Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Years! everybody.

Just in time for the holidays

This is a timely post, because I was just talking about bankruptcy with a friend today. She's overwhelmed by credit card debt, never ending bills, and lamenting the fact that her credit has really taken a beating over the past year.

In addition to being stressed out by tight finances, my friend is worried about being able to buy a new(er) car in the near future. I told her that there are a lot of options nowadays for bad credit loans! Even if she ends up filing for bankruptcy, she may still be able to buy that car or go on the yearly family vacation.

BadCreditOffers is a one-stop shop for any and all loans, credit cards, etc for anyone with less than stellar credit. Take their auto loan page, for example. In one spot my friend can review 5 different auto loan programs, without having to jump from site to site.

They offer options for home loans, credit cards, personal loans, and even information on credit repair.

BadCreditOffers.com allows people to get a feel for what is out there, rather than just waiting by the mailbox for companies will solicit their business. When it's this easy to apply for credit and start rebuilding your good credit rating, why wait another minute?

What's up with that?

I tried to fill a prescription today for my migraine medicine, Midrin. The woman I spoke with told me it's not available. I came home and Googled & didn't find out a whole lot. One site said the FDA had recalled 20 migraine medications, including Midrin, while another site said that the manufacturer had them on backorder.

Either way, it just plain stinks!

Change is in the wind.

My husband just started a new job. That might hardly merit a mention under ordinary circumstances, but I live an extraordinary life. To say that we've been existing on zero salary for the past year is just the tip of the iceberg.

Tonight we sat the kiddos down and told them how their lives would be changing. A few of them weeped and wailed at the thought of moving, but I think they'll be so much happier. Sure, they'll be leaving old friends behind, but we'll be moving to a place with more playmates and we'll be close to several family friends.

This is pretty exciting.

I didn't think it was possible to get excited about Black Friday. Sure, I did, in the beginning. It didn't take me long to realize that the crowds and the chaos just weren't worth the money I saved. (In my opinion.)

Black Friday is the name given to the day after Thanksgiving. It's the biggest shopping day of the year, with amazing deals, and amazing crowds to go along with.

A few years ago a brother in law wanted one of the dirt cheap laptops that Circuit City was selling. He arrived at the store the night before Black Friday, and sure enough! He got his laptop. It was a screaming deal but he had to stand in line all night for it.

I admit, occasionally I think about going out & just seeing if anything has changed. But I never do, and I never have any regrets.

There's a website that will change the way you think about Black Friday. At Black-Friday.net there are no lines. No one to trample over your feet, no being squished up against someone with a bad case of body odor. Just the comfort of your PJs and a steaming cup of hot cocoa (with whipped cream, of course).

At Black-Friday.net you enter your zip code and you'll receive email updates when ads from your area are posted. How cool is that? Then you can see the Ikea ads, for example, or the ad for Kohl's, or even a list of the Sam's Club specials.

It's been years since I've been this excited about Black Friday. I can't wait to sign up at the website for access to all of the 2007 thanksgiving specials.

Oh my.

I can't believe it's been so long since I blogged.

*hanging my head in shame*

I've been busy. Doing what you ask? Chasing children. Losing weight. Running a 5k. Watching my brother in law run a marathon and wishing it was me. Helping out with my church. And so on.

I hope you'll give me another chance. I won't take you for granted again.

Wherein I subscribe to a stereotype

I'm the woman of the house. The kitchen and laundry room are my domain. The garage? Not so much. But I admit I was intrigued when I heard of Diamond Plate Garage Cabinets. Diamond? I'm there.

So I visited the website to see just what diamond plate cabinetswere, exactly. And here is something I never dreamed I'd say:

Those garage cabinets are pretty dang stylish. They almost make me want to hang out in the garage and I don't know, weld something. Or something.

I wouldn't dream of ordering them by myself and then giving them to my hubby for Christmas. Actually, I would dream of it, and did, but only briefly. Because I can pretty much guarantee you that what I buy will not be what he wants. It must be a man thing, and I haven't figured it out yet.

But if you're a smarter girl than me (not hard), or you know your man, or maybe you don't need a man because you know how to pick out garage cabinets all by yourself. If you fall into one of those categories, I suggest you check out these Diamond Plate Cabinets.

Say it isn't so.

I have a few blogs that are hosted on their own domains. And I've been asking my husband to show me how to back them up, you know, in case anything ever gets lost.

