Time to Buy Noah New Sandals Again

Noah is growing so fast.  I am not sure if his feet are ever going to stop growing.  I have to buy him new shoes quite often.  It’s not always because they are too small, but because he is a boy who wears them out.  He loves to run and play and his shoes are always on his feet. He doesn’t have the love of being barefoot like I do.  I am happy about that, there are too many things for him to step on, and that I prefer that he always wears shoes, anytime he isn’t at home. It’s really hard to find cute affordable kid’s shoes. I am not really big on characters on shoes or clothing and so many things are branded now.  It can take some time to find some we both like.  I have been looking online because taking Noah to a shoe store is not too fun. He is just has so much energy. I really like Ecco Kids Shoes. I think that they are adorable and affordable.  Noah really needs new sandals. I noticed that when his toes were practically falling out of them.  

I still remember his first little sandals. He was so cute in them. I took him out to walk around in them and took about 5,000 pictures.  Since, he was one when he had his first pair of shoes. He was held or in his car seat when we went out.   There are some really cute baby and toddler shoes and booties.  When I have friends who are expecting I like to pick out little cute baby shoes, since Noah forbids anything that he deems babyish.  I have some friends who are expecting or just had a baby recently. I can’t wait to pick out some inch blue shoes.  Even if the baby doesn’t wear them, they are a really cute keepsake.  I know a certain little girl who is gonna get some cupcake shoes from me soon.

Saying the Pledge of Allegiance

When I was in the car going shopping with my family today, my mom who is a teacher told me a story about her day yesterday. She mentioned how they were saying the pledge. I thought that they didn't say that anymore.  Noah has never mentioned it. I thought surely he would have by now. He sang and recited stuff from school all the time. I was surprised to find out that it is Florida Law to say it at school. Most states have a law that it's to be said in school. Not that I mind of course. I am all about God. I think for me growing up it was routine to say the pledge. It didn't bother me that it said under God. I am not sure I even noticed and it surely was never a big deal to anyone I knew. There were kids from India, and other countries who were different religions and none of them made a big stink about it. The Pledge  of Allegiance is a way to show that you are American and that you are proud of it. I personally think that not saying the pledge is disrespectful to America and even the people who serve and sacrifice their lives for our freedom. When I was in Girl Scouts, the pledge talked about serving God. Our money says In God We Trust, God Bless America the list goes on and on. Our nation was founded on religious beliefs, our forefathers were mostly religious. Why take that from our history? Why remove it from our nation? I am all for the right to believe in what you want. It's a personal choice but why? By saying the pledge it doesn't mean you are giving your self to God or by spending money you are doing the same. All of our money says In God We Trust. Maybe you should stop spending money because it talks about God. That's a little ridiculous. I feel that certain atheists and the ACLU is trying to take away something our nation was founded on. When you go to court you swear on a bible. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God.

But what about the separation of church and state? Well, that means you can't really force someone to pray or worship. Back in the day I am sure they probably started the day with The Lord's Prayer. The Lord's Prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance are no where near the same thing. You aren't praying to God when you put your hand on your heart. You are merely honoring your country. There is a huge difference. Children aren't being forced to pray to God. Mentioning God isn't the same as worshiping him. If it were there would be a lot more people that believe in God. That's something certain people and groups do not understand. When did this country become so hell bent on removing everything we were founded on? Saying the Pledge of Allegiance is completely constitutional.  

Honestly, I don't mind if they would pray to God in schools. I know not everyone feels that way but that is my personal feelings. I think it would do our country some good. 

Do your children say the Pledge of Allegiance?

