No Picture

A couple of years ago we switched out all of our old TV sets for hi-def flat screens. Which means we've had older tube sets sitting in our garage for ever. Well, just a couple of weeks ago, a fried told us they were setting up a new mission and needed all kinds of older electronics - including TVs - furniture...you name it. We mentioned our old sets and said we were happy to donate but didn't know if they would work. Well, they do, thanks to some analog box converter sets. Good as new - but even better, out of my house and on to a place where they'll be used and enjoyed.

Electronics Fix

They've been hot for several years now, but with the release of the new iOS 5 iPhones and ipods are expected to be another hot gift item for Christmas 2011. Or so says an expert I interviewed this week for a techie article. What else is hot? They're expecting the Kindle Fire to...well, catch fire (lol). If you're looking for great prices on the hottest items, check out the link above.

Pictures Arrived

So one of my favorite assignments before I left television reporting was traveling with an air ambulance service during an in-depth feature on the services, etc. The air nurse and doctor, the pilot were all so kind and giving - and funny! In the down time they told the best stories! But I'd forgotten all about our time together - 24 very stressful hours! - until pictures came this week.

I'd forgotten that along with the school pictures and whatnot I'd included a few old pictures from that year - and two group pictures were right there, waiting when I opened the envelope. Good memories.

Pictures Ordered!

So, kiddo's school pictures came in today - the photographer working with the school does a really cool thing and puts every pic on a flash drive so you have them forever. We then order whatever we want print-wise and go from there. So this afternoon I've been ordering fall pics and making up our yearly holiday cards. I started using SeeHere (the Fuji film site) a couple of years ago. I'm a total Kodak girl, but the Fuji site has way more options when it comes to making cards, getting prints, etc. Plus, they always have coupons available. I used this SeeHere promo code and saved about $10 - plus got free shipping. Nice!

Mud Soap - Who Knew?

I never knew adopting a child would bring so much...difference into my life. Not just the up-all-night stuff. But the stuff I was totally unprepared for - she has allergies which lead to breathing issues, light eczema...those don't sound like big things but they're on-going.

We've been fighting the eczema since birth, with doctors telling us to up the lotion, try this dry-rub, wrap warm cloths around her body to absorb additional moisture. The list of crazy things goes on. The latest? Not from our doctor but from a family friend. She suggested we try mud soap - literally made from mud, by the way - which I poo-poo'd. But then an especially bad area came up behind kiddo's knee. And I figured it couldn't hurt.

The spot behind her knee - which had grown to about 2 inches in diameter by the time the soap arrived - was gone within a few days. And no new spots have come up. So, I'm thinking we'll keep up with the mud for a while. Can't hurt, right?

These Could Be Fun!

So I've had a bit of a blog hiatus recently - nothing wrong, just busy busy. In that busy-ness I, of course, still took some time to shop. And, without further ado...

For the females on your shopping lists that are incredibly hard to buy for. Like my sister. She buys everything she needs or wants without thinking about the gift-buying we'll all have to do to find something she would like and use. So, I'm forever on the lookout for good shopping buys online (I can never find anything for her in a normal mall). Jewelry is always a good choice but sometimes that is even hard. I found cool steel bracelets, though, that I think will be great for this Christmas...I'll check with her hubster first, though, to make sure he doesn't have something like that in mind - since she's the more 'edgy' of the two of us. Yay!