Paid to Shop

My cousin got her first job out of college with Hallmark.  She didn't just get any position.  She was the buyer for Hallmark.  You know all the gifts, knick knacks, ornaments, etc...?  She decided what Hallmark would purchase and sell in their stores.  It was a dream job.  She was getting paid for going shopping!

Now I don't know about you... but this is the kind of career where I would definitely be happy in my work!  A position in supplier management would be a great way to satisfy your shopping desires... while spending someone elses money.

And from what I understand, the salary is around $72,000 per year... so not only would you save money by shopping on someone elses dime... but you would be able to pack away a nice little savings.

And you know how some people compensate with shopping for emotional needs.  If they are sad, they buy something pretty to make them feel better.  If they are happy, they go shopping and buy something they've always wanted as a celebration.  Essentially, these moods would simply make you a better employee.  You would dive into your work and become employee of the month!

I love it!

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Perfect

I love my son in law.  He is great.  He is smart, ambitious, funny and fun, brings out the best in everyone, kind, giving, truly thinks of others and is a wonderful husband and father.  And he is the first to admit that I did not include handy.  He is not the first person I would call to come and fix my disposal.

And it's not that he wouldn't be more than willing to give it a try.  He is an extremely helpful person.  The desire would be there, but hands on fix it kind of skills are not at the top of his list of his many admirable qualities.

And it's not that he doesn't have incredible ideas.  He is smart and very much a problem solver... he's just not not... the dryer won't heat up, kind of problem solver.  He is taking a new online company to a highly successful company and is key with sales and service and understanding the product.  Put him on a computer or on the phone and he is amazing.  Put him under the engine of a car... not so much.

True... no one is perfect... but he comes close.  He is the first to admit that he's not the guy to figure out why the sinks are backed up, or the basement is flooded... but... he definitely knows how to hire and get the Roto-Rooter Plumbing truck to come and fix it.

Maybe he is perfect.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Family First

Facebook has become a constant in today.  My kids all love to communicate with this ever present social media.  I, however, have my difficulties navigating my way and keeping up with all the likes, dislikes, pokes, and friends.

I have never really wanted a facebook page creation for myself.  I only registered so that I could see the kids pictures on their pages.  I loved being able to keep up with what they were doing.  And the pictures were so much fun.  But then it got complicated and I had a terrible time trying to accept or not accept friends.  Then people started writing on my wall and this became confusing.  I was overwhelmed.  I had so many friends!

Now I need to qualify the friends part.  I have a normal amount of friends, but when you talk of facebook friends it gets a little out of control.  Everyone wants to be your friend.  At first, I honestly thought that by accepting someone as your friend, you were going to spend time with them.  Go out for ice cream.  Talk on the phone.  And then when my friend requests grew to numbers beyond anyone's reasonable number of friends I quit.  It was just too much.  There is a thing as too much and I hit it.

Now, I have a new facebook page where it is just me and my family and it rocks!  Everything on the facebook page is about my family and let's be honest here... that is who I ultimately will want to follow when it becomes too hard to follow everyone.

Family first.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Weekend Getaways? I Recommend It!

Sometimes it just feels good to get away... but it is the actual getting away that is so hard.  We all have so much in our lives with work, school, children, friends, and countless other things.  It seems we are forever busy, busy, busy.  If you can endure the prep of getting away, and survive getting there... it is well worth the effort.  I speak from experience.

Now I'm not saying I've ever had the high end getaway.  I've never ran off to Cape Cod or dined at Marthas Vineyard restaurants.  I have, however, enjoyed a weekend off of enjoying my family.

I have a daughter in New York.  My granddaughter is there and one time I got away for the weekend just to be there for her 2 year old birthday.  Crazy trying to sew up loose ends in order to get out of here early Friday afternoon.  And it was positively crazy to fly back only 48 hours after my arrival... but it was totally and completely worth every bit of it.  My granddaughter was so surprised and I spent her entire birthday with her just doing whatever her little heart desired.

I also recently got away to my son and daughter and her husband in St. George.  They run a shuttle from Salt Lake to St. George and it is a pleasure.  I absolutely love it.  I love to read and I just sit back and enjoy the ride while I read and read.  I get there by dinner time Friday and then take the late morning shuttle back on Sunday.  Hectic... yes.  Fabulous to spend the weekend with my kids... oh yes!

The weekend getaway?  I highly recommend it!

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Two Speed Limits - One Road

Sure I've gotten a few speeding tickets in my lifetime.  I do tend to be a rather speedy driver.  For the most part, I have deserved the tickets, and haven't even tried to fight a speeding ticket.  This last one, however, deserved a fight.  At least I thought so.

I was driving in Salt Lake City.  I had to run an errand and so my mission was clear.  I drove to my destination down a main street in the city.  Parked.  Got what I needed.  And headed out the same way I came in.  This is the tricky part.  One side of the road had a speed limit of 45 miles per hour.  So coming in to accomplish my task was 45.  Driving back, the speed limit was 25 miles per hour.  Weird?  Right?

Naturally, I only saw the speed limit coming in, so when I headed out, I got pulled over.  I had the usual surprised look and "Is there a problem officer?" look and this is when he informed me that I was going 20 over the speed limit.  I explained that I was sure I saw a speed limit sign that read 45 and this is where I was informed that the 45 was on the other side of the street.  I laughed... thinking he was clearly joking.  Nope.  He wrote the ticket.  I tried to the fight speeding ticket move.  I failed.  I was told that I need to always be looking... always checking for speed limit signs.

I hate it when they're right.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

What To Do With That Clunker

How many times have we all been there?  You get a new car, but the old car is not really worth selling.  We get a clunker... one with a tremendous amount of metal around it... for our new teenage drivers.  They are decent cars... but inexpensive to insure and register due to their salvage title... or low value.  When we reach the time to get rid of it, it really isn't worth selling... but there are other things you can do.

We have had one weighed for it's scrap metal and since these cars tend to be built like tanks (the Mom in me insists they are protected in every way possible when they drive) and this makes them heavy.  There are places that will purchase them just for the scrap metal.  They literally weigh the car and pay you a set price per pound.

A better way to get rid of a car is donation.  What is of very little value to you... can be of great value to a variety of organization.  It is a great thing to donate cars for vets.  There are several organizations that take used, broken down cars.  They come and pick it up.  At cars for vets 100% of the money goes to veterans.  You avoid the hassle of expensive repairs, or trying to place an ad and sell the car.  And to top it off... you can take the highest resale price and use it as a tax deduction.

A simple thing... that can mean so much.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

A Book That Makes You Think

I love books that make you think.  Books about other cultures or interesting situations.  I am reading a book right now that I can not stop thinking about.

It is a book that takes fictional characters through a nuclear war.  The story is obviously not real, but the situation and the out fall are very much what would happen if we did have a nuclear war.  There was the bomb that takes out an entire part of our country, but then there was another troubling issue I had no idea of.  They can take a nuclear bomb and explode it in the air and it takes out all power, anything electrical across a huge area.

Where I am at in the book right now, this has happened and essentially they have digressed to like the 1800's.  There is no power.  No phones.  No machinery.  No cars.  Nothing.  When it turns to nighttime it is black as coal.  You can't just go to the doctors if you're sick or injured.  You literally can not get there.  And food becomes a major issue.  Farms have no machinery.  There is no means of transporting food.

There have been constant warnings that we should maintain a long term food supply, and although I have heard this for years, it sounds stupid, but this book has helped me see the light.

It's good that I read books that make me think... I think?

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Senior Trips

When my children graduate from high school, my gift to them is either a private trip with just the two of us, or a substantial donation to a car or their college education.  I don't think I need to tell you which gift I prefer!

