Creative Writings 101

It's almost my birthday!

2012-01-02T15:11:00.002-05:00

Lordy, Lordy-look who's 40... (gosh I wish!) haha, I will be 46 on January 15th. I can remember back when I celebrated turning 30 with a heavy heart, looking for new wrinkles in the mirror. Then 40 came along and it was even worse. I'd become middle aged. Hubby teased me terribly (he's 4 1/2 years younger than me) but his day soon came!

Now that I am over 45, and headed toward the big 50 I am even more bummed. I know I shouldn't be, but I've always had this fear of being old. Knowing me, I am probably going to spend the day looking at old photo albums dreaming of days long gone. Older and wiser? Maybe... but I just wish someone would discover the Fountain of Youth and give me a drink!

My bones creak a little more in the morning, and I get tired easily. I'm overweight and pre-menopausal lol... dealing with the wonderful symptoms of my body getting ready for big changes that lie ahead. They say you are only as old as you feel, and there are times I feel mighty old. It scares me to see friends and family also aging along with me-but time stops for no one.

So come January 15th I will celebrate my birthday as I should, with family and friends, a cake and thinking how grateful I am for having one more year that I am celebrating here with everyone. And even though my laugh lines are a little more pronounced now and I have a few sags and bags in spots that were once perky and pouty-I'll celebrate my special day with a smile!

It's almost here... Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T22:02:00.002-05:00

In about 2 more hours, we East Coasters will be celebrating the beginning of 2012-the start of a new year.

What plans do you have in store? Do you have any resolutions made? I almost always make a resolution... and then break it a few weeks down the road. :( Just wanted to pop on and wish you all a happy, healthy new year!

2011-12-20T19:51:00.002-05:00

I wonder if there is a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow? We tried to find the end, but unfortunately never quite made it :)

Take time to enjoy life, cherish what you have, and look forward to the future. As 2011 is almost over, I look back and see it was a rough year health wise for me, but I am hoping that with positive lifestyle changes I will have a better 2012.

Work has been busy, I've been busy wrapping those last gifts up and getting them ready to put under the tree I have yet to buy. Normally I am not this late, but it looks like we will be getting a tree a few days before the holidays and keep it up until just after New Years. I am leaning towards a smaller, fake tree this year (Oh the horror! hubby says lol) We shall see :)

Enjoy the rest of this busy week, and enjoy the holidays with friends and family...

Some Guatemalan Architechture

2011-12-13T22:24:00.002-05:00

We took this pic this past July in San Juan Sacatepéquez where hubby's daughter lives... It was a nice ride from the city to the highlands, the views were gorgeous-if not a bit dangerous, lol... I was always thinking our car was going to plunge off the ravine with no guardrails!

The region is known for growing flowers-actually my husband's daughter is married to someone whose family business is flowers. They own two stalls in the Guatemala City Central Market, and do quite well. I just don't envy them having to drive every day to work in bumper to bumper traffic. (at least no snow, sleet, or freezing rain to slow them down!) We got there around 9 am, and the market was in full swing. Lots of gorgeous flowers, food, and veggies for sale.

I have to admit though, that I did get a few looks being blonde, but nothing out of the ordinary. Though I do think they wonder what on Earth I am doing in a truck full of Guatemalans with no other Gringos nearby. I was shocked to see the residents wearing gold jewelry and chains-something you don't do in the city if you value your life. It was explained to me that they have their own justice system, and think nothing of lynching you for being a thief. I guess the week before I was there, two women had come from the capital in the hopes of passing fake money around in the market. They were soon discovered, stripped nude, heads shaved and beaten by the crowd before the police took them away. Guess they will never show up in that town again! (and to be honest, they are lucky they made it out alive.)

One hint, this region is also known for wooden furniture. Their work is gorgeous! The closer you get to the city the higher you pay of course, but if you are willing to travel a bit and have a truck, you can score a good deal on handmade wooden furniture. I've already told hubby I'm bringing my mother in law along when the time comes for me to buy some furniture... she can bargain pretty darn good!

So if you are in the market for furniture, flowers, or a nice local market-head to San Juan Sacatepéquez where the locals are friendly and things can be had for a good price. :)

What's Been Happening Lately...

2011-12-03T18:59:00.003-05:00

I realize it has been awhile since I have posted :(

It kind of stinks because I had hoped to post more but have been busy cleaning house, working out of the home (this is our busiest time of year) and dealing with health issues.

Soon I will begin the move upstairs to hopefully help with my respiratory issues. I'm going to be getting some work done by outside contractors and get some new windows put in upstairs as well. (hopefully before Christmas!)

I so miss writing in my blog, and having giveaways and things like that-I loved having new visitors and reading comments from my readers. I don't even have a tree up yet (which irritates my daughter to no end lol) because I am not sure when the contractors will be in and I have to move things around in the house while this process is going on-which means no room in the usual spots for a tree. Although if they are done before the holidays, I might end up putting a small tree in the upstairs hallway in front of one of the new windows.

I am still around, visiting other blogs as time allows, and getting online when I can. At work we are so backed up with files it is crazy-but I've got a great bunch of co-workers and while it is stressful at times, we all do the best that we can given the circumstances.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and got some great deals on Black Friday (if that is your thing lol) and I will try to squeeze in a post or two before Christmas! Have a great weekend everyone ;)

MIA!

2011-10-30T15:04:00.002-04:00

Yes, I have been missing in action! I needed to take a bit of a break with the hectic work schedule going on currently. Plus, some of my ongoing health issues have been diagnosed. I am in the process of trying to get my upstairs ready so that hubby and I can move to the upstairs bedroom my son left behind. Our daughter is ready to go into her room upstairs as well.

We have a forced hot air heating system, and every winter I am incredibly sick. Blood tests show I have a hypersensitivity to mold dust and now things are starting to fall in place. Of course, one of the treatments is to avoid the dust and get mold abatement. That costs in the thousands and is WAY out of my pocketbook range. Hubby has taken steps to clean up a bit in the basement and add cement around the house so that water flows away from the foundation, not towards it. Snow run off has been a big problem, and for several years it has been leaking into our foundation wall... causing mold, mildew and then forcing all that dust into the house via the air ducts. In the summer, the humid, moldy smell was terrible. A dehumidifier has helped quite a bit.

I now sit in my bedroom, the heating grate is covered with cheesecloth to filter out some particles, and hubby changes the furnace filters every month or so. I have a HEPA air purifier in my room and use it daily. I see a pulmonary doctor every 6 months, and have to undergo breathing tests along with blood tests to monitor the level of damage to my lungs. I will tell you, it sucks. Some people are allergic (or as they say hypersensitive) to the mold-I am one of them. Other people it won't bother. I noticed a big difference when I was in Guatemala earlier this year, I was actually well with no chest pain or shortness of breath for 3 weeks out of the 4 that I was there.

Anyways, I have been busy moving upstairs... cleaning out things, throwing out things-but it all takes time, and I can only do a little per day with a mask on to avoid getting particles in my lungs. (Yes, my CT scan shows damage to the lungs) By keeping primarily upstairs where there is no forced hot air heat (I will be using electric heaters, there goes the light bill lol) I hope to reduce the amount of damage being done-walking away from my home is not feasible right now-but one day I do hope to return to Guatemala and at least there I will not have to use heat much-and when I do, I will use a clean wood burning stove and/or gas monitor built into the wall to take the chill off. Living in Maine, the heat is on most of the year-and then with the humid summers the mold growth really takes off, so it has become a vicious cycle.

So there you have it, I apologize to my readers for this break in posting-I hope to post again soon but it promises to be a crazy few months until I can get established upstairs. Kind of sucks being a prisoner in 1-2 rooms (though I will have to go downstairs to cook, for the bathroom etc...)but so be it as I want to be healthy. Have a great Halloween everyone!

2011-10-05T22:19:00.002-04:00

check out the awesome ribs (the day before we had burgers and hotdogs) and of course guess who we got to see? Yup, Montgomery Gentry was playing and their bus was right behind the Coors Light VIP bus... so what do you think I did?

Sharing some pics from the races!

2011-10-05T22:00:00.004-04:00

We had a SUPER time thanks to Coors Light Beer who provided us with a VIP Experience at Loudon (Who'd have thought you could win something like that from a text message?!) We had to provide our own way down and stayed a couple of nights in Nashua, NH (and got to try out a nice small Brazilian buffet restaurant called Sabor Brasil on Friday night too)-but MillerCoors Brewing Company provided us with a fun experience right from the start.

We picked up our credentials on Friday night, and got to the track nice and early on Saturday. I was impressed that we got picked up and dropped off in their cute little Coors Light golf carts...boy those things go fast! And of course a bit shocked to find out that we were not getting seats, but would be watching the races from the middle of the field where all the famous drivers etc... were parked! Wow! Now I was not about to climb up on top of the bus like hubby did since he was much more adventurous than me... (and I figured I would fall on my fat butt and make a fool of myself)! Hubby loved the bird's eye view of the track and I loved watching him have fun and drink those free beers ;) Me? Well, I was driving back so let him enjoy himself both Saturday and Sunday. Plus, I wandered around a bit and got pics of the cars close up and sat down under the tents and watched the race from the TV that was on the side of the party bus. (heat and I don't always agree-and it was a hot weekend for Mid-September)

Those buses are amazing! Inside and out, total luxury... I was sooo jealous! These people definitely ride in style. Sunday, with all the people at the race, and hubby having to get back early for work-we didn't stay until the end of the main event... With traffic and all, it might have been hours before we got home-so although we really didn't want to, we had to leave with 64 laps still remaining in the race. But heck, that's what I have a smartphone for-at least we got to keep track of what was going on via my smartphone and see who won :)

We had great food, lots of beer provided, great conversation with some of the other people there, and of course a wonderful behind the scenes NASCAR Experience that will provide us with lots of great memories for many years to come. (Does hubby posing with the Coors Light girl count?) lol! I'm sure he won't forget THAT memory!

So for your viewing pleasure... enjoy a few pics on this post and a few others of the great experience we had at the Sylvania 300 in Loudon, NH thanks to MillerCoors Brewing Company and Hollywood Productions!

Heading to the Races...

2011-09-23T08:29:00.004-04:00

In a few hours I will be spending the weekend at Loudon-NH Motor Speedway-for the NASCAR Sylvania 300 races! I was lucky enough to win a sweepstakes (by text entry of all things!) that was an All Access Weekend (pit passes, extra events, etc...) courtesy of Coors Light Beer~

Hubby loves his beer, and this time when picking up some CL for him and his buddies I noticed the promotion materials for the text to win sweepstakes and just happened to put it into my new smartphone and a day or two after the contest ended I got the call that I won.

About 5 years ago we'd gone to the races at Loudon on a very HOT July Sunday-we had a great time and it was super fun, we like going to the local races but even though I don't follow Nascar as much as I should just being there with other die hard fans and seeing the excitement of the race is a fun experience. I'm one of these people who can't watch a race on TV (although my dad did) I have to BE THERE to enjoy it.

We've got a 2 hour or a little more drive ahead of us, hubby managed to get a few hours in at work last night so he is sleeping as I write this. We will miss our 9 yr old daughter (who is staying with Grandma) but it will be a nice weekend away for us.

Enjoy your weekend and I hope to have some great pics (if the camera and laptop don't give me trouble like usual) of the racing events and the race up on the blog soon. Thanks so much Coors Light (MillerCoors) I am looking forward to a great weekend ahead!

September 11, 2001

2011-09-11T12:43:00.002-04:00

I remember the day clearly. I was living in Rhode Island and on my way to the hospital to get my blood pressure and sugar levels checked since I was pregnant with my daughter and had gestational diabetes.

I had stopped off at the local Guatemalan restaurant in Providence to pay the landlord the rent money for the next month and when I walked in to the vacant restaurant he was standing there watching the TV in awe. As he wrote out the rent receipt, he told me that a plane had crashed into the first tower and they weren't sure if it was an accident or an act of terrorism. Seeing that plume of thick, black smoke rising from the building I knew instantly that whatever had happened...it was not good.

I headed to the hospital, a mere 4 hours away from NYC and saw scenes of chaos as doctors, nurses, and even patients were glued to televisions and computers showing live feed from the various news stations. While there, the second plane hit the remaining tower. Tears flowed freely as we struggled to comprehend what had just happened. It seemed certain now that this was no accident. Staff and patients began calling loved ones all over, many had family in NYC and were concerned about what had happened. I tried to reach my husband, working in the Boston suburbs at the time after learning that the hijacked planes had taken off from Boston. The cell phone grid was not working-calls wouldn't go in or out-and the same for the landline pay phones. Numerous calls on both resulted in a fast busy signal-which made me nervous.

My family in Maine was of course worried, and I finally got through to my grandmother, assuring her that all was okay with me and my son and husband. As I headed home from Providence, it seemed surreal. Security was tight, and I could see that all forms of public transportation (buses, Amtrak, etc...) were being tightly checked in downtown Providence as suspicion was lurking everywhere. Traffic took some time to get past various checkpoints, but soon enough, I was on the freeway, headed home. A quick call to the school assured me that all was fine with my son and that they were keeping the news from the children for as long as possible. Some parents had gone to get their children, I opted to let my son finish out the day at school and continued watching the news from home while I waited for him to arrive.

I finally was able to reach my husband's cell phone and he confirmed that the construction crew had shut down for the day and was watching the news in the lunchroom along with Gillette staff. Boston airport was locked down, and security was very tight. Due to that, and the traffic backed up for miles at other checkpoints he wasn't sure when he was going to be home. I decided that rest was probably the best thing for me at the time, and headed to the bed to watch TV and relax, as my blood pressure had raised quite a bit since all of this happened.

A little after 2pm, my almost 9 yr old son arrived home and came and laid down next to me and we spent the afternoon cuddling and watching the events unfold on TV. Probably the worst thing to see was the video of people jumping to their deaths-it was horrible-and so sad to watch. Frustration took over, and I wondered why some of the people that had made it to the roof weren't evacuated by helicopters before the buildings collapsed. Why were we watching these people that had gone up to the safety of the roof and higher floors die so needlessly? I am sure they thought that someone would rescue them from the rooftop.

After what seemed like an eternity, hubby arrived home and we turned on the Spanish TV station so he could watch the news in Spanish. I didn't feel like cooking, so we ordered out, opting for a pizza delivery because no one wanted to leave our apartment. I called my family again in Maine, and he called his family in Guatemala, telling them we were all okay in Rhode Island.

Now, 10 years later, the memories are still fresh in my mind. What I was doing, what I did, how I reacted and what this did to America as a country. My daughter, who wasn't born at the time, knows something terrible happened but really doesn't understand much about the event. She knows today our country is sad and it is an important day in remembrance of those we lost, and it defined the path that our country has taken in the war against terrorism. She didn't know why people were so happy and celebrating when Bin Laden was killed but in watching the tribute to 9/11 on the 10th anniversary today she has a better idea of why so many were celebrating his death earlier this year.

Just like those before me who will remember where they were when Kennedy was killed, or when the bombs dropped in Japan-I will always remember where I was on 9/11/2001. My sympathies go to those that have lost a loved one, the first responders who so bravely gave their lives and their health to help those in need, and those that have lost family and friends in the war against terrorism-wars brought on by the events of 9/11.

More Guatemalan Food!

2011-09-05T17:37:00.003-04:00

Since I seem to be writing about food lately, take a look at the $3.50 USD steak dinner I got in Guatemala (Puerto San Jose) and hubby's seafood stew. (now while he swears it was delicious, it is not something I would touch! lol)

Guatemalan Food

2011-08-28T13:48:00.003-04:00

I am seriously missing Guatemalan street food... Even though the doctors will tell ya, DON'T EAT FROM THE STREET VENDORS before you go abroad AND then proceed to give you more shots and medicine that you ever thought you needed-once you get there, you WILL want to eat. Especially if everyone else around you is chowing down on something that looks and smells delicious and it happens to be lunch time and your tummy is rumbling loud enough to rival a summer thunderstorm.

I went to the market, and lo and behold there are tons of people selling everything under the sun. Including food. And drink. It couldn't get any better than that, people. But although I do love street food (similar to our own Fair food lol...)I DO have some standards.

I saw some wonderful smelling dobladas at the market, but on closer inspection noticed that they were cooking in a frypan, in their own grease, and while they may have smelled (and probably tasted) wonderful-I had no desire for a full-blown gallbladder attack later that evening. So if you can look for items cooked on a BBQ type grill where the grease drips down that is helpful. My mother in law told me that the reason those particular dobladas were so darn greasy was because the meat they were using was the cheap, greasy type-lucky for me we found a vendor close by that sold them every other day, going house to house selling them with a cart-that were great tasting and not greasy at all.

Also high on the standards list-look around to see if the vendor cart or cooking area, utensils, condiments, etc... appear to be clean. If you are looking at a grill or cooking surface that hasn't been cleaned in awhile, or condiments containers with baked on, caked on ketchup, mayo etc... then you are asking for trouble later on. I don't add mayo to anything myself, hubby does though on his mixtas (hotdogs with a bunch of condiments rolled in tortillas) but sometimes a dish you order MAY include mayo and you don't know it. Make sure the mayo is fresh and refrigerated! One thing I noticed there is that they have margarine that is made from veggie oil, which does NOT need to be refrigerated. I was a little shocked to see margarine sticks in my mother in laws house lying on the table etc... but after reading the label I was less alarmed. All in all, it was a bit of a different taste from the "dairy" type of margarine sticks here (which they do sell there as well) but I really couldn't tell much of a difference when it was on my buttered corn on the cob or used to cook with.

Another thing to remember-flies. If the vendor covers up their items with saran wrap or aluminum foil, kudos to them. But if flies are buzzing around and landing on the food, it totally grosses me out. That being said, I know I did eat several times from vendors that had flies buzzing around their stands. Even at relatives houses, flies were a normal way of life in the kitchen as they do not have screened windows or doors. I made a mental note to buy those yellow fly strips on my next visit to keep in a corner of the kitchen to hopefully cut down on the fly population. In the meantime, I just grinned and ate it...lol. After all, I eat out here in the US a lot, and we don't really know what happens in those restaurant kitchens now, do we?

Salt. It is totally different down there. Yes, they have the kind of salt we use here in the US. But over there, all of the vendors I saw and relatives we visited kept a baggie of salt next to their ovens and also on the table. People just reached in and grabbed a pinch or two with their fingers and sprinkled it on their foods. But the salt there tended to stick together, and it was clumped together more and felt different. Almost like it was humid or slightly wet. I was concerned that it was spoiled, but that wasn't the case. When sprinkled over the food, it tended to be clumped together, and at times I wished for the salt we had back home that spread out more over the food. I don't think this type of salt could be used in a traditional shaker as well, since it would tend to clump up at the top and not come through the holes. Other than the different texture and clumping issues, it tasted the same.

I am one of these people who is a finicky eater. I do not like to try lots of new things. Hubby has a way of getting me to try new things without knowing it-like the time he told me our Brazilian friend Joao was serving a nice roast beef-and only after I had eaten it up and said it was delicious did he confess to me I had eaten deer meat. Oh the horror of eating Bambi! I could have KILLED him! Same in Guatemala, I will try something if it appeals to me visually but I prefer NOT to know what I am eating...or at least what animal/part of the animal I am eating. I tried a lot of great tasting things down there, and hubby was pretty darn good about keeping a secret too ;) (or at least keeping his mouth shut!)

As I wrap up this post, I will leave you with a pic of hubby eating from a traditional street vendor. (note the firewood they use to cook their food over) We all ate from this particular vendor, and what she was selling was chicharrones and cheese inside of thick handmade corn tortillas. They were delicious, not greasy at all, and CHEAP!

Surgery for mom tomorrow! And a shot for me...ugh

2011-08-21T22:00:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow my mom has total knee replacement surgery and I have to have a shot (or shots!) in the evening clinic for 2 ganglion cysts on my left wrist. I am NOT thrilled, life has been very difficult these past few weeks, MONTHS-actually.

But enough whining! Once I get things back to normal, and am sure my mom is ok then I will post my $20 GC giveaway. No one posted as to what gift card they would like, so I guess I am going to surprise you all! I promise to make it simple and easy-and hope to try out rafflecopter in the process too since that seems like the way most blogs are heading when conducting giveaways.

Hope to be posting by Wednesday if all goes well!

(hubby has been busy putting a cement barrier around the house to keep the water from pooling and leaking in to the basement-dehumidifier is still going strong and more work needs to be done-but it is a start!)

A Quick Update...

2011-08-15T17:13:00.000-04:00

Well folks, a quick update on my mold issue... we got a dehumidifier and that baby is sucking out the water pretty darn good. It does need to be emptied every 8 hours, and it's the 45 pint dehumidifier, so that probably gives you an idea of what kind of moisture we are lookin' at.

My house smells better when you walk in, thank goodness, and although the moldy smell still is in the basement area, it is not as bad either. I really hope we can fix things, because our mortgage is cheap and definitely affordable. Hoping to have some professionals come and take a peek and tell me what we are looking at repair wise in a few days-I've also been cleaning like a crazy woman trying to throw out what isn't needed any more.

It is amazing how quickly stuff accumulates :) and at the risk of saying my house resembles something out of the Hoarders series right now, I have to say it's true. But that's because I am busy moving things from room to room, and the living room happens to be the place I am doing my sorting at, and anything that smells the least bit moldy goes in the trash bag. Lucky for me, my daughter isn't here, because she would be whining over her stuffed animal collection. At least the Build A Bear Workshop animals passed the sniff test and were saved from a trip to the dumpster.

Next Monday my mother has total knee replacement surgery, and I will have my ganglion cyst (of which I now have TWO!) injected and probably won't be online much either... I will see about putting up a giveaway before I leave you all hanging though, since gift cards seem to be the fun thing maybe I will get one for a local store... Bath & Body Works? Does that sound good? Maybe CVS? Any ideas? We don't have tons of big stores in our area, just Kmart, Walmart, CVS, Rite Aid, Bath & Body Works, JC Penney. What would be YOUR choice to win? Post below from the list I just gave you and I will give away a $20 GC to one of them. I will check back in the middle or end of the week and whatever store has the most votes I will get the gift card from! (and post the giveaway over the weekend)

A Time To Walk Away?

