Friday, July 27, 2007

LeasingandContractHire.com

LeasingAndContractHire.com, the UK’s newest Car leasing search engine have revealed the most popular makes of car that users are looking to lease in this press release:

"In July, we have seen a marked increase in the number of users searching for car leasing deals" said Alan Gates, Marketing Director for LeasingAndContractHire.com. "We see this growth as a Nationwide trend as car leasing becomes more and more popular."

The top 5 searches in July were for:- Audi leasing (13.89%), BMW leasing (13.57%), Mercedes-Benz leasing (8.41%), Volkswagen leasing (6.05%) and Land rover leasing (5.09%). In total, they account for 47% of the overall search volume at LeasingAndContractHire.com

Over the past 6 months, Audi leasing deals have consistently been the most popular searches. Audi has seen a 6 month average search volume of 14.86%.

So, for anybody considering leasing an Audi or any other make of car, LeasingAndContractHire.com have over 14,000 car leasing deals available at any one time! To see what all the hype is about, visit the website now.

Leasing a car is a great idea if you always want a new car and plan to trade up in 2 yrs or less. If you are changing cars that often, there is really no sense in buying. As they say, when you buy a new car it loses equity the minute you drive it off the lot. And if you aren't keeping it long term, you really won't pay off enough of the car in that time to have much equity in it, this is why leasing may be a better option. This is especially true for higher end cars, which are shown to be the most popular cars searched on the site. If you live in the UK, and think that leasing is a better option for you, be sure to check out LeasingAndContractHire.com to find some great leasing options.

House maintenance woes

Why is it that house maintenance seems to pile up all at once? Our dryer is on the end of it's rope. Our driveway is showing cracks and needs to be sealed. Our roof has a leak and we may even need to replace some drywall in the living room due to it. Our decks need refinishing, and the house needs painting. Ugh. To do all of this work would probably cost at least $12,000! Yikes! That is a really large number! Guess we just have to do what we can do when we can do it, and prioritize what needs to get done. I just hate spending money on this kind of thing though. I'd much rather go on a nice vacation or put that in my new car fund. Oh well! I'm excited to go camping and forget all about my to do lists for awhile!

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Vacation Ideas with kids

Getting ready for camping has got me dreaming about future get-aways I'd love to do with the girls before they get older. The obvious one is Disney, we've only been once when my oldest was 3 1/2 and I was pregnant with number two. I'd also love to do Yellowstone and see the Rocky Mountains. I think going to a Dude Ranch or a Texas bed and breakfast would be fun where we can go horseback riding like the old cowboys used too. I have lots of ideas, but they all cost a lot of bucks we don't have! One of these days though, I hope we get there!

Another camping treat!

Oooh! I thought of another camping treat for the campfire. It's another must do. Peel a banana and slit it down the middle and place a couple pieces of chocolate in there. Then wrap the banana up in tin foil and place in in the hot coals for a little while, not too long, I'd say 10-15 minutes at most. Just long enough for the banana to soften up and the chocolate to melt throuroughly. Open the tin foil carefully and eat it with a spoon. SOOOOO GOOD!

Camping treats


We are trying to get ourselves organized to go camping on Sunday. We haven't been since last summer so I am making lists. Food list, items needed for activities list, do not forget list, dog stuff, etc. We recently were at an evening get together where we sat around a fire pit for smores, and we were introduced to Deluxe Smores, and I must share them with you. It's rather simple. Swap out the plain chocolate bars, for a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup. It is to die for! I am not a huge marshmallow fan to begin with, so I usually passed by the smores and just ate the chocolate straight, but you have to try these! They are sooooooooooo good!

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Fire Ants

If you ever have a fire ant infestation, check out this site for fire ant treatments. It is called ControlFireAnts.com. Or if you or your family receive a fire ants stings, they will also tell you how to deal with it. Luckily we don't have these little pest near us, but if we did, I would be sure to bookmark that site for future reference. They provide basic information about fire ants, tell you how a colony of fire ants works, teach you how to identify fire ants as well as how to deal with infestation through baiting to using boiling water.