The oldest chose to go to New York City.  She had dreamed of going there since the sixth grade.  We had an incredible time and she absolutely fell in love with the city.  So in love, in fact, that she moved there after her freshman year in college and has never looked back.

We booked one of those Catalina Island Packages for my second daughter.  A beautiful hotel with an ocean view and shopping galore!  We ended up having to cancel and she ended up being the only one of my children who had a car in college.

And the fourth chose Cancun which was fabulous.  We did all kinds of amazing things, like a zipline ride through the jungle, toured the Mayan ruins, and cliff jumped into these weird tropical sink hole like things.  We had pina coladas on the beach, which also included my daughter nearly drowning on the shore, but all in all it was incredible.

I now prepare for my last graduate.  We are heading to California.  First she wants to be a little kid one more time and go to Disneyland.  Then we are off to Hollywood.  My theater buff wants to absorb everything... Grauman's, Hollywood Museum, and we have dreams of going to Ellen, etc...

Graduation, a memory of it's own.  The trips, more memories to last a lifetime.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Reminders...

Oh how I love reminders!  These days when my mind doesn't seem to hold on to the things I need to remember... I love friendly reminders.

My kids are great at texting me to remind me that I need to pick them up...or they have an appointment I need to take them to... or I have an appointment.  These little texts are so kind and thoughtful and I appreciate them more than they will ever know.  My daughter will ask me to pick something up for her at the store and no doubt while I am at the store... my phone will make it's little sound that tells me I have a text and sure enough it is the thing I am supposed to pick up.  Fabulous.  This does of course require that I remember my phone... and that I have it turned on!

And I know you are going to think I'm crazy but I love online reminders.  Companies like mad mimi email marketing put little ads in your email.  I know this can be troublesome if there is too much... but I have to admit that I like seeing a reminder that I need more See's Candies... or that I purchased tickets somewhere and would I like to go again?  I like the little pictures of items I like that pop up when I am searching online.  It is a friendly reminder that... oh yeah... I was shopping for one of those!

Some people take offense at reminders but I never do.  I take them in the spirit of someone trying to help me... someone doing me a favor... and this is always welcome in my book.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Oh... If You Had Only...

Holiday shopping is at full force these days and I can only imagine that credit card transactions, cash transactions, every kind of transaction is surging through the financial networks.  Businesses are being slammed and I'm sure there are many who are surprised by the number of online shoppers this year.  Some businesses probably wish they had some kind of billing system in place.

I know when I am online shopping... the ease of check out is key.  If it is a pain... or complicated and gives me grief... I will simply go somewhere else.  Let's face it... online shopping is everywhere.  If an item is unavailable somewhere... you simply go to another sight.  There are so many search engines... you literally can find anything.

I think another reason for some kind of Subscription Management would be the ability to keep track of your customers so you can go after that returning revenue.  It is a simple concept.  If I find a website that is not only easy to use, but has good customer service... I will return.  I have already done it this year alone.  If a business has something in place to track customers... they can market to those who have already proven they like what they see.  What an easy sale this would be?  But if you can't keep track... then you've lost a valuable asset.

I'm sure there are many businesses right now saying... "Oh if I had only... "

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Ideas For The Home

My move is getting closer as the weeks fly by.  After the holidays I know it is going to come crazy fast and I hope I am ready.  The move itself is going to take time... but it is the deciding how my new place will be is the all time consuming piece to this puzzle.

I have a basic layout of how I would like things... but then I get online and find so many ideas my head is full.  I love to go on Pinterest and other websites that show decor ideas, but it is the real estate websites that have the most concrete ideas for me.  When you look at a site like www.thepartnerstrust.com you have access to not only landscaping ideas, but the interior, and a vast array of other areas of your home.

Landscaping is great but I like looking at the cute details some of the homes show.  Cute wooden square boxes that are decorative and useful right outside your back door on the porch.  There is interesting lighting ideas and front door decor on each listing.

The interior ideas are incredible too.  People are getting pictures of their home taken and so they have it looking just right and I love looking at the small details... things I may not have thought of doing.

A move is a huge step and is life changing.  I can't wait to be all settled in to my new home... but I will have to get through all the planning and preparation to get there!  It will be well worth it!

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Holiday Spending

Quite obvious... but December is clearly the month we all spend the most money.  Holiday shopping can take it's toll on you and your credit cards.  Here are some ways to avoid that inevitable holiday financial hangover.

First of all... don't wait until the last minute.  When you are rushed and in the mode of just getting it done... you don't care about the price.  Trust me when I say... you will care come January and you see what you spent on gifts.

Try to avoid using plastic.  I don't like this theory because I like my rewards.  If your disciplined you can still use your credit cards.  The idea of cash is that you withdraw what you have budgeted for the holidays and when it is gone... it's gone.

Think location... location... location.  I have kids who live in New York who seriously plan on shopping for gifts when they visit in Utah.  Why?  The same item is nearly three times more expensive in New York.  I can only imagine the need for a New York or a los angeles bankruptcy law firm is much higher after the holiday shopping in these locations.

And don't forget the traditional homemade gift.  These are always the most treasured.  Cost the least amount of money.  And they give you the feeling of the season most readily.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Shorter?

I've had my entire colon removed.  I must admit that when I was told that I would have to have it removed, it seemed pretty far fetched.  I mean... can you live without your colon?  And it's so big!

My kids and I went to The Body exhibit shortly after I had schedule this surgery.  As my son looked at the three dimensional sculpture of the human body with the skin invisible so you could see all the parts inside... his first question was "Mom, will you be shorter?"  To him it seemed like there was going to be an awfully lot of space left empty in my abdomen, so I would naturally crunch down and be shorter.  A logical question after looking at the example.  It also seemed like the surgery would be pretty huge.

Turns out the surgery was all right and I was feeling pretty good.  At least I felt like I would come out of it.  And then I kept throwing up.  And kept throwing up.  This was not expected.  A CT Scan revealed an aortic aneurysm in my abdomen.  This seemed to be more alarming to my docs than the surgery.  I actually had three located between my stomach and liver... thus the difficulty eating.  After a long hospital stay, blood thinners for well after my stay, and many scans, and incredible hunger... I would avoid the aortic aneurysm.  And despite all of this, I'm still 5'6".

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Cleansing

I have heard many people discuss the benefits of cleansing the body.  Cleansing in the sense of ridding your body of antioxidants, etc.. not the outer soap and water type of cleansing.  The type of cleansing I am talking about is the kind where you actually weigh a few pounds lighter after the cleanse.  Ha!

The topic came up the other morning when I prepared what I believe to be a very healthy breakfast.  I love blueberries and the benefits of blueberries has never been disputed.  They are naturally good for your body and are a natural antioxidant.  At this time of year, they are quite expensive and I like to eat a lot of them.  I found a large bag of frozen blueberries at a warehouse store and I am in heaven.  Anyway... I prepare Cream of Wheat which is so high in iron and then I dump a cup of the delicious blueberries into it.  It turns the cereal into a dark purple, so it's not all that appealing to the eye... but to the palate it is delicious.  And let me tell you that everyone of my children that I have fed this healthy delight has discussed the cleansing properties it possesses.

Within a matter of hours everything you may have eaten will be eliminated along with this breakfast.  You will feel pounds lighter and refreshed.  This was never my intent, but it works.  I like eating healthy and I like drinking juices such as xango, cranberry, fresh orange to add to my regimen of keeping my body healthy.

Now there is no guilt in eating the ice cream, candy, cakes, cookies, and pie of the holidays!  I just need to eat them the night before!  Ha!