2011-08-13T19:53:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of postings-between work and being sick, I just don't have the time to dedicate to blogging like I should.

I've been so tired, and just not able to get into much lately. I have entered some giveaways on blogs of course, but really haven't felt much like posting myself. I attributed the excessive fatigue I have to adjusting to a new schedule, but this year it seems so much harder than it has been in the past to get myself out of this fog.

My eyes are red, itchy and blurred vision has become a daily occurrence. Allergies? Perhaps, I just don't know. The constant pain in my chest, burning, hurting and feeling like a heart attack...stress? Maybe.

My blood pressure was perfect when I came back from my trip and I saw the doctor a few days later, 110 over 65. No need for blood pressure meds. 2 days ago I am in the ER where they are sitting me in a wheelchair and rushing me to a room due to chest pain and a blood pressure reading of 176 over 107. In May, it was the same thing-high blood pressure, heart attack like pain, with the result that my potassium was a little low, heart was fine, and I had non-specific chest pain.

After working Thursday, towards the end of the day I started in with the chest pain again. I'd called the doctor the day before and she'd prescribed me some Zantac pills (not the OTC stuff) thinking it might be some sort of gastric issue. No such luck. The next day, I went back to the ER for a workup, determined to find out more about my condition. (my doctor had instructed me to head to the ER if I wasn't feeling any better, as I absolutely HATE going there!)

My EKG was fine, and the heart monitor was not showing anything to be alarmed about. My diagnosis was an inflammation of the chest wall tissues-wearing a bra has become a very painful part of daily life while I try to heal this with Ibuprofen 800 mg and the occasional pain pill when it gets really bad.

Upon taking a chest X-ray, the doctor told me that there was a spot (I thought on my heart) and that they wanted to do a CT scan. After a painful IV (they have to use a honkin' needle on this since it has to be able to withstand the high pressure the contrast dye has when it goes in) and some waiting around after the procedure he came in again and told me I had 5 granulomas in my lungs. (these are supposed to be non-cancerous type things which I certainly hope they are!) There were 2 on one side, 3 on the other. Since my dad died of lung cancer, I was and am still pretty alarmed over it all. (and I don't smoke if you were wondering)

He said I was going to be fine, and to follow up with my doctor (I have a ganglion cyst on my wrist that needs removing ugh...) when I see her the 22nd. When I got home, I began doing some research on these things in my lungs. I found out they can be caused by a bad infection, and there could be a fungal connection as well. (think scar tissue due to fungal infection) Back in May, they'd noticed the spot but didn't follow through on it. This doctor did, and I am glad for that.

Every year I get bad, and I mean BAD sinus infections. This year was no exception. A week or two before I had the chest pains, I had finally gotten to the doctor for a double Z Pack after waiting more than 2 months. And that was after going to another doctor because I was so sick. (the office staff was not giving messages to the triage nurse, thus my calls were not being returned at all-a quick visit to the office manager took care of that!) So, it was possible that the prior May X-ray was considered no big deal as I was just getting over a very bad sinus infection.

As I began to read a bit more about my symptoms (and those of my hubby who couldn't breathe well and ended up in the ER himself and on one of those asthma treatments for a couple times as well as a breathing treatment in the ER back in April) I began thinking what if it was mold?

The evidence was overwhelming-as was the fact that when we were in Guatemala for a month out of the environment of our home it was bad the first week, but afterward no chest pain, eye problems, or high blood pressure for me and hubby felt just fine too.

When we purchased our house, we had a home inspection done. But NOT the mold test. If you are buying a house, spend the extra for the mold test-I wish I had done that now, but $900 for a current test with a specialist is NOT an option. Our agent did state that there was a small foundation leak that could be repaired which we set about doing with some sort of a sealant. When my hot water boiler burst the next year, I immediately called the company and got a new one installed the same day-and used huge dryers to dry the cement floor.

As time went on, our house began to smell musty. Having forced hot air heat made the Winter season terrible allergy-wise for me, as I am sensitive to regular house dust and cat dander. Every year brought one or two sinus infections, and itchy, dry eyes.

I began to notice that the smell was nasty-the minute you walked in the door you could smell a wet, humid, musty odor. We kept the windows open upstairs (no ventilated basement windows) and the cellar door wide open, to get air in. I also got big buckets of Damp Rid and laid them out in the basement-doing what I could to stave off that horrible odor.

It's funny, because a couple of days ago it was like a light bulb went off in my head-telling me that my sickness and that of my husband (and even my daughter's winter coughing fits maybe) could be because of this musty, nasty smell.

It got even better when hubby went to investigate in the basement. Everything was wet and slimy-boxes, the walls, the floor, you name it. Heavy cardboard boxes we had down there had just fallen apart and he said he noticed some mold down there.

Bingo! The light bulb went off again. After speaking with some co-workers and deciding whether to pay the mortgage (I have paid faithfully for 6 yrs, never a late payment, but living check to check like most other Americans these days I had to make a few quick decisions) we went to Home Depot and got a 45 pint dehumidifier. And it filled up completely... within a few hours. The same applies today, the bucket was full and hubby was shocked.

Coming in to the house now, I don't get that moldy, musty odor so much. But yes, it exists in the basement still-and my living room carpet has some sort of blackish stain as does the bathroom sheet rock wall. Next week, I am hoping that I have someone come out to tell me what is going on. And how bad it is. If it can be repaired for minimal cost, I will do what I can to save my home. If not, I will walk away. Sure, my credit may be ruined-which I hate doing. But risking my health, and possibly my life and the health of my family and pets is just not worth it to me by remaining in a house with mold just so my credit rating remains intact. I mean, who will care if I have a 750 FICO score if I'm dead, right?

I will update when I can-I have over 2000 emails to clean out and might enter a few giveaways here and there. I'm on 4 different prescription meds right now and pretty tired, so I will do things as I have the time. Thanks for understanding :)

Back to Work!

2011-08-02T23:23:00.002-04:00

After a few months off, I am back to work for awhile. It's been a great few months off, but I am left with the feeling I didn't accomplish anything. My house is still messy, my paperwork still needs to get taken care of, and my vacation felt way too short!

It already promises to be a busy season, and I hope it goes smoothly with very few bumps in the road. Summer in Maine is way too short, and I am going to miss the sunshine and warm temperatures that will be leaving us soon enough.

This year my daughter will start 4th grade, meaning a new middle school and new teachers. She's nervous, but excited. Me? I am just plain nervous because she's growing up way too quickly! Just yesterday it seems I was holding her in my arms for the first time, and now she's an independent tween who is asking me to buy her a cell phone.

I've still got to download the pics from our month long vacation in Guatemala and post a few for my readers. I love Guatemala, but am glad to be home too. It makes me realize just how fortunate we are here, even though some of us don't realize it. To hear people complaining, I have to smile. Some people I know in Guatemala have dirt floors, live in houses made of cast off products (wood & tin we'd throw away here) and a bathroom with a flushing toilet is considered a luxury. Yet, they are happy.

It's late and I got up to go to the bathroom, thought I'd get online for a bit-and ended up doing a brief post. Enjoy your day tomorrow folks, it's hard to believe it's August already!

$10 GC winner... better late than never~!

2011-07-26T21:24:00.003-04:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

26
Timestamp: 2011-07-27 01:21:29 UTC

Jan is the winner~! I am going to email you now and you have 48 hours to get back in touch with me :) I will be doing another giveaway soon, and hopefully trying it out using the new Rafflecopter softwear. Congrats Jan!

I'm Baaaacck!

2011-07-26T13:50:00.002-04:00

Oh my gosh, you would not believe it if I told you lol. Our return home trip from Guatemala was considered the trip from HELL!

First, when we arrived at the airport I tried to use the self check in kiosk for my tickets. After several tries, including one that was done by American Airlines personnel as well-it spit out a ticket telling me my request could not be processed and to see the ticketing agent.

Knowing that was NOT a good sign, off I went. Because we'd purchased tickets before they started charging additional for a second bag, and we were checking 4 bags, the ticket agent had a hard time getting that additional bag checked for no cost. Then, we were informed our 11:30 am flight had changed to 1:30. That meant we would miss our connection in Miami, and the ticketing agent said that they would put us on the 9:15 plane Miami to Boston, so we called our relatives who would be picking us up and let them know it'd be around midnight before we got in to Boston.

Our plane took off from Guatemala at the right time, and although we hit a little turbulence flying in to Miami, all went well. Now of course, we had to wait a few hours until our next flight. Because of my luck, the gate our new flight was booked at was the furthest away from where we landed and we had to take a sky train, and then walk outside in the hot hot Miami weather (100 degrees or more I swear!) due to construction at the airport, to get us to the right gate.

Having some time to spare, we had a great meal at one of the airport restaurants and headed back to our gate. Boarding time came and went, due to the rumble of thunder outside and the occasional cloud to ground lightning I knew we weren't going anywhere until the storm was over. I was correct.

After not one but TWO thunderstorms, it was around 11pm and our pilot came to tell us that the plane we were supposed to fly on was damaged (something to do with the computer and landing system) he'd hoped that it would be fixed but they couldn't do anything until after the storms passed. Finally, a half hour later (everyone was growing very impatient) they announced that we would be taking another plane and that it wouldn't be ready until 12:45 am due to transfer of luggage to the new plane at the next gate. Sigh...

By 1:30 am (we were supposed to have a 10 pm 7/22 arrival in Boston) on 7/23 we took off. We arrived in Boston very sleepy and grumpy at around 4:30 am. Close to 5 am, we hurried for our luggage. Hubby scooped up one of our bags and a few others got some of their bags. Then the belt stopped. Oh no, this was NOT good... we had 3 more bags to go-and in them was perishable chicken (Pollo Campero fried chicken from Guatemala which hubby had been paid for by family and friends to bring chicken to them). I was already worried about the chicken due to the extreme heat in the US and had told hubby that it might be spoiled. Now, we were told our luggage was lost or delayed (later informed that they never even transferred it to the 2nd plane in Miami!) and we needed to call the toll free number to file a claim with American. By now, hubby and I both knew this $200 worth of fried chicken wasn't going to be any good by the time it got to us.

We were right. Because of being so tired, we spent the night in Rhode Island where we'd left the car at hubby's sisters. I was exhausted, so we got a hotel room and were able to sleep during the afternoon for awhile-something we couldn't do at my sister in law's house. We also had NO clothes, so I had to go to Walmart to get a shirt and some undies for me and some undies and a cheap outfit for Deja. Hubby didn't want anything, lol.

I kept checking with baggage services, who informed me that they would deliver my bags once found to my house in Maine. At 10 pm Saturday night I got an automated message on my cell that they'd located our bags and they were scheduled to be picked up by the delivery service and delivered to our house in Maine. The next morning, Sunday, the delivery driver called me around 9 am to tell me that my bags were delivered. My mom went over to bring them into the house, and I informed her to open the bags and get the chicken out. Apparently the chicken had spilled everywhere in the bag, and it was a greasy, rotten mess. One bag ruined... My sister in law had packed some sort of peach applesauce textured thing in a plastic container in yet another bag... yup, it had leaked my mom informed me. And it smelled BAD. Yup, yet another bag down. Finally, the bag that we had gotten off the plane (bought it brand new mind you) had a huge rip in the front and the front pocket was almost torn off. So 3 damaged bags, no recourse for damaged bags (except for maybe the ripped one) due to perishables spoiling in them and no recourse for the couple hundred bucks of chicken we were out.

We got home Sunday around 5 pm and I immediately set to doing laundry. (my sister in law had brilliantly packed her peach applesauce with clothing, lucky for me nothing was stained but just a sticky mess which was resolved once it was put in my washer) It will be awhile before I fly the not so friendly skies again-and I've already informed hubby no liquids and no more chicken in the checked bags!!!

I've yet to pick a winner for my giveaway, but I will later tonight. I have also been suffering from what appears to be a ganglion cyst on my left wrist... I hope to make an appt. soon at the doctor's and I can so see a surgical procedure ahead. Lucky for me I am mostly right-handed, so it should not affect my job too much. So, I'm glad to be back-I apologize for the lack of posts, but with SLOW Guatemalan internet I am loving my DSL right about now. Have a great week everyone, and I will post the winner later tonight!

Fiber One Winner!

2011-07-18T22:54:00.002-04:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

107
Timestamp: 2011-07-19 02:53:51 UTC

congrats to the winner and sorry for the delay:) I've been running around while on vacation and trying to get those last minute things done. There were 121 comments, but one came in after the 11:59 PM EST deadline. I am contacting the winner now and they will have 48 hours to respond to winning email!

Giveaway Extended and other News

2011-07-12T10:06:00.004-04:00

Because of such low comments, and my limited internet access-I am going to extend this giveaway a couple of days until the 15th. Hopefully by then I will have more entries into it, since 7 entries is not really a whole lot :(

I am trying to take photos of Guatemala, but all of the photos from the first two weeks here and last years pics too were erased by my husband's niece. Believe me, I was NOT a happy camper! Apparently he had taken a photo she was not fond of, and instead of asking us to delete it for her, she asked to look at the photos on our camera. Hubby gave her the camera and she gave it back awhile later. When we went to take photos later that day, we noticed that the photo count had gone from 400+ photos to 0...

She said she had touched the trashcan button, and meant to only delete ONE photo and apparently thought that she had. She had deleted all the photos on the card, not that one image. It's hubby's camera, not mine-so I bitched at him for it. Not much either of us could do though, but I have to admit I did cry that night :(

Our trip has been fine so far-we really haven't gone very far at all. We do have plans to hit the beach this Saturday though, which is going to be great. (providing I don't get a bad sunburn that is)

Between a slow internet connection, I have hubby's nieces and nephews fighting me to get on to the internet using my prepaid connection. I guess they figure someone here has paid to use the internet so why not take advantage of it, right? Seems the older ones all wanna check their Facebook accounts and the younger ones want to play online.

Thanks for understanding about the extension of the giveaway folks, it's been really hard to promote from Central America, but I'm doing my best! Enjoy your week!

Are ya Hungry? $10 GC Giveaway

2011-07-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

While I am in Guatemala chowing on a variety of foods (some healthy, some no-so-healthy) I am thinking about my readers back in the good old USA. Last year I lost about 15 pounds in 3 weeks by eating lots of salads (and yes, even eating an occasional fast food item too!) and drinking smoothies (papaya and banana, yum!) in the mornings.

I love the fresh fruit available in every shape, form and size-and love seeing the fruit vendors carrying their plastic baggies filled with ripe, juicy fruit to sell in the markets and on the street. Usually every place there are people you will find vendors selling fruit, goods, and of course food. Most often, people will set up a small lunch cart-like the guy above-and sell food from that. (Shukos are basically a hotdog with varied toppings, but nothing like the traditional hotdog stands we have in the US!) I have lots of food to try here in Guatemala still, but as they say, so much food, so little time! And I will be honest, while they have four and five star restaurants here in the city that charge and arm, a leg, and even part of your torso for a meal-the food vendors have them beat! With affordable prices and great tasting food, you can't go wrong.

That being said... look for CLEAN food vendors. Some people are not clean, and flies are all over the place. Their cooking utensils or cooktops are nasty, and I tend to stay away from those. Think of being at the fair in the US, and scoping out the food vendors. You usually know just by looking which ones might send you to the hospital with an amoeba in your tummy a little later, so you use good judgment and stay away. It's the same here-although there are times where a vendor might be super clean but use regular water (not pure water) for cooking, and those amoebas might get ya anyways. (but they have pills for that and medical costs here are somewhat low-a brief consultation, perhaps a lab test to verify the amoeba, and the actual meds-or you can usually just get the meds if you're sure you've got a stomach bug to keep it on the cheap side)

But, like any tourist, I get homesick for a taste of home. Here in Guatemala City you can get basically any type of fast food you want. McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway, Little Caesars, Pizza Hut-they're all here to name a few. Hubby was pretty shocked to see that prices for food were comparable to US Prices, and he was even more shocked to see so many people in McDonald's and Pizza Hut eating last year when we were here. I have to say I was a bit shocked too, but Guatemala is a country where you will see opulent mansions in one area, and dirt floor tin huts in another. The contrast is somewhat striking-and sad too. And yes, there seems to be a sort of middle class-hard working people who like the occasional weekly treat-and that is exactly what we saw when we visited the fast food establishments here.

All this talk of fast food has me a bit homesick... and craving something from home. I think I will tell hubby I want a burger and fries tonight lol. What about you? How about a $10 GC to McDonalds, Burger King or Wendys? Keep in mind that it won't be sent out until after I get home and settled a little bit :) If that sounds good to you, then enter below to win!

Giveaway Starts: Today, July 12, 2011
Giveaway Ends: July 23, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST Open to US residents/addresses only.

Winner chosen by Random.org and will have 48 hours to contact me to provide full name and mailing address after winning notification received. Please leave a way to contact you in your comment or in your profile. You do not have to be a blogger to win.

MANDATORY ENTRY: I'm curious... tell me what your favorite pizza topping is, or what are your favorite hamburger or hotdog toppings? For me, it's bacon and onion pizza or hamburg/onion pizza and ketchup and onions on my burgers and 'dogs please! Also, let me know from which of the 3 places above you want your GC to be from!

OPTIONAL EXTRA ENTRIES:

+1 GFC follower new (leave name used for GFC in comment please)

+2 Current GFC follower

+1 Twitter follower @micaela6955 (leave your name so I can check!)

+1 Tweet this giveaway (ok to use button below) & leave link to tweet (1x daily)

+5 Add to giveaway linky or blog about giveaway and leave link

+3 Add my button to your sidebar or add me to your blogroll, leave link to blog

Ok, easy peasy! Good luck! And remember, I cannot send this out to you until I am home at the end of July~!

Currently in Central America...

2011-06-29T10:06:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! I recently got internet access (albeit very SLOW internet access) and just wanted to check in. I am currently staying at my brother in law's house, and it's been frustrating because in addition to the slow internet, the power here sometimes goes out and takes me off line in mid-sentence.

The weather here in Guatemala (where it is currently winter by the way) hasn't been too bad, temps in the mid 70's and rain showers here and there. We've only had one totally rainy day since I arrived last Tuesday-mostly there are afternoon showers and thunderstorms which cool things off substantially after a hot afternoon sun.

Women here also use umbrellas for not just rain, but sun protection. I kind of thought it was funny at first, but after having an umbrella over my head during the mid-afternoon hours I realized just how important it was.

The kids here have a holiday tomorrow, apparently it's a national holiday of some sort, Army Day. My daughter has been attending school all week with her cousins and enjoys the attention she is getting from the other students who often stop to ask her what something means in English. We decided to put her in school so that she would learn more conversational Spanish and also to get some reading/writing skills too. The good thing is that she understands what they are saying, since we are pretty much bi-lingual at home.

I've got a couple posts done up, but haven't been able to get the pics taken for them yet. The rooster across the street has been a pain-waking me up at the crack of dawn with his incessant crowing. I am SO totally ready to make him disappear lol... He just might end up in someone's soup that evening...

So here I am, on vacation and trying to get in some R & R before I start work again a few days after I get back from Guatemala. I hope to post again soon, but I really have to fight with the kids over the internet since they love to play the games their cousin Deja is showing them.

Have a great week everyone!

Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies Review & Giveaway

2011-06-18T21:13:00.003-04:00

EXTENDED DUE TO LOW ENTRIES!!!! Ends 7/15

Being overweight, snacking has become an all too important part of my life. Unfortunately, unhealthy snacking has become the norm. I am usually hesitant to try any "diet foods" because although they have low calories, they tend to taste like cardboard. And NO ONE likes to eat cardboard, lol.

Unfortunately, with high blood pressure and diabetes knocking on my front door-I need to lose 100 lbs. to get down to a more comfortable weight that I can manage. I want to be around to see my daughter grow up and watch my grandchildren become adults too. I went shopping yesterday for some clothes, and was just so totally embarrassed by the size I had to get. I've spent far too many years putting other people's needs and work ahead of my own health, and it's been a rough 2011 for me health-wise so far.

Today I received a package of Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies in the Chocolate Fudge and Chocolate Peanut Butter flavors courtesy of My Blog Spark. Since I love the flavors of chocolate and peanut butter combined, I had to try them first. Upon opening the box, I realized that while they were small, they seemed very moist. I was a little disappointed that there weren't any nuts-I love nutty brownies-and would much rather have settled for a regular 90 calorie basic brownie with a nut or two if they had them in the 90 calorie version.

They were very moist, and didn't leave me wanting a glass of milk afterward-so they got a big plus for not being dry. While it doesn't taste like a traditional full flavored brownie, the taste really wasn't half bad. Also, it didn't leave an unpleasant aftertaste in my mouth like other diet foods do. I tried the chocolate fudge flavor afterward, and found it okay. I am not a person who likes double chocolate anything, even with all the calories and fat, so for me, it was just a personal taste preference. One thing I love though, was that in addition to being just 90 calories these brownies have an awesome 5 grams of fiber, which is 20 percent of the Daily Value of Fiber. Definitely a smart snack!

My overall opinion is that they taste like a light brownie. Sure, they have the chocolaty taste-which is all good-but don't expect the same flavor as a regular brownie. For me, this would give me a taste of something sweet while controlling portion size, calories and of course giving me the added fiber benefit. I would purchase them again-as a healthier snack or treat and of course pack them in my daughter's lunch as well. I am leaving for Central America in a couple of days, and I've already packed the remainder in my purse for a quick, healthy snack at the airport while on layover. I'd rather have us snack on these than run to the vending machine and get a candy bar.

How would you like to try the Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies for yourself? You can win a prize pack (pictured above) just like I received. Giveaway starts today, June 18, 2011 and ends July 15, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST. US Entries only please. Winner will be selected by Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to email before another winner is chosen. Please make sure to leave your email in your comments or have it visible in your profile. Also, keep in mind that I will be in Central America during this time frame-internet access may be spotty due to circumstances beyond my control-however I will contact the winner as soon as possible and provide them with the 48 hour time limit to respond irregardless. You must first complete the mandatory entry below and additional entries are available. If it says +2, leave 2 separate comments.

