There wasn’t an epidemic of violent children roaming the streets, running amok because the child listened to a harmless song. It makes me really sad when they go and change things to be more politically correct. I know that Little Bunny Foo Foo had to be an older song because it was something my Grandma knew. There are millions of perfectly sane non violent people in this world that listened to the proper version of Little Bunny Foo Foo. It makes absolutely no sense to me as there are all kinds of violent movies and shows and they choose to show those and remove the word bopping from a little kids’ song. It wasn’t as if they said they murdered and gutted the field mice. I will still remember it as it was, and my son will sing it properly because why would the Good Fairy punish Little Bunny Foo Foo for kissing the mice, unless they were rabid.

Did you sing Little Bunny Foo Foo as a kid?

Sanity-Saving Objects for the Overworked Parent

2011-10-18T16:02:00.000-04:00

Saving your sanity as a parent is a task best suited for things that don’t talk; namely, anything but other people. OK, we’re just kidding for the most part, but there certainly are some physical things that can’t walk and talk that can help you find that inner peace you’ve been searching for, if even for only a few minutes. So kick back, unwind, and pretend that you just don’t have any children with any of these items that an overworked parent should not be without.

Bath Robes

Few things are as relaxing to the major muscle groups in your body, as well as to a pounding headache, as a nice hot bath. If you’re finding it difficult to get just a few minutes to yourself, a long bath is the perfect opportunity, because once you’re behind the bathroom door, even your kids can’t get to you (just be sure another adult or babysitter is watching them while you soak). To make the exquisite experience last even longer, you should wear a luxury bath robe after getting out of the tub. Comfortable, classy, and warm, these types of bath robes help you feel like a million bucks, even if you end up eating boxed macaroni and cheese afterward.

Headphones

When the word ‘headphones’ is mentioned, we’re not talking about that flimsy five dollar pair you picked up at Walmart or CVS. We’re talking about high quality, noise reducing, comfortable to wear headphones. Listening to your favorite music can be soothing, and sometimes a five minute break to hear your anthem can rouse you enough to keep going, even on a very long, busy day.

The Chair

The title for this section is vaguely described on purpose, mainly because there are no set descriptive characteristics you need have on your favorite chair. Whatever couch, chair, or beanbag you decide to use is up to you, but whatever one you do select, it should be off-limits to the kids. That way, when you need to sink into a comfy seat, there isn’t any competition from the kids, and you can restore your peace of mind before the kids restore chaos to your household.

Just Please Stop Calling Me Please!

2011-10-18T13:20:00.000-04:00

I wanted to take some time to warn my readers about an issue I have encountered recently. I know that a lot of you sign up for deals and freebies, I wanted to warn you about two Laser removal companies, I am not sure if they are affiliated or two separate companies, but one of them offers you a chance to win free laser hair removal. Most of the time, like 99% of the time when you enter a giveaway, sweepstakes or contest, you give your phone number and as long as you are not the winner you don’t get contacted. Sure, occasionally you agree to sign up for their newsletter via email. With American Laser, if you sign up to win they call you over and over again. You never win anything. At least I never have, but I remember being called and called, even though I didn’t win. My old best friend had laser hair removal so I was interested in it. My aunt does electrolysis, as in she performs the procedure and I hate shaving.

The other one is Signature Forum, I actually wanted to contact them for another reason and thinking I could use the form to contact them and ask my question, I wasn’t able to. On Thursday, I went out with my son and my friend, there will be a post about that soon, because it was a fun time, we went to the mall and dinner and ran a couple errands. Today is Saturday. So, in the last three days I received EIGHT calls from Signature Forums. I didn’t answer because I keep my phone on silent and honestly, if you are going to call me eight times in three days you better be related to me by blood or there is a serious emergency. I almost had my friend answer the phone and tell them to stop calling.

Here is my call log from them:

Thursday October 6, 2011

#1 8:10 am

#2 8:55 am

#3 12:56 pm

#4 4:56 pm

Friday October 7, 2011

#5 8:32 am

#6 12:33 pm

#7 4:33 pm

Saturday October 8. 20011

#8 4:18 pm

They also sent me two emails. I finally emailed them after the last call saying please stop calling. I know that I gave the permission to call me, but not to harass me. They left me a voice mail the first time. I would have called them back if I would have wanted laser, that bad. I was curious until they called me a million times. Ok it was just eight, but it was seven times too many.