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Speaking and Travel

It's no secret that I would like to eventually make my career solely one of public speaking.  I have had several speaking assignments, but certainly not enough to support myself.  This would also be due to the fact that I seldom ever charge anyone.  I rarely charge because for the most part I speak at fundraisers.  When someone is attempting to raise money for a good cause, I do not feel like cutting into their funds.  And I truly enjoy speaking to a crowd of good people trying to make a difference.

The generosity and kindness of others never ceases to astound me.  There are some genuinely good people out there who think nothing of donating their time, talents, income, etc...  I love being around and associated with these people.  They make me a better person.

I also enjoy the travel and seeing the set up of various fundraising organizations.  I have spoken in New Orleans at a beautiful women's center that they provide for breast cancer patients.  It was a lovely facility designed completely for women.  I always try to soak in the ambiance of the area, so I feel the culture.  I would love to go to a conference center Boston to speak and soak up all the history... the food.  Or how about an Alaskan fundraiser?  These are places I would love to see, and to speak in addition to being there, that would be frosting on the cake.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

I'd Go There

One of my favorite TV shows when I was a teenager was The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  There was just something about Mary Tyler Moore that I loved... no doubt from my obsession with the Dick Van Dyke show as well.  But I loved how Mary lived on her own, with a smile.  She had a career and good friends.  The opening song truly got me hooked.

Who can forget "Who can turn the world on with her smile?"  "Who can take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?"  I mean really, who could not help but sing a long?  I have always wanted to go to Minneapolis St. Paul where she lived and where she walked through the streets and then did her signature throw of her hat into the air.

I wonder if there are Hotels in St Paul MN dedicated to the Mary Tyler Moore Show.  I would totally go!  They could have each room arranged like Mary's apartment with the pull out sofa bed.  The lobby could be the lobby of The WJM News.  It would be a pleasant stay with wonderful staff that felt like friends.  And they could have a Sue Ann Nivens who would bake wonderful things and take any stain out of your clothing.

A city where "Love is all around.  No need to waste it."  "You can have the town why don't you take it?"  I'd go there.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

It Makes The Man

There is this video that my daughter and I absolutely love.  It is simply the best music video.  First of all it has Tim McGraw.  Need I say more?  It is his "Live Like You Were Dying" music video.  The song is great, but it is what he's wearing that draws you in.  We have actually frozen in the aisle of Target (when the song was released and the video was getting played regularly) and just gazed upon the screen as carts passed by us.

He's wearing jeans, a white button up shirt, he's barefoot, and has a black cowboy hat.  I don't know what it is about cowboy hats that make a man look manly.  Honestly, what is that all about.  I love the rodeo, not only because you have a huge crowd of guys in cowboy hats, but because a rodeo is tough.  A rodeo is mean, hard, manly.  So now you have these tough, not afraid of getting hurt, men with the cowboy hat.  A deadly combination I'm telling you.

You can even take a puny, scrawny, helpless kid and put him in a cowboy hat and he looks tougher.  Now he's no Tim McGraw or rodeo rider, but he does look more like a man.  The effectiveness of seducing a woman with a cowboy hat is underrated.  Take a look at the movies...  John Travolta in Urban Cowboy, Paul Newman and Robert Redford in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, Harry Connick Jr in Hope Floats.  I'm telling you, the cowboy hat makes the man!

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Location

I deal with customers who do not pay their bills.  It really is an enjoyable job because for the most part, our customers are people who have simply not received or lost the invoice.  There may be a discrepancy in pricing which holds up their payment.  There are occasionally those incidences where they have no intention of paying.  Collecting this moeny can be difficult or relatively easy.  There are many factors to consider when thinking of the ease of collecting for a past due invoice.  Location.  Location.  Location.

If we have a customer in the United States we have a vast array of services we can use to collect the money owed.  We can make phone calls to them, we can email, we can file a complaint, we can enlist the services of an attorney, and we can serve papers to the majority owners.

International customers make our life more difficult.  Sure, we can call, and email, but the additional services become very complicated.  Even the simplest task of serving them with a court order is nearly impossible outside the country.  For example a process serving california, is profoundly easier than process serving a business in South America.  It falls under the validity of the law makers and judicial system in place.  If there is no law and order, then serving papers to a business really doesn't mean anything.  Fortunately, if you get the help of a professional serving company, they can follow the correct steps.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Foolish Spending

You know the last time I was in New Orleans I became addicted to the Southern Candy Makers Pecan Praline.  It was an easy thing to do considering my hotel was right next door to where they actually made them.  And I mean the hotel and the candy shop shared a wall!  The minute I would walk out of the hotel in the morning, I could smell the warm freshly made pralines.  I'm telling you, if you haven't had a warm praline, then I you will never understand why I may have needed a bankruptcy attorney new orleans if I had stayed any longer than a week.

I ended up spending over $200 on candy.  Now don't judge me.  I'm sure there are plenty of things people spend an unprecedented amount of money on, just as foolish as candy.  And candy really wouldn't put me into bankruptcy whereas many other foolish pleasure really would put you in serious need of a bankruptcy lawyer.

I have a friend who has more clothes and shoes than she could possibly wear in a year.  Seriously, if she wore one outfit a day for a year, she would still have clothes, shoes left unworn.  Now that's crazy.  And she really will have to apply for bankruptcy due to credit card debt.  It is never wise to file on your own, so she is at least smart enough to get a lawyer.

I would love to see the bankruptcy lawyers face defending this one!

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Pre-Wedding

Whenever one of my children gets married, rather than a bachelorette party, we have an evening of salon services.  It has really turned out to be one of the funnest parts of the wedding festivities.

We gather all the girls, bridesmaids, sisters, mother of the bride, mother of the groom, grandmas on both sides of the family.  We rent a large hotel suit.  We always get one with the hot tub in the room.  Our prep involves filling the room with chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.  We also include a few salty snacks so if you get sweeted out, you go salty, and then you are ready for some more chocolate.  There is also whipped cream in the spray cans.  This is for this game where you squirt a blob on the back of your hand and then hit your hand.  The whipped cream blob flies in the air and you must catch it in your mouth!  But then we also prep the room with the most important items.

Salon and spa supplies.  We have everything you would find at for example a Devachan Salon and Spa.  In fact, you can find many of their products on their website.  We have everything for pedicures, manicures, facials, and you can soak in the hot tub.

All in all this has turned out to be a great pre-wedding party.  And the bride is pampered and spruced up for her big day!

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

It Pays To Be Polite

I deal in collections most of the day.  I am probably the most pleasant and polite collections agent you'd ever want to meet.  Honestly, there are times when I am on the phone collecting and after I hang up, people in the office will say that they've never heard of a "collector" being polite.  Well, the reason is that the people I am collecting from are our customers.  And the customer is always right.  Well, maybe not when it comes to collecting.

I open with "We have an invoice on the Collections Report.  I thought I would check with you to see if I can help.  Perhaps we are sending the invoice to the wrong address?  And do you have our correct mailing address for payment?"  Yes.  They are our customers.  And if you have a good relationship with the AP, you have a better chance of getting paid. That doesn't mean that when they lie to me, or try to stall that I don't get serious.  Serious.  Not rude.  Serious.

If I feel like we are not going to get our money, I have no problem being a little firmer and making myself a pest by calling regularly, daily if I have to.  I also get alerts from different attorneys to keep me informed of any companies who have litigation pending or who might be going bankrupt.  And then it is just fine with me to get a nc attorney involved.  When it comes to bankruptcy, I don't care which end your on, the debtor or the debtee, you need a lawyer with experience in bankruptcy law.

You can still be polite and get your money.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Time Flies

I was leaving the house the other day and I as I drove past my own home, I noticed I still have a Yard Signs that reads "Titan Football Supporter".  The funny thing is, my football playing son, who was indeed, a Titan has been away to college for over two years now!