For your first MANDATORY entry, you can tell me what time of day you would like to snack on your Fiber One 90 Calorie brownies... or you can tell me where you would plan on enjoying your Fiber One 90 Calorie brownie.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

+2 Like Fiber One on Facebook and leave me your FB name (1st name & last initial ok)

+1 follow me on Twitter @micaela6955 leave twitter ID in comment

+1 (can do daily) tweet this giveaway, see button below & please be sure to use hashtags #myblogspark #giveaway in your tweet

+2 follow me via Google friend connect, leave name used so I can check.

+5 add this to any giveaway linky, sweeps site, & leave link so I can check it out.

+2 add my button to your blog sidebar, or put me in your blogroll

that's it! You can do as many or as little as you want-it's all up to you!

Disclosure: I was provided the information, product samples and gift pack through My Blog Spark for General Mills in order to do this review. Product opinions are my own.

Mother's Touch Thermometer Winner!

2011-06-18T20:49:00.003-04:00

Congrats go to amyd who is the winner!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

55

Timestamp: 2011-06-19 00:43:38 UTC

I am off to email you now :) Please respond within 48 hours so I can send you your prize!

Bra Shopping... a Necessary Nuisance

2011-06-16T19:07:00.005-04:00

It's been a rough day... I hate shopping for myself now that I am overweight. Before, when I was thinner, you couldn't keep me away from the stores. Now I consider it a chore, and even a pain-to buy something as simple as the basics, such as bras and panties. As a matter of fact, I bought two Playtex bras today that were the wrong cup size.

I brought the bras home and showed hubby. He looked at me and laughed. I was NOT happy. I bought DD instead of D. The cups on the things were HUGE. He argued that there was no way I was that size and that HE should know of all people. Lol... ya right. I am just wishing for the days when I was a plain ole 36C.

My mother went shopping with me today and promptly announced that I had gotten what she didn't. It seemed to have skipped her generation, she and my aunt have regular sized breasts. I made up for both of them and more, and as age and gravity head my way I have nightmares about it. Both my grandmother and great-grandmother proudly displayed their "ample bosoms" for many years. I told my mom I do not like the fact that if I don't wear a bra one day my breasts will hang down to my belly button and I will resemble a milk cow. My mother snickered. I glared. And because I was so traumatized by visions of my grandmothers sans brassieres I purchased a cup size too large.

I'm not there...yet. And maybe, just maybe, if I lose weight I will lose it there as well. They say that you do. And I can only hope for a miracle, right? So the new $33 each bras sit in the bag, and I ponder on what to do with them. My guess is that I will return them to the store and look for something more appropriate fitting. Maybe I will take hubby with me, since he seems to be an expert on women's breasts.

I've got some more shopping to do in the next few days... for pants and other items. I really don't want to do it...but someone's gotta. I do have a couple of nice shirts I received from an online store that I absolutely love... but more on that in a day or two. In the meantime-the bra saga is to be continued...

8 More Days!

2011-06-13T11:22:00.004-04:00

And I am SO not ready! After going on a shopping spree, and being prepared to pay $100 each for THREE extra checked on suitcases with American... they placed an embargo on the number of bags we can take!

I wish I'd known this BEFORE I bought new luggage of course. But I am relieved that I checked the website last night and discovered the embargo (which was just in effect as of June 9) prior to heading to Logan Airport and then being told we can't each check a third bag.

So now the fun begins. What to take? What NOT to take? What to send down separately via an international courier? (and had we known we would have sent the stuff down to Rhode Island separately via courier a few weeks ago, to ensure it would be delivered while we are there since it takes 3-4 weeks to get there so we will be cutting it close irregardless)

They say going on a vacation is supposed to be good for you. For me, it's more stressful planning, packing, running around the airport and then worrying about lost luggage, flight turbulence, and weather conditions where I will be heading. Nothing like a hurricane, volcanic eruption or earthquake to make things a little more exciting. This is definitely one of those "Pass me a Rum and Coke, please" moments and most likely that feeling will remain as the countdown enters its final days.

Once there, it will be hectic as everyone from hubby's kids to 8th cousins twice removed shows up to say hello and sticks around with hopes that they get something this year from us. See, when we go to visit people talk. And those people say that we bring tons of stuff. Neighbors pile out of their houses in the Colonia, curious to get a peek of what we are taking out of our luggage. My father in law even stated that we had enough stuff to have our own Paca (flea market) but was quickly met with furious looks by family members lined up to start taking things out of the boxes we'd sent previously and luggage we brought with us.

Poverty is extreme over there. I count myself lucky for having all that I have here, even if it is not much. Hubby's family isn't super poor-they actually do quite well, but they aren't wealthy either. And even though they do well, there is actually no extra money to buy game systems, games, brand name clothing etc... That is where WE come in. It actually is like Christmas in July-I love shopping all year round, so love to see my shopping for bargains pays off and makes lots of people very happy in the end.

The next few days are going to be super crazy. We have to open up NINE huge bags and make them fit to SIX under 50 lbs. Not an easy feat for sure, but we'll manage. I hope to be posting while there, once I can get the prepaid internet to work. But this time, I am bringing the Dell Laptop. No MacBook-it's still in a frozen state from last year after they messed with it at the prepaid internet company. :( Once I find my startup discs in this crazy house I will reformat it and hopefully it will take it back to factory settings and fix it. If not, it goes to the shop...

Like last year, hoping to have a few giveaways for stuff from Guatemala too. Not sure what yet, won't know until I get to a market. In the meantime, enjoy the Guatemala pics above... (one is a pic of the market in Antigua, Guatemala where the guy didn't really like having his pic taken apparently lol, and the other is a small town called Pastores on the outskirts of Antigua, where hubby and his brother went to get boots-many people live on hillsides like the photo shown, that is why sometimes you hear of people dying or losing their homes due to a mudslide, flood, torrential rains, earthquake, etc...)

Review & Giveaway-Mother's Touch Forehead Thermometer

2011-06-02T21:55:00.004-04:00

Even though the winter months have passed, summer colds and sickness still exist. With the heat and humidity, it is often hard for me to tell if my daughter or grandsons actually have a fever or are a bit overheated by the weather conditions. With one grandson heading towards the "terrible twos" this coming Sunday and another almost 11 months old, it is really hard to get them to sit still or stop squirming long enough to take their temperature.

As a parent, I need a quick, reliable result. At home, we currently have a digital under the tongue thermometer for adults and the often unreliable in your ear probe for the kids. To be honest, I don't enjoy taking temperatures with this because if you've got an ear infection which is causing your fever the LAST thing you want is something stuck in your ear-take it from one who knows.

I was thrilled to be able to review the Mother's Touch Forehead Thermometer. And over the past few weeks I was able to try it out on my 9 yr old and both of my grandsons to get a better idea of how children in different age groups responded to it.

Bentley my 10 month old grandson had an ear infection when he came over last weekend. He was fussy, and kept tugging on his ear-sure signs to me that he was needing to be checked before a doctor's appointment could be scheduled. The neat thing about this thermometer is that it resembles a ring, and by placing it on my finger and soothing him by touching his forehead I was able to get an accurate reading within the 6 seconds as advertised on the box. The good thing was Bentley didn't even know what I was doing... he thought I was just stroking his forehead and had left my hand in a certain spot for a short time. I was impressed with the short wait time for the reading and the fact that there was no squirming or fussing. The final result? Temperature a bit elevated, and upon return to his other grandmother the next day she confirmed that he had an appointment scheduled to check his ears which made me feel a lot better.

Demetrio, my often wiggly and very curious almost two year old grandson was a little different. He was actually intrigued by my pretty ring and wanted to see what it did before I put it on his forehead. After trying it out on my own forehead, he determined that it wasn't anything that was going to hurt him and allowed me to check him out. He actually fussed a little bit but that was because he wanted to play with it, and wanted me to do it again so he could see the numbers. AND he managed to sit still too~something that is always a challenge with a child that age. His results? Perfectly normal temperature, so he was just fine :)

My final test was with my daughter. She had been watching curiously as I had tested the Mother's Touch Forehead Thermometer on both her nephews and wanted to see what it was all about. When she gets sick, boy, don't I know it-she's a bit of a drama queen and can be quite demanding. Rather than me try it out on her, she wanted to try it out on Daddy-while he was sleeping. Interestingly enough, she managed to do it while he snored away, unaware that he was getting his temperature taken. He did open his eyes after the fact, but we didn't tell him what we were doing ;)

I had done a review previously for the TempleTouch Thermometer, and I was happy to see that the Mother's Touch Forehead Thermometer was made by the same company. When my son and his girlfriend moved out with the boys last summer, they took my TempleTouch with them and I was pretty bummed since it was so easy to use. I have to admit, when your little one is sick, and just wants to be comforted, this thermometer is perfect!

Some neat features that the Mother's Touch Thermometer has are: Memory Recall, a large backlight display, can be used in Celsius or Fahrenheit for readouts and the most important... you don't have to put it in your mouth so germs don't spread amongst family members just by taking the temperature. (even though I usually get what they get sooner or later-I know I won't get it by taking their temperatures!)

I'd like to thank the sponsor for providing me with the product to review and for having the patience while I reviewed the product over several weeks in order to get reactions from different aged family members. And do you wanna hear what is really neat? They gave me another Mother's Touch Thermometer to give to one of my readers! Trust me, this is a necessity if you have kids or grandkids :)

Now I know that you want to win it... so below please find the specifics on how to be able to win one :)

Giveaway starts today, June 2, 2011 and ends June 17, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST. Giveaway is open to US Residents. One winner will be chosen via Random.org. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me after receiving winning email. I must have a way to contact you, so please be sure email is in your comments or in your profile.

For the first, MANDATORY entry-Please visit the sponsor's website: Mother's Touch Thermometer and tell me something about the product that I did not mention above.

You can earn extra entries by doing the following: (if +2 leave 2 comments)

+3 current blog follower via GFC, +1 new blog follower via GFC

+1 twitter follower micaela6955

+1 tweet this giveaway (see button below) can do once daily

+5 post this on any giveaway linky and let me know where, or blog about it and leave me a link to the post.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a sample of this product to facilitate my review. I was also provided a similar product by the sponsor to give away to one of my readers. Opinions expressed within are my own.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

2011-05-30T21:50:00.004-04:00

Hope all my readers and friends had a great long weekend... we ended up going to Canada on Saturday, and on the way up the river was super high, and the white water rafting was going strong. By the time we got back from Canada, around dusk, the rafting had stopped and people were camping and having major cookouts. I was starved, and so wanted to stop and ask them for a burger, lol!

We ran into some major thunderstorms in Canada, where it had been humid and windy most of the day. Lucky for us, we were in the mall shopping and it didn't affect us that much. I have been slacking terribly these past few weeks-cleaning house, getting things packed for my trip in less than a month, and taking care of my grandsons as my son and his girlfriend recently split up. Not getting into reasons here, but he of course is upset-and has pretty much holed himself up in his apartment and I've been working on getting him out and about. (WHEN he answers the door that is!) Being a mother, I am worried-and hope that time will heal the wounds and at least they will be able to get along for their children. My ex is moving in with him soon, and although Daddy isn't the best influence there is out there-I feel better knowing he won't be alone.

As I wrap up this post, I will put up a few pics above of just how crazy the river was at The Forks, Maine this past Saturday. I can't imagine going down the river in a raft (though I've threatened hubby a few times that I'd send him downriver without a paddle) with the river going so fast. Even driving back, I was sure in spots it was going to go over the road. We took the pics around 8 pm just as it was getting dark, so they may seem a little dark-sorry about that! :) Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Review

2011-05-18T17:30:00.001-04:00

I've been a BzzAgent for some time now, and recently signed up to try out the new CoverGirl NatureLuxe line of makeup. First, let me explain that I received two items free of charge to try out-and offer my opinion on through BzzAgent.

When I finally went to the campaign and opted in, there was not a huge selection of foundation to choose from. I am VERY light skinned, so when I received color 330 Chamois, I knew it was going to be way too dark for me. Luckily for me, my 9 yr old was a willing participant-and considering her dad is Guatemalan, she got the good genes and his wonderful skin tone. (Which makes mom very jealous since she gets awesome tans in the summer!)

When the package arrived, I was surprised to see that this foundation also had the added benefit of SPF 10 sunscreen. Granted, it's not the SPF 30 that I am used to-but I have to admit, ANY sunscreen (for the times that we all forget to put it on, me included) benefit in a foundation is definitely a plus.

I am not a huge foundation wearer, when I was younger I used to wear it occasionally-but it always felt caked on and some of the gals from the 80's (my era, lol)literally wore it as a mask-whenever they smiled it would crack, and you could see the tell tale white skin around their hairlines and under their chins where the foundation stopped and their true skin color began.

Nowadays, I just use foundation for my under eye circles, blending in a light color to go with the rest of my face and hoping to not look like a raccoon. The first thing I noticed was that it has a pleasant scent-and a light texture. Rubbing it in a few spots I noticed I didn't feel like it was suffocating my face, and instead, allowed plenty of room for my skin to breathe. Some of these foundations are so heavy, and this was not one of them. I am glad that this provided a creamier, lighter version of most foundations I had gotten accustomed to, and I can definitely see myself using the Alabaster shade in the near future.

Granted, although it was not my correct shade, it did a great job of making my skin feel as natural as could be. The packaging was the right size, perfect to fit into a purse or travel bag, which was also great. It looked great on my daughter, as it blended nicely with her skin tone, and took away her under eye circles when she was a bit tired from staying up too late one night and had to head to school the next day. At only 9, she's got a few years to go before she gets into cosmetics other than some lip gloss now and then. (or at least I hope so!)

Another product that was sent was the CoverGirl NatureLuxe gloss balm for lips shade 235 Grenache, with another added benefit, this time SPF 15! Considering your lips can get sunburned, I loved this. I really liked the fact that it left my lips feeling soft and lasted awhile without running or bleeding. I love pinks, so the Thistle 210 and Tulip 205 shades are on my TO BUY ASAP list since they look gorgeous!

Did you know that NatureLuxe Silk Foundation contains a touch of cucumber water and natural jojoba and rosehip extracts? By changing the formula a bit for more natural ingredients, they were able to get rid of some of the heaviness used in conventional formulas to create a smoother, creamier, more refreshing foundation. And I bet you didn't know that the NatureLuxe lip gloss balm had mango and shea butter ingredients, which make your lips feel soft and kissable too :)

These 2 products definitely get a thumbs up in my opinion! You can find them in your local drugstores, online, and of course at Walmart, Kmart and other similar stores. The prices are reasonable as well, between $6-10 each so it won't break the bank either. Thanks to BzzAgent and CoverGirl for providing me with the products needed to do this review.

Disclosure: As stated in my review, I am a BzzAgent and was provided the products in order to review them and offer my honest opinion. All opinions above are my own based on the products I received.

Is the Customer Always Right? Not At JC Penney Today!

2011-05-18T15:19:00.007-04:00

I do lots of shopping at JC Penney and especially love their clearance sales. In the past few weeks, I've been buying lots of clothing for hubby's family in Guatemala. Today was no different...or was it?

One area I like to focus on is the Women's formal party dresses. His sisters love those type of dresses and if I can get them on markdown cheap enough they can get some lovely dresses for a fraction of the price. Knowing how their sales work (I used to work for JCP way back in the day after high school) I know that their final clearance prices always end in .97 (for example $1.97, $4.97, etc...)

A few weeks ago, they had a few of these formal dresses priced at $70 regular, then marked down accordingly, 60%, 70% and even 80% off. I usually check weekly, and when they hit $4.97 I snatch them up. Within the last month or two, I've gotten about 8 dresses using this method-a great deal for a bargain hunter like myself and also great for my sisters-in-law. Plus, the store is clearing its inventory, so all is good.

Today I happened to stop by JC Penney and noticed the dresses. Most were marked down to 70% or 80% off, however there was one that was clearly marked $4.97 with the code 4/20 (which probably was the date it was marked down). I had purchased a dress with that price and date about a week or so ago no problem, so I took this white size 14 formal dress to the women's register and was waited on by an associate that had rung me up several times over the past weeks, and knows I usually buy the clearance merchandise.

This time, she tried to ring it up and told me that it was not correctly priced. I told her the item was clearly marked at $4.97. She said (with another associate chiming in as well) that it was new merchandise and was on sale for $50.00, not $4.97. She then began peeling the $4.97 sticker off quickly when I told her I did not want it for that price. Obviously someone had made an error in the pricing,she said. She specifically said that the system is always right and it was NOT on sale at that price. Um, what happened to the customer is always right? The associate in back of her said that there was a woman they were watching (and she made it clear to emphasize that it was not ME) that is known for switching the price tags. This tag was attached with one of their little guns that go right through the material, and the markdown sticker did not appear to be tampered with at all. My guess... someone screwed up on the markdown OR the system was not updated.

It's funny, because I went to Kohl's this past Monday as well. Hubby happened to find a formal suit jacket he loved. It was marked $66.00 on clearance. We'd been watching it for a few weeks, hoping that it would eventually go down. Finally, after accumulating $30 in Kohl's Cash and an additional 30% off it would have been pretty cheap. When it rang up, it rang up as $88.00. Immediately we brought it to the clerk's attention. She checked the price tag over, apologized, and told us it probably was the system that was incorrect. And gave it to us at the $66.00 price no problem. WHY JCP didn't do that is beyond me.

I certainly did not feel like a valued customer, and I even told the associate I was pretty humiliated by the whole thing, because I honestly thought the price tag was correct. I understand mistakes can happen-perhaps I should have asked them to call a manager, but the clerk was peeling off the sticker so quickly I really didn't have a chance to state my case. There was some discussion by the other associate that if it was last year's merchandise, which it was NOT, then it might have been marked that price. I told her that's what I thought it was-she mentioned it was still a pretty dress... but-as I stated when leaving-it wouldn't have fit me anyways.

It's really sad, but I think I will be shopping Kohl's more often now. JC Penney is in my home town, and I have to travel to get to Kohl's but I really felt humiliated by the whole scene. Maybe I shouldn't have taken it so badly, I tried to be upbeat and polite-and not throw a fit. I just feel as though if it was their error price wise, it should have been given to me at the price marked. And I just can't believe how the "system" can always be right. Everyone I know has had something that they've purchased that for some reason didn't ring up at the correct price... because the system was wrong. It's a human error, just as marking something the incorrect price is a human error. But most companies let the customer have it at the price marked-and make any adjustments after the error has been brought to their attention. I do not condone price tag switching in any form, as I consider it theft.

Granted, this was only one dress. And I know the others will be marked down eventually. But now, I won't go there. I will head to Kohl's or Deb Shops, or somewhere where I feel I am valued as a customer. Not treated like I am the one that made the mistake. So JC Penney, you've lost a customer. I know I probably won't be missed, but if this is how others are treated as well, those dollars DO add up. When I worked the Catalog Department years ago, and we had the wedding dresses come back (obviously used with wine and lipstick stains-even ALTERED) and the satin sheets purchased by a certain male customer every week (and returned the next week, USED and with stains from God knows what) I had to take them back-and refund their money. The customer was always right. It appears store policy changed... (and in the cases above, for a GOOD reason!)but maybe next time you should post a sign by the registers stating "Our System is Always Right-Thus, If Your Purchased Item Rings Up Differently Than Marked, You WILL Be Charged The Price As Reflected On Our System-Take It or Leave It."

Review-Diamond Candles

2011-05-13T17:59:00.004-04:00

Lately I had been hearing the buzz on the internet about a new company, Diamond Candles, that has wonderful smelling soy candles that retail for $24.95 and include a ring in the candle which can be worth $10, $100, $1000 or even $5000.

Now, I like to burn candles as much as the next person-and a visit to the local candle store sets me back around $20 anyways, so with shipping (I paid for the UPS shipping, a little pricier) it was almost $35 but I thought it would be a fun thing to see what I received in my candle. Apparently, tons of other women think so as well, since they are posting photos of their multiple rings they have gotten from their candle purchases and a swap/purchase page has even been started up on Facebook for those looking to swap or sell their rings.

I told my 9 yr old about this, and she picked out the new scent, Carnival Candy. I placed the order, paid through Paypal, and waited. Immediately I received confirmation that the order had been accepted, and the next day received shipping with tracking information. Finally I received the candle. It took about 3-4 days, but that was fine-I knew it was coming and had no worries.

When I opened the box, I was greeted to a cotton candy type smell. Strong, but not overwhelming. While I like sweet scents, my favorite scents are tropical ones-so they would really be on my fan list if they were to make a coconut scented candle, or mango, or something along those lines. But since they are a new company, I am going to wait to see if they come out with something like that in their next batch of new candles.

I immediately saw the ring, wrapped in gold foil, not too far down from the top. I waited until my daughter came home from school, and took a few pictures of her (above) with the candle. Now you have to understand, she wanted this candle AND the ring, AND she wanted it to be a $5000 ring as well. I did my best to prepare her for the fact that it might NOT be what she wanted, but whatever we got it would still be something nice.

We burned the candle for an hour or so, and I decided to get adventurous. The wax was melted pretty good, and I was able to fish around with a steak knife without making a huge mess and get that ring out. We unwrapped it, and while it was not a REAL ring (more likely the $10 costume version stamped THAILAND) it was heavy, all the stones were intact, and appeared to be well made. AND it fit ME perfectly. That did not make my daughter happy. As I write this now she is searching the house for spare coins to save up for yet another candle. And I can only hope we will get something real (even silver) and in a smaller size.

It is a gold finish, with a yellow stone similar to a citrine and small cubic zirconias on the side. All in all, it is a pretty ring-and something I can wear and enjoy. I do have a feeling however, that once I have burned this candle my daughter is going to want another one.

