Maybe Not For The Young

I've mentioned before that I work at a company that receives and ships product via semi trucks on a daily basis. Our company frequently is looking for new drivers and we have had young employees who are looking for advancement take the necessary steps to gain their CDL license.  Sometimes this goes well, and other times, not so much.

We had one driver who could do everything, and I mean everything, required to pass the CDL test except for backing a trailer into a dock door.  And once he got it in his head that he couldn't do it, well, he really couldn't.  With this being required on both ends of driving... the picking up and the delivery of product, this just didn't work out.  And then we had the nervous driver... who was so overly cautious that he ended up causing more harm than good.

You have to possess a certain ere of confidence when driving one of those massive semi trucks.  Not too much. You do want to side with caution.  But you also have to be able to do what is necessary to get your load around town, or across the country for that matter.  We had one such nervous driver.

Upon entering the freeway, he remained overly cautious..... going ever so slowly as to get his truck into a lane.    Knowing that he would be on the freeway for quite sometime, he was shooting for the far left lane.  He hesitated, then accelerated, hesitated again, accelerated until he got the trailer swaying from left to right.  Once this swaying gets started, it is very hard... very hard to stop it.  Only an experienced driver can maintain this type of motion.  The entire trailer fell on it's side, naturally dragging the cab with it, and the whole thing slid on it's side down the freeway.  Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the fear in the young driver was very real and remained with him.

It's safe to say, that driving a semi is no casual thing.  There is skill and mental capabilities required... to say nothing of basic driving experience which comes with age.  And anyone who is not aware of this should not have any business giving it a try.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for CDL Driving Jobs and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

A Beautiful Smile

My Mom has a beautiful smile.  She always has had that perfect toothy grin that everyone admires.  Every picture I have ever seen of her shows off her smile.  And I know she likes her smile.  She is not a vain person by any means, but she is very comfortable in her own skin.  In her high school days, she was considered very attractive and had many beaus.  The pictures of her show off a wonderfully clear and lovely complexion, her lovely smile, happy eyes, and her wow-like figure.  Her waist was so tiny.  I don't think any of us had as tiny of a waist has her... even when in elementary school.  She was the perfect example of 36" - 24" - 36".  And despite all of these wonderful qualities, it is still her smile that people notice first.  Thank goodness her love for tennis developed after she was married and had children who were well into their teens... and after their were vast improvements in cosmetic dentistry.

My parents played tennis on a regular basis.  They played doubles.  My Mom played with a women's tennis group while my Dad was at work, and we were at school.  She had a wonderful group of friends and loved the game along with her social network of fun girlfriends.  I will never forget the Saturday where Dad and Mom were playing doubles.  My brother and I frequently went to shag the balls for them and we would play our own version of tennis on another court.  Well, there was quite a lengthy exchange of volleys.  It was the kind of point that you just couldn't believe could go on that long, but hit after hit both sides just kept scrambling to return the ball.  And then my Mom raced to make a final last save and somehow her swing came right back at her and that beautiful smile... was missing her left front tooth.  Her racket had knocked it clean away!  Well, I guess not completely away.  There was a small crooked stub of a tooth protruding from the gum.  I will never forget how just one tooth can drastically change a smile.  We all just stood there in shock.  Of course, my Mom was mortified... and it was a Saturday so who were we going to get a hold of now?

We had lots of time over the weekend to gather recommendations and Monday morning she was on the fast track to getting her beautiful smile back.  Honestly, I can't tell which tooth it was and she is still the most beautiful Mom around.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for cosmetic dentist NYC and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Growing Older

I have always told myself that I would not succumb to getting any "work done" as I grow older.  I don't color my hair, although, I confess this is mostly due to my laziness.  I am a low maintenance woman and if I colored my hair, I would have to continue as my hair grew out.  To be honest, I like the color of my hair and I don't have a problem with gray in my hair.  I'm 51 and so there should be some gray.  I also like my wrinkles.  I love the words in Martina McBride's song "This One's For The Girls" where she says, "every laugh line on your face... made you who you are today."  I firmly believe that and don't mind them at all.  But there is one thing I think I would consider.  My smile.

I love to smile.  I love to laugh.  People have always told me what a great smile I have... well not lately.  I have come to notice that my teeth are yellowing.  I never knew what it meant when my Grandpa would say that he is  "growing long in the tooth".  Unfortunately, I get it now.  My dentist says that it's not because my teeth have grown longer, but my gums have receded... making my teeth appear longer.  There are also little cracks and crevices, or spaces between my teeth.  I had braces, but then again, that was nearly 35 years ago.  I guess I can assume they would move somewhat over the years.