Girls night!

I am having a great week. I had a girls night out with some girlfriends on Monday night to celebrate one of their 40th birthdays, and I am having another girl's night out tonight with a close friend. These really allow me to keep my sanity and I'm so thankful my husband is cool with that. He knows that day after day with the kids can drive me batty, and that I need some girl talk time with my friends. We are going to grab dinner and do some shopping as well. Now that the sun is back, it's a beautiful evening and I am looking forward to it!

Motor Sports for fun in the summertime!

I don't know a lot about motor sports, but if you are a fan, check out this blog Addicted to Sports for all the latest gossip on the sport. They provide full coverage of the Formula 1 and Moto GP races. Suicidal Sam is the author of this blog, and in his coverage, he provides full and complete lists of riders, teams they belong to and their final time in each race. He reviews each race, and these are some examples of those reviews: Moto GP: Sachsenring German Grand Prix Review, Formula 1: European Grand Prix Qualifying and the Formula 1: 2007 British Grand Prix result and review . He even has some really nice photo's in these reviews that cover some of the highlights from each race. If Motor Sports is your thing, be sure to bookmark this site!



We've started the Back to School Shopping

It's hard to believe. The kids don't go back until September 4th, but we've started the back to school shopping already. Earlier this week I hit Target for some basic supplies that were really marked down, and then today we were in Fred Meyer and they had all backpacks marked down 30% and each of the girls found one they like. That alone is quite a remarkable feat, so in the cart they went. We don't usually go crazy shopping for back to school. The required supplies are a must, backpacks if they are necessary, shoes and at least one outfit for the first day of school. Clothes I really only go crazy if they are really needed.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Closet cabinet storage - Who doesn't need more?

Our garage right now is just nasty. It really needs to be cleaned out. We need to make at least one trip to the dump, maybe two. It's to the point that the floor just has a ton of junk on it, like dirt and straw and it's tracking into the house! I think after we go camping next weekend we might have to tackle that project and get it done before summer is over. I would love to have a closet cabinet for our camping gear, as well as for the gardening junk out there. I'd love a shoe system that works too while we are at it. I put shoe shelves out there, but for some reason the shoes end up in piles on the floor anyway, causing us all to trip over them all the time. Maybe I should just sign up for Clean Sweep! LOL! Ok, it's not THAT bad.

Big Brother

Are you a reality TV junkee like me? This show is my summer indulgence. I can't wait for it to start tonight. Sunday's episode was great with Danielle going to her dad for some support. I hope they are both on long enough to work out their issues. I think Nick is such a sweetie, it's going to be so tough for her to be a good girl! I am routing for Jen to go home this week. I hope the nominations stick tonight. That girls drives me nutso. Being that Kail is a mom my age with 3 kiddo's, I'm not ready to see her go yet. Gotta go get the kids ready for bed so I'm all set when it starts!

Tutoring Help

My oldest daughter started middle school last year in 6th grade. She struggled quite a bit juggling 5 teachers a day and different teaching methods and homework requirements. We credited a lot of her struggles with it being her first year in middle school as well as being one of the youngest in her class and being a bit on the immature side. Hopefully, her grades will improve this year on her own, but we are certainly considering some type of innovative tutor situation such as Score offers if need be. I really like how they try to help while also making learning a positive experience. I also like the idea of having a third party involved when we hit rough patches. I know sometimes I lose patience in trying to explain a new type of math problem because I feel her heart isn't into really trying to solve it. Hopefully, they would be able to get through to her better than me!


What's for dinner?