It's funny how time flies.  I remember hearing old people say that all the time and think that "No it doesn't".  It seemed it took forever for me to be old enough to walk to the store and get an ice cream with my friends.  I never thought I would see the day that I would turn 13 and become a legit teenager!  And I think everyone thinks the day would never come where we would turn 16 and be able to drive!  Yes, time moves slowly when you are young.

Christmas seemed like it would never get hear.  Christmas Eve night was an eternity.  And now Christmas is coming so fast, I just don't think I'll be ready.  Every year I vow to be done by November 1st and the time flies by so fast I can't believe it's here.

In six months I'll be putting up another Yard Sign... Home For Sale.  I keep thinking that I've got to start packing.  How am I ever going to put 17 years worth of living into boxes?  But you know what?  The time is going to fly by, so I better get started.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Communications

.I love my job.  Actually I love the company I work for and the people I work with.  I do so many different kinds of things for this company that I have gotten to know so many people.  I work with peers daily which is something I truly enjoy.  I like working as a team to get things done.

I also work with people above and below me... a kind of Vertical Communications.  I learn a great deal by working with those much higher on the totem pole.  And it's true that I learn a lot from those who may be lower on the pay scale.  I find everyone I work with interesting.

In addition I have the perspective of working with the employees of all the divisions.  So many of our employees just work within their own office.  I have the opportunity to work with every branch across the country.  This makes my job even more interesting.  To have such a wonderful communication system in place where I can not only just reach them with the touch of a button on my phone, but we work within the same system, laserfiche all documents together, and so many other ways we keep our company unified.

I am grateful at this time to not only have a good job, but work with people I enjoy.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

The Host

A web hosting service is a type of internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to make their website accessible via the world wide web.  This made me think of my daughters.  How?

Well, I have five daughters.  No, I have five beautiful daughters.  I know I'm their Mom, and I am partial, but trust me when I say that they are beautiful.  They are also fun, intelligent, athletic, and creative.  But how would they remind me of a web hosting service?

Whenever we had a party at our house, and they were all close in age, so lots of friends, I felt like a "host".  Yes, I was the Hivelocity Hosting service and the party provided access by the boys to flirt and impress my daughters.  The variety was great... brunette daughters, blonde daughters, athletic, artistic, young and a little older, the variety was there.  And they were all made available to flirt with as I hosted the party.

It really happened at any gathering.  I am so glad they have grown and married.  At least four of them have.  Now I just have the youngest to watch out ... from all those wanting access to her.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

I Can't Wait!

I am frugal.  I should qualify that statement.  I am frugal when it comes to my day to day expenses.  I do love to splurge, but my household expenses I keep very tight.

I don't have any kind of television service.  I get five stations I think.  I only run the dishwasher when it's full.  I only do laundry when I have a full load.  I turn off lights as I leave the room.  And now Christmas has arrived and all my children will be here!  I want to put more lights on the house than Christmas Vacation!  I said I splurge sometimes and this is the time!

I'm sure I will see a bump in my power bill, but then again, what if I had a portable solar generator?  I wonder if anyone has ever attempted using solar power for their Christmas lights.  In Utah!  It could work!  It really doesn't matter, because I am going to light this house with so many lights it will seem like daytime on our street!  Even at midnight!

What a wonderful welcome as each of my children arrive for the holidays!  Nothing says Christmas more to me than having my family around me.  And this year we have two little grandchildren!

I can't wait!

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

The Best of Time at Work

We spend a lot of our day at work.  In fact, if you work full time like I do, we spend a great deal of our lives at work.  It goes to follow that if we want to change a habit or work on a way to improve ourselves, it has to be conditioned not only at home, but at work as well.

The holidays are soon upon us with all of the festivities, food, and fun.  And then New Years fast approaches  with everyone making resolutions.  Resolutions that are rarely kept.  I'm thinking this is where we work on those resolutions at work.  So many companies have wellness programs.  Losing weight.  Getting toned.  Eating right.  These are all among the top resolutions.  No doubt it pops to mind because of the over indulging we do over the holidays.

I believe corporate wellness would breed better work productivity, on top of the bonus of our reaching our New Years goals.  It has been proven that when you report your goal and the progress to someone, you tend to do better.  Imagine if you had to report to your co workers whom you see each and every day.

Spend a lot of your life at work.  Spend a lot of time accomplishing your goals.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

No Shave November

My son came down for the holidays and I was very surprised by his hairy face.  This is very uncharacteristic for him, so I had never seen him so many days from a shave.  He prefers to be extremely clean cut.  His hair is a buzz cut, and he shaves daily, sometimes more than once.

You may be thinking he is rather hairy.  He is not.  When I am talking hairy face, I'm talking about a thin and patchy growth.  His mustache is as if you faintly drew one on.  And his beard looks like... well it doesn't look like a beard.  So what I am saying is that when it grows out, he doesn't really look like he's growing a mustache and beard.  He's incredibly handsome and I'm sure is very happy that he is not the hairy type.  So why is in this condition?

Apparently it is No Shave November.  You make a commitment to not shave for the entire month of November.  Who started this I do not know.  It did make me laugh though.  I can picture all these scrubby faced men, even those who can grow a nice beard, because it is NO shave.  You can trim it up.  Any sign of razor bumps and you have broken the oath.  And the girls with the hairy legs.  I don't even want to think about armpits.  Yes, I'm sure it is quite the campus seen.

I hope families aren't looking forward to family pictures at Thanksgiving.  Well, at least they know what to get these No Shave November kids for Christmas!  

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Height and Mind

I've notice my parents getting older.  I mean of course they always are growing older, but recently I seemed to notice it a little more.  And I know I am growing older too, and I definitely feel the effects.  Yes, there's the forgetfulness, being a little slower, getting set in your ways, etc... The funny thing about growing older is that nobody really mentions that you get shorter.

That's right.  My parents are noticeable shorter.  And I feel, at times, that I am shrinking.  I think gravity has the all consuming over all impact.  I mean it is working on each of us 24/7 and never lets up.  I work on a computer for my job.  I sit.  And as the day goes on, I know I am shrinking down in my chair.  I just get tired.  Sure, I make the effort to sit up straight, be tall, but as time goes on, I settle down.

Wouldn't it be great if we could rotate each day by being upright one day and upside down the next? Each day would cancel out the effects of the previous day.  I would have an inversion table at my desk  I would strap myself up and work upside down which in turn would help strengthen my mind.  There is all kinds of data where if you do something different, like eating with the opposite hand you normally do, or taking a different route to work, changing up your bed time routine, and it stimulates your brain and improves your cognitive skills.

I'm sure working every other day in an upside down state would qualify, and perhaps we wouldn't feel like we're getting older and we certainly wouldn't continue to shrink!

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Big Chair, Small Body

When I first started my job I had a problem.  The problem was with the chairs they had in the office.  And my concerns revolved around one main issue:  The chair was made for a seven foot, 200 pound, man.

It was gigantically huge.  Seriously, I could have put three of me in it.  While it was perfect if I wanted to get a blanket and pillow and curl up for a long nap, it certainly did not provide me with a feeling of work.

It was extremely difficult to maneuver.  Sure it was on wheels, but it was so large that I could barely move the things and my desk area was rather large.  I need to be able to move.

The next problem was the arms on the chair.  I couldn't scoot up close enough to the desk to reach my computer and write because the arms hit the side of the desk.  Again, this was due to the size of the chair made for a giant.  I was sitting so far back in it, that it was necessary for me to slide as close to the desk as possible.