So I think I would consider cosmetic dentistry.  And I must admit that if I am willing to consider fixing my smile, then everyone should be able to fix anything that they are not comfortable with.  If your neck skin is sagging and you don't like it... and your willing to go through what is necessary to fix it... then I say "Just Do It!"

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for nashville cosmetic dentist and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Another Dance... Another Dress

The high school just had another school dance.  At this dance it became apparent that any dress code we may have had in place has gone out the window.  I have frequently wondered why on Halloween, kids and adults feel it is OK to dress completely inappropriately... immodestly.  Now we have the same issue applied to school dances.

Why would a girl who will not where a spaghetti strap shirt, or even a tank top to school, be suddenly compelled to go completely strapless at a formal dance?  Or a girl who wears shorts with a good 6"-8" crotch seam, find it just fine to wear a dress or skirt so short it barely covers her rear end?  And more importantly, what comes over the parents to overlook this as an acceptable choice?

Parents live for this stuff.  We can't wait to take pictures.  First, there are pictures of the exchange of corsage and boutineer.  Then the pictures of just her... and then just him.  Then the pictures of the two together.  Then you have to have the entire group.  If they are meeting at your house, this works out great.  If they meet at another's house, it is no problem for parents to go on over with their camera in hand to get pictures of just the girls, then just the boys, best friend combos, and then the entire group.  The combinations are endless until you get the look from your child.  You know... the look that says I will never go to another dance if you don't stop now.  So as we are taking these pictures, why do we not notice that what our kid is wearing is completely immodest and inappropriate?  Do we get so caught up in the moment... that they look so grown up... what?  What is it?

I sure don't know.  With five daughters we run every check from a practice at bending down to pick up something off the floor, to my standing on a stool to dance and see what I can see if the boy is much taller than my daughter.  And having two boys... and now control over what their dates wear... I am so grateful when I see their dates in a modest dresses.  Thank you to all you girls out there and the parents who care.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

A Choice to Body Cleanse?

I live in a medical world.  Those of you who know me, know that medical has been the trial in my life.  We all have our "stuff" that life throws at you, so really, I'm no different than anyone else.  Having spent so much of my life with doctors and in clinics, labs, and hospitals, I am a bit naive when it comes to home or herbal remedies.

When a friend of mind told me about her desire to do a body cleanse, my immediate reaction was "Why on earth would you want to do this on your own iniative?"  I have been subject to a body cleanse on three occasions... none of which I would repeat if you paid me!

With my family history, I was strongly advised to undergo a colonoscopy.  Needless to say, a complete cleansing of the large and small intestine is necessary for the colonoscopy to be, shall we say, accurate?  To keep it short, this first colonoscopy led to another, with the accompanying cleansing, and finally a surgery to remove my entire colon, for a third cleansing.  Nothing was enjoyable about any of the cleansings, and no, I did not feel refreshed or energized by emptying out everything inside my intestine.

My suggestion to my friend was that if you want to do a body cleanse, then get a colonoscopy at the same time.  This way, you kill two birds with one stone!  And if you find the body cleanse is not for you, well, at least you have checked a preventative, and helpful medical procedure off your list!

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for mangosteen juice and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

SBA Loan or Credit Card?

A few years ago, I started my own small business.  To say I know nothing about starting my own business would be kind.  I already had a checking, savings, and credit card with my current bank.  I figured the easiest thing to do would be to open another account, a business account and get another platinum credit card.  So rather than take the time to fill out the necessary paperwork for SBA Loans, I simply got a credit card.  Huge mistake.

Starting your own business give you the freedom to do what you want to do.  You are your own boss, so you make the decisions.  I also love the feeling of accomplishment in starting my own business.  The problem is that no matter how creative the idea, you have to have some business knowledge.  None of which did I have.

With a credit card that had a $10,000 limit, I felt perfectly free to get things rolling.  I charged the cost for the creation and the manufacturing of the product we were going to sell.  I wanted inventory to sell.  We needed to be able to take credit cards, so I charge the fees to set us up with a credit card handling company.  We needed a website and a domain name.  We needed to copyright our logo and name.  The list could go on and on.  The problem turned out that I was putting all of this on a credit card with a not so favorable interest rate.

