After Christmas Sales

Sale,Sale Sale. My favorite word! The best deals are after Christmas. All the store are getting rid of their winter stock and the mark downs are amazing. You can buy all the things you didn't get for the holidays. Can you say new wardrobe.

Cutting Costs

Guest post from: Constance Rodgers

My husband and I have been trying our best to cut household costs. Now that our kids are getting older, things are getting more and more expensive every day. Our daughter wants to wear trendy and expensive clothes, and our son wants every electronic known to man. We have to say no to them most of the time, but it would be nice http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifto be able to get them some of the things they ask for. We have been looking to see how we can save on utilities and we came across www.shopelectricityratestexas.com. We didn’t realize that we could shop around for our home energy, so that is going to be a big help. It looks like we can get a pretty good deal so we’ll be able to spend more money on things that the kids want. Hopefully in a few years they’ll be able to get after school jobs so that they can buy the things they want for themselves and we won’t have to be stretched so thin. I can’t wait until they are old enough to learn the value of a dollar.

Chicken

Can you say cluck cluck. What a wonderful meat. You can do anything with it. You can make roasts, stews, chile, soup. You can braise, saute, stir fry, deep fry, grill. Cook it with cream sauce, vegatables, rice. Oh the things you can do!

Jenny Craig

There is a lot famous people using Jenny Craig right know. They look great! I was very skeptic about trying it. When I see the rich and famous selling product on television I think that they are just in it for the money. Until I tried Jenny Craig. OMG! It is fantastic! The weight just falls off. It may be a little pricey but worth every penny.

Pre-Holidays

I love the pre-holidays! Figuring out whose house we are going to for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Planing the menus. Getting the kids to write their Christmas list. But the thing I love to do the most is the pre-cookie making.

I get to make a lot of different cookies. I always try to make cookies that I have never made before. Also I get to eat them. They family really likes taste test them for me. Hope our waste lines hold out.

Apples

Apple picking season is here again! I just love being outside and walking under the trees with all those delicious apples. Which tree should I pick? Who cares all the apples will be amazing.

What should I make with those sweet and juicy apples? A pie, a cake, muffins or maybe I will bake them. Or I could pair them with pork. Yummmmmy! One of my favorite dinners.

I'm not sure what I will make but first I have to get to the orchards. Apples here I come!!

Chocolate Pretzles

Whats better then the taste of a salty pretzel and sweet choclate? NOTHING!!!!

Rice Cakes

I know when you think of rice cakes you think of those carboard disks that are dry and tasteless. However I found Quakers Rice Snacks at the grocery store today. WOW! Are they good. They come in some 7 flavors. My favorite are chochlate and vanilla creme brulee. Give them a taste rice cakes have come a long way.

A Clean House

I know it doesn't happen as often as I would like but I find a clean house very satisfying. It makes me feel like I accomplished something important. It just takes so darn long to do it in one day. I can clean the first floor in a day then save the rest for the next day. The only problem is that it doesn't have that same feeling of clean. Bummer. I guess I will just have to hire cleaning people to do it for me. LOL

Words With Friends

I love keeping my mind sharp. My favorite way of doing this is by playing Words With Friends. I have about 20 games going at one time. I know this sounds like a lot but I have a friend that does 40 games. It is so much fun when I think I am making up words and they end up being real words. Also I love beating my friends. What a great game.

The Lakeside Collection

I just recieved The Lakeside Collection in the mail. I really like this magazine. It has some really great ideas for amazing gifts. I also found some great ideas for the home. You really need to check out the website www.lakeside.com.

YMCA

The YMCA is one of the best places for familes to go. In this econamy it is one of the best values. There are classes for adults and children to take. There are also familiy nights, camping under the stars, Healthy Kids Day and the new Wellness center where your kids can work out the same time you are.

Back To School Shopping

Shopping is one of my favorite past times is shopping, but school shoping is my favorite. I love the new smell of all the school supplies. New notebooks, pencils, bookbags, lunch boxes, and my favoriye of all is a new book of crayons. Also the new clothes for the kids. It is fun to see how thier personality has changed over the summer and what they are picking out. It is the most wonderful time of the year.

Passionate About Sports

I love being passionate about something and that something just happens to be sports. It’s great because I stay in shape and I get to be outside a lot which is something I’ve enjoyed since my childhood. When the weekend hits I set my security (Click HERE) alarm and get outside to soak up the sun and do everything from play ultimate Frisbee to golfing with my boys. I’m in better shape now at thirty than I ever have http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifbhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifeen before and I love having hobbies that are numerous and also keep me social. I’m just a huge proponent of getting outside and moving your body and it’s something I preach to all my friends as well as family. I’ve got a lot of energy and I think it comes from the fact that I’m working out so much which if you ask me isn’t a bad thing! Eating well and moving your body – that’s all that really matters when you hit this age. You’ll feel better than you ever have before!

