Insurance

OK - last post about insurance. But this one is about life insurance. I worry. A Lot. It is just who I am. So, I made Justin get more term life this year - just in case. I dont wanna worry about money if I have to worry about burying my spouse and providing for my kids. How much term do you have? Is it enough?

Telling the world....

There is nothing sweeter than a new baby. A new life. A new family. I love being part of it in any way. I have designed announcements off and on - but I am in LOVE with these baby girl announcements. Are they not PRECIOUS! What a wonderful way to tell everyone of your new joy!

Giving gifts

I love to give gifts and I got to buy some awesome gifts for some of our friends, family and clients this year. Of course, buying for the boys is the best, but I enjoyed buying nice bourbons, Avo cigars, wine and other things that I normally do not buy. I felt like a connoisseur. At least for a minute.

Saving Money

Is never a bad thing. So, when we bought the new house we were shopping house and auto insurance. Just to see if we could get a better deal. I got all kinds of different types of auto insurance quotes. We ended up saving over 40% on our auto insurance. I was astonished. And we went with a better company. So, shop around - you could honestly be saving money.

Furniture

So we are moved in and pretty much settled. I still have some word art to add to walls and some pictures to hang but for the most part we are IN. But, I have a problem. Baileys TV. It is on her desk right now and that works OK but it is not that stable and honestly, it takes up the whole desk. So, do you have any cool tv stands ideas?

My friend the model

I have a friend who is an aspiring actress/model. She goes on all kinds of casting calls and really leads a pretty cool life. Funny that she got called for a weird photo-shoot call and turns out it was for the best herpes treatment. I had to put down the phone when she told me I was laughing soooo hard. It reminds me of Joey on Friends when he was the poster child for VD. So much for both of their careers...

Diet plans

Atkins.... nutrisystem.... Low fat.... No fat.... Body cleanses.... Good old fashioned exercise. What works best for you? I recently read that weight loss is 30% exercise and 70% food. I totally believe in that. I have worked out quite a bit for 2 years and have lost nearly 30 lbs and then I watched diet only and no exercise and I lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks. Things that make you go hmmmmm.......

Pregnancy

Let me start off by saying - NO I AM NOT PREGNANT. But I have several friends who are for the first time and I have forgotten how much fun and scary the whole process is. From blood tests, to food restrictions. From name choices to even hemorrhoid relief - what a wild ride it is. On that note, I think it is time to schedule Justin a vasectomy. HAHA.

Thankful

I am so thankful to God for so many things in my life. My family, my children, the fact that we all have our health and a roof over our head and food in our bellies. Between Haiti and finding out about a friend with a bsn cell mass, I feel even more grateful for all I have. May God bless each of you and remember to pray. God is Good - all the time.

Video Games

We are a video game family. The kids have leapsters and DS'. Justin has a playstation 2, nintendo 64 and an xbox 360 and now I want a Wii. I think it would be a good way to get in shape when I do not have time to go to the gym to work out. There are also so many cute wii accessories. The little steering wheels, golf clubs and baseball bats. Oh yeah, and fun games too. :)

Tradeshows

Justin and I periodically will go to tradeshows for our business. It is a great way to network and even see what our competition is up to and where we need to improve. We have a couple of tvs to showcase our website and other work but we need some kind of cardboard display that would look nice to showcase our favorite print projects. Can you think of any other good ideas for showcasing work in a creative way?

Planning

I am trying to get everything in shape in 2010 "just in case". I have made an account listing, made sure our will is in shape and easy to locate, even got Justin some more life insurance. I did not think I needed more, but now I am not so sure. So I am waiting on a life insurance quote to up mine to. What are you doing to plan for "just in case"?

The last of the furniture

Has finally been moved upstairs in the new house. See, before we moved into this house, I was driving by our neighbors house and he had these FANTASTIC old lockers for sale. Yes, they were rusted and army green (turns out they were indeed ARMY lockers - so that made sense later). And apparently they weighed about 209348 lbs. So, my Mom took them, fixed them up and painted them red for Jaxs room. They were AMAZING. But, no lighter. So, when we moved into this house - we didnt try to take them upstairs. Instead they sat in the garage for the last 3 months. I finally got fed up and hired 2 guys to move them up. 15 minutes, work gloves, and a hardy measure of muscle and they are finally in Jaxs room and they look amazing!

Insurance

I hate having private insurance. It really is a big pain in the bootie. They always change your rates, even without many claims. This year we went with a high-deductible HSA and didnt even touch a 1/3 of our family deductible - which trust me- I know is a blessing because it means we were not sick much. But we are looking at either switching to an even higher HSA deductible or maybe even going with Blue Cross Blue Shield NC. What do you have, if you have private coverage?