I also believe that if I would have taken out a SBA Loan and put the cash into a checking account, I would not have spent so freely.  There is just something about a credit card that makes it feel like you are not really spending.  Needless to say, we are still trying to pay off over $8000 in debt with a great deal of this amount being interest.  Lesson learned.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Car Floor Mats? A Must For Our Family

I have mentioned before how incredibly meticulous my Dad and my brother are about keeping a car clean.  When they come to visit, there are parts of my car cleaned that I didn't know existed.  Little cracks and crevices where you open the door.  Little spaces when you move the seats forward or back.  Tiny areas when you move the seat belts.  And the floor mats... well... I have never owned a car without them.

There have been catastrophes that could have brought my brother to just burn the car to the ground rather than try to get it clean enough.  I remember an entire jumbo Coke spilled in the front passenger floor, but my Dad had got me the most amazing car floor mats.  The had a high rim all around, except for by the door where they curved downward and out of the car.  So the soda kind of sat there and then we lift the rimmed side and it all poured out onto the street!  Amazing!

We also love Baby Bell Cheese.  A great little invention where a tiny wheel of cheese is encased in a bright red wax.  Well let me advise you to never, never throw this wax onto the floor during the summer.  The wax melts and to get it off of the floor mat took nothing short of a jack hammer and hours of wiping.  All I can say is thank goodness for the floor mat, because it would never have come out of the carpet.

My brother looks at me in amazement that these things could be happening.  Why would you have a jumbo size Coke in the car?  And why are you eating cheese in the car and why would you throw the wax on the floor?  He then proceeds to tell me that my car depreciates in value with each and every time I take a trip through the drive thru with the kids!  Well... at this rate... I'm sure I'm in the negative.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Semi Trucks and You

I work for a company who ships and receives product by the semi load so I have come in contact with many a driver.  First let me say that there are many, many excellent semi truck drivers.  I know both women and men drivers who take the responsibility very seriously and are extremely safe.  All have taken great lengths to pass the CDL Driver's test, which includes in depth safety instruction.

The first thing to remember is that safety starts with you.  Always follow a semi truck at a safe distance.  A semi truck driver usually does not have the use of their rearview mirror due to the large trailer attached.  They rely soly on their side view mirrors to see what is behind them.  The best thing to remember is that if you can see the truck's side view mirrors, then the driver can see you; if you can not, the driver can not see you.

Also, keep in mind that it takes a semi truck much longer to stop than your average automobile.  This should be pretty obvious, in that the more a moving object weighs, the longer it will take to come to a complete stop.  Semi trucks use air brakes for added stopping power, but it is still no enough to allow them to stop on a dime.  So you take the safety precaution of being an offensive driver and stay clear, giving a semi truck plenty of room.

Again, semi trucks are large and can be intimidating, but we can all do our part in working together with semi truck drivers to create a safe environment on the road.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for semi trucks for sale and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

The Perfection of Internet Marketing

I have an absolute obsession for See's Chocolates.  Of all the chocolate out there, and make no mistake, I love them all, but See's is my absolute favorite.  Maybe it's because I grew up with it.  My mother taught me at a very young age how the chocolate sprinkles indicated a Bordeaux center... my favorite.  I know them all.  Beverly, Butterscotch Squares, the Pineapple Truffle, Pecan Buds, California Brittle and Peanut Crunches, and the list could go on and on.  And who does not enjoy the fact that the very minute you walk in the shop, you are handed a full size piece to sample the creamy goodness.  Most recently, we were given a Tipperary Bon Bon as our sample which is positively melt in your mouth goodness.  It soon became a problem.

You see, the Tipperary Bon Bon is a rare find at times.  Apparently, there are nine little old ladies in the entire company who make this delectable candy.  This means there are times we you can not find it in your store.  In our calls with See's we soon found out that you can order them via phone and they will ship them straight to your door.  We have been ordering 2LB boxes of ALL Tipperary Bon Bons regularly.  The very best part of this has been the flood of internet marketing.  Never shall I forget that I am running low on candy.  A See's ad is on every web page I visit.  It is in my email daily and I absolutely love it.

Because of the constant reminders of See's, I now will never reach for the last Tipperary Bon Bon without knowing I have already got a new box on the way!  This is the kind of help with my memory that I want in my old age!

