Thinking Ahead

My dad has been on my mind lately and I want to get him something special for Father's Day. I think it can be hard to come up with good father's day gifts. I will admit that I have been guilty of falling back on trite things like ties or fishing supplies.

This year I am looking at a PaintYourLife custom portrait. I think it would mean the world to him to have a special family portrait. They take a picture that you supply and turn it into a painting like the one I included here. If you are looking for special father's day gifts check them out. Your dad is worth it.

I Wanted To Be Her

I wanted to be Kelly McGillis when I first saw Top Gun. Well, I wanted to be her character in the movie. She was so beautiful, Tom Cruise was so cute, and they were so hot. I loved it when he sang to her. But things change. He has become Mr. Weird and she has announced that she is a lesbian. I guess everyone's dreams about that movie have been crushed. Unless you are a lesbian or seriously into weird men. ;)

Mothers Are Special

Mothers are such special people. Mine is having some health problems and I have been thinking about her a lot lately. When I think I about her I always remember us together in the kitchen.

I always wanted to cook and she encouraged me to learn. I still have my first cookbook that she gave me when I was eight. We eventually cooked our way through every recipe in that little book. Once I had mastered some of the basics of cooking, she let me cook anything I wanted. Her only rule was that I had to clean up any mess that I made. If I wanted to bake a batch of oatmeal cookies when I got home from school that was OK with her. She was always close at hand to answer questions or assist but she let me do it. Thinking back on it I don't know if I would be brave enough to stand back and let an eight year old loose in my kitchen.

I don't think I tell her often enough how much I love an appreciate her. She loves flowers so I think I am going to send her flowers for mothers day from 1800Flowers.com.

Another Accessory, Eyeglasses

I am having so much fun shopping for another accessory, glasses. I have been on the Optical4Less.com site since lunch looking at all of the beautiful styles. Once I found out that I could buy prescription glasses from them for $15 there was no stopping me. I can have a pair of eye glasses to go with each of my handbags! I have already found a pair to go with my favorite raspberry pink coach bag. I have also picked out pairs in green, black, blue and red.

It is amazing that I can buy quality prescription eyeglasses at Optical4Less so much cheap than from a traditional store. I can buy ten to fifteen pair from them for the price of one pair from a regular store. I don't think I'll ever go back to a traditional store again.

Now I am trying to decide on what style of prescription tinted sunglasses to buy, and how many I want. They even have photochromic sunglasses if I decide that I want that kind. Whether you need bifocals or progressives or regular lenses you can save a lot of money there. Check them out the next time you need eyeglasses. Saving money is always a smart thing.

The Hype Is Still Spreading

I heard that they raised the level of concern over the swine flu outbreak. What I wonder about is if this is all just a big media scare. There hasn't been much going on lately for them to report on. From what I've heard, the death rate doesn't sound any worse than a normal flu outbreak. If I'm not mistaken there are usually around 100 deaths a day during a normal outbreak. We haven't even had one death yet here in the US. I'm not saying people aren't sick, I'm saying is it really any worse than any other flu?

Helping Out a Friend

I don't know how it happened, but I have become the person that my friends turn to when they want information on websites. Needless to say, I don't run with geeks. I am by no means an expert in this.

My friend called this morning to ask me questions about setting up a website. I told her the first step is to find a good web hosting service. Finding the right one to begin with can save a lot of problems in the future. I directed her to WebHostingRating.com. It is my favorite place to send people. You can see the web hosting rating for the top ten providers of 2009. Besides the rating you can also see how much space they provide, the price and the traffic allowed with the plan. Going for the cheapest price is not necessarily the best way to go, you have to consider it all.

Besides the overall top ten rated web hosts, you can also look for the ones that won awards for their category in 2008. If you write a blog you can look for the best blog host. You can also find the top rated budget host or the best host for forums. The site has useful information for anyone looking for a host.

I Finally Understand

With all of the financial upheaval people have been going through, I have heard a lot of terms related to ways to get out of debt. However, I didn't understand what a lot of it meant.

I read the blog at Bills.com today. It explained the programs that freedom debt relief offers in a way that I understood it. I can finally say that I know what debt negotiation involves. Besides explaining the process, it gave an in depth review of the company itself. If I was in need of the service it sounds like an outstanding company. I wouldn't hesitate to tell anyone to read the blog for information.