Eeek! It's 4:15, and I have no plan for dinner. It's got to be quick and easy too. Our lawn mower broke right before all this rain we had, and my husband finally got it fixed this weekend, but of course it was raining. Today is the first sunny day in over a week, and our grass, er, um, I mean our weeds, are at least 2 ft tall, so he WILL be mowing as soon as he gets home and eats! I think I may go peruse Char's weekly Monday meal plans for some ideas. I used to be so good at planning our meals even two weeks ahead of time, but I've been slacking since it's summer!

Update: I am stealing this idea from Char!

"Taco Cups and refried beans. These are super easy. Lightly grease large muffin cups and press medium sized tortillas in the shape of the muffin cups. Place in oven on 350 for about 7 minutes until crisp. Fill cups with meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato and other taco toppings"

I think I have a tub of that Chi Chi's mexican taco chicken in the freezer, so off to go defrost it and get these going!

Funky office design

Check out these funky modern desks. Some of these are very cool. Brings me back to my working days, as we used to design some pretty cool reception desks. Reception area's are often the first impression clients will get of a company, so they are often little show pieces with some cool design features, and the reception desk is often the primary focal point. Cool lighting features were also something we used alot in our designs.

Bar stools - who would have thought?

So we built our house and moved in almost 6 yrs ago. Our kitchens have white cabinets and we have a large island in our kitchen. I went out and bought white bar stools to match the cupboards. They are just simple (cheap) bar stools I got at Target or Walmart or some such place. What I didn't realize, is how grimy they would get. With three kids, I don't know what I was thinking with white cabinets to begin with! I guess the positive aspect to them is, I know, along with everyone else mind you, when they are dirty. There is no hiding it! The bar stools especially. Anyway, just thought I'd mention this in case you are contemplating what your dream kitchen might be one day.

Hard to buy for Gift Ideas

If you are stuck trying to find that perfect gift for someone who is hard to shop for, think about a digital frame. I think these are so cool. I am putting this on my list for Christmas gift ideas for both my stepdad and my father-in-law, both who I find really hard to shop for. I really need to get my act together and seriously start Christmas shopping! It will be here before you know it! I hate waiting until the last minute. I get all stressed out and it of course hurts the budget when you have to do it all at once. My three girls all have birthdays within a one month span and so we are just trying to get through that right now. My oldest had her birthday last week, and my youngest two are only 9 days apart in early August. I will probably seriously start keeping my out for bargains to put away for Christmas in September when the girls go back to school and I have more free time without them in tow.

Entering our Poultry in the State Fair


If you read my other blog A Problogger Mom, you will know that my kids show our chickens in the state fair for 4-H. We are getting pretty excited, it's a nice event to end the summer with and it is coming up fast. I have just filled out all their entry paperwork, and it's another thing to cross off my "to do" list. In all we will be entering 11 birds, that's 3 less then last year as we lost a few this past year.


We almost got chicks in February, but decided not to, and then ended up getting 8 new chicks in May. Unfortunately they aren't old enough yet to go to fair this year. We will also be shopping for new birds at fair for the girls to use for Fit and Show. We lost 3 birds this year that were designated as Fit and Show birds, or at least stand-bys. So we only have one of really good quality this year and she's a Old English black bantam hen named clover who my oldest will be using. My middle daughter is only a Primary this year, so she will be using an older friendly bantam hen named Ginger, but she's never done well in Type. She's a Buff Japanese but hardly has any black on her tail feathers.


All the chicks we bought in May are full size too, so they won't be good for Fit and Show as they are too big for the girls to really handle well. My youngest will also be joining 4-H in the fall and so we will need even more "show birds" for next year! We are quite excited about the chicks we have though, we have 4 Americauna's, the kind that lay blue and green eggs. This is the first time we will have any tinted layers. We don't expect them to start laying though until October probably.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Self-Publish with AuthorHouse

Are you a writer? Have you thought about self-publishing? AuthorHouse is the leading self-publishing company in the world since 1997. Of all the Book Publishers out there, AuthorHouse is your best bet for getting the support you need to get your book self-published. You will be guided by author advocates who are serious about writing and publishing.