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Small Fix for a Big Problem

With five daughters, bathroom use is always at a maximum.  I have two water heaters just for the very purpose of long, drawn out showers where my girls spend countless time shampooing, conditioning, and shaving.  I had no idea that hair could create such plumbing problems.

The drain in the shower just kept getting slower and slower.  It reached the point where during my relatively quick showers, that by the middle of it I was ankle deep in water.  Fortunately, I have a wonderful plumber whom I called to give me advice on the situation.

He came right over and I was thinking he would just magically pour some Drano down the drain and magically all would be well.  This did not turn out to be the case.  After taking apart the bathtub drain and using a "snake" he pulled up more hair than I would have thought humanly possible.  Honestly, my daughters should be bald by this accounting of hair.  I could have built an additional daughter with waist long hair with all the extra hair in the pipes!  And it wasn't easy for him.  He kept at it for nearly an hour and still kept bringing up more and more hair.  Quite frankly it was disgusting.  Then he handed my a fairly substantial bill and one other item.  It was a tiny little screen with a sunken center to it.  It cost all of .98 cents.  He said to just put this in the drain hold whenever we shower and he will never again need to come out for this type of problem!  A very small fix for such a big, and gross problem.

So we dutifully put the screen in place each and every time we shower.  Sure we have to empty it after our showers, but again, .98 cents and a little effort to avoid the thoughts of having the plumber pull out all of the disgusting stuff again is so totally worth it!

I am participating in a blogger campaign for Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Motivating Employees

There is no question that when you have happy employees who enjoy coming to work, you have motivated employees.  The best way to achieve this is through providing a positive work environment.  I have encountered companies who do all kinds of things to make work a pleasure for their employees. 

Some companies provide on site fitness centers.  This serves so many purposes.  Not only is this convenient, but also provides a means for your employees to reduce stress.  It also opens the door to keeping your staff in shape, which in turn should benefit your health insurance costs.

Still other companies provide on site child care.  To relieve the stress of a working parent by having their child near by is a huge advantage.  Parents will be more focused on their work when they have the comfort of knowing their child is right there and well taken care of.

And, both of my son in laws actually work for companies that have a game room where they have a Wii console for the employees to use at anytime during the day.  They say it is a great stress reducer and is not abused in anyway.

To enjoy what you do, and look forward to going to work has proven to be more valuable than offering raises and other financial benefits.  In light of the fact that we spend so much of our time at work, to have it be an enjoyable place is truly the greatest motivator.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for an employee engagement company and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Location. Location. Location.

My Mom and Dad were both born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri.  With my Dad being in the military, my brother and I never settled in Missouri, but moved all over the country.  I have a very small extended family.  My Mom is an only child, so there are no Aunts or Uncles on this side f the family.  My Dad has two brothers, one whom died as an infant.  This leaves me with my one and only Uncle who married and gave me an Aunt.  And they did beautifully in providing me with eight cousins!  In the summer, I would spend a couple of weeks in St. Louis, at their house and it was always the highlight of the year for me.

Growing older, I have often thought of picking up a piece of St Louis Real Estate.  My cousins have pretty much stayed in the St. Louis area so it would be a logical choice for me to be near my family, but there is a problem.  Location.  Location.  Location.

You see, besides being near my cousins, there are some deliciously wonderful places to eat in St. Louis.  White Castle and Steak n Shake are two of my favorites.  Fortunately they do have several locations.  My number one food spot is Lubely's Bakery.  It is a true bakery where everything is perfectly exquisite.  The crumb cake is melt in your mouth goodness that I have paid good money to have shipped to me in Utah.  There is also this amazing Italian restaurant that serves toasted ravioli that is to die for.  And Drew's Frozen Custard is absolutley the best ice cream I have ever had.

So this my problem.  Location.  Location.  Location.  In my advancing years, I want to live right in the midst of this foody heaven.  I'm going to enjoy my plump old age!

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

A Little Insulation Can Go A Long Way

My brother is fabulous.  He really is one of those people who is there whenever I need him and he is always looking out for me.  I am blessed beyond measure to have a brother who so very often goes out of his way to make my life easier, to make my life better.

He lives in Michigan and therefore is very much aware of living in the cold.  On his last visit, he noticed what I a tiny crack of light around my back door.  He saw the same around the front door.  I told him not to worry about it, that it was so small and probably no big deal.  Well, you'd have to know my brother, but this would not do for him.