Now I had just started.  How do I ask for a new chair?  Great.  I would already appear to be a liability.  So, I did the next best thing.  I told Daddy that my chair was too large.  The next day I was chair shopping and picked out a leap chair with no arms so I could scoot up as close as I wanted.

Small chair.  Small body.  I've been sitting in it ever since.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

If You Could See It

If you could see the cars I've had my children drive when they first get their licenses.  I make a point in picking out old used cars with a lot of sturdy metal around them.  It has been a wise decision because each and every one of them has had a little trouble navigating without bumping into something.

Let's see... the oldest hit our garage and the mail box.  Neither of these were a problem because we didn't have to pay anyone.  It was the car, garage, and mail box that suffered.  She then pulled out in front of a truck and this was a problem.  Fortunately everyone was fine, except the truck and the car.  The next oldest, an excellent driver, really had no major problems.  There was the one time where I was complimenting her on her driving skills and she was soaking it up and getting a little cocky when she hit the back end of another parked car while she was trying to pull into the adjacent parking spot.  Fortunately, and to keep her record clean, it left no mark.

The kids have continued down the line hitting the mail box repeatedly.  It is parked at the end of the driveway.  There have been fender benders, fire hydrants, a pole, a fence, and a tree.  So trust me when I say, that it has been to my great advantage when picking out their first car.  We have done body work on other peoples cars from California to auto body shop Columbus Ohio, but we never worried about spending the money on our own.

If you could see them now.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Seeing Things My Way

I have been researching how much my home may sell for, because after all, this is the only way I can make Baba's Fun House a reality.  Fortunately, there have been a few homes up for sale recently, and they have sold at a pretty good price.

The neighborhood is older, but it is surrounded by new homes which bring the value up.  It's just hard to get people into my neighborhood, because we sit in the middle of several other new subdivisions.  I need to put up a buy homes here sign to bring the masses.  It's a quiet neighborhood with good schools.  My home, although small, has a lot of very nice features.

For one thing, I have a huge two car garage with a heated workroom, storage room, and loft.  There's a dog run behind it too.  I have new ceramic tile in the kitchen and both full baths.  Both bathrooms have been recently remodeled and are lovely.  I'm not going to lie when I say the house has been "lived in" by a large family, but it's a comfortable, quaint home with five bedrooms.

Come June, I hope lots of people see things my way.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Baba's Fun House!

I know I write a lot about my new home that I will be moving into soon, but I am more excited than you can possibly imagine!  It is going to be Baba's Fun House and will be centered around all my cute little grand babies.

First, I plan on an island in the kitchen.  It will be very special because across from were I will stand will be a bench seat.  This way when they all climb up to help me roll out cookies, or add sprinkles, fill pies, etc... no one will fall off the back of a stool!

I will also have a cute little book nook to read countless books.  I have been collecting all of my kid's favorites and I can't wait to have this special little spot to read and snuggle with each and everyone of my grandchildren.

And I'm thinking I'm gong to need a stairlift.  It sounds crazy, but I do live down in the walk out basement.  I will have some of my grandchildren living right up stairs.  Now I'm not trying to say that I am going to be unable to walk, but maybe at some time.  The most important reason for the stairlift is so that I can sit AND have one or two of my grandchildren on my lap going down to Baba's Fun House!

That would make it extra fun!

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

I Can't Wait!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  I'm really not a materialistic person.  In fact, my favorite part of Christmas is all the kids together and baking Christmas cookies and candies.  I will admit thought, that a little bit of shopping makes my holiday spirit soar.  I love finding the perfect gift for the perfect someone.  It doesn't have to cost much, it is the sentiment and how it fits with that loved one so wonderfully.  With my move coming up, I have thought of how I won't be near a mall, or large department stores, and online shopping has become a fun option.

We usually always do the get up early for Black Friday.  We bundle up, drink hot chocolate and stand in line for hours to be the first to grab the latest and hottest deal.  We have decided for this year to wake up early, in blankets and our jammies, with breakfast and hot chocolate, and with all our lap tops up and going.

We will have a Black Friday online shopping event!  In the comfort of our own home, we will lie around and bargain shop via the internet.  Searching for coupon codes and promotional codes, free shipping, and online bargains.  It will be so much fun!  We will welcome the internet marketing such as, mad mimi email marketing, so we can fully explore the deals available to us.

It will be a lovely morning in the warmth and comfort of home.  I can't wait.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Lesson Learned

When I first heard someone ask if I had "winterized" my home yet, I have to admit I just wasn't sure what they meant.  I was thinking of clothing and packing away all my summer clothes, and unpacking the winter clothes, coats, boots and making them readily available.  Making sure I had a snow shovel, and ice melt?  I had no idea.  I grew up in San Diego.  So that first winter was costly.

I had failed to "winterize" my swamp cooler.  The first most obvious problem was that all my heat was sailing straight up (heat rises) and out the swamp cooler vent.  I couldn't figure out why my house would not get warm and the first heat bill was insane!  I got this covered, or rather, covered the swamp cooler and put the sponge like pillow in the vent.

But my biggest problem came when winter was over.  My daughter turned on the pump for the swamp cooler for a very warm day in spring.  No problem.... in the beginning.  Soon though, water began pouring through the fan in the bathroom ceiling, and then water began pouring through the overhead light panels in the kitchen.  I'm not completely dense.  We turned off the pump to the swamp cooler and the water slowed down.

"Winterize" includes draining the copper piping from the swamp cooler... frozen pipes burst in the winter when they freeze... and when you turn the water on when it warms up... it fills your attic and drains through the ceiling!

Lesson learned.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Business Today

Business today requires so much more than it used to back in the day. Long ago, you had customer service, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. If you made more money than you put out, you were in business.  You had a telephone and a listing in the telephone directory, an ancient tool most kids today don't know existed, consisting of paper, and needed to be updated yearly.

Today, if you want to start a business you most definitely need a computer tech position which most likely, would be filled by someone much, much younger than yourself.  This tech person would need to be saavy in all the social media available today.

Facebook is all consuming, all reaching.  You would need a business facebook page design.  This one little addition to your business will do more advertising than was even imaginable years ago.  Your company will become more "familiar" and then people are more likely to share your business with others.

And there is Twitter, Blogging, You Tube, Fikr, are only a few, a few of the social media available today.  Without someone in your business who is knowledgeable about this and how to be "liked" I'm afraid your business will disappear into the dark ages and no one will even know your missing.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

You Need A Lawyer

I would like to believe that most drunk driving charges are against people who truly had no intention of this happening.  I in no way condone drunk driving, but I think there is a group of people who did not think they were driving under the influence.  Social drinkers who maybe have a cocktail after work, or a couple of beers with friends.  I know that if you are a drinker, you do not feel the effects of a few drinks, but still you will fall under the category of a person driving under the influence.  Again, this is no excuse and if you drink, you need to be responsible for your actions.  But as in anything, people make mistakes, and for those who receive dui salt lake city, you are going to need a lawyer.

The consequences of drunk driving are going to affect all aspects of your life, as it should, but the aid of a lawyer to help you through this difficult time will prove valuable.  Most miss the writing on their citation telling them they need to request a hearing within 10 days or their license will be suspended for 90 days.  In many cases, where this is your first offense, a lawyer can help you find a fair deal to help you move forward with your life.  Make no mistake, probation and counseling will be in your future, which is fair, but perhaps jail time and more severe penalties can be avoided.

Without question, there is no excuse for driving under the influence, and there can be catastrophic consequences to innocent people.  Laws should be strict and strictly enforced  which means, you will most definitely need a lawyer.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

The Difference

I love my water softener.  I have lived on both sides of the tracks.  Homes with water softeners and homes without.  There are definite advantages to having a water softener.