So, be aware when you see something to enter to win a contest for laser removal. I even tried to fill out the form without my phone number because well, I talking on my phone unless you are a good friend of mine is not one of my favorite things to do. I order pizza online so I don’t have to call.

On another note, if you are thinking about going to college or back to school, don’t give them your number unless you want called over and over again. I get that it is their job to call you, but once maybe twice will suffice. 20 calls is really not going to make me want to go to your school more, it is going to annoy me to the point where I don’t want anything to do with that place. I watched and read something online about how people give out the number 867-5309 for this very reason, of course that wouldn’t work if you were entering a contest. I remember growing up 867-5309 was a real number. I think it was Pizza Hut.

My philosophy most of the time is if I don’t recognize the number I won’t answer it, unless I know someone is planning on calling me. They can leave me a message if it is important.

Direct Buy Membership

2011-10-17T22:18:00.000-04:00

Direct Buy is a service that many people have heard of, but do not really know much about. Direct Buy is a company that has been saving people money on some of the largest purchases of a home. A Direct buy membership is all you need to get started and this is something that can help you to get all of the things you need for your home.

You can use your membership to help you with a new home, or an existing home etc., to help you get all of the things you need for a discounted price. You will have access to many of the major brands. You will also be able to purchase these top brands at the dealer’s price. This can be very different than going into a store and paying for the mark up. With this service you are eliminating the middle man and buying straight from the source.

At Direct buy, you can choose from products like appliances, hardwood flooring, cabinets, and more. This can help you to find many of the things you need for your home without overspending for these items. You will have many resources to look at and this can help to provide you with ideas and you will also have many different manufactures at your fingertips. This will allow you to do everything you need in one spot. You will not have to drive from store to store looking for the things you need. This can help you to save time and time is something that many people need more of.

Obtaining a Direct buy membership is also very easy. You will be able to provide some basic information and you can begin using your membership right away. This can make it very easy to get your membership started you will be able to transform your home right away and this is a very easy way to get your home updated and in a condition that you will love when complete.

You can take full advantage of a free day pass and this can give you a rare, inside look into what this Direct Buy membership can do for you. When you use this pass, you will be able to really check out all of the benefits and this can help you decide if this is a company that you would be interested in working with further. You can also use this time to sign up and become a true member.

Getting Older.....What's the Big Deal?

2011-10-17T22:16:00.000-04:00

As I was eating dinner, I had an idea for a post. QVC or HSN happened to be on the TV and they were talking about some anti aging products. I started thinking about my grandma Rose, and how beautiful she was. I was thinking about how she didn’t use anti-aging products, how she didn’t dye her hair and she just aged. Granted all the women in my family on my mom’s side have great genes where we look younger than we are. I think that had something to do with it. Even if we didn’t have good aging genes, I don’t think my grandma would have ever got Botox or dyed her hair or get anything like that done. She got permanents but that is how she wore her hair. I still remember her hands they were wrinkly and I used to lightly pinch her skin on the back of her hands to make it stand up.

My Grandma Rose was beautiful and she was naturally that way. I started wondering, what is wrong with being old or looking your age? You can’t watch TV without hearing the words anti-aging. You can’t read a magazine without seeing an ad for the latest anti aging product. Our grandmas didn’t need all of those products. I know that most of them were not around back then. I think little old ladies are absolutely adorable. I like to think that they earned every wrinkle they have. Maybe a wrinkle on my grandma’s face was from when my uncle Gene was in his motorcycle accident. Maybe another one was from when I choked on a lifesaver when I was four. My Grandma Rose used to say that she earned every one of these wrinkles. I used to call my grandma an old lady, it was in good fun and she called me kid. She didn’t care if she was wrinkled. She was truly happy with the way she looked.

I don’t see why wrinkles are considered a bad thing. Everyone is so obsessed with looking young and beautiful with their magic potions and their boxes of hair dye. As I am writing this the movie Death Becomes Her comes to mind. The two characters are so obsessed about being young and winning that they end up being hideous and not to mention dead at the end of the movie. Women poke and prod themselves and get all sorts of peels and pulls and inject themselves with who knows what. For what, exactly, nothing is guaranteed. Women go under the knife and get surgeries just to look better.

There are women that go over board and end up looking kind of messed up like Joan Rivers or Suzanne Somers. Who were both beautiful women and if they weren’t so concerned about looking younger than they would look a lot more natural and less like clowns. Those women are not looked at as young looking women, they are looked at as weird looking. I don’t think people would be like wow they look old, and if they do, they probably are. Everyone gets old, if they live long enough. There is nothing wrong with being old. It is a fact of life that I wish more people would embrace instead of denying it to themselves.

