You take the bad with the good.

There are a lot of cool things about being your own boss. Working in your pajamas and ordering pizza for breakfast, for instance. One thing I'm not fond of is shopping for health insurance. In the past I've been tempted to forgo the whole process, but when it comes to providing for your family, peace of mind is crucial.

Without health insurance, medical bills can be astronomical. One prescription can cost hundreds of dollars each month. With so much at stake, it makes sense to find a health insurance provider that offers good coverage for a reasonable price.

Secure Insurance Quotes takes the guesswork out of finding the right provider. More than just a California Insurance Broker, Secure Insurance Quotes delivers health insurance quotes from providers nationwide.

What I think is really cool though, is the wealth of information you can find when you visit their website. They have an entire section of articles where you can find answers to any of your insurance questions. You can learn how to choose the health insurance plan that is right for you, or why it's a good idea to have travel health insurance. You can even read about other types of insurance, from auto insurance to home insurance or life insurance.

If you're looking for low cost health insurance, or just want to kill some time waiting for that conference call, Secure Insurance Quotes is guaranteed to have the answers you're looking for.

The sweetest thing you'll ever know

My twins are one of the best things that ever happened to me. Make that two. Parenting them is a challenge unlike any other I've faced. There are many days when I'm struggling to hold onto my sanity, days like today when they've teamed up to unload the refrigerator and figure out how to escape the house. There are plenty of times when I realize why babies usually don't come in pairs. And then there are moments like tonight, when they're both asleep on the couch, holding hands & looking utterly kissable. Those moments are the ones when I realize that no matter how tough, it's all worth it.

Stone Hawk wants to make a difference

I wasn't a happy teenager. I drank, smoked, and used drugs that scare the pants off me nowadays. My parents didn't know what to do. They'd never heard of the Narconon drug treatment program at Stone Hawk.

Stone Hawk isn't your typical rehabilitation center. The Narconon program they offer differs from traditional drug treatment by doing more than just breaking the physical addiction. They also teach life skills that will enable the student to deal with the stresses of life once they've graduated from the program, so that they will succeed rather than return to drugs or alcohol.

The detoxification program at Stone Hawk is unique as well. They promote the use of saunas to help move the toxins out of the student's system. They utilize vitamins, a healthy diet, and regular exercise to help the addict's body heal from the damage caused by the alcohol or drugs.

The people at Stone Hawk were once addicts themselves, so they know the road that lies ahead and the challenges that the student must face. Their unique perspective, combined with their medical expertise, makes them a good choice when it comes to finding a drug treatment program.

Blades of Glory

My husband and I went to see this movie tonight. I hadn't seen the previews, but knowing Will Farrell and Jon Heder were starring in it did give me pause. I knew it would either by hysterically funny, or somewhat offensive. It was both.

The premise is that two competitive figure skaters get into a brawl and are banned from figure skating forever. They realize that the ban doesn't apply to couples skating, so the two men form a team. There's a love interest for Heder, and some dirty tricks thrown in by the competition. It's predictable, no doubt.

I did laugh quite a bit but it's not a movie I'll want my kids to see.

Free classified ad listing

Between trying to Feng Shui my house & packing boxes for a move that hasn't yet manifested (we haven't sold our house, yet) I have a lot of stuff that needs to leave. I've contemplated eBay but it doesn't seem worth the hassle. (You didn't catch me admitting that it's junk, though.) I've thought about Craiglist but I worry about the weirdos.

That's why I love the idea of the free ads at ItsMyMarket.com I mean, the site is cool for other reasons, too. They have a section for blogs, one for community events, and one for local competitions.

Back to the free ads though. It's easy enough to list anything you're itching to unload, and since it's free, you don't have to pay anything. Not only can you find baby furniture to livestock to a new couch, but you can look for employment, list rental property, or even find a date.

Now if they will just deliver pizza, I'll never have to leave my house.

I've been doing the Couch to 5k training program put out by CoolRunnings.com I'm only on Week 2, & Boy, can I feel it! Week 2 consists of alternating 90 seconds of running with 2 minutes of walking. This is harder than it sounds! In the beginning I didn't know if I could do it. Now I'm realizing that my limits are mostly ones that I created myself.