My opinion? While the shipping can be a bit high (depending on what option you use) The candle that I had burned well and had a pleasant scent. My ring was in good condition with no loose stones or damage. It is not a color stone I usually wear, but I am pleased with this design and it doesn't completely overwhelm my small hands. My initial experience with Diamond Candles has been a pleasant one, and I most likely will be a repeat customer when I need another candle to burn. Hopefully they will make some in tropical scents though, because I would love to have a few of those!

If you want to find out more about these candles, visit their blog, their Facebook page, twitter, or their website. You can watch some really neat videos of customers getting some nice surprises in their candles. I would have done a video, but alas, my FLIP cam froze on me last summer, and while hubby wants to trash it, I have been hoping it comes back to life ;) They will be announcing a new contest soon, so be sure to check it out!

Disclosure: I received no freebies from the company for this post-I wrote it as a paying customer, after seeing it mentioned on a couple of other blogs. The opinions above are solely my own-yours may differ.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T19:33:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to wish all of my readers a Happy Mother's Day! May you enjoy your day with family and friends-get some rest, relaxation, and maybe even a little pampering too :)

I received a marigold from my daughter, with a lovely verse on the pot that she had made at school... she also got me a keychain that says "Drive Safely Mom, I love you".
(No, I am not a crazy driver-very cautious actually-but she knows how I hate driving in the snow and freezing rain in the winter months so I am putting her keychain with my keys as a reminder that when the snow starts flying again to drive safely...)

Hubby, well, hubby does not get me anything. His theory? I am not HIS mother lol. No big deal, I don't get him anything for Father's Day either. It really doesn't bother me because we rarely exchange gifts anyway, except for the holidays-and even then it really isn't much. I'd much rather have the things I want and need throughout the year than wait until the holidays, so if I need something, or want something, he forks over the cash :)

I am still sore from another ER visit last night-stupid IV's and not being able to find a vein to draw blood from-I've got holes all over my arms and hands :( But I am fine, and that is all that matters. I just wish doctors and pharmacists would read my allergies to meds before they give me a drug for high blood pressure that is in the same family as one that I am allergic to. Looks like I gotta remind them (and I usually do!) at least 3x before they prescribe me a new med. But I am home for Mother's Day, and that is all that counts! Wishing you all a great one!

Winner of Personal Steak Themometers

2011-05-02T10:57:00.002-04:00

Apparently no one wanted these :( and there were 4 entries, one didn't put mandatory info in and the other was deleted. Leaving just 2 valid entries lol. Oh well, the prize goes to MomtoDC~ congrats and happy grilling to you! I've notified you by email, please respond within 48 hours so I can send you your prize.

Now on to find the next item to give away...

It's Viral... the infection that is.

2011-04-26T22:52:00.003-04:00

Lately I have been terrible at posting. Sometimes life and health issues have to come first, and for hubby and I that is exactly what has been going on with us since the first of the year. Geez, between dentists, doctors, emergency rooms and such for the three of us I think my copays are keeping the medical and dental professionals happy while breaking the bank here at home lol.

Geez, I forgot-the Vet was nice enough to send me a reminder card as well today. For all FOUR of the felines who are past due on shots due to me forgetting to take them. Now while they are all probably very content about that, they aren't getting out of a vet visit THAT easy. If I couldn't escape the dentist, the specialists, and the cute ER doctor then I sure as heck am not going to let them get out of getting a shot in the butt. Believe me, I have had much worse these past few months, lol.

Things went downhill quick after my dental issues around the first of the year. My daughter brought home a virus from HELL. One that she recovered from in about 3 weeks, after a bad cough and runny nose. One that sent hubby to the ER today after suffering for 3 months with the darn thing. One that has me working on a 2nd Z Pack of antibiotics for the lingering sinus infection that has caused me to resemble one of the living dead. I shit you not, I have snot coming from my eyeballs. And it burns.

So with hubby on an inhaler because his lungs think he's now asthmatic due to this upper respiratory "virus" and my drug induced antibiotic state (ok, we've got liquid Vicodin cough syrup as well-and it feels GOOD lol) I haven't felt much like writing. Or doing housework. Heck, I've stocked up on paper plates, cups and plastic cutlery for a month or two. I know, not very good for Earth Day and all-but there is NO WAY that I want to be passing this virus back and forth for the next few months.

At least I have a sense of humor, when I saw the hot doctor and he took my temperature I joked that it'd gone up because I was looking at him. Shhh... we won't tell hubby that, he just might have to find a hot nurse to compensate. So folks, that's where I have been lately, work, the doctors, work, the ER, work and in bed... you get the drift.

I am heading to bed now... enjoy your week and stay healthy!

Giveaway-Win this set of personal steak thermometers!

2011-04-13T17:33:00.006-04:00

This year has been a brutal one... dental issues, infections, food poisoning, my ongoing sinus infection and now hubby with a very bad case of bronchitis. Can I just start the year over with NO health issues??? Lol, I don't think that is possible but I really wish it were an option.

But because we are so miserable over here doesn't mean you have to be :) I really had lots of fun giving away a $10 Gift Card a few weeks ago, so I think it's time for another giveaway.

As we all know (and as we have all been waiting for) summer and BBQ season will be here soon. Now if you live in an area where you can BBQ all year round-I envy you. And if you are a grill master (or a wanna be like me lol) you know that certain people like to have their steaks done differently. I, for one, admit that I have a hard time knowing when to take those steaks off the grill because I assume everyone wants them cooked well done just like mine.

I am going to give away a helpful tool for those that need help...like me. I've got a set of four personal steak thermometers to give away to one lucky reader. I am sure these will help you cook those steaks accurately and be easy to read-AND give your family, friends, and guests the comfort of knowing that their steaks will be done the way THEY like them.

Giveaway begins today and will end at 11:59 PM EST on May 1st. Open to US/Canada. I will be mailing prize myself-please allow a couple of weeks for prize fulfillment and if there are any issues (item backordered etc...) I will contact winner by email. Winner will be selected via Random.org-I have provided the prize myself as a thank you for visiting my blog. You must have your email address either in the comment or in your profile. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email or I will select another winner.

For the first MANDATORY entry:

For your mandatory, first entry you must be a follower of my blog via GFC and tell me something you like to grill!

You can earn extra entries by doing the following- (+2 = 2 comments)

+2 Subscribe to my feed

+1 Twitter follower leave username please!

+5 Post this on any giveaway linky and let me know where, so I can check!

+2 Daily-can tweet 1x daily, leave link to tweet in post. Can use button below...

that's it! Good luck :)

Disclaimer: This item was purchased by me for my blog readers. I am an Avon Rep. and this is one of the new items coming out which I felt my readers might enjoy. Item has been ordered but if unavailable due to circumstances beyond my control, winner will be contacted and offered a substitution of equal value.

The Countdown Begins...

2011-04-05T20:05:00.003-04:00

As things wind down at work and the days get longer and warmer (lately though, that's been a joke-snow in April here in Maine!) I am waiting for my vacation and time of rest and relaxation after a very busy season. (I work about 8-9 months and then am laid off for 3-4)

This year has presented a lot of challenges at work, but without the great group of co-workers I have it would have been much harder. Sure, we all have our moments-I'd be wrong to say that every day at work was perfect-but we also help each other out and treat one another like family. Even when laid off, we usually keep in touch with one another, whether it be via Facebook, or just stopping in to say hello to those still there year round.

I'm heading back to Guatemala again during layoff. This time, for a month. While I am not looking forward to the plane ride (all the plane inspections in the news lately has me nervous) I am looking forward to heading to the Land of Eternal Spring-albeit during rainy season-to visit family and friends.

Last year, I was surprised that rainy season was dry and humid. During the 3 weeks we spent there, it only rained a few times. Hubby swears this wasn't normal, and to be prepared this year for lots of rain. Seeing his family bundled up in winter jackets, sweaters, etc... while we were walking around in shorts and tee shirts was too funny-50 degrees here in Maine is a heat wave, lol.

What I can live without... the spiders. And the mutant cockroaches. Look at the photo above of a cockroach that made it into our room one night. (hubby's family has a nice house, but these monsters come up from the sewers at night to look for food, I will bet that even the guy that lives in the mini mansion up the road has them wandering around lol)

Also, I am still not used to seeing armed guards everywhere. Considering Guatemala City has millions of inhabitants, some not so nice (it is one of the more violent countries in Central America and the world due to gangs and corruption) I understand why those guards are there, but it is still a bit unnerving. Imagine heading to Walmart CentroAmerica (HiperPaiz) for some shopping and being greeted by a guard with a BIG gun...lol. Also, I never wear a purse-you have to leave them in lockers there and I am not going to do that, even though you have a key or an ID to get your belongings later after you are done shopping. Nope, I will stuff the money in my bra the good old Guate way (just like my mother in law) and whip it out when needed. (the money, not the breast folks. But public breast feeding is VERY common over there.)

So the days are dwindling down and my luggage is filling up with gifts for family and friends. I am getting antsy, wanting the days to fly by quickly. I can almost smell the fresh made tortillas wafting in the air and see the bright colors of the market, full of delicious food and colorful textiles.

The countdown to vacation has begun...and am I ready!

Weekend with the family-

2011-04-04T22:49:00.005-04:00

I spent a lazy weekend with the grandkids and hubby watching TV and relaxing-and amazingly staying off the computer lol. I managed to get some much needed sleep over the weekend-turning 45 this past January has made me realize that a mid-afternoon cat nap is not a bad thing after all.

Even Deja thinks her mommy is old-she says when I drop her off at child care her friends whisper "Is THAT your mommy or your grandma?" Considering most of these kids have parents in their 20's and early 30's, I guess I do look pretty ancient, lol.

Look at my son and his girlfriend-TWO kids and they are only 16 and 18 themselves. Yikes, what ever happened to the teenage years? I often wonder if they will regret starting their family so young, I know if it were me, I honestly don't think I could have handled the responsibility as well as those two have. At least, now, his girlfriend is emancipated from her family and is getting her life in order.

Irregardless, I love, love, love the grandsons! Cannot wait until layoff to take them out in the nicer weather and do all sorts of fun things with them. Although they live with their parents, we see them often and help out when we can so that mom and dad get a break and can be teenagers for a little while.

I see so many teens having children, lots of teens in my neighborhood are pushing a baby carriage around the block, or stopping off at the park to play with their little ones. I often wonder if sometime these young mothers and fathers know what they are getting themselves into. I know a few of my sons friends are teen dads, and his girlfriend has more than a few friends who are new moms or pregnant moms to be. While my son has not continued on with his schooling, his girlfriend has, and is currently on the honor roll. I honestly hope that one day, when things settle down a bit-my son will graduate. I have to admit, last year he would have graduated and I was a bit nostalgic seeing his former classmates in their caps and gowns on Facebook.

Hoping for another lazy weekend relaxing soon-time goes by way too fast, and before you know it the moments spent with children and grandchildren are over as they grow up and form families of their own. For now, I am making the most of the moments I DO have and loving every minute of it!

$10 GC winner!

2011-03-31T20:42:00.002-04:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

93

Timestamp: 2011-04-01 00:35:18 UTC

It appears the winner is Sksweeps~! Congratulations :) You chose the Paypal option as your prize, so I will be contacting you shortly to confirm the email address you would like the money sent to.

I am going to be doing another giveaway soon so keep your eyes open, I like doing these gift card giveaways, its lots of fun and a great way to reward my followers :) Have a great night folks, and a great weekend!

My Experience with Food Poisoning...

2011-03-30T09:38:00.004-04:00

On Monday, my family and I decided to get some Chinese food from a local new restaurant (which shall remain nameless lol). Hubby and I had eaten from there before, and never had a problem. Until Monday that is...

We ordered ham fried rice, chicken fingers and crab rangoons. After persuading my daughter to try the rice and chicken fingers, since she really doesn't like Chinese food-I was happy to finally get her to try something new.

We ate around 5:30 and I was tired and not feeling well shortly after, and took a nap, waking around 8 pm or so. My daughter had also joined us on the bed and was watching TV. Daddy got up to go to work around 9:30-I had woken up but really couldn't move very far from the bed, my stomach hurt, my head hurt and I felt somewhat disoriented.

I told my hubby that I wasn't feeling well, and he chastised me for eating too much at supper... little did he know what was going to happen later on that night. Shortly after 10 pm he was gone, my daughter was sound asleep, and I was in pain-gut wrenching, agonizing pain in my stomach. This was no ordinary bellyache from eating too much, that I DID know.

As the hours went by the pain was worse, and was accompanied by power puking. My whole body hurt from puking so hard, and when I thought it could get no worse, on came the watery diarrhea with a vengeance. Around midnight, I noticed my daughter thrashing on the bed next to me, she was awake and holding her belly.

I knew what was next. And I was right. I ran into the kitchen for a second pail to puke in (it came so fast we could barely make it to the bathroom, so the pails were there just in case...) For the next few hours, we both took turns running to the bathroom pail in hand, in agonizing pain. Lucky for her, I had gotten a few samples awhile back of those disposable undies that kids who wet the bed wear, and though she didn't want to wear them-they came in handy when her diarrhea kicked in.

I called hubby to see how he was doing... after all, he'd eaten it as well. He seemed surprised, but said that he had an odd butterfly like feeling in his tummy but so far, no problem. As I write this, he still doesn't have a problem-one I attribute to his cast iron stomach and being Central American he can tolerate a lot more than I can stomach wise as evidenced by last years trip to Guatemala and his not getting sick eating from street vendors.

He arrived around 3 am, and by 6 am my daughter and I were begging to go to the hospital. We both ended up in the ER yesterday morning with food poisoning. Something to do with the eggs in the fried rice not being cooked thoroughly... ugh, when the doctor told us the diarrhea could last for up to 2 weeks I was not thrilled. There is absolutely NO CONTROL whatsoever and I am seriously not liking the fact that I may need to wear Depends until this settles... We did get meds for it, along with meds for the muscle spasms and I am watching to make sure we don't dehydrate as well.

I used to eat out a lot-but now may be eating more at home. At least I know how my food is prepared, and that I have cooked it long enough. As I write this, my head is pounding, and I've already failed to make it to the bathroom once. :( I am heading back to bed in a few... all these meds have made me exhausted and sleepy. I will be picking the winner of my giveaway later this evening or tomorrow-

Giveaway-Win a $10 GC to...

2011-03-14T21:47:00.007-04:00

Well, where do ya want it? Do you want Paypal? Or how about McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys, Arbys, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Dunkin Donuts, Tim Hortons, Dominos, Papa Johns? All of these places are where I live, and I am willing to pick one up for you!

Giveaway starts tonight, March 14th and will end March 28th at 11:59 PM EST. US and Canada can enter, but make sure you know that you will be getting the GC in US funds. Winner will be chosen via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my winning email before I select a new winner. Please leave a way to contact you in your comment, if I don't have an email I can't let you know you've won!

Mandatory Entry: Easy Peasy! Where do you want your gift card from?

You want extra entries? Sure ya do! Please make sure if it says +2 to leave 2 separate comments!

+1 GFC follower, current or new

+2 Subscribe to my feed

+1 Twitter follower leave username please!

+3 Post this on any giveaway linky and let me know where, so I can check!

+1 Daily-can tweet 1x daily, leave link to tweet in post. Can use button below...

+1 just nosy me wants to know, what is your fave fast food? For me, it's the McDouble at McD's with only ketchup and onions no cheese and the fries! mmmm...

Good luck! Disclosure: I am purchasing the GC with my own funds... 'nuff said :)

It's Just a Bruise... Good News After All

2011-03-09T21:28:00.004-05:00

I have been on pins and needles the past few weeks as I waited for a supposed biopsy on a strange lump on my left lower shin area. (on the outside) I went to the surgeon yesterday and he wasn't worried in the least-saying it was a bruise that may last for a long time, perhaps the fatty tissue was bruised, but it wasn't as deep as the bone-and for him to biopsy it and/or remove it would be more trouble than it was worth.

He said it will go away, but take time-considering I've had it about 4-5 months I suppose I can live with it a little longer. Whew! At least a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders and I am free to plan a trip to Central America later this year and even though it is painful and swells up at times, it is something I can live with.

My layoff should be within a month or so, work is finally winding down and although still very busy (we're a bit behind) I can tell my time of rest is coming soon! After awhile, my brain just gets fried-too much thinking and I make stupid mistakes :( lol. And I HATE making mistakes because it makes me look stupid, go figure!

But I will miss my coworkers, I have some of the best ones around. Heading to bed, have a great week and sweet dreams!

Weekly Happenings

2011-03-03T19:24:00.003-05:00

Well, readers-I go next Tuesday to the surgeon for a biopsy on my left leg. The infection I apparently had did not go away, and ultrasound showed a 1cm x 1cm solid mass there. Again, I really think I whacked it hard (lower leg, outer side, how many of us have done that, right?) on my waterbed one night as I stumbled out of bed to go to the bathroom and wasn't quite fully alert.

But because whatever it was was "nonspecific" they are going to check into it a little further. I do have to admit, it has been painful and sore, and causing swelling in the foot and ankle area(which goes down at night after rest). I know soft tissue sarcomas are rare, but you know, I am one of the rare individuals who had a mastoid operation years ago on my left ear too-so I don't discount anything nowadays.

Everyone says not to worry, but I still do. I've seen cancer via my dad (lung and skin cancer) and it's not pretty. But I also know quite a few survivors, and I have faith with the advances in medicine today and a higher power helping-if it is meant to be, then I will be fine. Hubby said I would most likely have a heart attack from the stress of waiting to find out results before I got diagnosed with anything.

Or it could be just a fatty tumor. My mom has a couple, and they can be hereditary. Whatever it is though, I want it removed! It feels like it is pressing on a nerve, and getting into the filing cabinets (standing on my tippy toes because I am so short lol) has not been a wonderful feeling as of late. Lucky for me, I have taller coworkers who are helping :)

It is hard not to dwell on things, but I am trying to think positive. I admit, it has not been easy after all the problems I have had with my teeth this year (and we are only into March!) but I am trying to look at it as all these things are happening now so I can take care of them before I head on a big plane to Guatemala for a month in June and July. (and yes, I did buy trip insurance, those tickets were too darn expensive NOT to!)

I will continue to post sporadically as I find out more info, and hope to review and give away more items soon. I ask you to hang in there with me, perhaps I will have a few quickie Avon product giveaways coming up to keep you happy this month-that I CAN do. (Avon Rep. that I am) I am also adjusting to a new computer and need to load pics on it, so there has been a lack of photos lately to go along with my posts. But once I get these health things back on track, I plan on taking lots of pics with layoff coming soon and of course the warmer weather too.

Wishing you all a great week. I will be placing an order with Avon soon, so hope to have a giveaway open by next week!

I Pledge...

2011-03-01T13:17:00.003-05:00

Boy, it's been a rough week! Yesterday, in addition to the snow coming down and horrible driving weather-four of us in the same office called in sick! (I am now paying the price, believe me!) My guess is that we all picked up something and shared it around the office, you know those lovely stomach viruses that make you sicker than a dog for 24-48 hours?

I came home from work for a quick lunch break (to make some toast, my tummy still isn't up to par) to a HORRIFIC smell. Seems one of my cats has now taken over-the bathroom floor looked terrible (he couldn't wait to get to the litterbox ew....) and he had also puked up the entire contents of his stomach too. This was so NOT the thing I wanted to spend lunch time doing, but cats are like kids-SOMEONE has to clean up after them. (and it's not hubby!)

I am still waiting for a call from the doctor about a lump I have on my leg. They had thought it was cellulitis, or even a bruise-but it hasn't gone away and it's been a few months now. I actually had emergency tests at the hospital last week to rule out DVT to make sure no blood clots lurking in any veins. Add this to my teeth troubles this year and 2011 has been a terrible year for me health wise. Hoping that it all gets better from here on, that no news is good news, and that the doctor will call me soon to let me know all is fine.

I do feel terrible, tired, overweight, and body aches and pains more than I should. I also want to be around a long, long time to enjoy watching my children and grandchildren grow up-so I guess now is the time to start thinking about eating healthier and losing weight. I don't think the journey will be an easy one at first, as I am a fast food junkie-whether it be eating out or eating at home, if it is convenient I want it! But those goodies are loaded with calories, sodium and lots of other things that are ok in moderation, or ok even to cheat once in awhile, but damaging to the body in so many other ways after years of eating that way.

So I am going to make a pledge to start eating healthier, for myself and my family. Hopefully, someone of these eating habits will also stick with them and we can enjoy a new way of healthy eating together. :) It most likely will be difficult, but I need to get this done! Wish me luck!

Random happenings over the weekend...

2011-02-20T21:05:00.006-05:00

I think I am the only one that has had a new computer in a box for about 4 years lol... I wanted to wait until my other one with Windows XP kicked the bucket (which the monitor has been doing intermittently for the past several weeks) since I heard bad things about Windows Vista, which my "new" computer currently has.

But today, I got adventurous and installed and set up the new PC within the past hour-and now have the daunting task of transferring over photos and music and all that good stuff :) And I am currently drooling over the NEXT computer I want to get, a touch screen All in One lol.

This new PC has huge screen, and I am very happy with not having to squint as I stare at the monitor this evening. It has been a very long day (actually I have been shopping until I drop all weekend) and I got a GREAT deal on Birkenstock clogs... a local salvage store got in 11,000 of these puppies last week and distributed them to their stores state wide. $100 clogs going for $19.99 had me in a tizzy, and I scooped up 6 pair (3 for me, and 3 for my 9 yr old) and am currently in Birki's heaven.

So as I get used to this PC, and add pics and music and all that-it will be a bit of a challenge since I am basically PC illiterate, but I will survive! No work for me tomorrow, so going to do more housecleaning, have the grandson for a bit, and go for yet another follow up at the dentist. (yes, MORE tooth problems!) School vacation is this week too, so Deja will be heading to childcare to have fun with her friends while mommy works and daddy sleeps. (daddy works nights) Have a great weekend everyone!

Waiting for a Prize that Never Comes...

2011-02-17T19:04:00.003-05:00

Ok, besides blogging... I love to enter blog giveaways. That being said, I will admit I have won my fair share. While the majority of these prizes come without a hitch-there are always a few that just never arrive.

