Wanting While Poor

Have you ever felt so poor that you couldn't buy anything? I'm feeling like that right now after all we spent on vacation. We totally didn't keep to our budget. I swear we bought everything in sight. I'm surprised we didn't come home with a bag full of ostrich feathers, it would have made sense since we bought everything else under the sun. Or so it seems. LOL! I'm sure I'm not the only one who has felt this way, right?

Cell Service and Travel

As you know, if you read my last post, we just got home from vacation. While traveling across the country we came into many areas with poor cell phone coverage and reception. Some cell phone amplifiers may have helped us keep our reception or at least helped us hear better when we did have poor service. Have you ever had a problem with your cell phone reception?

Celebrities and Rehab

I just got home from vacation and I spent time in the car getting "caught up" on my celebrity gossip. Why the heck do so many of them end up in drug rehab? Seriously, just because you're young and have tons of money, that doesn't mean you have to be stupid too! Geez! I guess I should be happy and drug free, but more power to those who do go to rehab.

Snapfish Coupons

I used to get a lot of emails from an old coworker asking me to view her new photos. She sent the messages and got her pictures developed with Snapfish. I wonder how she found out about them? I really should look into that since there's nowhere here in town where I can get pictures developed. You can even find Snapfish coupons online to get discounts on your picture developing. How cool is that?!?!?

I Need to Get Away...

I'm getting sick of the daily grind. I need to get away to somewhere fun and relaxing. Maybe a Branson condo would be nice...but I'm thinking even bigger! In fact, we are getting away...soon! We'll be going all the way to New England. I'm so excited I can hardly wait! It's been way too long since we've been back there and it should be a lot of fun and definitely something different than the daily grind.

Still looking for gifts...

The quest for the perfect "guy gift" continues. Blancpain watches are wonderful, but my husband is really particular about what watches he'll wear. I wouldn't dare pick a watch out for him. He's that way with sunglasses too...but that I can understand. I mean you're wearing them right on your face and all. There is one thing I know though...if I get him anything having to do with his favorite baseball team he'll love it like crazy!

What to Buy for a Guy???

You'd think after nearly four years of marriage I'd have the whole "what should I buy for my husband?" thing all figured out. But do I? No, not really. There are so many things he might like, but what if he doesn't really like them? He's always gracious about gifts, but I've seen gifts he's been given just sit in our room and they never get touched. Or he's exchanged a gift without the giver ever knowing. The thing is, he can't do that with what I give him. I know he'd love a playstation 3. Or does he want a Wii or an X-Box? See...when it comes to something I know nothing about, like video games, I just don't know. Sure, I know he likes them, but which one does he like???

Sex and the City Quiz

I saw this quiz over at blogthings.com. I decided to take it since I've recently discovered this show. I know, I know...I'm years behind. But I wanted to see who I am most like, and apparently...

You Are Most Like Carrie!

You're quirky, flirty, and every guy's perfect first date. But can the guy in question live up to your romantic ideal? It's tough for you to find the right match - you're more than a little picky. Never fear... You've got a great group of friends and a great closet of clothes, no matter what! Romantic prediction: You'll fall for someone this year... Totally different from any guy you've dated.

Which Sex and the City Vixen Are You?

Money Saving Tip

I just thought I'd pass along a money saving tip that we've been doing. When we signed up for an account at Washington Mutual they automatically set us up for a savings account as well. It's set up so that every month on a certain date (of our choosing) $25 is transferred from our checking account to our savings account. We can transfer it at any time...and there are times we have. But right now we have over $200 in our savings account and we hope to keep letting it grow. $25 seems like so little, but it sure adds up over time.

Getting Dressed Up

I don't generally have a reason to get all dressed up. So I don't have a lot of designer jewelry or anything. But in a few weeks we'll be going to a wedding and I need to get dressed up. Wow, I wonder how that will be? It's sure going to feel strange. Lol! Do you ever have to get all dressed up? Do you wear fancy jewelry?

I'm So Insulted!

You're a Little Stupid

You got 9/10 questions right! Or at least careless. Better go back and recheck your answers!

Are You Stupid?

Hmmm...9/10 equals 90% Since when is an A- a little stupid??? Geez! ;)

¿¿¿sıɥʇ sı ʇɐǝu ʍoɥ

¡lol ˙sɹǝʇʇǝl ɟo ƃuıddılɟ ʎllıs sıɥʇ op uɐɔ noʎ ǝɹǝɥʍ ǝʇıs ɐ sn pǝʍoɥs ɹǝqɯǝɯ ɐ puɐ pɹɐoq ǝƃɐssǝɯ ʎɯɯoɯ ɐ oʇ ƃuolǝq ı

Do you want to know how to do that too? Go here. Have fun!

Not Spoiled :)

You Are 8% Spoiled

You are definitely not spoiled. You've worked hard for what you have. Down to earth and grounded, you don't need a lot to make you happy.

Are You Spoiled?

Acne Treatment

I've never had what you'd call terrible skin, but I've definitely had my share of breakouts over time. I've never needed a super fancy acne treatment, but after my recent out of town visit my skin is all messed up. It's amazing how just changing your environment for a few days can mess things up. Heck, maybe that's why I haven't had a lot of problems as of late. I moved from home and into a better environment for my skin. Maybe there is a bonus to living in the sticks.

Have You Noticed?

Have you noticed I've been posting a lot of recipes lately? I'm not a fancy cook, I don't have my house stocked with a plethora of ingredients or have fancy wine racks full of wines. I don't drink, so I guess that would be silly for me. But I do like simple, yummy recipes. So keep checking back. The majority of recipes you'll see on here are simple, with an occasional more difficult recipe thrown in to mix things up. Feel free to leave me a comment if you have a recipe you're dying to share, I'm always looking for new recipes.