Hotels

We were spoiled in Chicago. We stayed right on Michigan in a big, fancy hotel. Not too fancy for the kids who ran through it in their swimsuits when it was -10 outside - but fancy enough. We ordered room service - enjoyed the bell hop and concierge (both who knew us by name before we left). We also ate in their nice restaurants where they specially made grilled cheeses for the kids who did not like anything on the menu. So, now I am in search of nice french quarter hotels... Do you have a fantastic experience to share?

Vacations

We did not take a proper vacation this year due to buying the new house etc... So, we are trying to think big next year. But, what to do? Do we want to do something really big like Disney? The beach again (always a favorite). Mountains? Cruise? Outer Banks vacation? What do you recommend?

Chicago

Justin had a business conference to go to in Chicago. SOOOO - what else is a family to do but join him - tag along - be the 3rd wheel. It's OK - we can deal with that stigma. We had a fantastic time. From dinosaur bones to aquariums to shopping on Michigan Ave for everything from Fur Coats to Apple Computers to toys and weight loss pills. AMAZING. And the boys - perfect. Absolutely perfect. Justin had fun too - not sure doing what - but fun none the less!

Rock on... Rock off.....

rocker switches
What do you suggest? Is this a good buy?Do you have one? What brand? HELP!?! Have I made that clear? LOL. Obviously, I have no idea what there were for until Justin said we needed some and SOMEHOW it became my JOB to find some and find the best deals. BUT, big problem. I have no idea what to do.

Hardest Man to buy for

my Dad is IMPOSSIBLE to buy for this holiday (and every other holiday to boot). I do golf, and gift certificates. But, I want something unique and cool. Maybe some techie gadget? Maybe a man type tool? Maybe some cool truck accessories? What is your go-to gift for your hard to buy men?

Downstairs

Now having 2 stories, and Justin taking my Mac laptop to the office, I am in need of a downstairs laptop for cooking, chatting, playing games for the kids, etc... Does anyone know of any great laptop deals? It does not have to be fancy, but I also do not think I can deal with one of those TINY new laptops..... Advice?

Still Searching

I have checked out some of the sites that you all recommended for free online backup and so far they are just not big enough for what we need. Just the pictures and music take up so much space. Does anyone else have any suggestions?

From way back when....

Apparently when I decided to stay home I put my resume on some freelance website looking for extra ways to make a few dollars. Well, I have gotten a couple of responses lately - some of them are funny.

--A personal shopper (that COULD be good - LOL)
--call center outsourcing tech (or not....)
--Raising money for some organization that I have never heard of
--Make-Up tester (sounds good until you realize that these could break you out in hives or worse)

In case you need it.

Unfortunately, I have been exposed to a lot of really sick people. And it breaks my heart. Cancer, mesothelioma, sick babies. It is just not good. So, give the ones you love an extra squeeze and kiss and let them know how special they are to you.

My poor laptop

Is on her last leg I think. i cannot imagine why. I mean she has NEVER been dropped, TWICE. Or had the cord pulled out of her too many times to count. Nope. She is immaculate. That is why her cover doesn't close and she has a hard time holding a charge. I am hoping to infuse her with some system memory in hopes of a come around. I think I might be screwed....

Cool new house perks

This house has everything and MORE that we love and wanted. Fireplace: CHECK Dual heating/cooling: CHECK. Three Car Garage: CHECK. video surveillance equipment: CHECK. Yet, we still have no idea how to program my car for the garages - how to work the fireplace or surveillance. So, we have em just need to learn how to use em...

Ideas

So, I have not been as diligent about the gym in the last 2 weeks - moving and all.... I So need to get back into the swing of things, but have not made myself yet. So, I am looking for a good weight loss supplement to tide me over until I get back. What do you use? Do you love it?

Things I love...

Having a new home makes you open your eyes to cool, designer or original touches in unexpected places. Here are a few things that I am loving lately:

--Basin sinks - SO in love with these. Like, a little too much.
-- glass tile - my favorite Thai restaurant has an amazing bar backsplash of them.
-- Different colored islands. Enuf said....

What are you loving right now?

We are finally IN!

We closed on Justin and my 9 year ago meeting day. Which is pretty cool! We are here. We are, for the most part, out of boxes but no decorating has happened because we are patiently, or not, waiting on some furniture. So, as we sit and relax in our new home, tell me, which is my mind filled with mice. Mickey and Minnie to be precise.... Why is it now all I can think about it DISNEY and the fun disney world hotels, food and FUN! Hopefully we can do Disney soon - and me, I am just ready for a vacation!