Some are sponsored by smaller companies, some by larger, more well known companies. And some are even giveaways sponsored by the blogger themselves... I often do this myself. (and I am the first to admit, I am notorious for being late getting the stuff out BUT I also like to let my winners know it is coming-and if they don't receive their prize, whether sponsored by myself or by a company...I really want to know!)

That is just me, though. I figure, free is free and I guess I should be fortunate for all that I HAVE won. I usually don't contact the bloggers, because I know that they can harass the heck out of the sponsor and if the sponsor doesn't want to send it out...they won't. Of course, things can happen in transit-or could have been dropped off at the wrong address and my neighbors now have a nice gift for themselves. To be sure this wouldn't happen, I have gotten myself a postal mail box at the local UPS Store about 3 months ago. (it also hides those gifts from prying eyes!)

I can remember one poor blogger I probably made feel guilty-I'd won her first giveaway on her review blog. A $50 GC to an Etsy store that had headbands and beautiful hair candy. The sponsor contacted me, and I thought all was well-told her what I wanted and told her the date I needed it. She had several MONTHS to get it to me, as I told her to go ahead and do her paying orders first. When the time came closer to have my daughter's party last year in Central America, and emails went unanswered to the vendor-the blogger contacted her and she was told she'd had some personal issues and wasn't sure if she was going to continue selling. Well, um, she could have contacted ME to let me know this way before I had counted on her to get me my daughter's hairpiece. I would have understood even, and made other arrangements. This blogger felt so bad she actually went above and beyond and sent my daughter a little something, even though I told her that it was fine.

Since then, I really don't bother anyone. If the prizes don't come, oh well. You win some, you lose some. But I will say being a consumer I find that companies or vendors that don't follow through really don't make me happy :( I am just curious about what the rest of you do... or what you don't do. And any ideas that you have as bloggers, sponsors, vendors or giveaway enthusiasts.

Father Daughter Dance February 12th 2011

2011-02-17T18:52:00.005-05:00

I can tell already that my daughter is going to cost me big bucks. For the past several years, she's been going to the father daughter dance every February with daddy. And before she goes, she heads to the salon for a new 'do and some nail polish...

In a few years, it will be Homecoming, Sadie Hawkins, and Proms... guess I had better get used to it now, lol. (and start saving money too!)

Thought I would share a few pics with all my readers-and if you have little girls, be forewarned! lol (little boys can be pretty expensive too, with tux rentals, a limo etc...)

I've been so busy lately, not doing much of anything here except work and then coming home to more work! (and seeing the dentist on a regular basis as well, we've got another date tomorrow-not fun!) Today was warm and the snow was melting... that sun was so warm it was nice to get out at lunchtime and get a taste of what it will be like in a few short months. Enjoy the rest of the week, and if you have a long weekend (like I do!) make the best of it!

Slip Slidin' Away...

2011-02-07T21:25:00.004-05:00

Lately, I feel as though I have seen more of my dentist than my husband. Yes, another emergency trip to the dentist this past Thursday after a piece of food got into Extraction #3 and it started healing over... causing my jaw to get infected.

According to what my dentist mentioned today, I was not far away from being in BIG TROUBLE. Not a good sign. However, after a trip to the local emergency room and IV antibiotics coursing through my veins, along with some antibiotic pills and a few Vicodin mixed in for good measure, all seems to be well.

So I am alive, and sitting here checking out other blogs when the house shook. Even the cats ran for cover. (underneath MY chair of course) My initial thought was that the furnace blew up. But considering I just paid a fortune for a way overdue cleaning and service plan I knew that wasn't the issue. My next concern was that the roof caved in upstairs. My roof is saltbox style, and metal, so with these warmer temperatures these past few days things have been warming up and moving. And sliding...

I quickly ran to the back porch and noticed that the huge icicles had fallen off the porch and that a HUGE ice piece had also come down. Last night, it was sliding off but seemed to stop mid way, the photo above will show you just how darn thick that ice was... now it's off, and I can walk around the kitchen without worrying that the roof is going to come down on me. (hubby had tried to get it off, but due to the extreme cold, it was frozen solid-and anything sharp on a metal roof is not a good thing)

Also, for your viewing pleasure check out the snow we had last week :) I can't even imagine what Spring rains and snow melt is going to do in the Northeast, but I am predicting lots of flooding :(

CSN Stores Giveaway Winner!

2011-02-02T21:26:00.002-05:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

49

Timestamp: 2011-02-03 02:20:24 UTC

and that means that The Crave to Save is our winner! Congrats! I will be contacting you via email in a few :)

hoping to have more giveaways lined up soon, work has been busy and I've been dealing with some minor health issues so bear with me! Wishing you all a winning week and hoping that this snow and cold goes away soon, it has been a terrible winter here in the Northeast and many other spots all over the country.

EdenFantasys Winner!

2011-02-02T21:12:00.002-05:00

Random.org has selected BuzzVibe as the winner, lucky comment #17!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

17

Timestamp: 2011-02-03 02:10:14 UTC

congrats! off to email you in a few :)

More Tooth Troubles!

2011-02-01T23:23:00.003-05:00

Sorry I have been nonexistent as far as posting goes the last few weeks. Between work being crazy and family life, I have had yet another tooth removed due to a raging infection in my mouth...

This one, a lower molar right behind the one that was previously removed at the beginning of the month. That makes THREE teeth out in the the month of January alone-clearly my 2011 is NOT off to a good start!

Strange thing is, I've always practiced good oral health. Sure, I had cavities as a kid and had all my fillings done, but recent dental visits didn't show any major concerns. With my private dental insurance through work, I made sure that myself and other family members went to the twice yearly cleanings and got any work done that was needed as early as possible.

A couple years back, my regular dentist retired and I went to a new dentist. While there, they noticed a small cavity but after taking extensive xrays (which he overcharged for of course!) there was no mention of anything else going on. Then I got a cleaning from a woman who was brutal. It was the initial cleaning with this dentist, and this woman was evaluating my gums while telling me that my previous dentist had done a shitty job with my teeth. It felt like she was literally pulling my gums away from my teeth and going way down deep into the pockets to do her evaluations and boy, did I bleed!

Hubby had the same thing done, and for months afterward we felt that our teeth did not feel "clean", like food seemed to stick to them more easily and that they had a film on them which wouldn't come off even with persistent brushing. I thought it was just me, but when I mentioned it he was surprised because he was feeling the same thing.

We ended up going to Guatemala in the summer of 2010 and one of my teeth fractured, badly, while there. I managed to get a repair done, and was really nervous about heading back to this dentist. Even more so after hearing stories from other people I know about their own treatment. After the temporary repair fell out a few months later, I was due for a cleaning with the dentist. I was hesitant, but went in. The girl who did my teeth was nice, and did another temporary repair for me-and she wasn't as brutal as the first woman either. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone wrong with my teeth after my first visit and this extensive cleaning and poking. I began to wonder if her prodding around in those pockets under my gums actually caused bacteria to form and mess my teeth up. The area she said was the worst was the area in the bottom molar region, where the fracture occurred and where I have now had not one, but THREE extractions in a month.

I ended up switching my family to a new dentist, but because the old dentist had overcharged, I had to wait for new xrays as my insurance would not pay for them. I had planned on going in when my tax refund came in this year and getting those xrays done and switching over to the new dentist, which my husband and daughter seemed to like. Unfortunately, my first visit with him was for two emergency extractions-one for the fractured tooth from this past summer and another one on the other side which was giving me the most horrific pain I have ever been in. (other than labor of course) Both were infected, and needed to come out. I had a leg infection as well, and we both think that the infection may have been caused by these tooth issues.

So out they came. I was fine on the left side (where the fractured tooth had come out) but still pretty tender on the other side where the infected tooth had been. A post op follow up and another round of antibiotics made me feel better a week later, but last week it started getting tender again on the bottom right side. Soon, I began to feel a bubble on my gums and swelling around the tooth directly behind the one that had been extracted 2 weeks earlier. NOT good.

Before it got really bad, (it had woken me up a couple times this past Sunday)I made the call to the dentist and he advised me to come in right away. Sure enough, another emergency extraction was in the works. Pulling infected teeth is no fun, for anyone involved. The dentist gave me the max amount of numbing agent and pulled quickly, with little pain. Today my gum is highly swollen and very ugly looking, even in the area of my previous extraction. I hope that the swelling will go down in the near future and that this infection will stop, and that my remaining teeth will stay in my head for some time to come.

I've been a bit under the weather with all these antibiotics, and just feeling completely blah after having so much done to my teeth these past few weeks. And of course, I am wondering if perhaps that deep cleaning was the cause of all this. Or maybe just my age, getting older is no picnic in the park either. Thanks to all of you who are still following and bearing with me! :)

EdenFantasys Celebrate Valentines Day with Romance... GC Giveaway!

2011-01-16T10:38:00.004-05:00

As you probably remember from my previous posts, I had 2 emergency tooth extractions and just haven't been feeling very romantic lately. Poor hubby was kind of disappointed that our 13th wedding anniversary earlier this week and my birthday yesterday weren't the usual romantic moments that we like to celebrate each year. But he totally understood-he's seen how miserable I have been these past few weeks and knows that with Valentine's Day coming up, we've got another chance to celebrate!

But even with Valentine's Day arriving soon, you really don't need to have a special occasion to celebrate. EdenFantasys has plenty of goodies to keep you busy for a long, long time! I have to admit, hubby and I love gag gifts and this past year we had a gift swap in Guatemala with his relatives and placed a couple of gag gifts along with local gift certificates into the mix and it certainly broke the ice. The funniest part was when his dad received one of the gifts and hubby's aunt wanted that gift for herself, but my mother in law took it away quickly and brought it to their room...hmmm... guess you are NEVER too old, lol.

And if you love a good massage, you've got to check out the Shunga Massage candle, it's a great way to soften your skin and pamper yourself a bit as well. I absolutely love a massage, and try to get one whenever I can since a deep tissue massage loosens those tense muscles and is definitely relaxing.

While EdenFantasys is an adult oriented site they do have lots of other things too. Take a look at this cute chemise which is perfect for Valentine's Day!

The site is easy to navigate, and they often have special promotions such as free gifts with your order and free shipping after spending a certain amount. You can even create a wish list and read reviews or review your own products. You can even get expert help if you need it. Whether you are shopping for Valentine's Day, your honeymoon, a fun gift, or just because, EdenFantasys has got you covered!

Now for the giveaway: Giveaway starts today and ends at 11:59 PM EST on Feb. 1st. Open to US only, you can win a $50 GC to EdenFantasys! The code will be emailed to the winner, so make sure that you leave an email address in your comment or have it in your profile. You must respond to the winning email within 48 hours or I will have to select another winner. Winner to be chosen by Random.org.

Keep in mind that this in an ADULT oriented site and if you are offended by adult content please be aware that you will see adult items onsite. If you want to enter, you may want to wait until the kiddos are asleep ;) (or not looking over your shoulder!)

Your first Mandatory entry is easy: you can tell me what you have planned for Valentine's Day OR go to the EdenFantasys site and tell me something you like!

If you want extra chances to win you can do the following: (separate comment for each, if +2 then 2 comments)

+1 GFC follower, current or new

+2 Subscribe to my feed

+1 Twitter follower leave username please!

+10 Purchase any item from EdenFantasys and leave me the order # as confirmation

+3 Post this on any giveaway linky and let me know where, so I can check!

+1 Enter another current giveaway I have going on right now.

+1 Daily-can tweet 1x daily, leave link to tweet in post. Can use button below...

So there you go, all the ways you can enter! Good luck!

Disclosure: I was offered a GC from EdenFantasys for writing this post, and offered a similar GC for one of my readers as a giveaway item. Any opinions on this post are mine based on my own past experience with EdenFantasys.

CSN Stores, New Year Giveaway!

2011-01-16T08:28:00.010-05:00

What a way to ring in 2011, with an awesome giveaway from CSN Stores!

As a CSN Store Preferred Blogger, I am able to tell all my readers about the wonderful items they have in their 200+ stores and provide you all with great giveaways too! I myself have purchased several items from CSN Stores, and have been very pleased with quality, shipment and delivery. (I am loving the new lights I got for my home that were on sale :)

Here in Maine, the snow has been flying and the cold weather prevails, but I am longing for the warmer weather and the chance to get outside. One of my favorite things to do is sit outside on the porch and relax. (minus the spiders and biting insects of course!)
And I dream of sitting comfortably in a round chair with a nice cold drink on the table next to me and a good book in my hands.

Yesterday was my birthday, and instead of sun, we had snow :( Granted, it was just a dusting and enough to make the roads greasy-but definitely not a welcome sight after the huge storms we have had recently, leaving 12" PLUS in our area both times.

But it's times like these that I can plan ahead, dreaming for the warmer months, and start thinking about outdoor projects, our garden, and some new modern furniture for my home. CSN Stores helps me fulfill quite a few of these dreams, as I "window shop" online for new goodies I want to buy. Now, it's time to think about what YOU want to buy. Because CSN Stores has graciously offered me another $55 GC for one of my readers! Hmmm, I knew that would get your attention!

This giveaway starts today, and continues until 11:59 PM EST on February 1st. It is open to US AND Canada as well, so if you live in one of these countries, by all means, enter away! Winner will be notified by email (so make sure you leave it in your comment, or have it on your profile) and has 48 hours to respond to the winning email so that I can forward your gift code to you.

One very important rule: Please do not comment on the CSN Stores Facebook page, you will receive an extra entry for being their Facebook friend/fan, but no comment is needed on their page in order to earn that entry.

I am going to make the first, mandatory easy peasy! Tell me something you are looking forward to doing this summer! I will most likely be heading back to Guatemala for a month or so, in June and July-but I'm nosy and like to hear what other people have planned.

Now that you've told me your summer plans, here are the optional entries you can earn: (leave a separate comment for each one, if it says +2 make it 2 comments)

+1 if a NEW follower of mine via GFC

+2 if an OLD current follower of mine via GFC

+1 follow me on twitter micaela6955 and leave your username so I can check!

+1 tweet this giveaway, can be done DAILY, you can use the button on the bottom and don't forget to leave me a link to your tweet in the comment~

+1 enter another current giveaway of mine

+1 follow CSN Stores on twitter & leave your username on twitter

+1 like CSN Stores on Facebook (no need to leave a comment on their wall, please!)

+2 subscribe to my feed

+3 grab my button for your sidebar, or add me to your blog roll (let me know where to find it!)

+3 Add this to any giveaway linky, and let me know where so I can check it out!

Lots of ways to earn some extra entries if you want! So, let the giveaway begin :)

Disclaimer: I was contacted by CSN Stores and offered the chance to do a review or giveaway for my readers. I chose the giveaway and did not receive any additional financial compensation for this post other than the gift code to be given to the winner. The opinions on CSN Stores are mine, based on my past experiences with them.

NuWave Oven Winner!

2011-01-16T08:10:00.002-05:00

The winning comment: hondaray6 said...

tweeted today
http://twitter.com/hondaray6/status/19047384684167169
December 26, 2010 10:13 AM

as chosen by Random.org this morning Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

56

Timestamp: 2011-01-16 13:00:42 UTC

Congrats! I will be contacting you very soon to work out the details! And for the rest of you, don't give up! I have another CSN Stores GC coming and Eden Fantasys GC (perfect for Valentine's Day) coming right up!

Tooth Update

2011-01-09T09:20:00.002-05:00

Well, last week-I left work early and ended up having an emergency appointment at the dentist. It was either that, or the Emergency Room. My face had started to swell up and things were not going too well.

I am still in some pain, but a different type of pain now. My visit to the dentist this past Wednesday resulted in a double extraction of TWO infected bottom teeth, one on each side. Oh the joy! For someone who had never had an extraction, it was NOT a fun experience-but, I really didn't feel anything. My dentist was wonderful and gave me enough numbing meds so that other than the few cracks and pops I could hear, I didn't have any pain during the procedure.

And to think, I went to the dentist hoping to get an antibiotic to heal the infection and then worry about extractions after the infections were gone. No such luck here, but as the dentist said, I would start to feel better and he was right. Sure, my mouth is still sore, and I am having a hard time eating some stuff and getting accustomed to my two open spaces but in time the area will heal over and I will be able to think about options available to me as far as bridges, replacements, etc... go.

Sorry I have been absent as of late, the antibiotics have been making me SO sleepy! Wishing all my readers a wonderful week ahead :)

Oh My Aching Tooth!

2011-01-04T19:06:00.002-05:00

I just knew I shouldn't have eaten those peanuts that my mom got me for Christmas. But there they were, calling me from the sealed bag late one evening. I gave in to the temptation, and think those darn peanuts are partly responsible for the tooth pain I have been having these past couple of days.

See, the pain started AFTER I ate the peanuts. Now it could be a coincidence and all, but I can't help thinking that one of those little peanut pieces has lodged into my gums and found a new home while hiding from the toothbrush.

All my wisdom teeth came in years ago, and I basically have had no problems with them. Sure, once in awhile things get tender in the rear of my mouth-but it's nothing major. Maybe a little sensitive or sore to the touch, but nothing like what I have experiencing the past few days.

At first, when the pain arrived, I was sure it was a cavity I know I needed to have filled on my upper right side. A recent visit to the dentist indicated a small cavity near a filling, so I thought the filling must have come out, causing the pain. My cheek hurt, my top gums hurt, and even the bottom was tender. Today, a quick look in the mirror shows me the culprit... the right rear wisdom tooth appears to have swollen gums and a white abscess in the back. Of course, with the pain shooting in all directions, I had no clue that it was this until I actually got hubby to peer in my mouth and tell me to check it out.

Last night was rough-I curled up in a ball and cried myself to sleep. I tried to concentrate on other things, spending time online for a bit and even watching AC360 and the smiling face of Anderson Cooper, but the stabbing, throbbing pain prevented me from doing so. Sleep came fitfully, tossing and turning I woke up at least 10 times in pain as my cat (who always seems to sense when I am sick) nudged against me and remained by my side all night.

I get to see the dentist for an emergency appointment....next Tuesday. In the meantime, I am borrowing hubby's 800mg Ibuprofen so I can get through the day. I am hoping that the inflammation will go down and the pressure will be relieved. Knowing my luck, by the time I get to see the dentist, I will be feeling just fine.

I am terrified of dentists, I don't know why-I mean, when I was younger, I disliked going to them but never really had an issue with getting dental work done. But now, as I am older, I have developed some sort of insane fear of going to the dentist. My teeth are MUCH more sensitive now that I am older, perhaps that is why.

So here I sit and wait, tired from my Ibuprofen fix, trying to keep the pain at bay by thinking about other things, reading blogs, and writing in my own. And hoping that sleep will come easier tonight...

Holidays 2010

2011-01-02T20:27:00.007-05:00

I wasn't so sure I was going to have a Christmas tree this year-the holidays seemed to come so fast and our plans to go and get a tree always got sidelined by some other urgent thing we had to do.

About a week before Christmas, hubby decided we'd go out and get a tree. We went to our local spot where we get a tree each year and ended up with a $10 tree, affordable and pretty when dressed up with ornaments. Usually the tree we get ends up costing more, but it is also up right after Thanksgiving as well.

Then I wondered where on Earth we were going to put it this year. Our living room is crowded with all kinds of stuff, since hubby has been wanting to re-do the flooring and put wood laminate in instead of the nasty carpet we have now. Our usual spot for the tree was occupied by some boxes and a recliner, so that was definitely out.

I said, well, we could put it in the kitchen... and there it went. It actually wasn't bad, because the cats lounged under the tree during the day and the mess from the pine needles was easier to clean up too. Plus we all just sat at the table and on the floor and opened our gifts-and I didn't worry about paper flying or stuff falling, because my floor is much easier to clean than carpet.

My little grandsons came over and boy was little Demetrio excited to start opening presents! As Deja was opening her gifts he kept trying to "help" her by ripping the paper off and smiling widely as she revealed her gifts. Since my house is a work in progress, I am a little embarrassed about the 50's style kitchen cabinets we have-I absolutely HATE them, but hubby keeps telling me that good things come to those that wait. So I have been waiting ... lol. Considering it's been a few years now, he is either waiting to win the lottery or hoping they will up the credit limit on his Home Depot Card.

Wishing all my readers a wonderful New Year-and thanks for visiting! Don't forget to enter my giveaway for the NuWave oven either, it's ending in a couple weeks!

In the midst of the blizzard of 2010...

2011-01-02T20:21:00.003-05:00

Thought you all would enjoy some pics from my front door during the wonderful blizzard of 2010. Thankfully, some of that snow has melted due to the warmer temps and rain we have had the last few days. And boy, am I glad!

I took a bit of a holiday break from blogging, spending time with family and getting online every once in awhile. But the blizzard was definitely exciting, and I am glad to say we did not lose power once! (but snowblowing is so NOT fun, and lucky for me hubby was home to do it.)

So here is how it was in Central Maine during the blizzard, check out the pics above!

Book Review: Aurora Fee

2010-12-20T17:02:00.000-05:00

I was given the opportunity to review Aurora Fee by Parent Reviewers. (as you can see, my cat Stubby was a bit attracted to the book as well...)

First, I will tell you all that my favorite genre of book is horror, supernatural, mystery etc... so when I saw that Aurora Fee was actually about a teenager who was part human and part cat, I knew that this sort of read would be right up my alley.

Aurora Fee has lived a long, long time. She has experienced sadness as well as happiness in the many years that she has lived, but like any teen, yearns for her one true love. Sometimes love brings danger, and sadness too-something Aurora knows all too well.

Because she looks different, with her cat like qualities-some people are frightened by her. Others are totally entranced. She never stays in one place too long, it is just too dangerous. Besides, after her emotions cause her to morph and grow cat ears, whiskers, or even a tail... people start to get suspicious.

Aurora Fee struggles with the normal teenage emotions, but never wants to get too close to anyone. Those she does get close to face grave danger as her past comes back to haunt her.

I read the book in two nights, curious to find out if Aurora Fee finds true love, while dealing with events and individuals that have returned from her past to torment her. Even listening to her inner voice can be a danger, as she later finds out.