Travel Insurance

We have a bunch of travel coming up over the next few months. I love to travel, but it stresses me out at the same time. I always worry about our house back home...will it be ok? Will someone know we're gone and break in? I worry about getting into an accident while we're traveling. Basically I just worry. Some stuff I can do something about. We'll have someone look after our house while we're gone, it helps that we're friends with a sheriff's deputy, he can check our house and scare anyone away. We'll just have to be careful while driving and pray that no one hits us. That's about all we can do there. But getting travel insurance probably couldn't hurt either. My brother-in-law sells insurance, I suppose we could check with him. Who knows? Right now I'm just worried about our car, we have a few things that need to be looked at and I can't handle the thought that we'll have to shell out more money we don't have to fix things. Sigh...will we ever get ahead?

Create Your Own Logo

Do you like the above business card? I was able to make it with it's logo design and all in the matter of just a few minutes. It was super easy and I was able to choose from a huge assortment of logo designs. I had a lot of flexibility in the decisions on the card from colors used to placement of the logo and print. I really like it, it looks sharp. With such quality you'd never guess it was so quick and easy. I love how the logo and card complement each other so well, I could really brand my blogs out there and be known by this cute label.

Poppy Seed Bread

I've completely worn myself out today. It's a good thing we don't have a lot of stairs or I'd need a stair lift just to get through the house. But I'm not too tired to share another recipe with you. This time it's a yummy poppy seed bread recipe. For some reason I associate breads like this with Spring. And the weather this week has definitely been Springy. Give it a try, let me know if you like it.

Poppy Seed Bread

3 cups Flour
1 ½ tsp Salt
1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
2 ½ cups Sugar
1 ½ cups Milk
1 1/8 cup Oil
1 ½ tsp Poppy Seeds
3 Eggs
1 ½ tsp Vanilla
1 1/4 tsp Almond

Mix above ingredients. Place in greased and floured bread pan. Bake at 350
degrees, 45-55 minutes. Remove from oven when bread springs back when
touched with finger. Cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Spoon glaze
over each loaf.

Glaze

2 tablespoons Butter
3/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Orange Juice
½ tsp Vanilla
½ tsp Almond Flavor

John Adams Salsa Recipe

It's the weekend yet again. I can't think of a better weekend activity than cozying up under down comforters and watching movies while chowing down on some yummy munchies. This recipe came from a coworker at my old job. This stuff is seriously so good! So whip up a batch and get some tortilla chips and cozy up in front of the t.v. for some serious movie watching.

John Adams Salsa

1 can black beans, undrained
8 small tomatoes, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 can Green Giant white shoepeg corn, drained
1 small can diced green chiles, drained
2 ripe avocados, diced
1/2 c onion, diced
2 limes, juiced
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Serve with chips as a dip or serve over lettuce with chips, chicken, and
sour cream as a quick, easy taco salad.

Yummy Peanut Butter Bars

Ok, I may not know about a lot of things, like HDMI splitters, what the heck are those? But I do know a good peanut butter bar when I taste one. I tried this recipe for the first time at my baby shower that was thrown by my old job way back in 2005. My boss made them and they were awesome. I just had to get the recipe. If you like peanut butter these are great!

3/4 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 (f). Mix all ingredients together and spread on large cookie sheet. Cook for 12 minutes and let cool for 10 minutes. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter over the top.

Frosting (I just use the stuff you buy in a can at the store in the milk chocolate flavor, but this is the official kind. I suggest adding a little peanut butter or chopped peanuts to it if you use the store kind)

2 T butter
1 T vanilla
4 T cocoa
2 T peanut butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
5 T milk, continue to add milk until you get the consistency you want

Spread frosting over top. Cut into bars and eat. Have I told you how good they are yet????? They're yummy!!!

Wally World...a.k.a. Walmart

We went to Walmart yesterday. I feel like such a snob, we had to get our daughters' Easter dresses there because money is tight this month (thanks to the dentist, a crib and a car registration being due). I feel bad about it. I shouldn't, but I do. We didn't spend a ton while we were there, we even made it out of there without getting cheap glasses. Kenzie always wants a pair of cheap sunglasses. I can't believe we made it out of there without spending over $100...when does that ever happen? Last time it was over $400...yeah, yikes! But that's when we bought the crib and did our monthly grocery shopping and we bought Kenzie's Easter present (a dvd, a basket and a little candy).

I want to post a bunch of recipes so I have them on record so I don't lose them. I'll be posting those soon. I have to teach a youth group tonight at church, so it probably won't be tonight, but soon. :)

* Sticky Post* Changing Things a Bit

I started this blog as a place to put fun quizzes, stories and otherwise that I found online, but felt they were too much on my personal blog along with the regular posts over there. Eventually I started doing paid posts with Smorty and Blogsvertise. I am not doing those anymore. I have deleted my blogs from Smorty's system. I wanted to delete my whole profile, but I can't find anywhere to do that. But regardless, I'm not doing any more posts for them. As for Blogsvertise, I sent a not to their customer service asking to quit. So no more posts there either. I want to get this back to being a place where I put fun things I find.

Also, I'm going to start putting fun recipes I try here. That's all, I just thought I'd let anyone know who's reading this that I'm no longer working for those companies. I'm just showing you stuff I find and like.

Thanks!

I've Had a Rough Day

Hey! I've been struggling with this blog for awhile and I think I've figured out why. I haven't done any market research on it or anything. But I'm working to change things. I'll make an announcement about it. But I'm going to make this a better blog. I keep finding things and am too lazy to post. For one, that has got to stop. There are a few things I wish I had posted because now I can't find them anymore. Dang it!

Win Mary Kay Makeup!

The blogger over at Eternal Flux is giving away some Mary Kay makeup. She has some super fun eye pencils. This stuff is discontinued so you can't just go buy it. What woman couldn't use some new makeup? It's easy to enter her contest...go check it out!