I should have asked him more often.

This morning he informed me that our host goofed and reset everything to April. Since I didn't have anything backed up, I've lost everything from the past 3 months. On 3 different sites.

I could cry.

Great concept!

I've put on some weight during the course of my marriage, and so has my husband. I think most married couples would agree that between work, kids, church, and other responsibilities it's sometimes hard to make time for fitness. But if you want to live a long and fulfilling life, staying healthy has to be a priority.

When my dad started dating, he wanted to find a woman who was active and fit. If I'd known then what I know now, I'd have told him about FitnessDates. FitnessDates is the #1 fitness dating community on the internet.

And it's free! Just sign up, and immediately you can begin looking through thousands of profiles to find the men or women who have similar interests. One of the site features that I think is really cool is the "Little Black Book". When you add someone to your Little Black Book, you are then able to see information and photos that aren't viewable to everyone. It works the same way for you, if there is information you want to keep somewhat private, you can set up your profile so that only people who have YOU in their Little Black Book can view it. In order for someone to add you to their book they have to receive your approval, so it's very easy to control who has access to that part of your profile.

What are you waiting for? You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain by making FitnessDates YOUR site for fitness personals.

Quiet time.

I don't know whether I've ever been a morning person. But I would like to be. My mom used to get up at 4:30 every morning. It was the only way she could get done the things she wanted to do before the rest of the family awoke.

I can't manage to keep my eyes open before about 8:00 a.m., which means I end up staying up late after the kids are in bed to get some "me" time. I want to shift things around though, and be an early bird, not a night owl.

What is it Ben Franklin said?

I prefer the word frugal.

I could spend hours browsing Overstock.com. It's one of those websites where you can find not only what you want at a good price, but even stuff you had no idea you "needed" before you visited the site. Why do I love Overstock? Because of their awesome prices.

Yes, I admit it. I'm a cheapskate at heart. I like nice things, but I don't like to pay full price. And that's why I just love this site for online coupons. They have Overstock coupons, Target coupons, even coupons for Restaurant.com, which is an awesome discount site in and of itself.

I mean seriously, can shopping get any better than this?

Stuck on the details.

So my husband has caught my passion for running, and he's in the process of setting up a running blog. It's making my running blog look bad by comparison. He's got his all decked out already with widgets and graphs, and links to cool running gear...and I am still trying to decide on which theme I want. It's a good thing I'm not a perfectionist or this would never get off the ground.

Striking it rich

I've blogged a few times about how much I like PayPerPost. Forgive me if I repeat myself. ;)

I signed up with PayPerPost in August 2006. Because my blog didn't meet all of the criteria I didn't actually start takings opps (paid opportunities) until February of 2007. Since that time I've really only made a small effort. I keep meaning to sit down and carve out some time to make this into a real part time job.

In the meantime, I've made over $130 just doing this sporadically. It doesn't sound like much, but I can't tell you how nice it is to get that extra $5 or $10 every week or two. I don't keep real close track of when my payments are due, so it always comes as a nice surprise.

Another benefit of working with PayPerPost is that I find out about cool sites and services that I might not otherwise run across. Sites where you can win prizes, price health insurance, even learn where to list free classified ads.

I've already decided to take a portion of what I earn from PayPerPost & reinvest it into blog marketing. The rest of the money is going towards my running gear fund.

Monday run

I was looking forward to my run all day today. Funny how it's become something I do for me, and not just for weight loss.

I ran for 45 minutes, 3.15 miles & tried to keep my HR at 135 but it was more often around 145.

I feel good & my calves are showing some definition which is cool.

Ever wished you could design your own sandcastle?

I know I did. As a kid I felt like I'd been cheated out of something, not living anywhere near a beach. The one summer we did go on a vacation to California, the weather was chilly and building a sandcastle wasn't even remotely an option.

I'm a grown up now, but I still love sandcastles. I still hope to build one someday, on a beach somewhere, on vacation. Until that time comes, I'll have to settle for building one at www.virtualsandcastle.com Tonight seemed like the perfect time to check it out, since the rest of the family is away at Scout camp.

The website has a fun interactive tool that allows you to Build A Sandcastle and decorate it any way you like. I know my kids will even get a kick out of this when I show them.

Building a sandcastle couldn't be easier. Everything is self explanatory. There's a click and drag tool, various flags and accessories, even a tool to color the sand. (I like the natural look, personally.)