Gorton's Seafood Review

One of the things I really enjoy eating is fish sticks. I have always liked them. When I was young I used to get a TV dinner with fish sticks and chocolate ice cream for dessert. My favorite brand of fish sticks is Gorton’s. I haven't tried a product that I didn't love. My favorite product is the Original Battered Fish Tenders. It's just so good with a mountain of ketchup. It's such an easy meal to make. I occasionally have it for lunch or dinner when I don't feel like cooking anything elaborate. I know that it will taste great every time. I cook 98% of frozen stuff in the oven. I think that it tastes better even if there are microwave instructions. The Gorton’s Fish Tenders take a while but they are so worth the wait.  When they don't have my tenders I buy the bags of 44 fish sticks. They are good and they are a great deal. I can buy one of those and have 5 or 6 meals easy. I am still trying to convince my fish loving son to try fish sticks but so far it's not working well. I hope someday he will try them and love them.

I want to start trying some new recipes using Gorton’s products.   I love that there is a recipe section on their site. There are quite a few of them I want to try. It’s great when a company comes up with recipes using their products. Not everyone is creative. I know that they are tried and true.

Be sure to enter to win the Wicked Good Seafood Sweeptakes! You could win a trip for 4 to Boston.  It includes airfare, lodging and even spending money. I have only been through Boston, I have never stayed there. It looks like a wicked awesome town.  As long as I don’t remember that my two rival teams are from there. 

Enter to Win the Wicked Good Seafood Sweepstakes  The sweepstakes ends October 18, 2013 so hurry and enter now!

You can download special coupons for Gorton’s Seafood to save on your next purchase.  Get your coupon here.  

Go ahead and like Gorton’s on Facebook

Don’t forget to follow Gorton’s on Twitter

For more recipe inspirations follow Gorton’s on Pinterest

I received free product coupons for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Top Ten Reasons to watch Strangers with Candy

I love Strangers withCandy. These are my top ten reasons why you should watch Strangers with Candy. 

10. To see what Guy Blank does next and see if you can catch him move or breathe. 

9. Because it is hilarious and it has Amy Sedaris. That rhymed. 

8. So you can understand my SWC tweets and know about the liberty bell. 

7. You wanna know if Jerri Blank ever makes it out of high school. 

6. Because you will want to join Safe Trap House and sit at the Welcome Table one of these days. 

5. To see what Steven Colbert in the beginning stages of his fame. 

4. To see if Jerri ever does the right thing. 

3. Because you want to know what the Flat Point marquee says and learn those lessons only Jerri can teach you.

2. The awesome dance sequences

1. Because if you don't you will have an evil curse on you where all your children and grandchildren will look like and act like Jerri Blank. 

Have you ever watched Strangers with Candy? What do you think of it?

Help me Decide on the Perfect Cocktail Dress

I am definitely a jeans and t-shirt type of girl. Sometimes I get invited to events where my jeans and t-shirts are not acceptable. Then I start on my mission to find a nice cocktail dress to wear.  Honestly, a clothes shopping is not one of my favorite things to do.  I have never really liked it. I remember when my mom and sister would go on shopping trips I would go stay with my grandma. I would just ask my mom and sister to pick out some clothes for me.  I was usually liked the clothes so it worked out for me.  Now that I am an adult, I no longer have that luxury and have to find my own clothes.  I prefer to shop on online because I have an active seven year old that doesn’t like to go shopping.  He doesn’t like going with me to try on clothes.  I don’t blame him, I was the same way.  

I have a few events that I will need a cocktail dress for coming up. So, I have started looking around. I have done the last minute shopping the weekend before and I feel like I had settled because I just don’t have enough time to go to six different stores. When I had to buy dresses for a conference I attended it was awful because I waited until the last minute.  I did the same thing with shoes. I hate those shoes. I wore them once before casting them off as never again.  Now that I have some advance notice I have began my search. It’s not a bad idea to have a few really nice dresses in your closet for the spur of the moment event.  I found a website called Dressfirst and I am really impressed with their selection of dresses.  I am a pretty picky shopper so the variety is awesome.

I really like the SheathSweetheart Short/Mini Chiffon Lace Cocktail Dress. It is great for Florida weather.  I would order it in sage, since that is my favorite color. 

I also really like the EmpireV-neck Short/Mini Chiffon Cocktail Dress With Beading Sequins.  

I am torn, I would like to own them both. Which one should I buy first? I look forward to your thoughts.