Rest and Relaxation

I could totally use a little rest and relaxation. I'm so dang tired! Seven months of breast feeding a baby and counting means never a full night's sleep. When I do sleep I wish I had an adjustable bed or massage chair or something. The baby finally has a real crib instead of her portable crib so hopefully it will be more comfy and she'll sleep better. At least I can hope so, right?

Planning a Trip

So we're planning a trip back east for this Spring. I spent a lot of tonight trying to figure things out. I hate that finding motels and hotels along the way is so difficult. My favorite hotels are Comfort Inn, I'm not sure why, but I really like them. But for some reason they're not on most of the hotel reservation sites I know about. That leads me to wonder what other possibly great motels or hotels they're not telling me about. And we're not staying in big cities so that makes it even harder. Sure finding a cheap hotel Las Vegas style would be great. But I just want a basic, clean, non-smoking room for a night that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg. Geez! This night has been so frustrating!

Looking to the Future

Lately I've been thinking about the future a lot. I can't wait until we get to move, until we can finally buy a house, settle down, establish roots. I want the dream, you know? I don't have ginormous plans, I'm not looking looking to run a huge company or buy commercial real estate. I just want a decent home and to live in a place I like to live. Am I the only one that searches homes in areas I don't even live? I do this, really. I check listings in cities we like, even though I know we won't be buying for several years still. We've got to save up a down payment first.

This Cracked Me Up!

I was jumping around the internet and I came across this post about What A Girl Wants. It cracked me up! It's just way too true! LOL!

I'm Feeling Old

I was sitting in church today when I had a revelation. I'm a decade older than the missionaries, at least the new missionaries (these are LDS missionaries, they generally go on a mission at 19 until they're 21). A whole decade older...what the heck?!?!?! When did I get so old? Before you know it I'll be shopping for incontinence supplies at the rate I'm going. Please don't tell me I'll turn around and be officially old.

Pop-Up T.V.s

Ok, I just saw the coolest thing. It's a pop-up tv! This is a t.v. that can be hidden inside a dresser or console. What a cool way to hide the t.v. You can make a room look all sophisticated and within minutes it can also be used as an entertainment room. I've never seen these before, but dang they look cool! Now I want one, lol!

Medical ID Bracelets

Do you have a medical condition that requires you to wear a medical ID bracelet? I remember when I was 12 my best friend had diabetes so bad that she had to wear one. What I never realized was there are so many different styles of medical id bracelets. You can get them basic or fancy, in gold, silver or steel. Who knew? So if you have to wear them but think they're just not cute enough, start looking around. There are so many more styles available than I ever knew.

How fast do you type?

81 words

Touch Typing online

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

Ok, so I'm a day late wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day. Sorry about that! I hope everyone had a Happy Singles Awareness Valentine's Day! Did anyone get anything really cool? Did you give anything really cool? I got a couple of dvds and I gave Josh, or I should say I let Josh download a cd on iTunes. He's just not that into some of the traditional stuff and there's no point getting him golf balls or anything like that because he doesn't play golf. We were really low key about the whole thing. Josie was too young to care and we just got Kenzie a little stuffed frog. How was your holiday?

Weight Watchers Points at TONS of Restaurants

I wrote an article on Weight Watchers on another one of my blogs, BoSox Mommy. In the comments for that post Jen left this link to a website with the points value for items at tons of restaurants. Wow! So if you're looking for what you like while you're out but you're dieting check this out.

I'm a little brat

Ok, so I'm totally bored right now and decided to do another one of these blog things. And it turns out I'm a little brat! LOL!

You Are Bobby Brady

Ultra competitive, you will do almost anything to win. From pull ups to pool sharking, you're very talented. And while everyone is aware of your victories, they still (affectionately) consider you to be a little brat!

What Brady Are You?

Homemade Girl Scout Cookies

I have a weakness for Girl Scout cookies. They're all just so darn good! I especially like the Samoas (caramel de-lites). I was stumbling sites and came across this recipe for homemade Samoas. YUM! I can't wait to try them!

Blackjack Fever

Are you into online gaming? If so, what is your game? Are you a poker player, slots or what about blackjack? Is that your thing? Well, if you like blackjack you need to check out bobgambling.com. That is where you can find a list of the most competitive blackjack games around. These are the games with the highest sign-up bonuses and payouts. Isn't that what you are looking for, how to win the most? They have around the clock customer support to help you with whatever blackjack needs you have. While you are there checking out the games feel free to peruse the articles and see if they are writing about something interesting to you. Both casinos featured on the main page have been around since 2002, so that shows several years of successful business. They must be doing something right. So if you like blackjack check them out and have some fun!

Trike-A-Thon

I was just watching Noggin with my toddler and saw a commercial for a Trike-A-Thon to support St. Jude's. That sounds pretty fun to me. If you want to check it out click here.

Totally Addicting!

I just found this paint website and it could be totally addicting! I just keep picking colors and seeing how they look. Too much fun! LOL!

White Chocolate?

So I guess I'm white chocolate. Hmmm...who knew? I don't even like white chocolate. Make it dark or make it milk, but NOT white. LOL!

You are White Chocolate

You are White Chocolate You are sweet, caring, and truly very innocent. Whether your naive ways are a bit of act or not, people like to take care of you. You are a quiet flirt, and your power is often underestimated!

What Kind of Chocolate Are You?

Cheerio Facts

I was reading my friend Amber's blog today and she has the funniest post all about Cheerios! Her blog is called Soggy Cheerios, so she gets a lot of hits from people looking for various Cheerio related facts and items. Who knew people wanted to know so much about Cheerios? Weird! Well, she decided to take some time and answer the questions these people had come looking for. Check it out, it's pretty funny. And she even made a Cheerio coloring page, yep, someone had been looking for one.