Without spoiling the story for those who want to read it, I will say that I enjoyed this book. It is a book I would let my 9 year old read, because it is not filled with raunchy words or descriptive sex scenes. (I can read those in my own horror books, but my 9 year old will have to wait quite a few years for that!)

Aurora suffers from normal teen feelings, wanting to be loved, and of course, the fear of being different. Something we all can relate to in one way or another. I was surprised to see that the writer of this book is only a teen herself, I think she did a great job and had a great handle on the emotions and experiences that teens face on a daily basis. This is a good book for a tween and/or teen to read, and fits the young adult paranormal genre perfectly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review Aurora Fee :)

Disclosure: I was provided a copy of the book free of charge in order to give my opinion on it. The review above is based on my own thoughts and opinions in regard to the book, others may have their own views.

Deja's 9th Birthday Party December 11, 2010

2010-12-18T17:37:00.010-05:00

Last weekend was Deja's 9th birthday party, and we decided to have it at the local bowling alley Sparetime Recreation . We had a great time, and the party was very affordable! Deja had invited her whole class but about 7-8 kids showed up.

For $13.00 each, the children get to bowl for two hours plus each get 2 pieces of pizza and french fries along with unlimited pitchers of soft drinks. We had several adults stay as well, and I ordered three extra pizzas so everyone would have something to eat. Daddy was also happy because they served beer :)

The great things was that it was indoors (out of the cold, the winter months in Maine are horrible for birthday parties) all I had to bring was the cake, and I didn't even have to clean up! Each child that attended also got a coupon for a free string of bowling as well. We had fun with the goody bags, and I included a couple of special items in 2 of the bags. If the child had one of those items, they got a special prize as well (which in this case was a $5.00 GC to McDonald's) The kids seemed to like it and all were excited about the contents of candy and toys in their bags.

Hubby and I loved the combination pizza, OMG it was SO good! Hubby said we are definitely going back to the bowling alley soon for another one. (hmmm... I want to try their nachos!) If you live in Maine, there are 3 locations: Waterville, Augusta and Lewiston. It is definitely worth checking out. The total for us, not including beer lol... was about $160.00 for the kids meals, bowling, AND additional pizzas ordered. Not a bad deal at all. Plus Deja got to bring home a keepsake of the party, a bowling pin that was autographed by all that attended. She's already asking to go back next year!

**For those wondering about Deja's custom birthday shirt, I had it made by Curious Georgia on Etsy, the shop owner worked with me and with what Deja wanted to create a great tee shirt that she can wear not just on her birthday, but every day! Pay her shop a visit to see if there is something you might like for your little ones...

General Mills Big G Cereals Movie Night Prize Winner

2010-12-17T21:32:00.002-05:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

52

Timestamp: 2010-12-18 02:21:24 UTC

Congrats goes out to slb3334! I am off to email you now :) Thanks for entering everyone, and be sure to enter my NuWave Oven giveaway below!

It's a NuWave Oven Giveaway!

2010-12-15T18:00:00.004-05:00

Well dear readers, I have an AWESOME surprise for you today! After seeing my review of the NuWave oven that I did yesterday, the company has generously offered a giveaway here on my blog! That means one of you will be lucky enough to win a NuWave oven of your own!

I have to tell you all that the couple of times we have used the oven, it has worked just great. Hubby used it today at lunch time to cook up some pork chops, and he said they were juicy, and delicious. I don't know about you, but one thing I worry about when cooking meat is whether I will overcook it and it will end up drying out and be as tough as a piece of old leather. And as we both know, a shriveled piece of leathery looking meat is neither appetizing nor appealing-in my house, it ends up in the trash because even the cats won't touch it. The steak we had yesterday was juicy, but NOT greasy-just the way I like it. I could almost feel the cholesterol leaving my body, lol.

The oven comes with a DVD, cookbook, and a laminated card which helps you pick the right time and temperature to cook your food. I keep the laminated card right near my oven, and plan to use it a few times until I finally get the hang of cooking in the oven. My oven came with a bonus pizza set as well, which was pretty neat since we eat lots of pizza here in my house. Now, rather than ordering out I will be able to make my own versions of a healthier pizza right in my NuWave oven. If hubby lets me, I might bring it in to our next potluck dinner at work and cook a whole chicken in it to show my co-workers how NuWave cooking can be fun and show them how easy it is to use it. The great thing is that we can continue working and not worry about it, the NuWave will let us know when its time to turn the chicken over and when it is finally ready for eating :)

I am very pleased to be able to offer one of my lucky readers a NuWave oven of their own! These ovens retail for over a hundred dollars, and one of you will receive it for FREE! Yay! Below please find all the info you need in order to enter to win...

Giveaway begins today 12-15-10 and ends on my birthday 1-15-11 at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be selected via Random.org and notified by email-I will need winner to confirm with a physical address & phone number for shipping purposes in 48 hours or I will have to select another winner. Giveaway is limited to US only. You MUST leave your email in your comment or have it visible on your profile so that I can contact you.

For your first MANDATORY entry there are TWO things you must do: 1. Be a blog follower via GFC AND 2. Visit the sponsors website and tell me something you learned about the oven. (hint, check out their FAQS page)

You can earn extra entries too! Check out how below: (+2 equals 2 separate comments)

+1 easy peasy, tell me what you would make in your NuWave oven!

+3 Add my button to your sidebar or add me to your blog roll

+5 Add me to any giveaway linky, let me know where in your comment, unlimited

+1 tweet this giveaway, leave link in your comment, can do this once daily

+1 Follow me on twitter micaela6955

+10 Blog about this giveaway on your blog and leave a link to your post

Have fun, and Happy Holidays! Good luck to all those entering, I just know whoever wins it will love it!

NuWave Oven Review

2010-12-14T18:38:00.009-05:00

Early one morning last week I heard my husband come home and turn on the TV as he settled down in bed next to me. I had to work in a couple of hours, and really didn't want to be bothered by the light shining from the TV but I figured if it was keeping him entertained... then so be it.

But instead of the normal "guy" stuff he usually watches (boxing, old Westerns, action flicks...) I was hearing some infomercial talk about something called a NuWave oven. This was NOT good. If my husband was keeping the channel on long enough to sit through an infomercial, something was telling me I had better have my wallet out. (or at least a major credit card)

I do NOT buy things from infomercials, I hate the inflated shipping charges and the fact that it might NOT do what it's supposed to. I opened an eye and glanced over at him... the poor man was salivating watching the foods cooking in this oven. I calmly told him to turn off the TV and go get himself a bowl of cereal and milk.

All week the man did NOT shut up. I have to admit, he kept that infomercial on WAY too long and interrupted my minimum 8 hours nightly beauty sleep. For that I was NOT pleased. But that did not stop him from talking about the NuWave oven and all its cooking goodness-nope, it made him even want the darn thing MORE...

Finally, I gave in and started researching it online. Checking out the good and the bad. Trying to make an informed decision, as any smart consumer would. But I was determined not to pay shipping or give out any information to anyone over the phone. Knowing that "Seen on TV" products can sometime be found in regular stores, I knew I'd hit paydirt when someone mentioned they had gotten theirs at Kohl's.

Ah Ha! And I just happened to have a new Kohl's card that needed breaking in. First, I checked online to no avail. No NuWave oven on the website that I could find. Then I called the store. When the friendly associate confirmed that they indeed had them in stock, I knew what was going to happen next. My husband, rubbing his hands together and grinning like an evil scientist plotting the end of the world announced that as soon as our daughter's birthday party was over we were heading to the nearest Kohl's.

This was a battle I knew I had lost. So off we went this past Saturday in search of a NuWave oven. My husband, who has been to Kohl's all of four times, apparently had some sort of radar or something-as he made a bee line to the exact spot where these ovens were located with no assistance. Eagerly he picked up a box and began walking at a good clip to the checkout area. My daughter and I hurried after him, trying to catch up.

Once we got the NuWave oven home, he lovingly laid the box on top of the stove and waited for me to do something. I did do something, I ordered takeout. I made him suffer a few days, until today. For when I came home tonight, I was greeted to the sight of my NuWave oven cooking steak and baked potatoes. By golly, he'd even mopped the entire kitchen floor to get on my good side.

By now, I am sure you will want to know how the food tasted. Amazingly, it was good. The thing worked. It was neat seeing the grease dripping off the steaks and knowing that I was going to be eating a bit healthier tonight, and it is much better than pan frying up a steak for sure. The potatoes were good too, and crunchy, not soggy in the least. The house didn't fill with smoke, and clean up (which hubby ALSO did) was a breeze. Cooking was quick as well, with the NuWave oven using convection, infrared and conduction combined I was surprised at how fast the food cooked.

I am anxious now to try a few other things in it, such as a roast, pizza, whole chicken, etc... While the oven is around $120 or so, I got it for a little under a hundred using Kohl's cash and the percent off coupons they have been sending out lately. So far, I am satisfied with my purchase and hope to continue using it to create more great meals for the family in less time-especially since my full time job has been crazy these past couple of months. A NuWave oven would make a great holiday gift, for yourself or a family member :) I think hubby has already gotten me my gift, lol! (we'd just finished cooking in it, hence the steam on the inside in the photo)

Disclaimer: I was not provided with anything from the company for this review, this was done to let others know about a product I bought and paid for myself and my own experience with it. Your own opinions or experiences may differ.

CSN Store Winner!

2010-12-08T19:30:00.003-05:00

I would have posted earlier, but I am so NOT feeling it. Stayed home today with a cold, which has become a sinus infection. The doctor couldn't see me today, so I am off to work tomorrow with the help of Tylenol Cold and Sinus. I just can't miss another day... we are so behind, and I feel so guilty whenever I am out. But working while your head is in a funk... well, that is not always fun either. Two of my co-workers have health issues, and when they get sick, they REALLY get sick. And can be out for a week or so. Another reason for me not to be there today.

Now to the announcement you've been waiting for... the winner of the CSN Store GC! Per Random.org the winner is...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

216

Timestamp: 2010-12-09 00:26:46 UTC

which is Gina from The Crave to Save blog! Congratulations! I will be emailing you in a few to confirm delivery of your prize :) Don't forget to enter my Big G Cereals and movie tickets giveaway!

Yum! You Know You Want Some...

2010-12-07T23:02:00.003-05:00

I actually ate this last night... No, it's not ice cream but more of a cream and brownie sundae. I definitely needed the chocolate and sweet goodness after a busy week of work.

Today my daughter turned 9, it is amazing how time flies by so quickly. At first, they are babes in arms, then crawling around as inquisitive toddlers, then becoming independent tweens, then teenagers, and before you know it... they are all grown up!

My son will be 18 on the 16th, eek! He's going to be an ADULT.... lol, now that may mean he is legally one, but he doesn't ACT like one yet-big difference! He's assumed a lot of responsibility being a teen dad of TWO little boys, which is not easy when you and your significant other are also still children yourselves. But they have done well, and I am proud of them for the steps they have taken so far.

Here in Maine, it has been cold and snowy. I am SO over it-heck, I want those 80 degree temperatures and sunshine back! Work has been super busy, as expected-but we did have a fun cookie and ornament swap today that broke up some of the day to day routine and made things fun.

Lastly, I have been suffering with a head cold. Hoping to get over it by the weekend for my daughter's party AND hoping to not share the love and give it to her BEFORE her party! The last thing I want is for her to be sick on her special day with family and friends...

Well readers, I will be choosing sometime tomorrow for my winner for the CSN Stores prize. Good luck to you all and keep entering! Until 11:59 PM EST that is. Don't forget to enter my other giveaway, you can win some yummy General Mills cereal and some movie tickets. Enjoy the week! I will post the winner tomorrow evening.

Win a movie night prize pack!

2010-12-01T22:31:00.006-05:00

Now that the craziness of Thanksgiving is over, I finally have had the chance to relax a bit. Work is still crazy, but 'Tis the Season, as they say...

One thing I love to do is sit back and relax in the morning with a bowl of cereal and glass of milk. (I will let you all in on a secret, I have NEVER eaten cereal in a bowl with milk-I eat it dry, by the handful, straight out of the box with a nice cold glass of milk on the side) One of my FAVORITE cereals from my childhood has been Lucky Charms, OMG I could eat a whole box if they'd let me, lol.

When I was contacted by My Blog Spark and asked if I wanted to do a giveaway for a couple of boxes of General Mills Big G cereals AND movie tickets to boot, I jumped right on it. If you haven't seen the specially marked packages in your stores yet, be sure to look for them. By purchasing specially marked packages of Big G cereal and entering the codes from two boxes you can earn a free movie ticket! Considering going to the movies can be pretty pricey nowadays, this is a great bargain-even sweeter if you have coupons for the cereal or find it on sale!

I received two boxes of the specially marked packages of Big G cereal and four movie passes, which is great since my daughter has been begging me to take her and a friend to the movies. She will get in free next week on her birthday, so these tickets will come in super handy!

So here are some important things to remember: Starting this month, you can receive a free movie ticket when you purchase two specially marked packages of Big G cereals including Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.), Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (17 oz.), Lucky Charms® (16 oz.), Trix® (14.8 oz) and Reese’s Puffs® cereal (18 oz.)
After purchasing two participating cereals, visit generalmills.com/moviecash to enter the unique code found inside each box of cereal and print your free Movie Cash certificate (good for one admission of up to a $12 value at participating theatres). To find a participating theater in your area, log onto emoviecash.com/dis_locator.

I'm pleased to say that I am able to provide one of my readers with the same prize package I received: 2 boxes of cereal and four Movie Cash certificates. This giveaway is for US residents only and will end December 16, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST. Winner will be chosen via Random.org and have 48 hours to respond to winning email. Please leave a way to contact you in your comments or via your profile, so I can contact you if you win.

For your first, MANDATORY entry tell me: Which cereals are you looking forward to purchasing to earn e-movie cash? For me, it would most definitely be Lucky Charms!

Additional entries as follows: (if it says +2 leave me two comments)

+1 Follow me on twitter micaela6955
+1 Tweet this giveaway, leave link in comment-Add #myblogspark hashtag, daily :)
+3 Add my button to your sidebar or add me to your blog roll
+5 Add me to any giveaway linky, let me know where in your comment, unlimited
+1 Something easy, tell me your favorite breakfast cereal :)

Disclosure: The information and giveaway above were all given to me from General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T18:33:00.003-05:00

Wishing all of my readers and their families a Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your day with friends and family... cherish the moment and take delight in the wonderful food and desserts on the table.

If heading out shopping later this evening, hope you get all the great deals you want-be careful, and cautious. Here in Maine, it is supposed to be a bit on the wintry side with freezing rain and snow so I will be staying home. (hubby and my son are going out, grandbabies and Deja with me) I'm happy, I was able to snag a Blu Ray DVD player from Best Buy with built in WiFi for under a hundred bucks online earlier today-which is all I really wanted for the family in the first place. (with our Netflix subscription and so many movies streaming now, it made sense to get the most out of Netflix) Still got a bit more shopping to do, but I should be all caught up in the next week or so.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hottest Holiday Toys in 2010

2010-11-20T19:21:00.002-05:00

Check out the Hottest Holiday Toys in 2010 as posted by Mamanista (check out the link at the top of my right sidebar)or just click HERE

I can see my daughter with the Corolle Doll and the Fashion Designer toys this Christmas and my little grandsons snuggling up with the Zoobie Pets and playing with the Oball Rattle with its neat shape.

I'm sure you will find something you enjoy for your little ones, and you can even take a chance and see if you win one! Check out the giveaways too, and good luck!

I Won The Bad Mommy Award Today

2010-11-20T16:50:00.002-05:00

My daughter had her ears pierced when she was two months old. She didn't cry then. But today, well, it was a whole different story.

When she was a toddler, she started yanking on her ears... ALOT. Scared that she might pull out an earring, hubby and I made the decision to take them out until she was older and ready to care for her earrings and her ears herself. The last thing I wanted was my daughter ripping an earring out, or worse, getting one loose and then putting the earring or backing in her mouth and swallowing it.

But as she began noticing her friends cute earrings, she kept mentioning how she wanted to have them in again. A few times, hubby laid her across his lap, soaked an earring in alcohol, and went to work-thinking the hole would magically reopen and the earring would find its way in pain free. Sure, he got them through both times-but it was not pain free and after a day or so my daughter wanted them out.

She's been mentioning earrings again, and I knew if daddy heard this it would be a repeat performance of the other two disasters a few years before. So, when I went to get my hair done today I mentioned to Deja that she could have her hair cut and if she wanted, her ears pierced. She knows my hairdresser, and she trusts her. I've known her myself since I was Deja's age and know that by piercing her ears again with a licensed cosmetologist, using the very quick procedure they have, that it would be much better than forcing an earring through a hole that had already long closed up.

At first she was hesitant, and then she started protesting and crying, squirming etc... as my friend got the stuff ready. My mother thankfully was there and was holding her hand and trying to calm her down. Before the procedure took place, I had to go and compose myself in the bathroom as I had started bawling too, and didn't want her to see me upset. By the time I'd left the bathroom, it was done. She was crying and howling, and saying it hurt. But when I asked her which way hurt worse, daddy's way or this way, she agreed daddy's way was the worst. She was so upset she even threw the $20 (bribe money for being a terrible mommy) I handed her after the procedure was done right back at me and told me to keep it. Clearly, she was pissed. (I mean, what almost 9 year old is gonna throw $20 back in your face unless they are pretty darn upset...)

She's in a better mood now... and I assume she will be asking for the $20 soon and reminding me of the American Girl doll I promised to buy her if she'd please just be quiet. She said it did hurt, but now it feels okay and knowing her, in a few days this will be all just a bad memory. (but an expensive one since her American Girl doll is probably gonna cost me $130 or so with all the accessories she wants-OUCH!)

So today, I get the Bad Mommy Award for telling my daughter if she wanted to get her ears pierced she was going to get them done the RIGHT way-and while certainly not pain free it is much better than daddy's way of doing things. I give her a few years... and then she'll probably be begging me to get her navel pierced... or maybe an eyebrow, or her tongue...who knows. And then I will win the Bad Mommy Award again... but this time for saying NO.

Great Job Deja!

2010-11-17T18:57:00.003-05:00

I just came from the Parent-Teacher conference, and boy am I proud of my little girl! She's doing great in school and had an excellent report from the teacher. While I am glad that she is doing so well, I'm getting kind of nostalgic here since being in 3rd grade means she is growing up :(

I know, at 9 she is still young, but the years fly by and before we know it they are out on their own and wanting to spread their wings. My almost 18 yr old son moved out this past summer, and has his own family now-albeit early in life-but maybe now he will understand how I felt as a parent at times with him. He's very busy with his own life and his own two children, that I rarely see him anymore. But when we do get the chance to talk, it makes me happy.

So tonight hubby and I are proud parents after hearing such a glowing report on our smart little girl! Congrats Deja for having such a great report, we love you and are very proud of you tonight! Keep up the good work, do the very best you can, and that is all that matters.

Another CSN Stores GC Giveaway!

2010-11-13T21:26:00.004-05:00

As a CSN Stores Preferred Blogger, I am pleased to bring my readers another giveaway from CSN Stores. As many of you know, CSN Stores is a great site featuring over 200 stores.

With CSN Stores, shopping is easy and user friendly. I've purchased a few things myself and things have come quickly and have been just as described. I've still got a few things on my wish list that I'd love to get from CSN Stores, and hopefully Santa (aka my husband) will be good to me this year and get me that clothes rack I have been wanting. I have an awesome dryer, but to save on electricity and be kinder to my clothing I like to air dry my stuff whenever possible.

I am also doing small home remodeling projects as time and money allow, and my bathroom is one area I am remodeling little by little. I was pleasantly surprised to see that CSN Stores also has a great selection of bathroom cabinets too. I am definitely in need of a space saver cabinet for over the toilet and a medicine cabinet since the one that came with the house when we bought it is ancient!

CSN Stores has generously offered one of my US or Canadian readers a $55.00 gift code to make your holiday shopping even sweeter! Keep in mind that Canadian residents may need to pay additional shipping if necessary.

Giveaway begins tonight and ends December 7th, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US & Canadian residents only please. Winner will be selected via Random.org and will have 48 hours to confirm with me before I choose another winner. Prize will be a gift code that I will email directly to winner.

MANDATORY First Entry: Must be a public follower of my blog via Google Friend Connect.

OPTIONAL Entries: (please leave a separate comment for each entry)

+1 Follow CSN Stores on Twitter
+1 Follow CSN Stores on Facebook (just follow, no need to post to their wall)
+1 Follow me on twitter micaela6955
+1 Tweet this giveaway, leave link in comment-can be done daily :)
+3 Add my button to your sidebar or add me to your blog roll
+5 Add me to any giveaway linky, let me know where in your comment, unlimited
+1 An easy one, tell me one thing that is on your Christmas wishlist!

Good luck!

DISCLAIMER: I was provided with a $55.00 Gift code from CSN Stores to either review a product of my choosing or to give away to one of my readers. I received no further compensation for this blog post, and the opinions expressed above in regard to CSN Stores are mine alone based on my own experiences with them.

Halloween Giveaway Winner!

2010-11-13T20:32:00.002-05:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

12

Timestamp: 2010-11-14 01:31:42 UTC

Congrats goes to... Tylerpants! Off to email you now :)

Just Another Night in the 'Hood

2010-11-11T22:29:00.002-05:00

My son called me up a little while ago and told me some woman that lived around the corner from them got hit by a car or something... I'm still not too sure on the story yet, since I took a walk around the corner right after she'd been put in the ambulance, but apparently a man (who she knew) went into her house with a gun, they had some sort of argument, her boyfriend got into the mix and chased the dude out of the house with a baseball bat and smashed his windshield...

Add an angry pit bull to the ordeal, defending his mistress-and you've got a person that went to the wrong house... Apparently the guy also got bit by the woman's pit bull and as he was leaving the driveway hit the woman and ran over her legs.