It's My Favorite Time of Year

It is my favorite time of year. For a few short and sweet weeks we have Florida to ourselves. All of the northern snowbirds are gone. The spring break crowd has dissipated. It is too early for all the moms and pops and kidlets to show up for family vacation. We can go to any restaurant, shop at any store and drive down any street with ease. I love living in Florida this time of year!

A Dream Vacation

What would your dream vacation be? Mine would be a trip to Denali Park in Alaska. Everything that I have seen about it makes it look like a place of incredible beauty. Maybe I am fascinated by it because I live in Florida and it is so opposite of what I am used to.

I would love to be able to take a summer and travel Alaska. Can you imagine what you could see there if you had the time and money to do it? They have glaciers, volcanoes, forests, incredible wildlife and it's the home of the Deadliest Catch tv show. That's my favorite show! Alaska travel is high on my list of things to do.

The Debate Continues

My husband and I are continuing our debate over cable versus Direct TV. We currently have cable but neither of us are happy with it. It is expensive for what we get.

I printed out a list of the channels for Direct TV service last night to compare it with what we have now. It looks like we would have access to more channels for less money that we are currently paying. They also have more high definition channels than our local cable company does. My husband was impress with both of those factors so it looks like there will be a Direct TV system in our future.

It's In Florida

It was announced today that the first case of swine flu has been confirmed here in Florida. The case is in the Orlando area. There is so much travel into and out of that area that I am not surprised that our first case is there. I am just hoping that what I heard a doctor say this morning is true. Some diseases that jump from another species to humans lose their strength as they are passed directly from human to human. Let's hope that is the case.

So Cute!

I found a site that has the cutest maternity clothes that I have ever seen. It's called KikisFashions.com. Everything is so cute I almost want to be pregnant so that I can wear them. Notice I said almost! They have a lot of styles to choose from and to make it even better the prices are awesome. I know how hard it can be to spend money on clothes that you will only wear for a short time. To help you out even more they are giving a 20% discount right now. Enter coupon code "blogfriends" at check out to get it. Have fun shopping!

Thinking About Security

My husband has started traveling more for his business and I am home alone. We do not have a home security system installed at our house. Now that he is gone we are reconsidering whether we should install an ADT Security System.

I am not the kind of person who gets scared easily but I do not want to be foolish either. Besides making me feel more secure I know that it would make him feel better. He worries about not being here to help me if something goes awry. I think we are going to spend some time this weekend looking at home security systems.

An Interesting Read

If you have ever thought about trying to make money blogging or freelance writing online, there is a blog that you need to read. It is called JJ and Sofia and it covers exactly that. There are posts on where to write articles for pay. The blog also includes information on various places to get a paid for sponsored blog posts.

Watch Shopping For A Friend

I get to shop for watches today! My friend's husband asked me to help him choose one for her. He sent me to BlueDial.com and I have found the perfect one. I was looking at the bulova watches and there is a diamond chronograph with a pink mother of pearl dial that I know she will love. She is all about pink so it will go with practically everything she owns. Her husband likes the idea of a Bulova watch because they have been around so long and they have a great reputation. If you are shopping for a watch check them out, they have free second day shipping and free sizing.

Making a Choice

My income is generated in part from several websites that I own. I love the writing aspect of running a website. What I don't love is dealing with hosting. There are so many web hosting providers in the market that it can be a lot of work to find the best one for my needs. I am looking for a new provider and found a site called WebHostingChoice.com to help me. They have a simple layout that lists the top ten hosting sites. The site also includes a great learning center if you need information.

I'm Warning You In Advance

I'm giving you a warning in advance. I have heard a rumor that there will be a sale coming up at my favorite Coach outlet store. I know times are hard, but I always have a secret stash of money for circumstances like this. A girl has to have her priorities. hehehe Now I have to go online to the Coach site and decide what is on my most wanted list. You never know what will be marked down so I have to have a list of things that I want in order of priority. Nothing like getting serious about shopping, right?

Sticking My Toe Back In

I have decided that it is time to stick my toe back into the stock trading market. Don't worry, I plan on being very cautious. My gut is telling me that we are at or close to the bottom and conventional wisdom is to buy at the bottom. Even if it goes down a little more, it should be a good time to test the waters.