Four ways to cut your spending

With the economy being how it is at the moment, a little extra money to spend is something many people would welcome. If cash is tight there are a number of options available to you,such as getting a credit card or taking out a loan. But even if you do that there are other simple ways to reduce your expenditure too.

Consider where you buy

In days gone by, comparing prices meant going from shop to shop and making a note of how much an item you wanted costs. Thankfully, if you’re prepared things can be much easier these days and thanks to the internet you could almost entirely avoid the high street if you wanted to. It’s easy to compare prices online and (depending on what you want) it can be cheaper too, so always have a look before handing over your cash. If you’re shopping for a holiday then prices can vary greatly, so never settle for the first price you find. Remember too that it might be worth waiting for your credit card application to be approved, to protect your cash in case of something going wrong.

Slash your bills

Household bills can soon add up, so it’s well worth finding out if you could make savings in any way. This might be possible by switching to a new tariff, paying by direct debit or moving to a new supplier. If you’ve been with the same company for a few years then your loyalty might not be paying off, so find out what the competition has to offer.

Save money on your car

If a car is something that’s essential in your life then it’s probably an expense you have factored in to your budget. But that’s not to say you couldn’t be paying less. Shopping around for a better car insurance deal might help, but you might also like to consider car sharing when possible. This could mean sharing driving duties with work colleagues, or weighing up if your family really needs that second car.

Make days and nights out cheaper

In summer it can feel like one gathering after another and while that’s great for your social life it can take its toll on your bank balance. So instead of dining out at a restaurant, it might be worth inviting your friends over for a barbecue. That way everyone can contribute with a little food and drink and the costs can be kept to a minimum. The same applies to days out, so take a picnic to the park instead of forking out to go to the cinema.

Earn Money by Becoming a #PersonalShopper with Shop Your Way

This is a sponsored post. I am a Sears blogger, though all opinions are my own.

I have been a member of Shop Your Way for a while now. You can earn points that add up to cash just by shopping at Sears and Kmart.  It’s really easy to sign up and the best part is it’s free. It’s really easy to sign up and the best part is it’s free. You don’t have to worry about a membership fee. They don’t spam you with emails. You just shop and earn.  You can earn points on anything.  They started a program called Personal Shopper.  Yes ladies, those childhood dreams of shopping for others and getting paid have come true.  You can pick out items you like, you think certain family and friends would like and they get points and you get cash!  I think it would be a great idea, with the holidays coming up, to use your personal shopper page as a wish list too.  So, you earn and the gifts you want and Aunt Erma, doesn’t have to guess what you want and you end up with yet another sweater with some fuzzy cuddly creature on it.  Don’t forget about your kids too.  I am constantly asked what Noah wants for Christmas or his birthday. We all sit here online and share with our family and friends products we love, and products they would love so it’s silly not to get paid for it.  

This is how the Personal Shopper program works:

Set up your store front, and fill it with items you love and items you think others will love too.  Sale items would be great too. This is great if you have friends with no fashion sense what so ever. It’s like dress up.  Really though it is for all kinds of things. Clothes, electronics, movies, even groceries.  If you have friends with babies, recommend diapers. I had a friend of mine, who is going to have a new grandbaby ask me to recommend products for her to buy. 

Give out your personal invitation code to friends, family and neighbors.  You can email them, tweet them, and post via Facebook. If you blog use your blog, especially if you like to talk about products.  Keep posting your finds so when you find new stuff you alert your clients. Not everyone remembers to check every day so, little reminder posts on Facebook would work.

I know some people are leery to sign up for things like this. It’s important that you give them their benefits too.  What’s in it for them?

When your clients shop, they earn points that they can later redeem to reduce the cost of their next purchase

Clients earn 10 points on every dollar spent on qualifying purchases at Sears, Lands’ End, Kmart and mygofer.com

1,000 points = $1 to redeem in store or online

No minimum Points level is required for redemption

Redeem your points on next purchase.

So like I said it is a win win situation! 

 
I am exclusively inviting you all to sign up to be a Personal Shopper.