According to my son's girlfriend, the woman kept trying to get up but couldn't feel her legs. Sigh... just another night here in the 'hood I guess. My house is affordable, cheaper than renting, and the area still is reasonably safe with a few good neighbors around. But there are times I truly want to pack things up and go live in a cabin in the woods, away from all this craziness. I am kind of sorry I sold my cute little .22 with the pink handle when I had kids... I'd probably feel a bit safer with it at times.

I'm off to bed, gotta work tomorrow :( (now I love my job, but I sure wish Veteran's Day had been on a Friday instead!) Before I head off to dream land though, gonna go check the doors, and make sure it's all good. Goodnight everyone!

Living Life in the Land of Oz...

2010-11-10T20:05:00.003-05:00

My mother is an addict. No, I am not talking drugs, alcohol or any of the other stuff people are usually addicted to. She is addicted to... daytime TV. Namely one show in particular, Dr. Oz.

Around 3:30 or 4 pm daily I will be getting a call at work so she can tell me the subject of Dr. Oz's show that day. If she can't get through to me, she will call a co-worker of mine. (no worry, this co-worker likes my mom and my mom bargain hunts and finds good deals for her, so it's no big deal)

Sometimes, she will come into the office and drop off coupons or some stuff I'd asked her to pick up. And she will talk about Dr. Oz. And what he talked about on his show that day. One show in particular she mentioned was about how Dr. Oz said a woman should "let it air out" from time to time. And I am not talking about the laundry hitting the breeze here, folks. Nope, natural flora and panties aside, we are talking about a female part that is, geographically speaking, a bit below the navel. This summer it was hot, and my mom told me she was doing what Dr. Oz had said... just lying on the bed and airing things out a bit. I gently reminded her that I hope she had closed the blinds before doing so-since her room faces that of a bachelor neighbor next door, and he may get more than he bargained for if he happened to step onto his porch for a smoke. Seriously, this was TMI as far as I was concerned-visions of my nearly 70 yr old mother airing things out haunt me to this day. (even a co-worker who mentioned this to her boyfriend tells me that whenever she walks around the house with just a tee shirt on, he asks her if she is "airing it out".)

Then there was how to reduce stress. By having SEX... and having a happy ending at least 3 times a week. Mom proclaimed that Dr. Oz said by following this practice you can add 7 years back onto your life. I dunno about you, but my idea of a happy ending and getting rid of some stress is getting a double fudge and peanut butter happy ending sundae with my meal at the local Friendly's. I wonder if it would have the same effect...lol. I don't think so. But after hubby heard this he's hoping for a little stress reduction as well.

Today, well, I could hear my co-worker laughing in the next cubicle over. I looked at the clock and it was that time again. She was on the phone, with, you guessed it...dear old mom. Who was filling her in on today's show. Which consisted of a pink light bulb in the bedroom (for enhancing the mood a bit supposedly and to make your body look better. Um, for me it would be lipo please!) and feeding your significant male other oatmeal with UNSWEETENED cocoa mixed in. And I am sure, now that all the frustrated housewives have rushed out to the market, there will be a huge shortage of unsweetened cocoa and oatmeal for a little while. And by the way, if you've invested in Viagra better to switch your stock holdings over to Hershey's, because apparently they know something we don't.

I just got a call from mom a few minutes ago... reminding me that tomorrow's my day off. And that she has a few appointments in the morning, but will be home in time for... Dr. Oz. Tomorrow, a few minutes before show time I expect to get the call... telling me to turn on the TV and tune in to the Dr. Oz show. But I will be busy... airing things out a bit and feeding hubby some oatmeal while we both bask in the pink glow of the new light bulb I installed in our ceiling fan. And I can assure you, that show WILL have a happy ending lol...

Happy Halloween! It's a Giveaway :)

2010-10-31T18:22:00.003-04:00

As I posted earlier today, it is FREEZING here in Maine tonight. But that's not stopping the kids from going out and enjoying their Trick or Treating. As I passed by a certain area of town where all the trick or treaters go there were literally hundreds of kids and their parents walking around.

My daughter is there right now... we had gone to an event at the High School, and she met up with my little grandson, my son's girlfriend and her sister in law and little one and she wanted to go with them to help out with their little ones... so as I write this she is trick or treating with them.

I did manage to get a few pics of my daughter the vampire chick at the high school event-it was chilly so she wore her jacket and didn't want to take it off, even inside the school so you really can't see her long black and red dress but you can see her fangs as she was decorating her pumpkin :)

Since Fall is now officially here-so are the craft fairs. I managed to get to one yesterday afternoon and got a little present for my readers in orange of course, to keep with the Halloween spirit. It consists of tangerine dream handmade soap, an orange dishcloth and an orange scrubbie for dishes. All packaged in a cute little wooden crate. And it can be yours if you follow the instructions below.

Giveaway starts tonight and ends November 12th at 11:59 PM EST. It is open to US only this time. One winner will be selected by Random.org to win the prize.

Ok, since this blog is called Creative Writings 101 I want your first MANDATORY entry to be a finish this sentence type of deal. It can be funny, scary, or stupid-just finish the sentence however you want, but please keep it clean. Since it is Halloween, I want you to finish the sentence below:

It was a dark and stormy night... (you supply the rest!)

You can get more entries by doing the following (leave separate comments for each)

+2 Already be a blog follower via Google Friend Connect. Leave 2 comments

+1 Be a NEW blog follower via Google Friend Connect.

+1 Follow me on twitter (or already be following) @micaela6955

+2 Tweet about the giveaway (you can do this once daily) Leave 2 comments

that's it! I am trying to keep it simple and I look forward to reading your entries-Good luck!

It's Snowing!

2010-10-31T09:32:00.002-04:00

and WAY too early, lemme tell ya! As I sit here waiting to go into work this am for a few hours, I am staring at the huge snowflakes falling outside my window.

Yuck... I am so not ready for this. Maybe it's a Halloween trick. Either way, it won't last, but it will just remind me of what is to come in a month or so.

The kids next door are excited. They've been outside all bundled up with shovels ready. When the snowflakes got bigger, the little 2 year old went back inside and came out with an even BIGGER shovel. Guess he is expecting a blizzard.

You really can't see the snow very well, but if you look at my black car you will see the white sloppy flakes passing by.

I'm off to work-enjoy your Halloween everyone!

Shout and Growing Tree Toys Review

2010-10-30T21:28:00.013-04:00

Fall is a great time of year here in Maine. No humidity, no snow, and certainly not any mud! Exercise is great for my daughter, and I encourage her to get outside and play whenever she can.

But even though she isn't sweaty, cold and wet, or muddy... she still gets dirty. From picking apples or choosing the right pumpkin to raking leaves and jumping in the huge pile of leaves on the front lawn-she's bound to come in the house with her clothes smelling funky or stained from something. It's a given with kids, take it from a mom who knows.

SC Johnson's Shout has teamed up with Growing Tree Toys, a wonderful online store of learning toys and other goodies for children as part of Shout's Go Play Initiative . I recently had the chance to try out a few Shout products and review a set of cards, the 52 Nature Activities card set by Lynn Gordon. I have to admit, we've had lots of fun so far trying out various games, art projects and activities using the set and it has encouraged my daughter to get out and about and have fun doing so. The fun thing is that this card set has 52 activities that you can do with your child in regard to nature-these activities can be done by a group of children, a single child, in a backyard, or in a park. My daughter plans on doing some of the activities with her friends next door-and bringing in the set to show her teacher as well once the weather gets warmer in late Spring and they start going outside again to enjoy the sunshine.

Some things to know about Shout's Go Play Initiative:

Shout knows play is so much more than fun and games. Studies show that unstructured play helps kids build fundamental skills like problem solving, coping, and conflict resolution. In other words: play is how kids become happy, healthy adults. Fall has arrived with crisp, cool air and new reasons to go out and play. So, let your kids take that rewarding jump into a pile of leaves. Take at trip to the park and watch their imaginations run free. The one thing you won’t do is worry about their clothes; play should get messy and Shout can help.

More information on Shout, and their Go Play Initiative can be found on their Facebook page.

I have used Shout in the past, and was happy to receive a package containing Shout (Triple Acting) Laundry Stain Remover Spray, Shout Advanced Ultra Concentrated Gel, and the new to me Shout Color Catcher In-Wash Sheets. With my daughter coming home with stains on her new clothing a few times a week, and hubby who likes to tinker on cars in his spare time, I happily put Shout to the test. I've always used the spray in the past, and although I had seen the gel before in the stores, never purchased it. I did like the fact that I could apply it and scrub it right into those stains using the scrubby brush on top. That seemed to work the best on hubby's stains he had from working on cars all week. The color catcher was something I had never tried before, and I've tried it out once so far and am pleased with the results. I am looking forward to using Shout to help me "shout out" those laundry stains and get my clothes stain free and looking like new in the future.

Disclaimer: I received these Shout products and card set in conjunction with Growing Tree Toys for free in exchange for my review. All views and opinions with regard to the products or the company are my own and were not influenced by either company.

Check out ModernSurvivalOnline's Jericho Season 1 DVD Giveaway!

2010-10-28T23:10:00.003-04:00

We've been hearing now for quite awhile about how things are going to happen in 2012. How we need to be prepared. How some people are already preparing. If you are like me, sometimes you may wonder what will happen if terrorists or any loony person with the potential to do so set off nuclear bombs in places here in the US that we know and love.

It may be many miles from your own home, and you may be safe from the radiation. But there are other things that will be affected, such as communications, food, shipping, transportation, electricity-all those things can and will be disrupted by such an event. In the show Jericho, you can see how a small town reacts after such an event.

And right now, if you hurry and enter by October 31st, you can win a DVD copy of Jericho Season 1 over at ModernSurvivalOnline.com

With the world we live in today, we just never know what might happen down the road. Even here in the US, with the economy in the tank and the growing frustration many are experiencing-it's great to be prepared. Check out the ModernSurvivalOnline's Jericho Season 1 DVD giveaway, you won't regret it :)

I've been MIA lately...

2010-10-25T19:49:00.004-04:00

But not that I WANTED to be, of course. For the past 5 days or so, I have been confined to bed rest mostly. I tried tweeting with a laptop on my stomach, amazingly it didn't work half bad... and from time to time I'd get up and sit at the computer or so for an hour after I had eaten since I didn't want to lie back down with a full stomach.

So... here's the scoop. A little over 3 weeks ago I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. It was dark, and usually I can manage to get around pretty good in the dark since I know my bedroom pretty well. I have no idea what happened that night (actually early morning) but when I headed back to bed I vaguely remember whacking my lower leg... hard... on the wooden waterbed frame.

I woke up a few hours later, and headed to work. Sure it was sore, but since I somewhat remembered hitting it a few hours earlier I didn't put much thought into it. So time goes by, I have my physical at the doctors and forget to mention it... after all, it really was just a bruise anyway.

I seriously thought I was imagining things last week when I saw that the area was red, splotchy and a little warm to the touch. It was also pretty swollen and very tender as well, walking was getting pretty difficult and by the end of the day I was pretty much in tears. Usually bruises turn black and blue, then shades of yellow...but not red. At least mine don't.

So, feeling like a wimp I head to the ER since my doctor's office had closed. In the ER they tell me I have a skin infection, called Cellulitis which is a non contagious spreading bacterial skin infection of the deeper layers of the skin. I am allergic to Penicillin, so have been on one med so far with no results... and the other one is not doing much either. We will just have to wait and see. The redness has fortunately faded quite a bit, but the pain has NOT gone away at all.

As long as I am not in a hospital room with an IV stuck in my arm, I suppose I will be okay. I've been watching horror movies all week, and just got the next one in my Netflix queue over the weekend... Cabin Fever 2. Not sure how appropriate that is, since it deals with people getting this flesh eating bacterial virus but as long as I am not one of them I will be just fine. I've gone back to work today, and it was great to finally get some work done. Bed rest is only fun for the first day, after that, you're all caught up on your sleep and want something to do... take it from someone who knows.

So bear with me as I get caught up on work and work on getting better. I certainly don't want to have this thing develop into something more serious, so am doing what the doctor ordered... Have a great week all!

Giveaway Winners!

2010-10-21T15:36:00.002-04:00

I've been home with a leg infection the last few days... so trying to blog with a laptop on my stomach hasn't been working well. I'll be seeing the doctor tomorrow morning and hoping to get back to work soon as we are so far behind already...

Thanks for entering my latest giveaway...without further ado, the winners are:

Belinda M. and Mami2jcn! Congrats! I will be emailing you both soon. And for the rest of you, keep your eyes out for another giveaway coming up soon.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

29
18

Timestamp: 2010-10-21 19:30:24 UTC

Pardon Me, Do You Have Any Grey Poupon...

2010-10-18T19:06:00.004-04:00

I remember the commercial well... my friends from high school and I would roll down our windows and ask the driver next to us if they had any Grey Poupon before taking off at the light giggling all the way while recalling the surprised looks on their faces. Heck, we were young, and stupid, and just wanting to have fun, as Cyndi Lauper sang it. But those were the 80's, and a whole world away...

Driving in Guatemala can be downright dangerous. Sure, the crazy drivers, drunk drivers, lack of enforcing a speed limit and dangerous curves can all be hazardous. One thing NOT to do...
Don't pull up next to someone who is driving and stick your digital camera out the window to take photos of them. See, in Guatemala sometimes you can be driving along minding your own business and someone decides they like the looks of your car, truck, SUV, whatever. Normally you'd be proud that someone happened to admire your vehicle... but there it can literally cost you your life.

As we were heading to my brother in law's house we happened to see cousin Mario a bit ahead of us in his truck. So my brother in law who was driving managed to catch up to him and just as he did hubby stuck out the camera and snapped a photo of Mario. Mario was NOT happy, but very relieved it was someone he knew. At times, it could be a loaded gun pointed at you to force you off the highway to rob you...

A few years back my brother in law was robbed, they couldn't start his truck due to the alarm so they made him drive his customer's car to the outskirts of the city at gunpoint and threw him out of the vehicle. Lucky for him, they didn't kill him. Ever since then, my brother in law has been packing his own .45. (legally, and with a concealed weapons permit FYI)

I was pretty embarrassed to be riding around Guatemala in a late model Toyota 4 Runner with dents, a bad paint job and a busted front window. But even a blonde, blue eyed gringa drew a little attention in the old 4 Runner-I shudder to think what attention I might have called to myself had I been driving around my 2010 Mazda 3... When we head down there again next year, we will probably be driving a vehicle similar to the one we used this year. As long as it gets me from Point A to Point B without losing its brakes and plunging us over a ravine I am fine. Less attention is a GOOD thing.

So here's a pic of Mario, a bit asustado (surprised) but happy to see it wasn't a gun pointed at his head. (just the camera)

It's Back to School Tomorrow!

2010-10-11T22:18:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been a great long weekend-but like all good things, it must come to an end. Back to work for me and back to school tomorrow for my daughter. Unfortunately she won't be wearing shorts however, since we have a freeze advisory predicted for tonight, Brrrr....

Hoping all my readers had a great weekend and wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!

To Death Do Us Part, A Guatemalan Divorce Nightmare

2010-10-10T19:22:00.006-04:00

My Guatemalan husband divorced his Guatemalan wife here in the US. The papers were sent her way, she signed for them, and years ago he went to court in Rhode Island to get a divorce so that we could get married and adjust his status here in the US. We'd been together for a year or so, and his "wife" met another man shortly after he came to the US and had a child with him. My hubby had the pleasure of supporting them by sending home money for his two children, not knowing that she had a new man and a new baby to support. When he found out, well, the gravy train stopped and the boyfriend was long gone... (yes, he continued to support his kids by paying for their education, materials for school and uniforms and all clothing needed directly by sending the $ to his parents who paid for those things to make sure it was being spent on the kids)

Anyways, the lawyer told us that the paperwork would also be filed in Guatemala-but come to find out, it was never done. Now, over 10 years later we find that his divorce was never registered there. Actually his ex wife called last Christmas time asking for a divorce. Apparently she believed she was still married since the paperwork had never changed and when she went to register her newest child with yet another new boyfriend they told her she had to get a divorce first. Sigh... so we headed to the Guatemalan Consulate in Rhode Island and submitted all the paperwork for verification. For those that are unfamiliar with this, it is very hard to do since each signature must be verified-the court clerk, the notary who did the translation from English to Spanish, and the judge's signature-all verified by the Secretary of State in RI then brought to the Consulate for official stamps and then the paperwork needs to go to the Ministry of Exterior Relations where it is verified yet again. Then off to RENAP (their registry of people in the country) or so we thought.

We actually took in the paperwork during our visit in June/July and were told that a verification of one signature more was needed. Why someone from the Consulate did not tell us that in the first place, I don't know. So we came back to the US on July 6th and headed to the Secretary of State's office in RI and got that signature verified. Then sent it via express courier to my brother in law to take it back to the Ministry of Exterior Relations. And it sat for a week or so, until they told him to come back, pay a fee, and then told him it was all set. Or so he thought.

My brother in law brings the paperwork to RENAP only to have it refused-twice. Apparently the translations we have provided here and had to have verified weren't legal. So we had to pay for MORE translations there. And then pay the lawyer for her stamp. And on the 28th of September it was supposed to be all set. But it wasn't, because now the JUDGE needs to stamp it as well. Everyone gets a fee, for a stamp, a signature, or whatever. I originally told hubby we should have paid a lawyer in Guatemala to do this for us once we found out the divorce wasn't registered. But he refused. Too expensive he says... Um, the fees for the translation, the lawyer RENAP suggested (who happened to work in their office btw) and the judge are adding up.

Once the judge puts his signature and stamp on it, it's back to RENAP for my brother in law. He will turn in the paperwork and *pray* that they will issue my hubby a new birth certificate that says he is single. Once that happens, his ex can get married and register her kids with her new man. Now this has been going on since APRIL so I can only hope we will have some success. (FYI, Guatemala has begun a new process which is using a different format birth certificate and has begun a new national ID card as well-the system is a bit messed up and has had its share of problems since Day 1)

Once hubby gets a birth certificate from his brother stating he is SINGLE, it is back to the Guatemalan Consulate in RI again for us. This time, with our own marriage certificate from 1998, my info, etc... and all those signatures, stamps etc... to be verified again before being sent to Guatemala and the Ministry of Exterior Relations to register our marriage and add my name to his birth certificate. Hubby will be heading down there in December and hopes to get this paperwork resolved and our daughter's Guatemalan birth certificate (she is a dual citizen) so we can get her passport. (from Guatemala-she still has her US one)

It's funny because my hubby has family members here who are married legally in Guatemala and married here in the US too. It used to be easy to rip out the page that was on their Cedula stating their civil status (married) which is one of the reasons I think that Guatemala has put all that stuff on one ID card instead. I have in the past argued with these people saying they are bigamists, but they just ignored me. Their wives here apparently weren't too upset either. I've met many Guatemalan people who have said to me that they thought the marriage in Guatemala was only valid there, and their marriage to US spouse was only valid HERE. Um, no-you are married in one country, you are in the other as well. Until you get a divorce...or are caught for bigamy. Granted, I can see why so many people don't bother to get a divorce over there, it is expensive and a pain in the a$$ to do so. Everyone has got their palm out asking for money for a stamp, a validation or a signature. (but even here in the US, greasing the right palms is done on a regular basis, though it may not be as noticeable here at first glance)

So now I sit and wait-Guatemala knows hubby is divorced legally, the Consulate told us not to worry about it, all was done correctly-though they did scold us a bit and say the divorce would have been much easier had it been done in Guatemala to begin with. But, according to them, it is their citizens responsibility if they live in another country to make the changes at their local Consulate so it DOES get reported to their country as well, something our lawyer who charged us $$$ here in the US did not tell us. (and yes, he was a lawyer who worked with many immigrants and knew the requirements!)

So here we wait, since April, for the right paperwork to be done so we can register our own marriage down there. My brother in law is traumatized by all he's had to go through, and he's not even the one married. (and he states that he won't be either, after seeing all of this take place-much to the ire of the woman he has lived with for the past 10 years or so) After all this is done, I will breathe a big sigh of relief-but it won't last too long because I still need to adjust my daughter's status to having parents that are married on her birth certificate. (the Consulate put parents are SINGLE since they couldn't put us as married as he was already married per their records...to a different woman) Wish me luck!

Shabby Apple Review

2010-10-06T18:00:00.000-04:00

The first week of school here in the Northeast was brutal. High humidity and 90+ degree temperatures with NO air conditioning. My daughter so wanted to wear a dress for the first day of third grade, but it was not to be. I sent her in a tank top and shorts and she was STILL sweating.

My daughter, the Princess Diva as I call her, is into things pink, frilly and feminine. Her little friend Evan loves to see her in a dress, and personally I think she enjoys wearing them for his benefit since he always compliments her on how nice she looks. (somehow I have visions of them dancing at a prom together in 10 years lol) When I was offered to review a dress from Shabby Apple, I really had to think long and hard whether I wanted one for me, or one for my daughter. It was a hard choice, but my daughter won out. I have to admit that I found their Fit to Flatter tool very helpful in finding perfect styles for myself, and I love the fact that they offer plus sized dresses for women my size.

After much debating, Deja chose a dress called Not Your Mama's Mumu. I had to smile at the name, because I remember very well the Mumus my grandmother used to wear and while they were comfortable, they were not stylish in any way. This dress, on the other hand, is gorgeous. Stylish and elegant rolled into one-your little girl will feel like a princess wearing it. I know Deja does.

When the dress came, I let Deja take it out of the package and she was delighted to see the shiny, soft fabric and feel how comfortable it was against her skin. The dress itself is loose and gives your little one plenty of room to move around without being restrictive, like some dresses are. This fabric is almost silk-like, and in the sunlight it really shines. The great thing about this dress is that your child can wear it for a special occasion, or just because.

Shabby Apple has a really neat contest going on right now. If you've ever dreamed of being a fashion designer, now's your chance! The Dare to Design contest lets you design a Shabby Apple dress and if you win, your creation will become part of their Spring collection and you will receive a 3% royalty on each dress sold. I think that is very cool, and the perfect opportunity for someone to see their dreams come true by designing a dress for the Shabby Apple Spring Collection. The contest only goes on until October 15th, so hurry!