I am Vanilla

And my husband says he doesn't like vanilla. Guess what honey, you need to start liking it. LOL!

Yay! He's Out!

No offense to my in-laws who supported him, but Fred Thompson is out of the runnings for President! Yay, yay, yay! I didn't like him. I'm not a republican, I don't see myself ever becoming one. I know, Mormon and not a republican, who ever heard of such a thing?!?!?! LOL! Check history, we've had at least one prophet who was a democrat, so I'm in good company. ;) Anyway, if a republican becomes President again (oh please NO!!!!) I hope for Mit Romney. But, that being said, there are still a few fantastic democrats in the running and I'd pick any one of them over the republican choices. And I know a lot of you out there like Huckabee...but I may have to abandon all hope for the USA if he becomes President. From what I've heard -- isn't that what most political opinions are anyway just a bunch of stuff you're heard formed into an opinion -- he has spread a bunch of lies about my beloved religion in order to make Romney look bad. That ticks me off worse than just about anything. And the anti-Obama email going around about his religion...that one ticks me off too. I got it TWO TIMES from people who know I'm a democrat. But anyone who uses someone's religion that way should not be president. Oh and for those of you who hate Obama because his church is all African Americans...he's a distant cousin to the current VP. Gash! Oh my! The horror! LOL! Whatever! At least these men are religious, leave their relationship with God alone for Pete's sake! What issues do you follow, what do they follow? Who thinks like you? Who's trying to change things in a direction you like? That's how you decide your candidate? Enough said...this is the most political rant you'll ever see from me. I hate discussing politics with people. So yeah, I'm hiding behind my computer screen saying this. But...I did respond to one of those anti-Obama emails to say I still support him and don't appreciate religion being dragged into it. So there! :-P

Shake those Dice and Shuffle those Cards

It seems you can do just about anything online these days. You can shop, you can sell, you can view, you can listen, you can...well, you get the point. And one online past time that seems to be gaining in popularity it online gambling. And with it's popularity comes a slew of online gaming sites. It's daunting to know which ones are really good and which are really bad. So which online casino do you choose? That's where PRO360.com comes in. They have been reviewing online casinos since 1997. They can tell you how much your maximum bonus is, if you're allowed to play in the US, if users like the site, what certificates the online casino has and more.

You can even choose which kind of game you want to play from slots to craps to poker and more. So whatever your preference is you're sure to find a site that's perfect for you by just doing a little checking at PRO360.com. So what are you waiting for? If you're into online gambling this is one of the first places you should check out.

Most Depressing Day of the Year

I just heard on the news that today is the most depressing day of the year. It's the Monday of the last full week of January. I'll have to say, I'm not having the best day ever so they may just be on to something.

Dreaming of Travel...Again, Lol!

I dream of travel all the time. No seriously, I do! What do you expect, I live in a smaller than small town in the middle of the middle of the middle of nowhere...can I emphasize that enough? Lol! Basically, I live by very few people and am far from any signs of civilization. You get the idea. So my mind wanders and I dream of far away places. There are really very few places that I have no desire to visit someday, aside from the Middle East where there just seems to be too much conflict and hate toward Americans. Anyway, I digress..today I'm thinking about Portugal. Being in Western Europe it's high on my list of places I want to visit.

Something I hadn't realized before is that Portugal gets over 12.8 million visitors a year. Portgual hotels are definitely loving that! Heck, what hotel owner wouldn't love to have so many visitors filling up their establishment? Most of those visitors are from the UK, Spain, Germany, France and Italy, which I guess makes sense if you look at the whole proximity thing. Cheaperthanhotels.co.uk is aware of this and thus cater to these places with fantastic last minute deals to Lisbon hotels, Algarve hotels, Madeira hotels and more. There are so many areas of Portugal are being developed for tourism that it's sure to became a major destination for visitors from around the world.

Here's hoping I'll be lucky enough to go someday, and when I do maybe I can convince my uncle Mark to come along and translate for me. He's lucky enough to know Portuguese.

Nicole Richie's Baby

I have to say I'm impressed with the name Nicole Richie and Joel Madden gave their new daughter. Sure Harlow isn't common, but it's not made up or the name of a fruit or something weird like that. Plus I love Winter, not the season, but the name. My maiden name was Winters. So we've even thought if we have a third daughter we'll give her the middle name Winter...but spelled Wynter just for the heck of it. Why didn't I do this with either of my previous daughters? Because daughter #1 got my middle name and daughter #2 got my mom's name for her middle name. So there. LOL! And the last part of little Harlow's name is Kate. I love Kate! That's a fantastic name. So go them for not sticking their daughter with a name like Orange Radio Fanatic or something like that.

Ashop Commerce

One of the popular trends these days seems to be having your own online store. I'll admit, I've wanted to do this too. But I don't have the know-how to do it. But so many stay-at-home-mom's do and they're finding great success online.

When getting started with an online store you'll need to find some shopping cart software. You know, the software that lets your customers put their products into a virtual shopping cart. But where to look? A great source for that is Ashop Commerce. They even have a 10 day free trial so you can check them out to see if they have what you're looking for. In fact, Ashop Commerce even has the ecommerce software that can help bring your site to the top of the search engines.

They have live support as well as a support ticketing system so you're sure to get the answers to your questions or problems as soon as possible. So what are you waiting for? If you have a fantastic idea for an online store and are just stuck on how to get started check out Ashop Commerce and get your shopping cart software.

Easily Cut Calories

I was stumbling sites today and came across this one that talks about painless ways to cut calories. I know I need to learn to do this better as part of my New Year's resolution to lose weight. The suggestions on there are soooo easy!

Do You Know Your BMI?

