Did You Remember Dad Yet?

I've been writing a lot of dad's and Father's Day over the past few weeks - not surprising since we're in the lead-up to the holiday. Did you know that dads are supposed to get a spending increase this year? Moms are still splurged on a little more (like $140 per mom, on average), but this years kids (and moms) are expected to spend almost $100 per dad, too. Not bad - and it means no more horrible ties, right? Electronics are one of the big spending areas - from video games and tablet computers to gaming consoles. If you're into that kind of thing, and you're still looking for the perfect Dad Gift, check out these franklin electronics - lots of variety and if you shop quickly, things will be delivered before the big day.

Thursday Thirteen - A Lot of Pondering

The DH's grandfather passed away last week, so I've been thinking a lot about death and life and the struggles we go through every day. He lived an amazing life (92 years) and did wonderful, memorable things. I think sometimes we get caught up in the daily events of life and don't think about the big picture. Today's post is about the big picture.

Thirteen Things I Want To Do Before I Die 1. Be published with my dream publisher - but what writer doesn't want that?!? 2. Skydive. I want to jump out of a plane and just watch the earth getting gradually closer. I want to see things from a different angle! 3. I want to see Ireland. Seriously see it. Not a quick 2 week vacation but a few months so I can get to know the country, the people and the myths. 4. Compete with professionals (albeit the lowest rung of professionals) in tennis and bowling. I know, a weird combination but that's me. 5. Climb to the top of Pike's Peak and Mt. Everest and just look at the world. 6. Live in Alaska for one winter..I don't think I could hack more than one of those cold cold cold seasons...but I'd love to do it once. 7. Hike to the North and South poles. 8. Take a summer long Old West tour - from the Great Divide to the Hole in the Wall...and do it all on horseback. 9. Sail around the world. 10. Spend a year sailing the Caribbean...hitting everything except the hotspots. 11. See all of the Seven Wonders of the World. 12. Go on an archeological dig. 13. Learn to scuba dive. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. Amelia 2. Michelle 3. Raven 4. Diana 5. Mark 6. Gatekeeper (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Buying and Selling Insurance

One thing I've learned since becoming a freelancer is that if you want the best benefits you need to do some research. Part of that research is finding the best rates for insurance - both health and life. For term insurance, I like buy sell insurance because it's quick and easy. I accessed the site, entered some general health information - age, height, weight, etc. - and had quotes from more than 20 insurance companies within 10 seconds.

What I like best about this site is that they work with great insurers. You don't find no-name insurance companies that won't be around when you need them. Once you've entered the info, the quotes appear on the screen and you have the choice of asking for more information from the quote company. Plus, if you're not comfortable giving information to a computer, you can call to speak directly to a customer service rep.

Stocking Up, Stocking Up

and man, have I been spending money! How much? You don't want to know. I will say, I was able to save a lot (like $200) on home improvement supplies alone because I found a couple of great lowe’s coupons.

Before we left last week I went through all of the supplies in my file cabinets - hey, I'm a writer, I find it easier to organize *everything* in filing cabinets! - and found that I was out of everything - nails, screws, those cool Command hangars, lightbulbs, new screws for a wobbly toilet seat...the list goes on. And don't get me started on flowers for Spring planting. So I made out my handy-dandy list and this morning, I put everything away and started the fun job of planting. And gave the hubster the job of replacing the toilet seat.