If you want to send a fun e-card to family or friends, or if your kids just need an easy summer activity, send them to the website where they can Build A Sandcastle of their very own.

And now for the finished product.....drumroll please....



(Did I mention that the website is also a great source of information for your next family vacation?)

Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer

The husband and I went to see this movie tonight. It was fun, and entertaining. I think we both enjoyed it. I'm glad that it was rated PG because I've got teenagers who are dying to see it as well. I could have done without a few of the jokes but overall, an enjoyable movie.

1-800-no-drugs

As a parent, I'm aware of the many problems that youth today face. There are some days that the idea of my kids growing up in this world just about scares my socks off.

As a teenager, I had several friends with severe drug addictions. In fact a boy that I dated for 3+ years eventually overdosed on heroin about 10 years after we broke up. So drugs is one issue that is close to my heart, and I wish there was more I could do to protect our children from its grip.

1800nodrugs is a non-profit rehabilitation referral program. You can call their number any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and speak to a caring member of the staff who will help you to find a rehabilitation program for yourself, or for the person you love. The company prides itself on helping individuals find a drug rehab program that will meet their needs.

In addition the website offers information on various forms of addiction, resources, and relapse prevention. I am grateful that programs like this exist, and I hope that you will check out their website.

We loved Aspen Grove!

Remember when I told you about my vacation at Aspen Grove? I have to tell you, the place is pretty amazing. My kids had a blast and have asked me when we can return nearly every day since we've been home.

We stayed in a tiny cabin, just big enough for us to store our clothes and sleep. (We had 13 people sleeping there the first night!)

In the mornings we'd meet at the cafeteria for a buffet breakfast. Then we'd get ready for the day and drop the kids off at their groups around 9 am. Each age group had loads of activities planned throughout the day. We're reconvene at lunch time & spend time hearing what the different family members had done. There were crafts, swimming, a ropes course, fishing, you name it and they probably had it. After lunch the kids would go back to groups & the adults would choose from various activities. I had my nursling with me (she didn't want to go to her group) so there were some things that I couldn't easily participate in. Even so, I had fun sitting around and visiting with the other grownups. Dinner was served in the cafeteria and the food was pretty good. Each night there were various family activities: skits, programs put on by the kids, badminton tournaments, pool, the list goes on and on.

Aspen Grove is going to be a yearly tradition for our family. It was so much fun.

The Police: a group I grew up listening to, and they're still going strong

Win a New York fly-away to see The Police live!



I was pretty excited when I heard that PayPerPost was giving away free copies of The Police's new album, The Police. Unfortunately I wasn't one of the lucky ones who got a copy of The Police cd, but the group has been on my mind ever since.

What took me awhile to do tonight will come easy to you if you're a die hard Police fan. Below is a list of ten scrambled song titles from the new album, which was released June 11.






1 ualtofl
2 ouon ttxey
3 oylselno
4 nnebhg ttrhigoni
5 e etvekruaeyrhta boy
6 ycirysotnicn
7 irs a kut tnepwyonoifglos
8 as poidi sit larhitletrmernw
9 c rtdeleganbat a
10 esblnvisiun i

To see the solutions, scroll down a bit.


















1 Fall Out
2 Next to You
3 So Lonely
4 Bring on the Night
5 Truth Hits Everybody
6 Synchronicity
7 Walking in Your Footsteps
8 Spirits in the Material World
9 Regatta de Blanc
10 Invisible Sun

Deciphering the song titles was kind of fun, and reminded me that there are even more Police songs that I like than I remembered. I thought it was funny that Synchronicity came up underlined in my spell checker. Perhaps it's not a real word?

It may be cheesy, but of the 30 songs on the new Police cd, I'll be missing you is hands down my favorite. I just love that song. I am pretty excited that this 2 CD compilation has so many of the songs I grew up listening to from The Police.

Even more exciting? You can Win a New York fly-away to see The Police live. Can you just imagine how cool that is going to be? And hey if you win? Remember who told you to enter the contest in the first place. ;)

Running

I've been running since November now and I'm really enjoying it. This week I upped my mileage and I got in 13 miles in 5 days. Which isn't awesome, I know, but for me it is. ;)

The downside is my appetite has really increased and I'm sure I've eaten many more calories than I've burned. I hope that changes real soon.