Do you know your BMI? This is a measure that can help you determine if you're at a healthy weight or not. I'm on my way to a healthy BMI, mine has gone down by .1 since Wednesday. Good luck and get healthy!

Official RBS 6 Nations Rugby

Are you a rugby fan? I remember having a friend in high school who loved rugby, he was even on the tri-high school rugby team. While it's not as well known in the U.S., rugby is huge in Europe and now there's a website where you can check out Europe's premier international rugby tournament. It's the place to go to check out rugby news, history, matches and more. You can even check out a rugby podcast while you're there. They even have a section where they discuss the women's championship. I'm all for recognizing women in sports, I think it's part of that whole being a mom to daughters and wanting to empower them to do and be anything they want. They also have separate tabs for the different countries involved including England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Maybe you've wondered what rugby was but have never known where to look. If that describes you go check out the history section of the site. I just learned that the women's tournament was introduced in 2001 with Spain instead of Italy being involved, but that changed in 2007 when Italy replaced Spain. I found the site to be quite interesting and I learned things I never knew before.

Fun Facts

Do you want to know lots of fun facts? You know, the kind that no one knows but you might be able to bring up in casual conversation to break the lull in conversation. Well, click the link above for facts like:

There are more cars in Southern California than there are cows in India.

There are no venomous snakes in Maine. (Man...I should move there!)

or

North Dakota has never had an earthquake.

Check it out...it's also great if you're bored, you'll feel like you're learning something.

For Your Gaming Fun Check out DEX Casino

Are you into online gaming? A lot of people are and there are so many online casinos out there. It is hard to know which ones are good and which ones are out there just to take your money and not give you what you are expecting and what you are paying for. A great place to look when you are searching for an online casino is DEX Casino. They have been playing in the online casinos since 2001 and know from experience which ones are good. And if poker is your thing than you are in luck because they review poker rooms as well as doing their casino reviews! You can find casino recommendations and read all about what is going on in the online casino world. So if online gaming is your thing check them out and see all that they have to offer. And as always...don't forget to have fun!

Political Views

I'm not posting this to discuss politics. I hate discussing politics. I'm too dang sensitive and take things too personally. But I saw this quiz on my friend Dawn's blog and decided to take it. Here are my results. They're pretty much what I expected. Barack Obama is my favorite and this shows it also.

84% Barack Obama
82% John Edwards
81% Bill Richardson
80% Dennis Kucinich
80% Hillary Clinton
80% Mike Gravel
79% Chris Dodd
78% Joe Biden
46% Rudy Giuliani
35% John McCain
33% Mitt Romney
29% Ron Paul
27% Mike Huckabee
25% Tom Tancredo
20% Fred Thompson

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

Finding Care for Your Loved Ones

We all have people we care about in our lives. Many of those people are older and will require some sort of care beyond that which we can give them. That's where Bettercaring comes in. You can find care homes for those you love. Through Bettercaring you can search all the different kinds of care facilities and find the one that fits your loved ones needs. They even have a blog where you can read and discuss all kinds of issues dealing with care facilities. You can read tips on daily care and gets tips from experts. It's not easy deciding to put someone into a care facility, but it's nice to know there's a place you can go to really research places so you can feel right about the decision you ultimately make. I don't currently have someone close to me that needs this kind of care, but if you do you should do the research and find them a place they'll be comfortable with, both for your peace of mind and theirs.

Interesting Facts about the US $1 Bill

I got an email about the US $1 bill. I thought it was pretty interesting. I'm sure the $1 is the most common one I ever have in my wallet, but I never think much about it. Does anybody really think much about it? So here you are, interesting facts about the US $1 bill:

THE

UNITED STATES ONE DOLLAR BILL


Take
out a one dollar bill,
and look at it. The one dollar bill
you're


looking
at first came off the presses in 1957 in its present
design. This

so-called
paper money is in fact a
cotton and linen blend, with red
and


blue minute silk
fibers running through it. It is actually material. We've
all
washed
it without it falling apart. A special blend of ink is used,

the contents
we will never know. It is overprinted with symbols
and then it
is starched
to make it water resistant and pressed
to give it that nice crisp
look.

If you look on the front of
the bill, you will see the United States Treasury Seal.


On
the top you will see the scales for a
balanced budget.

In the center you have a carpenter's square, a
tool used for an even cut.

Underneath
is the Key to the
United States Treasury.

That's all pretty easy to figure out, but

what is on the back of that dollar bill is something we should all know.


If you turn the bill over, you will see two circles.


Both circles, together, comprise
the Great Seal of
the United States.

The

First Continental Congress
requested
that Benjamin Franklin and a
group of men come up with a Seal.

It took them four years
to accomplish this task and another two years to get it approved.


If you look at the left-hand circle, you will see a Pyramid.

Notice
the face is lighted, and the
western side is dark. This country
was just beginning. We had not
begun to explore the West or decided
what we could do for Western Civilization.

The
Pyramid
is uncapped, aga in signifying that we were not even close to

being finished. Inside the capstone you have the all-seeing eye, an
ancient symbol for divinity.

It was Franklin 's belief that
one man
couldn't do it alone, but a group of men, with the help of
God, could do anything.

'IN GOD WE
TRUST' is on this
currency.

The Latin above the pyramid,

ANNUIT COEPTIS, means,

'God has favored our
undertaking.'

The Latin
below the pyramid, NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM,
means,

'a new order has begun.'


At the
base of the pyramid
is the Roman Numeral for 1776.


(MDCCLXXVI)

If you look at the right-hand
circle, and
check it carefully,


you will learn

that it is on every National Cemetery in the United States .



It is also on the
Parade of Flags Walkway at the
Bushnell, Florida National Cemet ery ,
and is the centerpiece of
most hero's monuments.