I like to do my own research and use an online broker. It has been my experience that I can do it as well as a full service broker. I may even do it better, it's my money so I am thorough. In my opinion online trading is the most economical way to trade.

Uncovering A Treasure

I made a stop at my favorite thrift store yesterday and found a treasure. Actually, I found two. The jewelry counter is usually full of crap but I do occasionally find something good. Yesterday I spotted two pairs of earrings that looked promising. They were both seriously oxidized and tarnished. After cleaning them up today I found that they are both Mexican sterling silver. One set is dolphins and the other set is abstract ovals. They would have cost a lot more than $8 at a vintage shop!

If I Had It To Do Over

If I had a chance to go back to school I would go to culinary school. I have always been seriously into cooking and I think that I would really enjoy it. It is hard work but hard work is fun when it is something you love.

What got me started on the subject was finding a site called AllCulinarySchools.com. It is a great site with information on the various culinary schools and the programs that they offer. They also have information on culinary careers to help you decided which path you want to take. After looking around I am very tempted to jump in. If the economy was a little better I probably would take the chance and go for it.

At Last, Something for Sun Damage

I truly love living in Florida. The thing that I love the most about it is the sunshine. Unfortunately, my years in the sun are catching up with me and I am starting to see some fine lines. Also,I have always had freckles, which I hate, and the sun has made them worse.

I have been on a quest to find a product line to help with my problems. It is important to start early before the damage gets out of hand so I want to get started on it now. The good news is that I think I have found a great line of skin care products called Obagi. I can't wait to get started with it.

The Obagi Clear has 4% hydroquinone which will help with discolorations of many kinds such as age spots and freckles. The best part is that it's clear, which is important. It's part of the Obagi Nu-Derm system which addresses photodamage. That is damage from the sun, which is exactly my problem.

If you want to check it out too, visit Skinthology.com. They have a great deal going on now. They are giving away a free gift with orders over $60. I always love a free gift!

The Celebs Are Joining Twitter

It seems that the celebrity crowd has decided to join twitter. For a while Shaq and Ashton and Demi and a few more were the only celebs on twitter. Today Oprah joined the twitterverse. Who's next?

I am not excited about the whole celebrity twitter thing. Their lives are covered in enough detail by the media if I want to know something about them. From what I've seen they all expect to be followed but don't follow back. So it's a one way street as far as interaction. Where's the fun in that? Twitter is about interacting, it's not a one way street.

Get Your Pedicure, It's Time for Sandals

I love when spring comes and it is time to wear sandals again. I like buying sandals almost as much as I like buying handbags.

To celebrate the season I visited my favorite website this morning, daniblack.com. They have some yummy new shoes for spring! Take a look at the one here. Isn't it absolutely beautiful? I can't wait to slip my toes into it. My only dilemma is which color I want to buy. Should I get chocolate or natural vacchetta? They're going to look wonderful with some of my new spring pants.

If you don't know about dani black shoes here's the scoop. They not only have great styles as you can see here, they use great materials. All of their shoes are made from natural materials like leather. You won't find any plastics or synthetics in their merchandise. They have a full range of shoe styles from casual to work and the prices are great as well.

I have an appointment for a pedicure this weekend so I will be ready to wear my new sandals when they arrive. Have you made your appointment yet? You had better book it, I know you will be ordering once you see their shoes. Have fun shopping!

Shopping Isn't Just for Purses

Money is tight for my sister right now like it is for everyone. So of course her minivan quit on her and she had to have an engine repair mechanic look at it. She found out very quickly that Dodge engines are expensive to replace. She is struggling to pay the fortune they charged her for it.

I wish she had looked into it more. She could have gone to GotEngines.com and bought it direct at the wholesale price. They will ship it to your mechanic and you can save lots of money. It pays to shop around for anything that you buy now. Money is to tight not to do it.

Accessorizing My Yard

I have spent the last few days accessorizing my yard. You know me, I'm not happy if I'm not accessorizing something. :) We live in Florida near the beach so our house is beachy, sand in the yard and everything. So I was excited to find some Adirondack chairs in my colors! There's pink, lavender, yellow, green and orange. They look so cool on the front porch and balcony. We reworked the front of the house with some new landscaping. I can't wait for my daylilies to bloom!