I also like the fact that besides women and girls dresses, Shabby Apple also has shoes and accessories that compliment their lovely styles. Their items are competitively priced and they often have great deals going on. By signing up for their newsletter, you can save 10% and if you refer a friend who makes a purchase, you can earn $25!

Check out Shabby Apple and find something you love. You won't be disappointed. A big thank you to Olivia at Shabby Apple who provided us with the opportunity to review the lovely dress my daughter received. Today was school photo day and this was the outfit my daughter wore. When I brought her in to the school gym to go to childcare this morning, several of her little girl friends were oohing and aahing when she showed up in this dress. Lucky for us, she finally let us snap a photo of her even though her eye infection still lingers on. Granted, we had to take pics far enough away so she wouldn't notice her swollen, red eyelid in the photos. We visited the doctor last night and got antibiotics, so that should help some. And if her photos don't come out good we'll be retaking them in November-but hopefully they will come out great since this dress is so pretty!

All opinions on the dress we received are mine and my daughter's-I received no other compensation for this review of the product I received. Again, thanks to the sponsor for their patience in my getting this review out.

It's a 3 paycheck month...GIVEAWAY

2010-10-02T09:32:00.008-04:00

I love months that I get 3 paychecks... unfortunately, it only happens a couple of times a year :(

But, because I am feeling generous I want to share a little of the love with you. None of the businesses listed below have sponsored this-it's just my way of saying thank you to my readers for putting up with me...

I am giving 2 readers a $10 GC to the establishment of their choice, OR $10 in Paypal instead (if you are international, you qualify for the Paypal payment only, ok!)

Places you can choose from are:

Tim Hortons
Starbucks
Dunkin Donuts
Pizza Hut
Dominos
McDonalds
Wendys
Burger King
Subway

So, if you win-you can get a $10 gift card to one of the places listed above OR $10 in Paypal. If you are international, and you win-I will Paypal you $10 USD. You must have a way for me to send you the Paypal though, so make sure you have an account!

Giveaway starts today, and ends on October 20th at 11:59 PM EST. Two winners will be selected via Random.org and will have 48 hours to reply to my winning email before another winner is chosen. Winner will have their choice of a gift card to one of the establishments above or $10 in Paypal deposited to their account. Giveaway is open to international entrants, who will only be eligible for the $10 Paypal if selected as a winner.

For your first MANDATORY Entry: You must be a blog follower (new or current) and then tell me, do you want the Paypal or GC and if the GC let me know where you want it from- see the list provided above. You must leave a way to contact you in either your comment or have a way to contact you via your blog in your profile.

EXTRA ENTRIES: You can get extra entries by doing the following below, please make sure that you leave a separate comment for each entry!

+1 Follow me on Twitter leave your twitter ID (current follower count too!)

+1 Subscribe to my feed and let me know! If you already do, let me know.

+1 Tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link! Can be done once daily.

+3 Add this to any giveaway linky and let me know where, unlimited.

+5 Add my button to your sidebar, or put me on your Blogroll

have fun and good luck!

Fantasy Jewelry Box Winner!

2010-10-02T09:08:00.003-04:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

6

Timestamp: 2010-10-02 13:07:17 UTC

Just got around to picking my winner this morning and the winner is... Rachelle from Mommy I'm Hungry! Congrats! I'm off to email her now, and be sure to check out her blog as well for any giveaways she is currently running!

A sight for sore eye (s)-no photos please!

2010-09-29T21:17:00.005-04:00

My daughter has been self conscious as of late... About 3 weeks ago she complained of a sore eyelid. Because I was in a hurry to get to work, I called the nurse and asked her to please check it out.

At first, we thought it might have been a bug bite-her eyelid was swollen and it was VERY noticeable. The nurse gave me a call back that day and said while she saw no bite marks (from a spider or other insect) she seemed to think the eyelid was healing itself and would be fine within a few days.

As the days passed, the swelling seemed to go down considerably. She's not complaining of problems with her vision or pain anymore, but the bump is still there... and still noticeable. Not terribly so, but enough to know that her eyelid droops a little bit due to this bump on the eyelid.

At first I thought it might have been a sty, but those usually heal up within a week or so. The I saw it might be a chalazion, which is basically a small bump on the eyelid caused by a blocked oil gland. That sounds more like it... and she does have a small but noticeable bump there that she says is somewhat sticky when she touches it.

Of course, I am going to call the doctor to confirm-but in the meantime, school photos are scheduled for October 6th. And she is literally freaking out. We are putting the warm packs to it in hopes that it will bust eventually, and go away on its own. According to what I read online, it usually goes away in a month or two. But that is NOT fast enough for a very upset 8 yr old who is already self conscious due to her glasses and upcoming braces she will need within a year or two.

She has not allowed me to take pics of her, which really stinks because she received the most beautiful dress from Shabby Apple about a month ago, right before she came down with this eye infection. She plans on wearing it for photo day, so if all does go well, I am hoping we can get rid of the bump or shrink it so that it is less noticeable and so I can get a photo of her in her lovely dress for my review!

I feel like such a bad mommy for not knowing what this was, and thinking it was only a bite or irritation after hearing from the school nurse... :( So tomorrow I will be calling the doctor to get her in and check it out to verify what it is, and what else I can do to speed up her healing. (I am thinking maybe antibiotic eyedrops) Hoping to have a photo opp soon, I've told her she can pose back-to, sideways etc... but in the meantime, the Princess has requested... no pictures please!

Sleepy Sunday

2010-09-27T20:05:00.003-04:00

After a late morning/early afternoon trip to McDonald's Play Place this is what hubby, my grandson Demetrio and my daughter Deja looked like as we settled down to watch a movie yesterday... it was dark, and even the flash couldn't wake them up!

So I just stuck to doing the laundry instead-there was no way I was going to disturb their nap time. :) I got sleepy just looking at the three of them, and with the hectic Monday I've had today I am ready for an early night myself!

*Deja was asleep but opened her eyes for the flash I think-she quickly closed her eyes and resumed snoring shortly after I took this pic. As a matter of fact, all THREE of them were snoring, and quite loudly I must say!

I've got a crazy, crazy cat...

2010-09-22T05:49:00.000-04:00

'nuff said.

Barbie A Fashion Fairytale DVD Review

2010-09-21T20:01:00.006-04:00

Growing up in the 60's and 70's (ahem...) I loved my Barbie dolls. I won't deny that I am jealous of the things that young girls have today as far as Barbie goes, and only wish I could have had that much fun myself with Barbie online, Barbie cars, palaces, houses, etc...

With an 8 year old in the house, I have to say that I am guilty of buying her Barbie toys just so I can end up playing with them myself... (shh... no one is supposed to know that) and we've watched her collection of Barbie DVD's together a few times.

I was thrilled when Mom Select asked me to review the latest Barbie DVD, "Barbie A Fashion Fairytale." I didn't let my daughter know it was coming, so when she came home from school recently AND had finished all her homework, I told her I had a surprise for her and pulled out the DVD. We watched it twice that night, and since then, she's watched it a few times more by herself.

It was fun seeing a modern actress Barbie leaving her ex Ken (yes, they break up temporarily-lol) and heading to Paris to visit her Aunt Millie and help her aunt save her fashion house in Paris so that it won't close up for good.

With a little fairy dust and help from " Flairie friends" Aunt Millie, her assistant Alice and Barbie prepare for a fabulous fashion show using Alice's designs. Unfortunately, their magical friends are kidnapped before the show-with the designs still incomplete! But, as they say-the show must go on. So Barbie, Aunt Millie, and Alice begin working hard to get their creations finished in time for the show. With a little hard work, and believing in themselves-they pull it off in time and become a hit.

We found it to be a fun family movie (although little boys might not like it as much as girls, because of the girly theme of course!) and a refreshing change from the DVD's we usually watch. (action, horror and stuff along those lines that mom and dad watch when our daughter has headed off to dreamland...) This time, we got to watch a movie together and even dad got into the act by popping a bowl of popcorn and sitting down to watch. (even though boxing was on!) It gave us some great family time, and reinforced what we always tell our daughter-that with hard work, and believing in herself, she can accomplish anything.

To purchase this DVD from Amazon, go here. You can play games related to the movie on Barbie.com or even check out the preview on Youtube here.

Thanks to Mom Select for providing us with this wonderful DVD to watch with our daughter!

Disclosure: I was provided a DVD of Barbie A Fashion Fairytale to watch with my family. I received no other compensation and the opinion above is my own.

Texas Roadhouse....

2010-09-20T20:09:00.002-04:00

Where you can throw peanuts on the floor and NOT get into trouble lol. (and mom doesn't need to clean it up either!)

Avon Pocket Pie Mold winner!

2010-09-19T08:25:00.003-04:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

20

Timestamp: 2010-09-19 12:23:22 UTC

sorry for the delay, I got caught up in entering all those Blogmania giveaways a few days ago and forgot to choose the winner! The winner is Debbie! Congratulations and enjoy your pocket pie mold. I am emailing you now and you will have 48 hours to send me your info so I can send it out. Everyone, don't forget to enter my $35 Fantasy Jewelry Box GC giveaway! (link in left sidebar)

Blog for a Cure Event-Extended

2010-09-18T09:54:00.004-04:00

Cancer Sucks. This pic is of my dad, who passed away on Valentine's Day 2009 of lung cancer. The man loved to smoke his cigarettes-but he paid the price. Prior to that, he had skin cancer on his face, from years of outdoor construction work and fishing without using sunscreen. To see a family member or loved one suffering from the effects of cancer is hard. The painful treatments, the toll cancer takes on the body, the fight to keep living-so hard to watch, so heartbreaking when the fight is lost.

Most, if not all of us have known someone with cancer. Or known someone whose own family was touched by this terrible disease. Right now, there is a great event going on where you can donate to this cause-yes, there are prizes, and only $1.00 donation gets you an entry into ALL the drawings. If you contribute more, you can use those additional entries to put in the drawings you really want to win. It goes to a wonderful cause and you can also win some great things donated by generous sponsors. If you donate $30 or more, be sure to look at the special automatic items you will receive just for donating at several levels.

Head over to Who Knew Reviews to enter today-it has been extended until Monday. Or just click the link in my left sidebar to check it out. Remember, just $1.00 will get you into ALL the drawings, for extra entries just leave a comment on those you want to enter because if you donate more, you will be able to use additional entries for those prizes you really want to win! Note: even if you donate $1.00 you will have one entry into all the drawings, but you must comment on the post too!

Fantasy Jewelry Box Review and Giveaway

2010-09-13T09:17:00.000-04:00

Back when hubby and I got married, he wanted a wedding ring with a gold nugget type design-and while it looked great, I have to admit wearing it wasn't the most comfortable thing for him. The inside of the ring is not smooth, like a regular band-and given the type of work he does, he would come home and there were deep ridges in his finger from the inside of the ring.

Since wearing it was painful, I told him to just take it off and wear it when he wasn't working or for special occasions. So he just stuck it in a box and put it on a shelf where it sat long forgotten for quite some time.

Recently, he's been asking for another ring-one he CAN wear on a daily basis. We've shopped around, but with the outrageous price of gold right now, there is no way that we can afford a new gold band from our local jeweler when they start at $225 and UP for a simple gold band with no design. Ouch!

That's where Fantasy Jewelry Box comes in. I have to say I am a little hesitant buying jewelry online, because I like to see the item and try it on first to see if it is something that I really would want and wear. I had seen plenty of blog giveaways from Fantasy Jewelry Box, and was lucky enough to win a gift certificate to their site so I could try out a new piece of jewelry. I was very happy to see that they also had Men's jewelry, and even happier to see that they had wedding bands in different metal options and designs. More importantly, their prices were extremely affordable.

When I told Jose that he could pick out a ring for himself, he was very happy and we started looking at the pages of rings offered. While he liked quite a few of them, he still wanted the "Gold" look, and lucky for him, they had several great designs in stock to choose from. His final selection was the Bradley's Matte Gold Men's Band which sells regularly for $33.95 but happened to be on sale for $27.88! Online, the ring looked shiny and very nice. I was hoping that when I saw it in person I would be just as impressed.

We placed our order, and within a week or so it came. It arrived in a cute little black box, and when Jose took it out of the box I wasn't disappointed. It fit true to size and, as he said, was MUCH more comfortable than the ring he currently has. The matte design is nice too-giving it a fancier, much more expensive look than the plain $200+ bands we'd seen at the jewelry store. He's worn it a few weeks now, and several of his co-workers have complimented him on it. This ring is even heavier than his gold one, which really surprised me. He hasn't taken it off since he got it, and it's held up quite well considering the janitorial work he does.

Now, I have to admit I am jealous. Since I gained weight my own rings do not fit me. Sizing them up is not an option, since they quoted me over $100 for EACH. But I still want to be able to wear something beautiful, and when I saw the Sterling Silver Princess Cut CZ Solitaire Ring I fell in love with it. I hope hubby repays the favor and buys me something off my wish list for Christmas...lol. And at less than $30 it really is a bargain.

Since I have been so pleased with the amazing ring that my husband got, I asked the wonderful people over at Fantasy Jewelry Box if they would do a giveaway for my own readers so they could see for themselves what amazing jewelry they have. And they said YES!!! So I am able to offer one of my readers any item up to $35 for free! Given the great prices they have, you may even be able to get 2 items...just make sure they add up to $35 or less. And as far as choosing what you want, well, it will be difficult I'm sure.
I bet you didn't know that Fantasy Jewelry Box also has a YouTube channel. You might want to check it out! Lots of hints, fashion trends, and other info on their channel.

Ok, so you wanna win! Let's get down to business then. Giveaway starts tonight 9/13/10 and ends 9/30/2010 at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US residents only. Winner will be chosen via Random.org and notified by email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email before I choose another winner.

MANDATORY ENTRY-for 1 entry, you must be following my blog via Google Friend Connect

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES-(leave a separate comment for EACH if it says +2 leave 2 comments!)

+2 Sign up for the Fantasy Jewelry Box newsletter (bottom of home page)let me know email used for signup

+1 Follow me on Twitter leave your twitter ID current followers, let me know!

+1 Follow Fantasy Jewelry Box on Twitter leave your twitter ID

+1 Like Fantasy Jewelry Box on Facebook & leave your Facebook name used

+1 Subscribe to my feed and let me know! If you already do, let me know.

+1 Tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link! Can be done once daily.

+3 Add this to any giveaway linky and let me know where, unlimited.

+5 Add my button to your sidebar, or put me on your Blogroll

Good luck everyone!

Disclosure: I won a $35.00 GC from Fantasy Jewelry Box from another blog, and asked them if I could offer my readers the same great giveaway and they agreed. I did not receive any other compensation for this post and the opinions are solely my own.

JumpStart Winner!

2010-09-08T21:23:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the delay, the winner is... Paula Michelle! Congrats off to email you :)

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

5

Timestamp: 2010-09-09 01:23:26 UTC

My Review of Six Star+ 20 Piece Cutlery Set with Ronco Rocker

2010-09-05T21:12:00.001-04:00

Originally submitted at CSN Stores

Includes

1 x 11.75" Ronco Rocker™ knife
1 x 14.5" Showtime all-purpose knife
1 x 13.25" Bread & bagel knife
1 x 13.13" Chef's knife
1 x 14.5" Saw knife
1 x 12.75" Boning knife

Awesome Set!

By Michele P. from Waterville, ME on 9/5/2010

Pros: Comfortable Grip, Block Included, Sharp Blade, Durable, Variety Of Knives

Best Uses: Kitchen

Describe Yourself: Casual Cook

Durable, easy to use-love the fact that there are so many knives included and the block is a great place to store them right on the countertop. Very sharp, so be careful!

(legalese)

Avon Pocket Pie Mold Giveaway

2010-09-05T18:58:00.006-04:00

Phew! What a week... hot, humid and sticky. After the remnants of Hurricane Earl passed by late Friday night, we ended up getting more cooler and drier weather. The migraines that have plagued me for the last week or so have subsided and while I am over tired from not sleeping well-it's better than having constant headaches.

Cooler weather makes me think of baking weather. And Fall makes me think of pie making. Apples are out early this year, and I can't wait to make a nice apple pie in a few weeks. And apple crisp...OMG, with vanilla ice cream on top. Yum!

Avon has come out with tons of cute kitchen products recently, and I had to pick up one of their Pocket Pie Molds in the Star shape to give to one of my readers. So... what I want you to do is tell me what type of pie you would make in this cute little mold.

Giveaway begins today and ends on 9/15/10 at 11:59 PM EST. Since I am mailing this out myself, I can ship internationally so yes, it is open to everyone. I get a little nervous shipping internationally, because I don't know if the items I send will get delivered or not-but I am willing to take the chance that they do. One winner will be selected by Random.org and given 48 hours to respond to winning email before I pick another winner.

FIRST MANDATORY ENTRY: Tell me what type of pie you would make in this mold.

Additional Entries available: (leave each comment separately)

+2 be a new or current follower via GFC or subscribe to my feed (+4 if you do both)
+1 follow me on Twitter @micaela6955 (new or current)
+1 tweet this giveaway-can do this one time a day, leave link to tweet

I want to keep it short and simple, so those are the extra entries available for this prize- Good luck!

Disclaimer: I am an Avon Rep. and purchased this item myself. I have not tried this out myself, therefore I am not able to review it. I just thought it would be something cute to give away on my blog now that Fall baking season is coming up :)

In Heat...

2010-09-01T21:28:00.003-04:00

I honestly think I could have cooked an egg on the sidewalk today. Never mind that, I probably could have cooked an omelet. It was (and still is) hot and humid here in Central Maine for September 1st.

I am fighting yet another migraine, am feeling just plain blah, and my body is adjusting to an earlier wake up time now that my daughter went back to school today. If that isn't crazy enough, Hurricane Earl just might pay us a visit over the weekend. (praying I don't lose my power, I have emails to respond to and posts to write!)

Tomorrow is supposed to be another day the same as today, hot, humid, and just plain miserable. To me, that takes the term "in heat" to a whole new level folks. Even in the air conditioning, the sweat just pours off me. It's got to be middle aged hormones mixed in with the heat, because my face is even breaking out-unusual for me since my skin tends to be as dry as the Sahara on a good day. I am usually slathering on some sort of elixir to make me look less wrinkled and well preserved so this is certainly a change.

I will be back soon, with another giveaway and a couple of reviews. I might even give away another Avon product too-something cute for Fall to get you in the baking mood. Right now, McDonald's is my best friend and the oven door remains shut. There will be no more baking, cooking or slaving over a hot stove until this heat wave is over. Lucky for me, payday is tomorrow. Looks like Chinese take out is in the cards for the evening meal tomorrow.

I am now going to rest with a cool cloth over my head and eyes... It's nights like this when I have a migraine I think of the old Foreigner song "Double Vision" because that is what I've got right now... and it's getting the best of me! (they may have meant it a whole other way, but to me, double vision=migraine) Be back soon!

CSN Store Winner!

2010-08-30T20:00:00.002-04:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

154

Timestamp: 2010-08-30 23:44:46 UTC

Random Org has picked a winner:

Congratulations to clynsg who said:
I would probably get a 4D Concepts 3 tier plant stand w/slate tops.

Looks like you will be getting a nice plant stand in the future! I am off to email you now, thanks for entering everyone-

For those wondering...

2010-08-30T07:02:00.003-04:00

I am heading out the door to work at my FT job today and will be home later tonight and select my CSN Store winner then. School starts this Weds. here in Maine, and tonight is "meet the new teacher" night and my 8 yr old is definitely planning on me going to that. Lots of great entries, it was fun seeing what everyone wanted to buy, and I am happy that for someone it will help them get a great gift or something they need for their household.

So check back this evening and see if ya won! Also, be sure to enter my JumpStart giveaway, not many entries in it yet but I can assure you, your kids will LOVE it! Will be posting a Fantasy Jewelry Box review and giveaway soon as well-so stay tuned!
Have a great Monday everyone :)

CSN Stores $60 GC Giveaway

2010-08-30T01:00:00.001-04:00

THIS IS A STICKY POST-PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR NEWER POSTS

It's that time again! CSN Stores has sponsored another awesome giveaway on my blog and with their 200+ stores you are bound to find something you enjoy! As a matter of fact, I just ordered the Ginsu knife set above for myself. I've been wanting a nice set of knives for some time now, and this set looked awesome!

There really are so many things to choose from at CSN Stores-I am slowly but surely building up a wishlist of items from several of their stores. I've put several of my favorite things right at the top of this post-to show you all some things I am definitely wanting to get from CSN Stores in the future!

Now, I want to see YOUR wish list! Head over to CSN Stores and tell me something you really, really want to get, and what you would use your $60 GC towards. Perhaps it might be some new dishes, something for the home, or even a new coffee maker for the kitchen.

Giveaway starts tonight 8/9/10 and ends at 11:59 PM EST on 8/29/10. Open to residents of US AND Canada. The code will not cover any international fees, and any balance remaining after the $60 GC will need to be paid with using another accepted form of payment. I will email the winner the code once they respond to my winning email to verify their email address. Winner must respond within 72 hours or I will have to select another winner.

For your FIRST MANDATORY entry I want you to tell me what you want from CSN Stores~

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES AS FOLLOWS:
You may also earn extra entries as listed below. Keep in mind that you will need to enter each comment separately, so if it says +5 you need to leave 5 SEPARATE comments.

+1 current blog follower via Google Friend connect
+1 current or new twitter follower (micaela6955)
+1 tweet about giveaway, leave a link to your tweet please! Can do this once daily.
+4 Blog about this giveaway, and leave me a link to your post.
+10 Post this on any giveaway linky and let me know where to find it.
+5 Add my button to your sidebar
+2 Subscribe to my feed or follow me in a reader

DISCLAIMER: I was provided a $60 GC for CSN Stores to either review a product or conduct a giveaway for my readers. I chose to give away the GC to my readers, and did not receive any additional compensation from the sponsor. My opinions on CSN Stores are solely my own based on previous experiences and past orders.