He made a complete evaluation of the house and all it's windows, doors and cracks and crevices.  He went to the hardware store and returned with various types of insulation.  He cut, and fit, and glued, and pasted various pieces in various places.  To be honest, I didn't think any of this would really make a difference.  It was just my brother being over protective and his usual routine of going above and beyond.

The first thing was when my kids said that the kitchen and front room were so much warmer.  The front room had the front door and the kitchen had the back door.  Both of which were doors my brother mentioned had cracks of light showing around the edges.  And then the most astonishing part:  My gas bill was lower.  Not a huge reduction, but enough that I noticed.

I should remember, he always knows best.  A little does go a long way.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for Continuous Insulation and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my
own.

Be Grateful For Evaluations

When you ask employees about evaluations, for the most part, you will here nothing but negativity and apprehension.  At times, I have felt uneasy with my feelings of excitement.  I must be the office nerd.

And it's not like I'm this amazing worker who receives glowing evaluations of how fabulous and indispensable I am, but I enjoy the feedback.  I like knowing where I stand.  I have always taking the view of wanting to be assured that I am on the right track.  What if I am doing a fabulous job... but not the job I am supposed to be doing.

When in an evaluation, the first thing I ask is for criticism.  For me this opens up areas for improvement.  How better to know that you are covering all aspects of your job than to see if you are missing something.  Should I be handling an aspect of my job differently?  Maybe tweak something a little?

And it is always insightful to ask where your supervisor sees you in the future.  I like asking if I am on the correct course for job advancement and salary raises.  Keeping an open mind when receiving an evaluation can be very helpful and give you a better opportunity to do your very best at your job.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for contractor management and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my
own.

The Shocking Results of Lap Band Surgery

Our family goes to church regularly.  It is a neighborhood ritual and we enjoy not only the worship, but the community involvement.  There was a period there when both my daughter and I noticed that a few of our members looked like they were perhaps ill.  There were two men and a woman who all showed dramatic weight loss, as well as, hair loss, and basically did not look well.  Being a cancer patient, I worried that they were indeed going through chemo or some other debilitating treatment, but our church is so good about communication in helping those in need and we would have surely hear something.

Discreetly, we asked about one of the men and found that he had had lap band surgery.  It had never occurred to me that there was a common denominator in that all three of these individuals had been rather large... very large.  I admit that at first, I was concerned that someone would take such drastic measures to lose weight rather than the discipline of eating healthy and working out.  But I have never been over weight to this degree.

In time, all of these individuals have gained a healthy look about them.  Hair has come back in, strength has shown, but the weight has stayed off.  The transformation has been absolutely amazing and I am happy that they have found a healthier and more complimentary body image.  As always, we should never judge.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Fork Lift Certified?

Throughout the course of my life, from college into mid life, I have always embraced opportunities to learn new skills.  Not because I'm an over achiever by any means, but I simply like the diversion and the distraction of something new.  My Dad also always taught me that no matter what your position in a company, the more you know, the more valuable you become.  So whenever additional training came along, I did it.

And I'm not really talking major things.  I worked for a grocery store as a front end manager and closed up the safe and balanced cashiers tills each night.  After weeks of using an adding machine, it became apparent that it would be most useful and make me more efficient, if I learned 10-key by touch.  I found an online course and taught myself.  I could close up our store with all books balanced faster than any other person there.  There was a need for some back up cashiers.  I figured, I was there anyway, and why not learn to be a cashier.  I learned every PLU Code for every produce item most proficiently.  As a supervisor, I was there all hours and sometimes a truck would roll in to be unloaded but we had no one at the store fork lift certified.  I signed up to become fork lift certified so these trucks would not have to wait until morning to be unloaded.  A forty year old woman at 115 pounds driving the forklift.  They thought I was crazy.  As I soon found that the company I worked for would not ever become a position where I could live comfortable I began my search for new job.

I found the perfect job with a great salary, great benefits, and only five minutes from home.  The problem is, so did everybody else.  I called to follow up on my resume, and the General Manager had already received over 200 and this was only two days into the ad.  Unbelievably, I received a call for a phone interview.

It was a produce company and was I familiar with the produce PLU codes.  Why yes, I was.  The codes were used to enter every Sales Order and every Purchase Order and I knew 10-Key, making it possible for me to enter a 6 page order in less than five minutes.  The job was mine.  Curious, I asked why he picked my resume out of over 200.  He said he wanted to see this 115 pound woman who was... you got it... forklift certified.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for an employee engagement survey company and was compensated. However, the views and
opinions are my own.