Pedicures

Aaaaahhhh:) I just LOVE pedicures! Sitting in the massage chair, all the lovely smelling lotions and just being pampered. Also, hat amazing alone time. It's great sitting there and just being with my own thoughts. No one needing me, calling my name or asking me for anything. Oh except for the manicurist asking what color I need. What a great day.

Pool Floating

I wish everyone in the world had a pool. Nothing is as relaxing as floating in a pool. You can read a book, listen to music, have a drink or just take a nap. It is one of my favorite things about summer.

New York

What a great place to go! So many things to do. Great food, wonderful plays, and amazing shopping. You can go there and never get run out of things to do or see. Everyone should go there at least once in their lifetime.

Christina's

Are you looking for a unique gift idea for that amazing woman in your life? Look no further. Christina's is the place to shop. You can find anything from purses to jewelry to shoes. And if you are not sure how much to spend, Christina's has a price point for everyone. Just go to http://www.christinaballas.com/ and start shopping.

Silpada

I just Love, Love, Love Silpada Jewelry! The designs are amazing. It's the best collection of Sterling Silver jewelry, belts and watches. The quality and craftsmanship is amazing. When you get invited to a Silpada Jewelry you will have the most amazing time.

Flavored Rum

I just found out that there are different flavored rums. Where have I been? I know that I am so behind the times on this. I always liked rum but now it's my favorite alcohol. All the different flavors are amazing. I can make so many new drinks! What a summer this will be!

New Orleans

I just got back from a trip to New Orleans with my daughter. WOW what a great time we had. The food was amazing! All I have to say is Beignets! Yum, yum, yum! The tours were great. We went to a cooking demo, a ghost tour and a swamp tour. All three were wonderful. It seemed like anything we did there exceted our expections. If you ever have a chance to go I HIGHLY reccommend it.

Reading

Don't you just love summer reading. I do! Sitting outside in the shade, a nice cold iced tea by my side and a good book. This is the time where I get to catch up on all the books I have been wanting to read. What I am reading right now is The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larson. What a great book. I would highly recommend it, however please start with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. So get out there and read!

Shopping Made Easy In Canada

My sister recently moved to Canada and was having difficulties finding gifts for some of us in the states. Because I'm the google guru, I took things into my own hands. I turned her onto a great web site for shopping and research in Canada. www.canadapost.ca/shopper/sears/store/231

She was so happy to have been able to compare products on the site and look up reviews from others about some of the stuff she wanted to buy for us.

You have to try it out if you live in Canada. It's a great site

Great Shoe Deals

We are getting ready to go away this weekend and I needed to get some new clothes, ect. for the trip. I have a tee time set for Saturday and I was just in the basement checking on my golf gear. I come to notice that I needed some new golf shoes. I wanted to just replace my footjoy classics with the same type. I found some on line at Become.com

Once I found this site, I went to town on some more new shoes for the trip. I could not believe the deals they had for nurture shoes and high top shoes. Needless to say I bought some of each. Spending money online gets away from me sometimes.

Gas Prices

OMG! Can gas prices get any higher? I sure hope not. Not only am I watching how and where I am driving, I also have to watch what I spend on groceries and clothing. The clothing thing isn't bad it's the groceries. Something needs to be done. I am sure there are many families who are going without.

Our wedding website Thanks to Olga Quinn

There weren’t that many good http://www.domainnames.com available for my wedding blog, so I settled on something slightly offbeat. That ended up being a great decision because now it’s so easy for my friends and family to remember! I started the website as a way for our loved ones to keep up with all the wedding details but it’s really morphed into so much more. I now have a place to post photos that inspire me, chat about different venues in town and even get dress opinions from the other people in my life! The site has all the basic requirements of a wedding website like a “How we met” story and a listing of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. It’s also go directions to the church and suggestions on where to stay in town which should be really helpful for some of our guests. My fiancé really likes it too, despite what he says! It’s nice to be able to point our friends to one centralized place so they can get all the information they need about our big day!

Summer Vacation

Yippeee! Here comes summer vacation. The kids are off from school. We get to have many Bar-B-Q's and parties. Going away on vacations. Lightening bugs. Lazy days in the shade. Swimming in the pool, lake or ocean. Just being with your family. Those are the best tings about summer.

Free Time

Why is it that you never seem to find any free time? You plan for it, you hope for it, you wish it but when you think that free time is coming....IT GETS FILLING with something new that needs to be done.

Internet Shopping

Internet Shopping! What a great way to shop. It is so easy. You can buy anything from food to clothing. It the best way to compare prices, instead of going from store to store. The weather is bad? No problem. Just sit at home with a nice cup of coffee and shop away. I love love convenice.

Loft

Just went shopping at the Loft. I LOVE this store! It has the best clothes that always fit just right. The clothes are beautiful and always fit great. If you hit it on the right day the store has % off sales. it could be anywhere from 30%-50%. If you have never been there i highly suggest that you go.