Slightly modified, it is

the seal of the President of the United States ,


and
it is always visible
whenever he speaks, yet very few people know what the
symbols mean.

The Bald Eagle was selected as a symbol for victory for
two reasons:

First, he is not afraid of a storm;
he is
strong, and he is smart enough to soar above it.



Secondly, he wears no
material crown. We had just
broken from the King of England .& nbsp;


Also, notice the
shield is unsupported. This country can now stand on its
own.


At the top of that shield
you have a white
bar signifying congress, a unifying factor.


We
were coming together as
one nation.

In the
Eagle's beak you will read, ' E PLURIBUS UNUM', meaning,

'one nation from many people'.
Above the
Eagle, you
have thirteen stars, representing the thirteen


original colonies, and any clouds of misunderstanding
rolling away. Again, we were coming together as one.



Notice what the Eagle holds in his talons.
He
holds an olive branch and arrows.

Suggestions for an Italian Getaway

Italy is yet another place I've never been but would really love to go. My mom's been there a few times and I've been jealous each time. In college I took some humanities classes that talked about the great artists of all time. One of those great artists is Michelangelo who painted the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel. The only way to see this is to stay in Italy and soak in it's beauty. You'll need to find Italy hotels and should check out cheaperthanhotels.co.uk to find them. Say you find some Rome hotels you like, there are lots of attractions to visit while you stay there from The Colosseum to the Vatican and more.

But the Italian vacation fun doesn't have to end there. Go find yourself some Venice hotels and you can take a gondola ride through the famous Venice canals or visit St. Mark's Basilica.

If that still isn't enough for you book yourself some Milan hotels and visit the Leonardo da Vinci museum or see the Milan Duomo. I remember reading my old humanities book and falling in love with that building. I'd never seen anything that beautiful before in my life.

No matter what you're looking for in Italy, you're sure to find it and a whole lot more while traveling all over the country. Take some pictures while you're there so you never forget your adventures.

Fold a Dollar into a Shirt

Ever wanted to know how to fold a dollar into a t-shirt? It's a fun way to give a kid some money. Just click here for instructions on how to make dollars much more fun! :)

Running Short on Cash

It's no secret that this time of year people start to feel the pain of their overspending during the holidays. Bills start showing up and the checkbook seems a little short. That's where payday loans come in handy. You need to be careful when choosing the payday loan for you. Some charge a flat rate fee no matter the duration of your loan. Keep in mind, these are not long term loans. You generally pay them back in 4-30 days, dependent upon your next payday at your job. With CashAdvance1500.com you can search several different options to find the payday loan that's right for you. With these loans you can get money quickly and securely into your checking or savings account. So if you've overspent during the holidays and need a little help to get your bills paid before you get paid again you might want to check them out and find a loan to get you through.

Weightloss Secrets

Right at the top of my list of New Year's Resolutions is to lose weight. Everyone has their different reasons for wanting to lose weight, but no matter the reason it's rarely easy for anyone. The internet can be a great resource for tips on weight loss, weight management, fitness tips and more. Today I stumbled onto a blog entry that talks about the secrets of weight loss. If you're struggling to lose weight or are contemplating starting a weight loss plan you should take a minute and read this entry.

Sunny San Diego

It's freezing here! Seriously, the temperature is one digit. Brrrrr! One place I know is nice nearly every day of the year is San Diego, I haven't been there in far too long, but I very much remember the warm weather and I was there in the winter time. Oh to be there right now instead of here. If you happen to be lucky and find yourself there and you're looking for San Diego restaurants check out Café San Diego. What is this? It is a site that helps you find restaurants San Diego. And everyone has to eat...although some models might disagree. LOL! But seriously, if you're looking for San Diego dining then check them out. And don't forget to send some of that sun and warmth my way, I'd really appreciate it. LOL!

Worldwide Recipes!!!

Lately I've really been into cooking new things and finding new staples for our family meals. I just found the World Health Recipe Collection. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but this site has links to recipes all over the world. Looking for lockshen and cheese? They have a link to it. What about baklava? Yep, you can find that too. I have a feeling I'll be spending a bit of time looking around this site.

Confused about Bad Credit?

Have you found yourself in a situation where you have bad credit? If so, no need to worry. You're not alone and there are companies out there to help you. But, you also need to be careful because there are other companies who don't have your best interest in mind and they want to exploit you and your credit even further. I guess that makes it a little hard to know who to trust when you're looking to build your credit back up. That's where BadCreditOffers comes in to play. They're a company where you can compare many different bad credit loans. You wouldn't want to just pick the first one you get without knowing if it's really the right one to help you get your credit back again. And they understand this. They have many different categories of offers to choose from including credit cards, home loans and auto loans to name a few. Just sign up for the kind of credit you need, make your payments on time and find yourself on your way back to good credit!

Celebrity Babies

It's been quite the year for celebrity babies. So many new little bundles of joy have arrived in 2007. Some were given nice normal names while others were given names that make a sane person shake their head. It's always fun to see what they'll come up with next. Even us "normal" people come up with some doozies when it comes to our kid's names. I found out last night that my cousin named his little boy Rudolph...yes, this baby was born in December. I'm sure he'll be teased his whole life, little Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

Get Paid to Blog with Smorty

I've been blogging for awhile, and you may have noticed I've done some paid ads on my main blog. Well, I've decided to do some on here. It seems appropriate on here anyway, because this is where I post neat things I find online. And a lot of the advertisers that help you get paid for blogging have really neat stuff. So now with Smorty I'll be bringing you fun and interesting stuff I find there. And if I get paid to blog sometimes then that's all the better. LOL! I hope you enjoy what blog advertising I do as well as my regular posts. It's actually fun blogging for money because it allows me to find some fun stuff that I may never have heard of otherwise...and now you can find out about it too! And if this is something you are interested in too than I suggest you check them out too. It's easy and you get paid weekly on their pay dates. Yay for that!