The first thing I noticed was that everything lathers up quicker.  I'm talking dishwasher, washing machine, and even my hair require less cleaning supplies when I have a water softener.  There is without question a savings on the dollar amount spent on soaps, shampoos, and detergents.

The second thing I noticed was not only was I using less cleaner, but I was cleaning faucets, sinks, bathtubs, etc... with the greatest of ease!  It didn't take me long to see that I no longer had hard water spots on every surface water touched.  I think the best part was that glassed came clean after going through the dishwasher.

Then I started thinking that if I saw this much of a change with a water softener, I wonder if I would notice a change if I had a drinking water purification system.  I mean, think of all the dishes water goes into such as hot chocolate, soups, etc... They would have to taste differently according to the water added.  Perhaps I need to consider youngstown water delivery.  This way I would have delicious pure water everyday.  We are always admonished to drink plenty of water, and if I'm drinking plenty, it better be good for me.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

I've Learned Too Much

I've written often about my Dad and my brother and their love for cars.  I also have a son in law who shares this interest.  He and my daughter have been looking for a used car.  They live in a days drive away from me, so imagine my surprise when they called and said they found the perfect car... and it was only five minutes away... from my house.

They asked if I would go take a look at it.  Maybe even test drive it?  I do not claim to be an expert in evaluating a used car, although, you would think I would be, growing up with a Dad and brother who have dragged me from used car dealers from California to Used Car Dealer MA.

I looked at the tire tread, and it looked like they were fairly new tires.  I looked for rust, but didn't find any.  I looked for evidence that it had been in an accident, and asked the dealer for the car fax on it.

As I drove it, I listened for weird noises, or strange sounds if I turned sharply.  I played with the steering to see if their was play in the steering wheel.  I checked the brakes and if they responded quickly with my touch, or if I had to push very hard.  What a minute?

I have learned too much growing up, but I guess it has come in handy after all.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Short Sales - FYI

Just a few things to remember when you think of buying a short sale house...

The agent or seller usually sets the price, not the bank, however, the bank decides whether or not it is an acceptable offer.  The fact that the bank is price unaware leads to the long process.  As the buyer, patience is key.

A home load with one bank is better than a home with loans at two banks.  Getting two banks to agree just adds to the process and therefore, dealing with one bank is definitely a more buyer friendly situation.

A lowball offer will get a slow response and possible no response at all.  The bank knows what is left on the loan and if a buyer comes in ridiculously below this amount, the bank frequently scoffs at such an offer giving the buyer little or no feedback.  Always check comparable before making your offer.

"Approved" prices are the quickest.  An "approved short sale" has a price that has already been given the green light by the bank.  For example, shorts sales in nevada, an interested buyer that made an offer to the bank that was approved, but they didn't end up buying the property.  Obviously this is a much quicker sale and is often more desirable.

All in all, a short sale can be to your advantage as long as you have the patience and knowledge to make it work for you.

This is a sponsored post for Schwartz Law Firm, however, all the points and views are my own.

Mario

My Mom drives like Mario Adretti.  Seriously.  When they lived up in Ramona, CA, there was a winding road that she drove every day to get her down to San Diego.  This was no mild winding road.  There were cliffs on one side of the road and jagged rock walls on the other.  There were so many twists and turns that when we came to visit, my children would frequently get sick from her driving this route.  And as the years went by, she didn't become more careful, she became more adept.

She learned such worrisome skills such as "you never break into a turn" and "you should always accelerate out of a turn".  And her car was no slouch.  She preferred models with Performance Engines, and lots of speed.  My Dad gave her one of those things that beeps when police are around.  Really?  And when she started to time herself, I had to put my foot down.  It's not like she's getting any younger and I was sure that I was going to get a call one day that this crazy gray haired woman going 90 flew off the cliff on her way home to Ramona.

My grandchildren call me Baba.  They call my Dad, The Colonel.  The call my Mom, Nana, but I swear we should all be calling her Mario.

This is a sponsored post for JEGS Automotive, however, all the points and views are my own.

Technology Too Advanced?

Perhaps technology can go too far.  At my work, we occasionally accept checks.  I know that for the most part, people don't even use checks, but when they do, it is shocking at what type of checks you see.

With the printing and computer graphics advancements, comes incredibly real looking checks.  You can print up check after check right from your own home.  The check system that most businesses send a check through only verifies that the account is in good standing, or has no overdrawn amounts.  So, in other words, a check with a fraudulent check number, will still come through the system just fine.  The account doesn't exist, so it doesn't have any overdrawn signals to flag the system.  There is a company called Safety Checks who help you build up a defense system against this type of fraud.

We had a guy who came in with a book of checks like they were his business checks.  He also had a personal check book.  And he had his wife's check book.  Yep.  All were fake accounts.  This guy was making up account numbers all over the place.  He made a good living on money that didn't exist.  Crazy.  He was incredibly creative and had just the most beautiful looking checks.  If he would have only applied is graphic design skills to something worthwhile and good, I'm sure he could have made a good living and never felt the need to use fake money.

Technology.  We're too good for our own good.

This is a sponsored post for Safe Checks, however, all the points and views are my own.

Always In A Hurry

My youngest daughter is always in a hurry.  This is not a bad thing, in that, she is involved with good and worthwhile activities.  She has wonderful friends.  And she is kind and helpful.  The only time any of this comes into question is when she is behind the wheel of her car.

She is rushing to go to rehearsal for any number of plays she is in.  She is rushing to meet friends for one thing or another.  She is thoughtful in giving kids a ride either to or from school, but again this puts her in a rush.  And the problem with rushing is the dents, dings, and fender benders.

I am grateful she has never had a serious accident.  In fact, I regret having written that down.  Knock on wood.  It is the hurrying out of the garage and hitting a car parked in the street directly opposite of our driveway.  This has happened on more than one occasion.  The mailbox is also at the end of the driveway and has suffered because of it.  There are posts in parking garages in Salt Lake.  There are enough dents in her car for work to be done from here to auto body repair in Columbus Ohio.

I'm afraid she might be in a hurry to get it fixed though.

This is a sponsored post for Combs Collision, however, all the points and views are my own.

A Home

With the selling of my home coming all too soon, I find myself looking at homes and their interiors all the time.  Whether or not I am driving down the street and checking out the beautiful yards, the window treatments, or front door decorations, I'm taking it all in for when I move to my new place.  Websites like thepartnerstrust have picture after picture of homes to admire and gain all kinds of ideas from.  Magazines have occupied me for hours with the endless storage, organization, and efficiency ideas.

I have looked at kitchen islands so much, that I have come to the conclusion that this will be the one piece that I have custom made.  I have looked at so many and have gleaned creativity from so many, that I have decided to combine the very best components of all.

Our family is centered around the kitchen.  This comes as no surprise to those of you who know me and know my love for baking.  The kitchen island will be the hub of all activity.  I'm even including a bench that my grandchildren can sit at and help me cut out and decorate cookies.

My home will be just that.... a home.  Warm.  Loving.  And full of my grandchildren.

This is a sponsored post for The Partners Trust, however, all the points and views are my own.

The Fountain By The Gift Shop!

I was recently reminded of the time my kids walked into a hospital which had a lovely fountain in front.  And just to the right of the fountain was the gift shop.  The fountain had money in it, and the shop had candy.  My kids immediately thought... "what a fabulous arrangement!"  I watched the flabbergast faces of people observing my kids diving for coins in hopes of gathering enough change to quickly make a dash to the gift shop!  I think we can apply this same principle to the internet.

I think there is an unlimited amount of income to be had via internet sales.  The websites are endless.  The options of what you can purchase are endless.  And all this means, the possibilities of selling something via the internet are endless.