I know it is considered rude to ask an older person their age. I know some women lie about their age to hide how old they are. I am so glad that my mom doesn’t lie about her age, if Noah asks how old she is, she will tell him or if anyone asked for that matter. She is comfortable in her own skin. I just wish everyone else was comfortable in their own skin and just aged gracefully and enjoyed life.

How Safe is Your Water?

2011-10-10T17:55:00.000-04:00

If you drink water straight from the tap, you may want to consider installing a whole-house water filter. Our public tap water supplies often contain tons of gross and unhealthy chemicals that can reach you and your family. In fact, there are said to be 35,000 pesticides containing 600 chemical compounds in various water supplies. Some of you may already know of certain chemicals such as chlorine and fluoride, but other toxins in your water may shock you.

In some areas, there are things like arsenic and methane gas found in the water. Chemical fertilizers used for farming and various pharmaceutical drugs are also commonly detected in public water. Although you may not taste it, these chemicals could possibly be in your tap water. The negative effects of bad water are very noticeable, even if you don’t know the cause. They can cause problems such as nerve damage, birth defects, and cancers. You certainly don’t want your little ones drinking this stuff!

It’s not healthy to shower or cook with impure water either. When you shower in water with water filled with chlorine, you may develop unpleasant symptoms such as migraines and irritated eyes and skin. You also increase the chance of long-term problems like pelvic or bladder cancer. When you cook with tap water you might think that you are eliminating unhealthy toxins, but this is not always the case. Certain chemicals can survive the heat and remain in your food. You don’t want your family drinking and eating dangerous chemicals.

Installing a whole house water filter will filter the water throughout your entire home.

To prevent these nasty ingredients from entering your household and affecting the health of you and your children, you may want to install a whole-house water filtration system. PuriTeam filters will provide your family with healthy, clean water free of chemicals and toxins. You not only remove the negative content when you drink your water, but when you shower and cook with it as well. When you install the system, you will have clean water throughout every water supply in your household. If the health of you and your family is a priority to you and your family, visit PuriTeam.com and learn more about the benefits of a water filtration system.

Gerber Grabbers Review

2011-10-07T09:47:00.000-04:00

Noah loves squeeze pouches. You know those little pouches, that are drinkable fruits and vegetables. Noah loves fruit, but doesn’t really like veggies. He loved them when he was a baby and toddler but now that he is older, he will hardly touch them, except for the occasional carrot or piece of celery. He is an extremely picky eater. I really like giving him squeeze pouches because I know he is eating vegetables without even really knowing it. Sure, if he asks me what it is, I will tell him but it doesn’t seem to faze him. So, when I had the opportunity to try out some Gerber Grabbers I jumped on it.

Everyone knows about Gerber and Noah was definitely a Gerber baby. I was excited to see that Gerber came out with Gerber Grabbers because this product concept started out as an organic food. I am all for organic but not the organic price. I was looking for something that Noah loves and honestly is affordable. I know that Gerber products are affordable. He was eating other brands, but they were all just fruits. I know that he needs veggies in his diet and so I was really excited to see that some of the flavors contain veggies as well. I knew I could kind of sneak some veggies in his diet with these.

Made for Toddlers:

Easy for toddlers to self feed

Encourage independent eating skills

Come in a re-sealable pouch

Pouch is easy to take on the go

Fun to eat

Good for Toddlers:

Made with 100% natural fruit or fruit and vegetables

No artificial flavors or colors

Excellent source of antioxidant Vitamins C & E

2 servings of fruit or fruit/vegetables per pouch*

5 Flavor Combinations:

Banana Blueberry

Apple, Pear & Peach

Apple & Sweet Potato with Cinnamon

Pear & Squash

Apple, Mango & Strawberry

When I opened the package, I didn’t get to look at them before Noah was asking to eat one. I let him pick the kind he wanted and it was gobbled down. He really liked it a lot, because we got the package on Saturday and it is now Sunday night as I write this and we are down to one. He would have eaten the last one if I would have let him. I know first thing in the morning he is going to ask me for the last one. He eats them by not what is in them but what color the package and cap are. He would say which pouch he wanted by what color it was. He has really enjoyed them all.

For more information on Gerber products, please visit their website

You can also find Gerber on Facebook.