So ready for summer to return!

OK, the rain has gotten old. Where did our summer go? We've had 7 days of rain now, and I'm ready for it to end and summer to return. The kids miss the pool. I miss them playing outside! Luckily, the weather man said this should be the last day. We are scheduled to go camping next Sunday for a few days, so I'm relieved to say the least. Looks like we should be back on track tomorrow with the sun out and the warm temps back too! Whoo hooo!

BP Whiting Refinery

Recently the Chicago Tribune ran an article about a BP Factory in Whiting, Indiana and misrepresented some important facts. This post is an effort to clarify some of these facts.

The Chicago Tribune article can be found here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-pollute_15jul15,1,647384.story?ctrack=3&cset=true

BP's fact sheet can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/2ft6oe

There are obviously some discrepancy's between them. I will touch on three of these that touch on the impacts to our environment.

What is going into Lake Michigan from the refinery?

Chicago Tribune claims: "The massive BP oil refinery in Whiting, Ind., is planning to dump significantly more ammonia and industrial sludge into Lake Michigan, running counter to years of efforts to clean up the Great Lakes."

BP claims: "Only treated water into Lake Michigan: What is released from our refinery is treated water that is more than 99.9% water - not sludge. All sludge is treated separately, according to state and federal requirements, and never discharged into Lake Michigan."

Will the refinery be allowed to emit more pollutants into the lake?

Chicago Tribune claims: "Under BP's new state water permit, the refinery -- already one of the largest polluters along the Great Lakes -- can release 54 percent more ammonia and 35 percent more sludge into Lake Michigan each day. Ammonia promotes algae blooms that can kill fish, while sludge is full of concentrated heavy metals. The refinery will still meet federal water pollution guidelines. But federal and state officials acknowledge this marks the first time in years that a company has been allowed to dump more toxic waste into Lake Michigan."

BP claims: "Well within legal limits - A new water discharge permit allows the refinery's average ammonia discharge to increase, but at levels that will still be less than half of those that federal environmental guidelines could allow."

Local crude oil vs mid-east crude oil:

Chicago Tribune claims: "BP, which aggressively markets itself as an environmentally friendly corporation, is investing heavily in Canadian crude oil to reduce its reliance on sources in the Middle East. Extracting petroleum from the thick goop is a dirtier process than conventional methods. It also requires more energy that could significantly increase greenhouse gases linked to global warming."

BP claims: "Energy , security and diversity - BP plans to spend more than $3 billion to modernize the Whiting Refinery to process additional heavy crude oil from Canada, a secure and reliable source" They also say: "Collaborative, transparent approach - BP is working with federal, state and local elected officials, regulators, community and environmental organizations, and communities to develop comprehensive, environmentally sound plans."

As you can see, there must be trade offs in order for us to acquire energy Independence, and one of those trade offs, will be the impact to our environment. Global warming and clean water are obviously both crucial concerns, but the lifestyle we've all grown accustomed to, requires resources that we don't currently have enough of in our own backyards. Sometimes we have to sacrifice a little bit for one cause, in order to advance another. As our technology advances, hopefully the sacrifices will get smaller and smaller. If we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and still maintain federal and environmental guidelines at the refinery as is declared by BP, this time it seems as if the trade off is well worth the sacrifice for the benefits gained.





Friday, July 20, 2007

TGIF!

WOW! Friday already. This week went by really fast for us. Hard to believe it's almost the end of July already. Hope you all have some fun weekend plans in store. We have my daughter's birthday party tomorrow. It was supposed to be a trip to the movies and then some time in the pool, but the weather is much more movie weather. It's been raining all day and it's supposed to continue. We are actually getting flood watches for a few rivers which is so far from normal around here this time of year. November - March is when we normally get this much rain and flood watches. Oh well, it's been a nice break from the heat and the lawn and landscaping could sure use it. Sunday we were supposed to go to my husband's company picnic, but I think the rain will also keep us home from that, so that will just be a veg day and catching up around the house type day. Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Online Dating Sites

Wow. Who knew there were so many types of dating sites onine? In my sponsored posts just in the last week or two, I've done Goth dating, BBW dating and now fitness dating.

