Not The Place for Strollers...

I took a little time away from writing this afternoon to get two last minute gifts before the craziness of December 23 and 24 hits our local mall. That was Mistake #1. Although the mall wasn't packed, people were acting like lunatics, yelling at cashiers and generally making nuisances of themselves. What is with people? Don't they know a smile goes miles farther than a frown?

Mistake #2: trying to take bebe to the play area for a 10 minute shopping break to run off a little excess energy. I say try because two women had the entrance blocked with their baby strollers. Usually I would just push the strollers out of the way and go in, but they were guarding the strollers, ignoring people who wanted in and giving their kids run of the entire place. As we were (cough) patiently waiting to be let inside their over-the-age-of-play-area-fun boys were terrorizing smaller children, knocking them down and shoving to the front of the slide lines. ARGH!!

I say again, what is with people?!?

...And We Have A Winner...

and the winner would be me. During my yearly check-the-insurance rates exploring I actually found a cheaper life insurance rate. So cheap that I might just take out another insurance policy and keep the existing account - because it makes my health, car and home-owners insurance rates down. Very excited, says me! I check the rates every year because, as a self-employed person, I pay for all insurance, doctor's bills, etc. out of my own pocket...getting the best rates makes financial sense. So I check the rates every December just to make sure I'm getting the most for my money.

Please Be Careful Out There...

We just got a very sobering call about a good friend from our church - she was driving home from work last night and the ice on the roads caused her to wreck. She wrapped her car around a telephone pole and is in intensive care. She's doing well, but has a broken leg and quite a few bumps and bruises. Not the way she - or her family! - wanted to spend the holidays, I'm sure...but it's definitely a reminder to take extra care during the winter months. Winter usually hits us the hardest after January because the lake has frozen over by then but this latest early-winter storm kind of threw everything off kilter.

The point to winter driving is to get home safe and sound. So please, guys, take a few extra minutes, slow down and watch the roads and other drivers very carefully, okay? And, if your in an accident, whether with another vehicle or not, don't just randomly sign papers. Call your insurance agent and a lawyer - even a motorcycle accident attorney if you drive one - and make sure you're protected.

Ever Wondered What's In There??

Have you ever wondered exactly what goes into those diet pills and exactly how they work? A lot of us wonder, I know I do. I've actually tried a few diet pills with mixed results...one thing I've never done, though, is try one without a doctor's approval or input. If you're looking for information on diet pills, the website above is a good resource.

I don't endorse any specific products and remember to - definitely, no if's, and's or but's - check with your doctor beginning any exercise or diet regimen. Your health should be your priority and sampling diet pills without a doctor's okay is just not a good idea.

Work At Home Scam - Problem Solved?

For more than a year we legitimate freelancers have been seeing - and some have been scammed into - the 'Get Paid for Posting Google Links' job postings. Some of these posters have gotten really good at fooling the legitimate job boards and a lot of people have lost money. Why? Because all the scammers have been using Google's name/logo in their scam postings.

Well, Google has finally gotten smart - or fed up - and filed a lawsuit to prevent these scammers from using their name/likeness in the scam offers. This is a really big step forward because 90% of those scammed were scammed because of the use of Google's name. They thought, "Hey, if it's a Google job, it's a good job."

I say kudos to Google for going to court and I hope the judge realizes that not only is it an infringement on Google's name/brand but that these postings are also incredibly harmful to people who are looking for work in this struggling economy.


post google links scam, google job scam, work at home scam, work at home job

I Did It!

I noticed last night at dinner that our water didn't taste quite as crisp as it usually does. Being the middle of winter I didn't think much more about it until I realized the new fridge, which has a water purification center in the door, was going on a year old...and we hadn't changed the filter in a while.

Took quite a bit but I finally found the ukf7003axx filters at a decent price online...so I ordered a bunch and am going to hold them back for use over the next couple years. Who knew we wouldn't be able to buy our filters locally? Crazy, huh?

Ugh! The Joys Of Home Ownership...

So, we knew when we bought the new house (it's 30 years old) that we'd be doing some minor and some major renovation over the first three-ish years. What we didn't expect was the minor carpeting problem that's now topping the reno list. The previous owners replaced all of the carpeting two years ago and it seemed to be in good shape...but apparently they cut corners (UGH!!) because after about 8 months of us walking around, having an indoor (yes, she's housebroken) dog and a baby it's falling apart. We're getting a canister filled with fibers with each vaccuuming.

Replacing the carpets are exactly what we wanted this holiday season, let me tell you!

Anyway, we're debating hardwoods. I really like hardwood and there is the added benefit of hardwoods being good for fifty or more years. If I can find the right rugs for the living area and bedrooms, I think hardwoods are definitely the way to go. I want a unique look to separate the rooms, so if y'all have any ideas, give a shout okay?

Building? Buying? Why Not Both?

When we were in the housing market a few months back, the hubster and I seriously considered buying land and a manufactured home to put on it. No, not a trailer, an manufactured home. Looks just like a 'site-built' home, has all of the amenities and you can even determine carpeting/hardwoods, color schemes and light fixtures. The plus? You don't have to wait 6 or more months for the construction to begin, get delayed, and finally end. The other plus? The cost. The homes we were looking at were between $100,000 and $150,000 ... the same house 'site-built'? More than $300,000 - and that was without carpets/hardwoods, window treatments, light fixtures and the list goes on.

In the end, we decided to buy an older home (for now) because we didn't find exactly the right land arrangement...but if we're in the housing market again in the next few years, we'll probably look a lot harder at manufactured homes!

My Phone Didn't Work!!

Over the long Thanksgiving weekend I had the chance to catch up with family and friends - over the Internet! Yep, you guessed it, I missed the at-home Thanksgiving rush. Why? Because I've been out of the country for a few days doing some writing, doing some traveling (with the hubster and bebe) and generally goofing off. What did I learn on my trip? I needed an unlocked phone. Why? Because my Palm didn't operate - like, at all!!! - while we were away. Thankfully most of my business contacts are email, but it was still frustrating not to be able to grab my phone to text a quick question, chat with a friend or call home over the holiday. I did get to talk to the fam, we used my laptop cam and the Internet to do a quick hey-whatcha-eatin' call. And made ourselves a little homesick for turkey and stuffing and cranberries and pumpkin pie...you get the drift!

Now that I'm home and it's about time to change my service provider, I'm also checking into phones that will work here in the States and abroad because I don't plan on not traveling!!