Insurance? No Big Deal Right?

High school brings such freedoms, especially when you get the all might license and for those of us who may be lucky enough to have a car or have a friend with a car.  I loved being able to leave campus at a moments notice whether to go to the beach ( I grew up in San Diego.) or out to get something better to eat than the school cafeteria had to offer.  As an adult, looking back, this new found freedom comes at a time when a teenager really shouldn't be given that freedom.  I'll be honest.  My sense of responsibility and the seriousness of driving a car were no where in my head.  I could drive and that was what it was all about.  And sure enough my girlfriend and I learned a valuable lesson.

We were heading down the main drag to go find food.  It was raining.  I was driving her old, beat up, white compact car.  The street had light after light and we were making them, but then we got to an intersection where it was clearly yellow, which in teenager terms mean drive faster to avoid the red.  Besides it was raining and I did have the fore thought to not skid into the intersection, so goose it I did... unfortunately I had not seen that the light ahead was backed up to the intersection I was speeding through.  I had to slam on the brakes.  We slid and slid and watched as we knew inevitably we were going to hit the car in front of us.  And we did.  It didn't seem so bad.  We all jumped out.  My girlfriend had hit her tooth on the dash and it was bleeding.  We laughed when we looked at our car and realized her car was such a piece of junk, we had no idea which dent was the one we just put into her car.  All was good.  She said she had no insurance but no big deal, she didn't care what her car looked like and we wouldn't need to fix it.  We were golden.  But then the driver of the car we hit came over.

He was almost in tears.  He was driving off the lot, still with brand new stickers, a brand new TR7 sports car in bright red.  Both side doors had popped out to he side like a can when we hit the back.  We told him we were sorry and then he asked for our auto insurance information.  We said we didn't have any, but he must have some with such a nice car.  And then reality.  You mean we use our insurance if it is our fault?  A phone call to Daddy and once again, my ever efficient father had had me on the auto insurance since I had my permit.  He made me go through the entire process.  All the paperwork.  And an irresponsible teen gained a little insight to the responsibilities of driving a car.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for san diego auto insurance and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Cold But Cute!

For me, dressing for the cold is so much more fun than dressing for the heat.  I mean, let's face it, in the summer, you have camisole, or t-shirt.  T-shirt or camisole.  Or if it's not too dreadfully hot, you can wear the camisole, over the t-shirt.  Boring.

Take the temperature down, and more clothes are required, making coming up with outfits profoundly more fun and interesting.  Layering in and of itself, brings countless possibilities.  There are cute tops, trendy vests, sweaters of all shapes and texture, crazy scarves which make the combinations endless.

There are so many fun and stylish trends out today, with my personal favorite being the vests and scarves.  There are long vests, fitted vests, vests with ruffles, ragged looking vests, structured business type vests and best of all, they look great on everybody!

I love the comfy cozy feeling of all the soft layers.  I love being comfortable with the lose shape on my body, unlike summer, where I feel so exposed.  And I love the added control of your body temperature.  Too cold?  Add more layers.  A little warm?  Remove a layer.  It's the perfect time of year for dressing to me.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was
compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Cheap Shoes or Expensive Shoes?

There is the old adage that you get what you pay for, and when it comes to shoes this certainly rings true!  Having five daughters, I'm sure I can't begin to tell the number of hours spent shopping for shoes.  When they were so young, it was a matter of getting them all in shoes.  This involved the balancing act of handing down shoes, timing the seasons, because outfitting five daughters with shoes for school, athletics, church, and various other events is not small task.  In the beginning, it was a matter of the cheapest shoe we could find... but I grew wiser.  In some cases, this was best.  If for example, one of them needed sandals for the summer, which would undoubtedly be lost, cheap was good.  But if they needed winter shoes or a pair of dress shoes, I soon found that if I could find the more expensive shoes, on sale or clearance, then they would last much longer and therefore be able to be handed down from one daughter to the next.

This philosophy continued when the girl's feet were done growing.  Cheap shoes were a quick fix for the pocketbook, but inevitably I would be right back after a month or two, purchasing another pair because the previous cheap pair had fallen apart.  Now my girls and I thrive and hunt for the expensive shoes that look so great, feel so good, and last so long.  This is my favorite feature of the expensive shoe is that when you find one you like, it will be with you... not just for a season... but for a long time.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for handmade shoes
and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.