This site FitnessDates.com is focused on men and women looking to find a fit partner that is into Fitness and Health. You can search buff guys or muscular women. You can search locally in your area for other people in the fitness singles scene. You can post your photos and even send a "flirt" message to people you find interesting. The site is also free to join. It's nice to know so many different types of online dating sites exist and I hope you will check this one out if it sounds like your cup of tea.



My baby has a cell phone!

As I mentioned earlier today, it's my oldest daughters 12th birthday today. My husband and I agreed it was time for her to have a cell phone. Primarily for safety's sake, and making afterschool activity coordinating easier this fall, but also because it's getting to that point where she is always on the house phone. We just got back from the store where we let her pick out one of the freebie phones and upgraded to the family plan. I can't believe that she's almost a teenager! I am feeling rather old. She has had a great birthday today with the family, and will be celebrating with friends on the weekend.

New car dreams

I am lusting after a new vehicle in the worst way! My current car is a 10 yr old Chevy Suburban, and it has been a great vehicle for us to this point, except for it's gas guzzling nature. We have three kids and two large dogs, and I am torn about what to get next. I want something that gets more gas mileage, something that can fit 3 kids comfortably withouth the "she's touching at me" or "she's looking at me" that a smaller 5 seater type vehicle would cause. So I'm inclined to keep the 7 seat minimum capacity, but I don't want a mini-van. We also have a pop-up trailer and need something that can tow it as it's a pretty big one and a lot of the minivans can't haul it if you go by their guidelines. I'm torn though, because I would also love a truck but I think the kids would be too squished. We have two acres, raise chickens, love gardening, and it would be so much easier to be able to have a truck with a nice truck bed liner I could just hose down after picking up straw or bark chips and that type of thing. Right now those types of things leave the back of my Burb' a mess. Any suggestions?

It's my oldest daughters birthday today!

Happy Birthday Sweetie! Emily is turning 12 today. I can't believe how the time has flown by! My last "tween" year before she's officially a teenager....sigh. Emily is a sensitive girl, who cares a lot about others, animals and the environment. She is a wonderful big sister and lovers her family to pieces. She would like to be a vet one day and is in 4-H in a poultry project and helps take care of our 24 chickens and two dogs. We love you Em, hope you have a wonderful day!

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Call me ignorant

but I really don't know much about the goth scene at all. I really need to make an effort to learn more about it. My oldest daughter is turning 12 (tomorrow!) and while she is intrigued by those who look to follow the goth scene, I am just a tad frightened! Apparantly, it's a growing community though, they even have their own gothic dating website called Gothscene.com. It is a free goth dating site for girls or guys who have intersts in the gothic lifestyle. Many members love techno, punk rock, and goth music. You can see who is online and even browse through pictures! So if this is your scene, check out Gothscene.com.



It's cold!

So refreshing! We've had a cold wet front move in, and it's so nice. I've been wearing my fleecy and socks today for the first time in forever. It's very strange this time of year, usually all or our lawns are turning brown right now from heat and lack of water! It's supposed to stick around for the next few days and I'm so exicted to wear my cozy sweats! LOL! How sad is that?

Saturday, July 14, 2007

I want to go to Disney World!

If anyone has an Orlando vacation home available, please allow me to come and use it! I am so ready for a vacation from my summer vacation! OK, well I guess I should rephrase that to be I am ready for a vacation from my kids summer vacation! We aren't even half way through summer break, and I am burnt out! We are heading out camping in two weeks, hopefully that will help me to relax. Of course, there's the planning, packing, cooking, cleaning and unpacking and LAUNDRY that comes with camping. OIY!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

To do list for today

OK, the list is long, and I'm already feeling burnt out and time is running out!