My New Secret Pleasure

I am confessing my new secret pleasure. I Watch movies online. Sometimes when my husband thinks I am working online I am really watching something. ;) I love movies anyway so when I discovered MyMovees.com it was like finding a new purse site. I was instantly hooked. The selection of titles is great. The site makes it so easy to use that there is no excuse not to do it. And when you get tired of watching movies they have television shows as well. I'm looking forward to watching Dexter, I hear it is great. If you want a great place to Watch movies check them out.

I Hate Them

I hate them. If you live in the south all I need to say is fire ant and you know why I said that. Those little devils are trying to take over my beautiful yard. I was just online looking at the ControlFireAnts.com site. They have lots of information on southern fire ants and how to control them. I'm declaring war.

I Don't Do Bonnets

I don't do bonnets, so I am donning my Easter bag. Some people have the face for hats but I am not one of them. I've never put on a hat that didn't look out of place on my head. So I celebrate Easter with my Easter handbag. This year I am sporting a hot pink leather Coach purse. It is the yummiest shade of pink, I just want to lick it. :) It's nice and roomy too. Maybe I'll have an Easter egg hunt in it.

My Kind of Friday Evening

It's 5 o'clock on Friday evening and I am ready to head to the kitchen for happy hour. I'll bet my happy hour is different than what you are expecting. My happy hour involves protein powder thrown into a blender bottle with my current sugar free syrup flavor.

I don't think that I have ever mentioned here that I had weight loss surgery. I had to completely relearn how to eat and what to eat. Now I will take a superfood drink over cake or cookies any day of the week. Once I realized how good eating right makes me feel I truly started enjoying my protein supplements. Enough blogging, I'm off to the kitchen. Have a great weekend!

Where Now?

I know I usually talk about spending money, but I do save some occasionally. :) That way I have more to spend in the future. Today I have been looking online to try and figure out where I can get the best return on some cash I have. I am scared to go back into the market so I am looking at CD rates.

With the internet you're not limited to dealing with only local banks. You can find bank rates all over the country. I had thought that they would be pretty standard but they're not so it's definitely to my advantage to look around. I want the best CD rates that I can find so my money is safe and giving me the most yield possible.

They Should Issue IDs

There is too much stupidity going around these days. I think they should start issuing IDs to stupid people that they would have to wear when in public. That way we'd know what to expect.

I just read another story of someone calling the cops because they weren't happy with their dinner. The lady picked up some take out Chinese food and was not satisfied with the amount of shrimp that were in her dinner. When she told the restaurant there weren't enough shrimp, they told her that was the correct amount. So naturally she called the police. Does she think I pay taxes so police can come negotiate her dinner for her? Like I said, they need to issue ID's so we can tell who they are and just ignore them.

Diamonds Are Special

I'm so excited. A friend asked me to help him shop for a diamond ring for his girlfriend. The first thing I did was send him to BlueNile.com. They have the best information on diamonds. They make it easy to understand what you are buying and what you are looking at. All of that cut, color, clarity and karat stuff can be confusing if you've never paid any attention to diamonds before. Now that he understands it all we are into the fun part. They have some stunning rings in their collection. I think he is leaning towards the build your own ring option. She has very specific taste and he wants to buy her exactly what she wants. This is almost as much fun as buying something for myself!

So Much To Think About

My friend and I were discussing being pregnant today. There are so many things to think about. First you worry about whether you're going to get pregnant. Then you worry whether the pregnancy is going well and what to expect during each trimester. Once the physical concerns are under control you start thinking about what to name the baby and how to decorate the nursery. If you are thinking along these lines there's a site called ParentsConnect.com where you can go for Parenting Advice from. It is a forum for people to connect and discuss all of their parenting concerns. I wish I had know about it a long time ago.

New Earrings

I stopped by the Goodwill store today. I think I have said before that there is a large one about a mile from my house. It's on my way to go anywhere so I stop by frequently. I have scored lots of goodies there from a mandolin for the kitchen to lots of Ann Taylor clothing. Today I spotted the cutest pair of earrings. Once the clerk pulled them out I saw that they are nice, heavy 925 sterling silver from Mexico. They came home with me. How could I resist for $9.99?

Extreme Accessories

I'm doing some shopping for accessories today, just not the kind I'm used to. Instead of handbags I'm shopping for 5.11 Tactical gear. My brother in law is a police officer and any time there is an occasion for a gift he wants gear for his job. His wife keeps a list of things that he wants so I can find out what he needs.