Looking for a Way to Make Car Trips Fun?

I was just looking around the internet and found MomsMinivan.com. This is a site where you can create fun games for those normally long and boring car rides. There are bingo cards, string figures, games with aluminum foil and more. Check it out!

Planning a Trip to Ireland?

I've always wanted to go to Ireland. I'm not sure why, but it's always seemed like a beautiful place. I'm not at a place in my life where I can travel, but a girl can dream, right? Perhaps you're luckier than I and do have the money to travel. If so, you should check out Ireland Hotels with cheaperthanhotels.co.uk where you can book travel well in advance or check out their last minute deals for travel within 3 weeks.

No trip to Ireland would be complete without a stay in Belfast. You can check out Belfast Hotels on that site as well! Perhaps being around a quarter of the country's population isn't your style, well you can find Cork Hotels as well. There's so much to do there, with their music, film and jazz festivals held year round there's bound to be a festival for you. Another option is to stay in Belfast Hotels so you can visit with the locals who love to find out what made you visit there.

I've heard of the beauty of Ireland and someday I hope to see it for myself. If you happen to go let me know how it is. I love to live vicariously through others for now, perhaps someday others can live vicariously through me.

Feeling a little stiff?

The new year is coming and along with it are the New Year's resolutions that never seldom get kept. But my theory is we set our sights too high, that's just setting ourselves up for disappointment and failure. So instead of saying I'm going to lose 40 pounds I should say I'm going to exercise more, or learn to stretch. Wait...learn to stretch? Yep, I just stumbled upon a site that talks about the proper way to stretch. Wanna check it out? Ok, just click here. :) I plan to get more flexible in the new year and yes...I'm still going to set a resolution to lose 40 pounds. LOL! A girl can dream...and succeed...I will dang it! I will!!!

Christmas Coloring Pages for the Kids

Are you looking for a Christmas activity for your children? Check out these Christmas coloring pages for kids. I know my daughter loves to color. Granted she can't stay in the lines yet, but she still loves to try. Print off a few and you might find yourself with a minute or two to yourself while the kids have some fun.

Clock for your Blog

Want a clock on your blog? Check out clocklink.com! I've been seeing these on several blogs lately and think they're pretty neat. They have TONS of different kinds of clocks to choose from.

Just a little funny for you...

Not as addicted as I thought

70%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

I would've thought it was so much higher...lol! How addicted are you?

Make Your Own Gingerbread House

Want to create your own virtual gingerbread house? I found out about this at Notes in the Key of Life while I was doing some Thursday Thirteen hunting. Go to Jenny B Harris' site and have fun! You just drag and drop the fun little candies on the house and "presto" you have a cute little gingerbread house.

Merry Christmas!

Just a little funny

Ducks, Ducks, Ducks

I got this joke in an email and it made me laugh so I thought I'd pass it along in a blog post. Enjoy!

Three women die together in an accident and go to heaven.
When they get there, St. Peter says, "We only have one rule here in heaven: don't step on the ducks!"
So they enter heaven, and sure enough, there are ducks all over the place. It is almost impossible not to step on a duck, and! although they try their best to avoid them, the first woman accidentally steps on one.
Along comes St. Peter with the ugliest man she ever saw.
St. Peter chains them together and says, "Your punishment for stepping on a duck is to spend eternity chained to this ugly man!"

The next day, the second woman steps accidentally on a duck and along comes St. Peter, who doesn't miss a thing. With him is another extremely ugly man. He chains them together with the same admonishment as for the first woman.

The third woman has observed all this and, not wanting to be chained for all eternity to an ugly man, is very, VERY careful where she steps.
She manages to go months without stepping on any ducks, but one day St. Peter comes up to her with the most handsome man she has ever laid eyes on ... very tall, long eyelashes, muscular, and thin.
St. Peter chains them together without saying a word.

The happy woman says, "I wonder what I did to deserve being chained to you for all of eternity?"
The guy says, "I don't know about you, but I stepped on a duck!"

Great fun...

I've seen these blog raters all over and at one point my other blog was rated R which I thought was rather funny. But it was for words like pain, oops...guess my rating here will go down. LOL! From what I can tell it only reads the front page of the blog, because the former R rated blog is now PG. But it's kind of fun to play around with. The site also has lots of other fun quizzes and widgets for blogs. Go check it out and have some fun!

2007 10 Worst Toys

Christmas is here and many of us are out buying toys for our little ones. But we need to be wary. With all the toy recalls I'm sure most of us are being a little more aware of what we're buying. But lead is not the only hazard. Check out the 10 worst toys this year.

Is Your Family Dysfunctional???

Your Family Is 19% Dysfunctional

While every family has its problems, your family is definitely better than most. You probably communicate well, and even if you disagree, you don't let it ruin relationships. Consider yourself lucky for having such a great family. Believe it or not, it's pretty rare! It may be hard to appreciate what you have at times, but it could be a whole lot worse.

Is Your Family Dysfunctional?

I did this with just my husband and daughters in mind. I'm glad to see we're not really dysfunctional. I love us!

Church Sign Generator

I've come across this before, but it's always good for a laugh or two. Check out the Church Sign Generator and create your own funny signs!

Um...Ew! LOL!

It's that time of year again, when Jones Soda Co. brings out their special holiday flavors. This year their even making ham and latke flavored soda. Ok, I'm all for weird flavors...to a certain degree. Like I really enjoy the Sierra Mist Free Cranberry Splash, but ham flavored is a little much for me. According to the article:

The Christmas pack will feature such flavors as Sugar Plum, Christmas Tree, Egg Nog and Christmas Ham. The Hanukkah pack will have Jelly Doughnut, Apple Sauce, Chocolate Coins and Latkes sodas.