1. Have to finish 3 more Ebay packages and make a quick run into the Post Office.

2. Have to finish cleaning the house which involves vacuuming, cleaning the guest bath, straightening the first floor and changing the sheets on my daughters bed, my Dad is arriving for a visit tomorrow.

3. Fix a quick dinner and be ready to be picked up at 6:15 by carpool to 4-H meeting.

4. Did I mention how freakin' hot it is?

5. Oh, and last, finish my last Payu2blog assignment for this week for disposable underwear.

Hmmmm, I get to cross one of those items off my list!

What the heck is a plasma cutter?

What the heck is a plasma cutter? I have an assignment from Payu2blog, and I'm supposed to include those terms, and I'm not even sure what it is? I assume it's some medical device, and yes, I could go and research it, but don't have time. I honestly think I don't really want to know. It doesn't sound pleasant, or like something I would personally use, that's for sure!

Summer Gear

I am in need of a new pair of sunglasses and I can't find a pair that I like. I usually don't spend a lot on them and try and pick up a pair for under $10. With three kids, they aren't going to last anyway. My oldest daughter is at that stage where she can almost fit into all my stuff and is constantly borrowing things or trying them on, sunglasses included. I did see some cool motorcycle sunglasses that my husband would have like the other day, but they were more expensive than I wanted to pay, so the search continues.

HOT HOT HOT!

OK, the heat has hit the Pacific NW area, and it is sooooooooo hot! We generally don't get hot weather like this, but maybe for one or two very short blasts each summer, and it has hit. I have to run some packages to the post office and I don't want to leave our house which has actually stayed pretty cool, but it's supposed to be in the 90's out there! Tonight we have a 4-H meeting, and it is in an unairconditioned old grange, and there is usually about 40-50 people packed in there. It's elections tonight, otherwise I'd think they would try and wrap it up quickly due to the heat. Think I will try and pick up a Frappacino on the way to help keep me cool! Hope everyone out there is staying cool too!

Monday, July 9, 2007

Online romance and big beautiful women

Are you looking to find that perfect someone online? Do you like big beautiful women? If so, you should check out bbw personals and the bbw dating scene on BBW Romance.com.

BBWRomance.com is for big beautiful women and men. Their site features chat, bbw personals and many great features to help you find love online. Sexy large women are looking to meet their special BHM (Big Handsome Men) or FA (BBW Admirers) like you today. They claim to be the number one BBW community site on the internet, so you must check it out if you are looking for a dating community like this.



My earnings are up!

Just a brief little update about my blogging earnings.....they are up this month! So far, I've earned over $75 using Payperpost, and another $45 using PayU2blog. I still have some pending assignments from PayU2blog, so that will add another $10 to that total just this week. All of these sponsored posts have been only on this blog, but I am hoping by end of this week, to add all my other blogs to both sites, and I hope that they will be accepted. Then I can spread out the sponsored posts a bit more, not have them all lumped into one blog. Hopefully by doing this though, I'll also be able to take on a few more assignments, thereby increasing my income yet again.

My Pay to Click Sites blog has also been picking up a few referrals here and there, so hoping they are active ones. These sites don't really pay much, but of course, the more referrals you have, the more you can make.

I was also pleased to see my Agloco referrals are up a bit also. For the longest time, I only had 2 direct referrals and 2 more in my downline for a total of 4 referrals. I'm now up to 4 direct and 8 in my downline. Check out the Agloco blog post about how they expect to pay members for simply surfing the web.

My Bigcrumbs referrals have also been growing, 30 direct referrals, and 302 in my downline, with my first person in my 7th generation! It's been really cool to see this grow. I only joined last November, and had a lot less referrals back then. I still cleared $80 plus dollars from Christmas shoppers who shopped through the site in December, I'm really anxious to see how I do this holiday season and in the coming months. The payouts the last few months have been low, but this was expected as the last few months are not typically great for retailers. With Back to School shopping right around the corner, I'm hoping for the payouts to start increasing and only continue to go up until next spring when I expect they will decline again.