Right now I am looking at cuff pouches, baton pouches and holsters. It's amazing how many things that they can hang on their bodies to help them do their work. Actually, I almost feel right at home on the LAPoliceGear.com site. They have tactical gear pouches, that counts as a bag, right?

A Lock Designed Just for Me

I am so excited about the keyless lock I just found. Since I have been know to be a bit of an air head when it comes to keys it sounds like it was made just for me.

The keyless lock that I was looking at works on finger prints. How cool is that? It would be great with kids. You wouldn't have to worry about them losing their key and getting locked out or someone using it to break in. I guess someone could try to steal your finger prints but I can't imagine anyone with that much know how would waste it trying to break into my house. Unless they are seriously into purses and handbags. LOL There's not really anything else of value here. I think I see a keyless lock in my future.

You'd Never Guess

You would never guess by the amount of people here for spring break that there is a recession going on. I'm not complaining, this area relies almost solely on tourism for its economy. I just know that everyone here has been very concerned that the tourists would not show up this year. If the spring break crowds are any indication it's going to be a pretty good summer. I just went to the grocery and the store was packed and the shelves looked absolutely picked over. A sure sign the tourists are here!

No More Excuse

I have no more excuse for not jogging in my area anymore. The county finished a beautiful walking and jogging path that runs right past my house. It runs along the road that follows the coast so the views are beautiful.

I have promised myself that I am going to buy some new running shoes and start getting back into shape. It's been so long since I went jogging that I do not even have any shoes, they've all been thrown away. Of course I'm planning to buy them from Zappo's! I do love Zappo's. I can always count on them for a great selection. The problem will be trying to keep myself concentrated on running shoes. Once I have a pair to two picked out for exercise the heels will start calling my name. I'm going to try and forget all about the handbag department while I'm there or I will be seriously lost for hours.

Wiki This

It is getting easier and easier to find long distance phone numbers with the internet. The newest way I have found is a wiki with Wiki Phone Number Info. Wikis are a great way to find information and this one is so cool. If you are looking for a phone number anywhere in the US check it out at WikiPhoneNumbers.com. It's free!

It's Called Proof Reading

I am amazed by large corporations that print up products without double checking the information on the package. A cereal producer shipped out boxes of cereal with an incorrect 800 number on them. Besides not being able to reach the manufacturer, the people were greeted by a sex operator. I'll bet that was a real eye opener for them! Maybe the next time they should have two people proof reading the new boxes.

Backup, It's a GOOD Thing

If you are anything like me, you know it's a good idea to back up all the information that you have stored on your computer but you keep putting it off. I have been through computer crashes in the past and have sworn that I will never lose all my files again. Then I get lazy and stop doing it.

I'm happy to say that I found IDrive Online Backup. It's a really cool service and the prices are reasonable. They start at $4.95 a month which is more than enough for someone with a small online business like me. It's automatic so I don't have to worry about it. And if you don't have many files they even have 2GB of free storage you can use. The security features are also great. Check them out at IDrive.com.

Marriage Is Hard Work

When I was young and inexperienced I had the idea that everything would be roses and sunshine after I got married. I fantasized that a happy marriage would come naturally and easily. Now that I have ten years of marriage under my belt, I can say that it is very hard work. It's worth the effort, but a happy and fulfilling marriage does not come easily.

My sister and her husband have hit a rough spot in their marriage. Fortunately they have decided to seek marriage counseling. I am happy to say that she and her husband are getting positive results from the counseling. They have a small child and they were willing to do the work to stay together. Many people are reluctant to seek counseling but for those that do the results are often good. Over 90% of people who seek counseling say that they are satisfied with the help that they got from it.

If you are having difficulties and would like to know more about counseling, you might want to check out the marriage counselors blog. It is a very interesting blog by the counselor at East Bay Couples Counseling and can help you better understand the subject. The entire site at EastBayCouples.com is very informative.

It's Official

It is officially spring at my house. As part of my spring cleaning I cleaned my winter purses, tucked them into cotton bags and put them away until next year. I always love pulling out the ones that have been stored away. It's like revisiting old friends. I chose a bone leather coach tote as my first casual spring handbag of the season. It's perfect for running to the grocery or other errands. I love all the little pockets.