To make selling even easier... you can use a billing system like chargify.  This company acts as an intermediary between the website your selling from and the payment gateway.  You can create subscription plans.  With a billing system each transaction will be for the correct amount and properly processed with your payment gateway.

And your billing system would safely store your customer's cardholder data.  You would never need to worry about managing this sensitive billing information.

So I say... sell!  Sell you stuff on the internet... and then... buy!  It seems like the perfect system for the shopaholic.  Earn your shopping money.  It is the perfect plan.  It's a fountain by the gift shop!

This is a sponsored post for Chargify, however, all the points and views are my own.

The Search Is Over

My daughter and I will be going to California in January so there is the need to find a bathing suit.  In Utah, in the winter, this is not an easy task.  To further complicate the matter is that we are searching for a modest swim suit.

Modest and swim suit are rarely used in the same sentence.  Trust me, when I say, they are few and far between.  I have five daughters, and it seems we are on the constant hunt for modest swimwear.  Honestly, the swim wear on the market today absolutely could not be used for swimming!  I am certain, that private parts meant to remain private would become a swim wear malfunction.

And the other qualification makes it an even harder find.  It must be cute, stylish, and current.  Too often, we find a modest swim suit but it looks as though you are on the swim team.

One day, we came across a gold mine.  Modest, cute, and fun, downeast swimwear is wonderful!  They have tankinis, with bottoms that cover all parts the tankini bottom is supposed to cover.  There are one piece swimsuits that look more like you should be sunbathing in Hawaii rather than diving from a spring board.

Ruffles.  Colors.  Patterns.  And all at a reasonable price.  The search is over.

This is a sponsored post for Downeast, however, all the points and views are my own.

Seven Years

Most people do not like the dentist and I am most definitely one of them.  To be fair, my dentist is a very kind and sweet man.  I do like him.  It is the dentistry I do not care for, and because of this dislike, I avoid going at all costs.  Recently, I did concede and make an appointment.  It had been in seven years.

I had a pain in the back left side of my bottom molars.  I could live with it until it started to hurt whenever I ate candy.  Those of you who know me, know that this would not be acceptable.  When I called for my appointment, the receptionist suggested teeth cleaning in salt lake, afterall it had been seven years, and then the dentist could take a look at what the problem may be.  I conceded.

And even though it had been seven years, the look and touch of that curved pokey metal tool is something you don't forget.  This is why I don't go to the dentist.  I hate to get my teeth cleaned.  I've had a lot of medical type tortures in my life and still, still, dental work ranks the worst.  He said my teeth looked great.  No cavities.  The problem was probably just a sensitive tooth and to use a special toothpaste.

I said "Great.  See you in another seven years."

This is a sponsored post for Genesis Dental, however, all the points and views are my own.

The Balancing Act

The holidays are a hard time of year to eat healthy.  It feels good when I eat the right things, but how do you resist the endless supply of Halloween candy, or the delicious whipped cream on a slice of pumpkin pie, or fresh baked Christmas cookies and warm fudge.  OK... I've gotten caught up in the yummy goodness of the holidays.  And this is when I go to my give and take, or what you could call my balancing act.

If I eat a plate ten mini candy bars, then I must also eat an orange for example.  The delicious taste of chocolate and caramel can be made more healthy with the juicy, Vitamin C enriched orange.  I have used this method for years and it has served me well, but lately I find I would like to balance my craving for sugar with even less healthy additions.  I eat a piece of pie with whipped cream, and some ice cream, and have a glass of milk.  Sure the milk is my balance and it is skim milk, but the scales tip heavily to my pie, whipped cream, and ice cream.  Not exactly an even scale.

I've learned there are special phytonutrients which are like super vitamins found in fruits and vegetables that overlap and compliment one another giving antioxidant effects and immune system support.  The phytonutrients health benefits include protection to your health which is always a bonus for me.

So perhaps I drink a small cup of these phytonutrient rich juices, then this would open up to me pie, cookies, and candy... and the scale would still balance?

This is a sponsored post for Xango, however, all the points and views are my own.

Face to Face

My daughter has the use of a cell phone down to an art form.  Please don't misunderstand.  She is extremely polite and courteous when it comes to her cell phone usage which makes me very happy, but it is her use of the features her cell phone offers that make me smile.  She is like a dedicated server with unmetered hosting: She uses her line at any time and pushes as much information to contacts as possible.

She is completely dedicated to keeping in constant touch with anyone and everyone who reaches out to her via her cell phone.  No one is ignored.  This is good, because if I was ever trying to get a hold of her and she ignored me, her dedicated server would kick her out of the cell phone world.

As far as the unlimited forms of communication on her cell phone, she can use them at anytime and with unlimited frequency.  She not only can text, but she can text with her eyes shut.  She can send me five rather lengthy texts in the time it takes me to create one short, brief text for her.  Then there is the obvious phone calling.  And now there is something similar to what I call a walkie talkie.  I can't remember what it is called, but all of a sudden, I will hear her best friend say "You there?" and their conversation takes place with the push of a button.

Technology is insane and the way we communicate is even more insane.  I"m afraid that the future will bring a generation who won't know what to say when they come face to face with each other.

This is a sponsored post for Hivelocity, however, all the points and views are my own.

Serving Papers

The other night we were watching a television show where the main guys pretended to be in a fight.  Neither one of them were the fighting kind, in fact, kind of wimpy, and they wanted to appear tough to their girlfriends.  They faked the battle wounds by actually hitting each other, which was hilarious in and of itself, but the best part was when they were "served" legal papers by the guys they supposedly beat up.  The fake fighters were being sued for a fight they faked!

The reason behind the fake fight was a discrepancy over who was allowed to sit at a particular booth in their favorite bar.  As the two victorious fighters were bragging and showing off wounds to their girlfriends, two other men were sitting at the booth.  The girls immediately pointed out that the booth was being occupied and asked if there would be another fight.  The guys reluctantly went over to the booth, acting as if they were they were the toughest guys on the planet.  The two men sitting at the booth, used the fake fighters names when addressing them.  Feeling like they were world renowned and obviously legendary fighters since these two men knew them, they proudly announced that they were in fact the proud men who pummeled two unsuspecting customers.  This is when they announced "You've been served." and gave them the court documents.

It's tricks like this that are often necessary in serving papers.  Companies such as ABC Legal can make life easy for you, as they know all the ins and outs of serving someone.

This is a sponsored post for ABC Legal, however, all the points and views are my own.

Southern Candy

It's been over a year since I was in New Orleans and I find myself still dreaming of the candy.  They make a praline in the south that is to die for... and I can't get it out of my head.  I need more.

I spent an unthinkable amount of money on candy during my five day stay last year.  In my defense, the candy making shop was literally next door to my hotel.  And I mean, right next door.  In the morning, you could smell the candy cooking.  And trust me when I say, once you've had a warm, freshly made, praline, you will never forget it.  And you will need more.

Then when we would come back to the hotel during the day to drop off packages and get ready to go to dinner.  Naturally, we would need more candy.  And then after dinner, what to have for dessert?  Yes, you guessed it.

It is good I do not live in the south because I would seriously be in need of bankruptcy lawyers in new orleans.  I wonder how many people file for bankruptcy due to an unhealthy amount of candy purchases?

And I need more.

This is a sponsored post for Kirkpatrick and Associates, however, all the points and views are my own.

Aaah... The Spa

My daughters and I have frequently discussed our taking a "Girls Trip" where we go away for a weekend and relax, shop, relax, shop, and relax some more.  We all are in agreement that the word "spa" be the core of our trip.