Please be sure to check out my new blog at www.aprobloggermom.com. I'm hoping to be posting much less on this blog in the coming weeks.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Street appeal for your home

If you are considering selling your home, one overlooked item that can impact the street appeal of your home are the mailboxes that line your street. If yours is old or rusty or just not looking very nice, it may be time to think about replacing it. You can have fun with it even and paint it a fun complimentary color to go with your house. Be sure and put some nice stickers on it or paint it with your house number. Depending on where you live, you may want to consider getting a mailbox that has a lock on it. We live in a pretty rural area, and mail theft has been on the increase.

Make money blogging for advertisers

Did you know that if you blog, it's easy to get paid for writing posts on your blog? All you have to do is include a keyword given to you by an advertiser, and include a link to the advertiser's site. I use PayU2blog for alot of my blog advertising income. They typically pay $5.00 per post. On average, I've received from 3-5 assignments per week from them, so you can easily earn $60 to over a $100 per month from doing this. Then if you use other similar sites that pay you to post, you can increase that amount A LOT. Consider starting several blogs, and increase that amount of money you can earn, again!

Friday, July 6, 2007

TGIF and 7-7-07!

WHOA! I just realized tomorrow is a big day if you are into numerology or if 7 is your lucky number. Tomorrow the date is 7-7-07! I hadn't heard a peep about it coming up or anything. I've always considered 7 to be one of my lucky numbers. Hope you all have a great Friday and a great 7-7-07 and a fantastic weekend all around!

Drug Rehab

Apparantly, Linsay Lohan has completed her latest stay at a drug treatment center. The gossip online is she was out and about and celebrating for the 4th of July holiday. The news is, that she managed to stay away from "alcohol and other stuff". Hopefully this will be her last needed visit for drug rehab, and she stays on the straight and narrow from this point forward. I can imagine it's touch to do living in the land of make-believe in Hollywood, but I do wish her well. I have to say I think she looks good in all the photo's I've seen of her, and I hope she continues to do well.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

What are you doing for the fourth?

Any big plans in the works to celebrate the fourth of July? I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. I've got the girls tucked in early as I am expecting we will have a late night tomorrow. Have a cup of tea going and enjoying this beautiful summer night. It's 9:00 and still light out! LOVE IT! I'm also working on Ebay listings and surfing around. A perfect evening in my eyes! Hope you are all having a good one also. Happy 4th of July!

Summer Concerts

I love going to outdoor concerts in the summer time. Here in the Pacific NW, we are blessed with several awesome venues. And believe it or not, it dosen't rain here much in the summertime, usually by mid-July, the weather is perfect. Unfortunately, we are too broke right now to afford to go to any, but I did look into concert tickets for The Police. WOW! The prices were way out of my league! Guess it just shows my age, but I remember the day when the big concerts tickets were only $30-$50, now they are $300-$500! Ah well…….them there were the good ole days I guess!

Happy 4th of July!

I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July holiday. The weather could not be more perfect here, which is pretty unusual here in the Seattle area. Usually we are still clouded over and rainy for both Memorial Day and the 4th of July, but we have lucked out this year and the weather couldn't be better. We don't have any big plans, a few fireworks planned in the evening with friends. Just enjoying the summer time and each other. Hope you all do too!

The Police are back on tour!

I was thrilled to hear that The Police were reuniting to do a tour this year. Unfortunately, they have already passed through here in Seattle, and I was not one of the fortunate ones who was able to go. I did however see them back in the early 80's during their Synchronicity tour, and it is still one of my most favorite concerts to date. Sting singing Roxanne live, what more could you want? I just don't think that seeing that song, sung by that man, live, will ever be surpassed!