Swimming

I just started lap swimming with my daughter. You will never know how out of shape you are until you try this. She was on swim team so she what she is doing, I don't. I need a kick board and can only swim about 10 laps. I do plan on keeping up with her one day. It may not be soon, however, I'll just keep swimming along.

House

I love the television show House. To be that smart and to be able to say what you want when you want would be amazing.

Pollen

I know I usually post about things I like. However I need to let you know that I HATE pollen. It is killing my husband and myself. Our allergies are going crazy. My house is even covered in it. We had to close the windows and put on the ac so we wouldn't get any more pollen in the house. Is it us or is pollen season worse this year.

Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen Degeneres is my favoite comedian. She is very funny and insightful with her dry sense of comedic wit. Her show is wonderful and has the best guests. She is truly someone I wish I could get to know.

Breakfast Candy

I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and never ever let him forget he's a man. BACON!!!! My husband calls it breakfast candy. It makes him very happy when he comes in the house and smell me cooking it. He can eat it for breakfast lunch and dinner. I love it because it can be used in any dish. I know everything in moderation and I really try to do this but YUMMMM it can't help but it. It's wonderful.

Blockbuster

Oh how I love Blockbuster. For a minimal fee I get to see as many movies that I want. You can have as many as three movies at a time. Every time I finish one I just send it back, postage paid envelope by blockbuster, and they send me a new one. For all you movie buffs this is the thing to do.

Spring Cleaning

Now that the weather is finally turning warmer it has given me the itch to spring clean. I don't like doing it but it is something that has to be done.

I think the first thing I will start with is clothes. I will get the family to go through their winter clothes and see what they didn't wear and get rid of the unused clothes.

Next comes the spring/summer clothes. These are the worst to go through. Trying them on after a long cold winter can be very daunting. Did I put on weight or not? Ugh!

Well I guess it's time to get in there and get to work. Goodwill here I come.

Time For Pool Work

It’s time to start getting my pool ready for the summer. The kids are already asking me when it will be ready for swim. So I started my yearly search on the web for my Pool Supplies.

This year I was thinking of adding some Gorilla Floor Padding under my liner. It will feel so much better on our feet when jumping for those volleyballs.

As I stare out my window at the Winter Pool Cover, I can see that I will need to purchase one of these again. It is just one of those things that are necessary to buy every 3 years in order for the pool to look its best when I reopen it

Coffee

Mmmmmm Coffee. Oh how I love my morning coffee. The first cup is the best. I don't have any special brand the I like best, however, I do need to put in flavored creamer. Any flavor will do. Also I like my afternoon coffee and my evening coffee. Coffee, coffee ,coffee! Have I said it to many times? Yummmmmm!

Soccer

I just went to Pittsburg to watch my sons travel soccer team, the Hockessin Heat, play. What a great day! The first team they tied 1-1 and the second game they won 3-0. It was a wonderful day.

Cadbury Mini Eggs

WooHoo! It's that wonderful season where the birds are chirping, the air is warmer and Cadbury Mini Eggs are back on the shelves! They are the best treat if you need a little pick me up. Just let one melt in your mouth and you are in chocolate heaven. However, stock up because they are only be on the shelves until Easter.

Campbell's Soup

"Mmmmm Mmmmm Good". That is what Campbell's soup is. One of the best inventions ever created. Not only can you have a delicious bowl of soup, you can also make tasty appetisers, side dishes and main dishes. Thank you Campbell's for making my life eaiser.

Shopping

I know it's sounds like a cliche but I LOVE shopping. It makes me happy to bring home new things. Clothes are my favorite, especially when I find an outfit or shoes that I look great in. I know men don't get this but you woman out there know what I talking about!

Rainy Days

You either love or hate rainy days, you can't have both. I REALLY love the rain. The smell of it, the ways it washes everything clean and the sound it makes when it hits the window. It makes me want to stay in and curl up with a good book or cuddle under the blankets and watch an old musical. So with that said old movie here I come.

Saturdays

First I went to the post office, never do that on a Saturday again. Tried to get the kids passports. What a waste of time. The line was to long and wasn't moving. Next I went to my sons soccer game. He plays on the Hockesson Heat. He plays defence, don't ask me what position because I have no idea, I just like watching him. Then I came home and made sausage and peppers. My husband loves this so much he wants to make a candle scent out of it. Post office, soccer and cooking what a way to spend my Saturday.

T.G.I.F

Ahhh the weekend is here. A time to sleep in and rest, unless the house needs to be cleaned, laundry has to get done or kids need to be shuttled from one place to another. This should be a time for rest however in my house it's a time to catch up on thing that we let go over the week because of our busy schedules. Come one Monday?!?!

TV Watching

I can never seem to pull myself away from the TV anymore. There are so many shows that I want to watch. Nothing is getting done around my house.

Gas Prices

I can't believe we are paying so much for gas. This is going to really start to have a major impact on an already unstable economy.

Time Again

WOW, it has been well over a year since I last wrote anything to this blog.