So Important

I know I've mentioned previously that I had weight loss surgery. It was absolutely the best thing that I have ever done for myself. I would do it again in a heartbeat. The only down side is the excess skin that is left over, especially in my abdomen.

I would love to get a tummy tuck. It has been on my mind for a while. A tummy tuck will not only get rid of the excess skin from losing weight it can tighten up the abdominal muscles. The most important thing for me is finding the right surgeon. When I sign up for surgery I am literally putting my life in the surgeon's hands. Once I find one that I am confident in I will travel to wherever he conducts his practice.

A great example of an excellent cosmetic surgery center is Mya Cosmetic Surgery in the United Kingdom. The medical team there has had more than 25 years of experience in the cosmetic surgery field. Besides tummy tucks they are experienced in all aspects of cosmetic surgery. I am beginning to think I need a trip to the UK. While I'm there maybe I'll look into a face lift as well.

It's Not Getting Better

I know we were hearing predictions that the economy would start turning around by the end of year and things would get better. But I think it was all wishful thinking. The latest unemployment figures are in and we are at almost 10%. The figures have not been that bad since the 70's.

Another sign of our economic problems is the huge number of Americans that are behind on their taxes and in trouble with the IRS. There was a story about Tax Relief network on Yahoo News not long ago. They help people when it comes time to deal with the IRS.

The number of cases of tax fraud has gone way up. People are hurting for money and they are trying to get it any way that they can. Also rising are the number of cases of just ordinary people who have lost their job or home and gotten into financial trouble and just can't pay their taxes. Everyone knows that dealing with the IRS on your own is the wrong way to go, at least it is if you want a fair outcome. They will steamroll right over you. You need to have someone on your side like Tax Relief who knows how to fight back and get you a fair deal. I just hope that the economy turns around soon.

Enough Already

I've had enough of the whole Michael Jackson thing already. His family can't even decide where to put the man into the ground. His father is so busy trying to make money from his death that he can't be bothered with it. No wonder the guy was so screwed up, look at where he came from. I just feel sorry for his kids, sorry that they have to be raise in a dysfunctional family like that. The whole thing is a mess.

My Garden

My husband and I decided to rework our front flower beds this year. We have a circular drive and the area within the circle is all plantings. It was a lot of work but it is looking great. We went with all native plants and are using organic products.

We live a couple of blocks from the beach and we love the environment here. We decided that it was up to us to do what we can to protect it. All of those chemicals that we used to use are so dangerous and I worry about residual effects, if not to us directly then to the animals and insects that call this place home.

Organic gardening is no more difficult that other gardening once you get the hang of it. There are wonderful products available. It's not like in the past when you had to rely on old home recipes and trial and error. Safer brand has a complete line of organic pest controls and gardening supplies, you can find them almost anywhere. I like visiting their site because they have a great reference section on plant diseases, pests and gardening tips. I've been reading about their rose products, I am tempted to start a rose garden next year. Even if they aren't native.

Shopping Information In One Place

I love shopping on the internet but it can turn into a real time waster. I can spend hours searching for the right site to purchase what I am looking for. If you feel the same way I have something to share with you, it's a site that collects all of the information in one place.

When I am shopping for something specific like video games I want to be able to find and compare them easily. ShopWikki.co.uk has exactly that. Unlike a lot of sites, they show every shopping site, not just ones that pay to be there. They are more like a true search engine for shopping. There are also great buying guides. If I want to know about buying a Nintendo Wii all I have to do is visit their site.

Still No News

There is still no good news on the 10 year old girl missing in Washington state. She left my friend's house Friday night to walk home and disappeared. The story has now gone national. I watched it with sadness on the Nancy Grace show the past two nights. Why do so many of our children go missing? It's all so sad.

I Like Any Kind of Shopping

I know I blog a lot about shopping for purses and jewelry but I enjoy other kinds of shopping as well. For instance, I do all of the gadget shopping for the house. My husband just wants to play with it when it gets here.

I have spent the morning shopping at Geeks.com. My shopping goal today was to find him a new netbook. He has been jealous ever since I got mine. Geeks.com has wonderful deals and they have a netbook that is perfect right on the front page.

They offer great prices because they sell direct to the public. They have developed such a good reputation that they get first shot at a lot of manufacturer closeouts and overruns. I like that Geeks.com has excellent ratings at consumer rating sites like ResellerRatings.

Help Sorting Through

It drives my husband crazy but I am somewhat of a match maker. I love to see people paired up and can't resist introducing people that I think would be good together. And if I do not have someone to match them with I still try to help them find someone. One of my favorite ways to do this is to help them find a dating site that they like. The good news is that I have a new tool in my arsenal!

It's called Prime Dating Sites and it reviews dating and matchmaking sites and online personals sites. You can look up sites like Perfect Match and read a full review of it. The review explains what they offer, the registration process and how it works. If you want to go the personals route they tell you exactly what the site you are considering does and how it works.

Prime Dating Sites is very well laid out and easy to navigate. For example, if I wanted to meet people in my area I could use the information there. I have a house guest coming for the July 4th holiday this weekend. I think I know what I will be showing him while he is here.

Hitting Close to Home

A fellow writer has been sharing her story with me and I am so worried. Her daughter's best friend, 10 years old, disappeared Friday night. She was walking from my friend's house to her own home. They live 5 blocks apart. She never made it home. My friend is mad with worry and grief. And guilt. She doesn't drive but she now feels like she should have walked her home even though the child called her mother prior to leaving. The story has now made it to the Nancy Grace show, I watched it last night with sadness in my heart.

Bed Shopping

I have decided to finally do something with the guest bedroom. It has been needing an overhaul for a while. My husband uses it for his home office occasionally and we have ignored the guest part of it. It is a large room and there's space for both a sleeping area and his desk without being crowded.

His desk is contemporary so I am looking at contemporary beds. There's a site called Time4Sleep with some that I have been drooling over. The Lavina is exactly what I had in mind. It has clean lines and does not take up much space visually. I especially like the color and the chocolate leather headboard. I am also tempted by the Tuscany ottoman bed. The whole mattress is on a frame that lifts up revealing a huge space for storage underneath. It would make an ideal spot for storing all of my quilts. It is all upholstered in chocolate leather. The shape puts me in mind of a sleigh bed but not as curvy. I think either one would fit into the room nicely. They would blend in with the masculine feel that is already present with his desk as well as the colors that are already there.