Please click on this to go and view an awesome banner where you can watch The Police's videos, listen to tracks from The Police's new 2 cd hits collection, enter to win a trip to NYC to see The Police in concert and even view details about their current world tour.

You can check out all the latest information about their latest release in the banner above. It is loaded with features such as videos for 8 songs to watch and listen to, there’s a complete track listing with the option to listen to a view of the titles, and a listing showing all of their tour dates is on there. You can enter a contest to see The Police live at Madison Square Gardens in New York City, send this banner to a friend via email and also get downloadable ringtones. What more could you need?

The newly released 2 disc compilation CD was released on June 5th, and it includes a vintage poster. It contains all the old classics that were so well known back in the 80's, from Roxanne, to Every Breath you Take. The set includes a good compilation from all five of their albums. I love the new Police Cd. If you are a true Police fan, you will not be disappointed!





New blog project - a personal blog!

Just a brief note to let you all know about my latest blog project. I have had an older blog on my profile here at Blogger for awhile, but had pretty much abandoned it. I decided to revamp it, start from scratch, and turn it into my personal blog. I will be sharing my penny squeezing thrifty tips, as well as blurbs from my day to day life. I hope to update the look soon and I'm on the lookout for a fun and funky new template. Please check it out when you get a chance, and I hope to be adding much more to it soon. Check it out here: Pennysqueezer

Monday, July 2, 2007

Searching for antique furniture

I love to go to thrift stores and garage sales in the hopes of finding some quality Century furniture pieces. We have been in our house for almost 6 yrs, and our dining room is still empty. We are still in need of several key pieces of furniture throughout the house. Finding a good piece of antique furniture, or even a good reproduction piece, is always a thrill. I much prefer buying furniture this way than going to the local warehouse type stores.

Celebrity Gossip - A new form of entertainment?

I swear, celebrity gossip has become an all new past time! It's everywhere you look. It is a whole new form of entertainment. You can get all the celeb gossip you can possibly want now that the internet is here. There is a new site, called CelebrityGossip.com, that is an aggregate for all celebrity gossip. You can become a member, and even vote on the juiciest bits. No need to go searching for the rumors and scandals anymore. Just become a member and check out this site, and you will have all the celeb news, rumors and scandals from Hollywood right at your finger tips!

Pardon the sponsored posts!

In case you are checking in here for the first time, please pardon the flood of sponsored posts. I have recently moved this blog to a self hosted solution with a new URL of http://www.aprobloggermom.com/, please check it out there. I had signed up at Payperpost awhile ago with this blog address, and apparantly you cannot add a new blog to your Payperpost account, until you have a certain number of approved posts on your old blog. So I am trying to get these out of the way here and then I can add the new blog to my Payperpost account. If you are also interested in signing up for Payperpost, please sign up by clicking here. It is a great way to earn some extra money while you blog!

Summer time smores on an outdoor fireplace!

Speaking of summer time home maintenance, I have always wanted to get an outdoor fireplace for our yard. I just love the smell of the wood burning and it would be fun to have weiner roasts and smores on it anytime for the kids, instead of waiting for those camping trips that are too far apart. Our neighbors have a big fire pit, and they often have outdoor campfires. With three boys in boy scouts, in fact, they often have camp outs with their whole troop taking over their entire front yard! At least I get to benefit from the good campfire smell from them. Although it would be very nice to have our own!

Pests, termites and home maintenance

It's summertime, and maintenance on many peoples homes is in full swing. One thing to keep a lookout for, are signs of termites. If you go down to your basement, or walk along the perimeter of your home, look for mud tubes, the size of a pencil or so, made of dirt and along the surfaces of your home. Also look for wood damage, termites eat wood from the inside out, so break open any hollow sounding wood and look for a honeycomb pattern. Lastly, watch for live termites themselves, that resemble grains of rice. If you see any signs such as these, be sure to call in a professional right away to take care of the problem.