There are many all inclusive spas which absolutely look divine.  The one we really like includes healthy meals prepared for you.  In addition there are smoothies and healthy snacks.   You can participate in free yoga classes, and Pilates   Like I said, it seems wonderful but then there is a price tag.  A price tag most, if not all of us, can not afford.

There are websites like Devachan Salon and Spa where you can purchase your own spa supplies and make your own specialized, personal spa.  We could have any and all spa treatments we want, and when we want, and at a much more affordable price.

Then this would allow us to shop when we want... which will be much, much more convenient.  There is also the eating element, but with all the money we save on purchasing our own spa supplies, we can dine like queens.

Aaah... The Spa.  I can feel it.

This is a sponsored post for Devachan Salon and Spa, however, all the points and views are my own.

The Things You Can Do... If You Know How

For Halloween this year I made a Peter Pan costume for my two year old grand daughter, and a Tinkerbell costume for my one year old grand daughter.  We had high hopes of their Trick or Treating together, but my greatest idea was to have a picture taken of the two of them.  I had big plans for this picture.

I wanted to be between the two of them and all of us with big cheesy smiles.  It would be great if we could have our hands on our cheeks and just look like we are going to burst.  I would take this picture and create the most amazing Christmas card that read:  "Think of the happiest of things."  But then hurricane Sandy came and Peter Pan was stuck in New York City.

My son in law whose a graphic designer decided that we might be able to make this happen anyway.  With all the technology today with photo shop, etc... I could take a picture of Tinkerbell and he would take a picture of Peter Pan and we could some how blend the two.  Sounds great, but I would seriously need Premiere pro classes to even begin to think about accomplishing this task.  I'm just saying.

Yeah... there are things you can do... if you know how.  Right?

This is a sponsored post for the Training Farm, however, all the points and views are my own.

New York, New York

There are so many things I love about New York.  The food.  The people.  The way of life.  The cultures.  It is simply a marvelous city with so many interesting observations.

For one thing, there are very few overweight people.  And virtually no extremely obese people.  You would never survive New York in this condition.  I never really thought about it, but you are walking everywhere.  There are stairs every ime you enter and exit the subway.  A very overweight person just wouldn't be able to get around.

Another thing is the comfort level.  People where whatever they want, and let their hair do whatever it wants.  I live in a state where your hair is like primary importance in your appearance.  In New York, it's pulled back in a ponytail, or just there.  Nobody worries about straightening, or curling.  There hair does what their hair does. 

And then there is the attitude.  Some people find New Yorker's very stand offish.  I call them direct.  If you can't make up your mind ordering a pastry, then you better move out of the way for the person who does.  If  pull out in a car in front of someone, or heaven forbid you stop for a pedestrian, oh boy are you going to hear about it.  And I don't just mean horns.  People will be screaming out their car windows!  And can you imagine for example, brooklyn car dealerships?  I am quite sure there is no pussy footing around the price.  People are direct.  If you want to pay a certain price, you better just spit it out and see if it flies.

Aaah... New York, New York.

This is a sponsored post for the Kings Auto Show, however, all the points and views are my own.

It's Simple

We all have heard the repeated advice to drink plenty of water.  But believe it or not, you can drink too much water.  I learned this when I was having kidney trouble.  Well, actually kidney failure.  The doctor told me to keep drinking water, so I immediately assumed I should drink lots, and lots, AND LOTS of water.  I actually drank too much water!  Then he told me, that you should drink as much water as you put out.

This has got to be a tricky proposition.  I mean, when I'm in the hospital, they have that little catcher thing in the toilet so they can measure.  I doubt very much, that people are using these in their homes.

Then I was told to drink half my body weight in ounces.  I weigh 120, so 60 pounds, and there's 16 ounces to a pound, divide that by 8 so I now how many cups to drink, and that comes to 120 cups of water per day.  That can't be right!

It's just too hard.  I know that there are services where water delivery youngstown, denver, malibu, everywhere.  Maybe that's what it takes.  We let the delivery services figure it out for each of our body sizes and we drink what they deliver!

It's simple.

This is a sponsored post for Cooksey Culligan Water Conditioning of Youngstown, however, all the points and views are my own.

How Did That Happen?

Don't you love it when your car breaks down?  Naturally, I am being sarcastic.  It is just the worst having your car break down.  Well I thought it was the worst.  Turns out that it's bad to have your car break down, and it's really bad having it break down when you are out of town.  Throw on top of that, the scenario where you are in a hurry to get somewhere.  You have an appointment.  And now I think we are at the worst.

For my cancer check ups I have to regularly go to a medical facility in the San Jose area.  We live in Utah.  This drive can be somewhat of a pain in the butt, particularly when you are going to school full time and working part time.  We would drive through the night, arrive, have x-rays, labs, and see the doctor, and then turn around and drive through the night back.  Sounds crazy, even with this schedule, we still miss two full days of school.  Oh... did I mention my appointments with my doctor have to be scheduled for a Wednesday only.

One of these two day trips resulted in the car breakdown.  We were in San Jose, but not close enough to my doctor.  And remember, we had to make the turn around to head back immediately following my appointment.  First thing, San Jose Towing.  While I was conveniently dropped off, my husband went with the tow truck.  I don't know how he did it, but following my appointment, I walked out front, and low and behold he was ready to go back.

To this day, I'm not sure how that happened.

This is a sponsored post for D & M Towing and Transport, however, all the points and views are my own.

It's All About Family

My friend caught me the other day eyeing an ad for kansas city homes for sale and her expression was "huh?".  I explained that I was looking for a vacation spot, my getaway.  Well this only brought more of a concerned or "what the heck" kind of look to her face.  I told her it was all about family.

My Mom is an only child.  My Dad has one brother, so I ended up with one set of cousins.  My extended family consist of my Aunt and seven cousins.  I love them all dearly.  And they all live... you guessed it... in the St. Louis and Kansas City area.

Growing up, I had a crush on my oldest cousin.  He is incredible smart and incredibly kind.  During my illness, he wrote the sweetest email I think I've ever received.  He offered to come and take care of my children and me.  He said he'd take the time of work and fly out just for this purpose.  This is a nuclear engineer who is a deputy on the side.  

I have two girl cousins who are the sisters I never had.  We went to New York together just for the fun of it and made wonderful memories.  Most recently they came to visit so that they could help.  They cleaned and organized my laundry/storage room in the basement.  If you had seen it before, you would not have thought what they accomplished was possible.  

My other five boy cousins are equally as wonderful.  I couldn't love them more.  I can't think of anything I'd rather do more than be with them.  So sure, a vacation home in Kansas City.  Why not?  It's all about family.

This is a sponsored post for Remax Mid-states, however, all the points and views are my own.

The "Beater" Car

My kids have friends who on their sixteenth birthday receive a brand new car.  This is not the case in our house.  We have always had what we lovingly refer to as a "beater" car for our first time drivers.  Why you would put a teenager behind the wheel of a brand new car is beyond me.  But then again, maybe other families have teenagers with perfect driver records, although I doubt it.  The "beater" car is perfect for several reasons.

First of all, it is very low cost to insure.  In fact, we have been able to get our hands on cars with a salvage title, meaning the car has no value.  This makes insurance extremely low because there is nothing to replace.

Second, if you get that scratch or dent, with a "beater" you really don't notice it.  I have teenagers who have hit fire hydrants, mail boxes, trees, posts, parking lot walls and dividers, fences, and naturally other cars.  At first I was trying to teach the kids a lesson in that they needed to pay for the body work to repair the car.  I thought is was good responsibility.  But soon we were in need of car repair from Las Vegas to car repair riverside ca.  They manage to bump and scratch anything within a ten foot radius.  The money was better spent on saving for college.

This is a sponsored post for German Performance, however, all the points and views are my own.