I think I'll stick with my more traditional flavored sodas and water, thank you very much! LOL!

How Did She Do That?

When I logged out of my hotmail account this morning I was taken to the msn page. I always check to see if there's anything interesting to read. This morning a headline sparked my interest. Marathon mom's win sparks debate, I had to see what it was about. I've always wanted to run a marathon. I'm only 3 1/2 months post-pregnancy right now and am in no where near the shape I need to be for this. But this woman is an elite athlete. She won the New York City Marathon just 9 months after giving birth. WOW!!! My immediate goals right now are to lose weight and get to my pre-babies weight. (I never lost the weight from baby #1...oops) Once I do that I want to remain healthy and get into things like yoga and running (I'm already do that a little). That way when or if I get pregnant again I can have a healthier pregnancy and bounce back quicker. Then I want to focus on a marathon. But I can guarantee you it won't be 9 months post baby...maybe 5 years post baby. But more power to this woman...wow, wow, wow!

What is this all about?

Do you wonder what this pic is? Check out this article to find out.

Fake Teeth Recalled

Click here for more details on the latest recall due to lead.

Exercise

I got this in an email and thought it was pretty funny. Have a great day and a Happy Halloween!

Want a Free Taco?

Head over to a participating Taco Bell (US only) on October 30th between 2pm & 5pm local time. They're giving them away because Jacoby Ellsbury stole a base in game 2 of the World Series. Go Sox!!!

Bumbo Seats Recalled

Bumbo Seats are being recalled due to falling hazard. You can go here and here for details. But basically, it seems like they're just temporarily halting sales while they change the labeling. If you already own a Bumbo seat, like I do, you can contact them for a warning sticker. Or just remember to NEVER place the seat anywhere but on the ground.

Win a Mattress Cover

Do you need a mattress cover? We have one, but it's old. Well, as old as anything we jointly own is. We got it for a wedding present in 2004 and it's gotten tattered and torn. But it's the only one we have, so we use it. Over at 5 Minutes for Mom they're holding a giveaway for Protect a Bed mattress covers for your entire family! Go check it out you just might become the winner!

Who do you think they look like?

So what do you all think? Did the My Heritage site get it right? I saw this on my friend Karla's blog and thought it would be fun to try. Everyone says Mackenzie looks like me, but I guess she's looks equally like Josh. And I always hear people say Jocelyn looks like Josh...I guess they're mostly right there. :)

Global Incident Map

Are you interested in seeing what's going on in your neck of the woods? I found this Global Incident Map in a post on a forum I belong to. Nothing is going on right now in Colorado, but there's stuff going on all over the world.

Pumpkin Carving

Go here to carve your own virtual pumpkin! :) I've gotten this in emails for the past few Halloweens and it's always been good for a few minute time waster. LOL! Enjoy!

Another Fun Quiz

You Belong in London

A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock.A unique soul like you needs a city that offers everything.No wonder you and London will get along so well.

What City Do You Belong In?

Looking for Free Stuff?

I found a blog that gives away American made products. The goal of Patriot is to make people aware of American made products and to promote them to secure American jobs. Go check it out and see if you can win some really neat stuff!

Become an M&M!

Have you ever wanted to become an M&M? Here's the M&M my little toddler and I made of her. Isn't she cute? LOL! Go check out the site and make your own M&M. There are a lot of options for your M&M from body shape, legs, hair, etc. You name it and you can probably do it. My only complaint is there aren't a lot of arm choices. But hey, it's free and still fun. :) Enjoy!

I'm not sure how I feel about this...

I'm not sure what part of my answers led to this. Deformed? Eek!

You Are

A Franken Pumpkin Face You would make a good deformed pumpkin.

What's" Your Pumpkin Face?

Hand Sanitizer Warning

I got this link in an email. It's pretty scary. I haven't doubled checked it with Snoops, so take it with a grain of salt until you know for sure.

This Will Drive You Nuts

Click here for the Magic Gopher. This will drive you nuts. I know I've seen it before and I found out how it works, but it's been so long that I just don't remember. Have fun!

Vicks Vaporub

I got this email. I don't know if it's true, but I have done this to soften up my feet and it worked for that.

Vicks Vaporub

Although the scientists at the Canada Research council (who discovered
it) aren't sure why, It works 100% of the time .

To stop nighttime coughing in a child (or adult as we found out
personally), put Vicks Vaporub generously on the bottom of the feet at
bedtime, then cover with socks.Even persistent, heavy, deep coughing will
stop in about 5 minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief.

Works 100% of the time and is more effective in children than even very
strong prescription cough medicines. In addition it is extremely soothing
and comforting and they will sleep soundly.

It was a surprising finding and found to be more effective than
prescribed medicines for children at bedtime, in addition to have a
soothing and calming effect on sick children ! who the n went on to sleep
soundly.

An adult friend tried it on herself when she had a very deep constant and
persistent cough a few weeks ago and it worked 100%! She said that it
felt like a warm blanket had enveloped her, coughing stopped in a few
minutes and believe me, this was a deep, (incredibly annoying!) every few
seconds uncontrollable cough, and she slept cough-free for hours every
night that she used it.

So, if you have kids/grandchildren, pass it on. If you end up sick, try
it yourself and you will be absolutely amazed .

Check out the Tibetan Personality Test

Get a pencil and a piece of paper ready. Then click here to take the Tibetan Personality Test. Have fun!

10 Worst College Mascots

I've heard some pretty good, er, make that bad mascots in my time. Like the beet diggers or the hay balers. But the college mascots listed in this article are definite winners, or should I say losers?

I always had semi-decent mascots for my schools. Well, at least in my opinion. I was an eagle in elementary school, a falcon in junior high, a golden tiger in high school and a cougar in college.

Who's Nose?

Click here for details.