Hotel Reservations made easy

The first night of our vacation we spent in a hotel. It was a last minute decision. We were getting tired, it was getting late, & the idea of a warm soft bed was very appealing. Had I known what the camping would be like on the trip, I would have appreciated it all the more.

Since we hadn't planned to stop anywhere, we didn't have any Hotel Reservations. Fortunately for us, March is not a big month for tourists in Southern Utah. We were able to find a room at the first place we stopped & the kids only complained a little bit about not having access to a pool.

Next time we take a trip, however, I'll definitely be checking out the Hotel Reservations website. First off, it's an easy name to remember. Not much chance that I'll forget the URL to that one. In addition to hotels, the site has info on flights, cars, vacation packages and vacation rentals. (Did I mention how many hours we spent looking for a vacation rental before deciding to camp?)

The site even offers a lowest price guarantee. If you find a lower price online for the same hotel and date, Hotel Reservations will give you a $100 rebate.

Hotel Reservations has fantastic discounts on world wide destinations, ranging from Algeria to Taiwan, Canada to Fiji. In fact they list 1360 destinations to choose from. With a list that long there's no excuse for booking your travel anywhere else.

I'm telling you, I could spend all day daydreaming about their vacation packages. It would have been nice to know about this website when we planned our trip, but better late than never. Next time we travel I won't have to worry about smelling like a campfire or whether there are any mosquitos in my rootbeer. I can shop for hotels in my jammies at 3:00 in the morning & know I'm getting the best deal on the net.

Vacation

This past week the family and I took a vacation. We haven't done anything official for the last several years. It's tough with little kids. We decided to take the kids camping at Zion National Park in Southern Utah. It was fun, but boy was I glad to get home!

The days were scorching hot, and there just wasn't much shade to be had. Hanging around camp wasn't as fun as it could have been because there was no way to escape the heat. And then the nights...we just about froze at night. I actually didn't mind so much but the kids sure did!

It was nice to have that unscheduled time & the break from our normal routine. And it made me appreciate my cozy home just a little bit more.

Something is simmering at PayPerPost

Once again, people are buzzing about PayPerPost. PayPerPost has devised a new way to increase site traffic, but what it is, is anyone's guess.

I have to admit, I really like PayPerPost. It's fun, it's relatively easy money, and I get to hear - and blog - about products, websites, and services that I might not have otherwise known about. Cool stuff like the Box.net widget and CouponChief, just to name a few.

I'm anxious to find out what this new idea is all about. PayPerPost set the blogging world on fire, in a manner of speaking, when they came out with the idea behind their business model. It will be cool to see what they've come up with this time.

I think most bloggers and website owners are looking for any ethical way to drive traffic to their site. The more traffic the merrier, I always say! I have an online jewelry store that I'm forever trying to promote in order to bring in new business. (If you are in the market - or even if you're not - check it out!) I also maintain several blogs, like this one and my running blog.

Whatever they've got in store for us, I'm fairly confident it will live up to the hype.

These are a few of my favorite things

Burts Bees lip balm is one product I can't live without. I've got a drawer full of it, because any time I leave the house without it, I end up detouring to a store that sells it. They've got a new, pomegranate flavor that I really like, but the original is just untouchable.

I love my new Garmin GPS trainer. I can keep track of how far I run, how fast, and for how long. I can track my heart rate and I can visually compare the information using the accompanying software.

And I really like Melinda's Lotions. They come in a wide variety of scents, they are thick and creamy, but not at all greasy. I slather it on before bed and wake up with super soft skin.

Hint, hint

I've got a birthday coming up next month. Number 36, to be exact, and I'm hoping that it merits a gift from Blue Nile. I've been dropping hints, like saying, "If you buy me diamond earrings for my birthday, I'll never complain about paintball outings again," changing my husband's computer wallpaper from a Dodge Viper to a 3 carat princess cut ring, you know, all the usual subtle stuff.

Fortunately, I know about a website that makes it a little more likely that I'll get my wish. It's Coupon Chief, and they've got oodles of coupons for online stores, including Blue Nile coupon codes! I've explained to my husband that when you see a good deal, you must act right away. With a coupon or a sale, the more you buy, the more you save. I can't tell if he agrees with me, but he hasn't divorced me yet. ;)