Are You Covered?

Is your family covered? Do you have medical insurance for your family? Home owners insurance? Life insurance?If you do not have family insurance what are you waiting for? A seemingly minor trip to the doctor's office or a minor car accident can turn into a lot more, really quickly. All it takes is a little thing to blossom into a huge problem and your family can end up bankrupt, losing your home, without money and without help. What would you do then? Don't take the chance! Make sure your family is covered and prepared for anything life can throw at you.

To Go Plasma or Not To Go Plasma

I am a huge fan of my plasma monitor that I use for my computer, however, I still use the nice old style televisions. I have looked into getting us a big screen plasma television, however, I am having a hard time finding a place to put it. I love that there is almost no depth to them at all, but I hate that they have to be hung on the wall. I am too used to having the freestanding televisions that will sit happily on the floor like normal.

Well, as plasma televisions become more and more prominent in regular households, I am forced more and more to consider the different options available to me. I began looking at some interesting things like a plasma tv lift, some of which can even be put at the foot of your bed and the television comes right up and out of the cabinet. I think I am one that would like something like that better than hanging a $3000 television on my wall like a picture.

My Ideal Meal

I love comfort food. That kind of food that is so completely unhealthy and fattening, but it tastes so good that it just can't help but make you happy. My ideal comfort food is sauteed mushrooms and onions with a whole wheat roll and cream of potato soup. There is just nothing better to warm you up and make you feel full and happy. Unfortunately it can not possible be good for you!

Should I Invest In Real Estate?

That is something I have been considering for quite some time. I would love to own homes in different states and be able to travel where ever, when ever I liked. Eventually I will retire from Continental and still have pass benefits and so I will need places to stay at when I suddenly have tons of time and the world to see.

I have looked into real estate in Houston as well as Phoenix real estate either would be great places to spend some of my retirement. Of course, I would love to own some property in Italy or Hawaii as well. That would be perfect!

I Need A Personal Trainer

I went to the gym for the first time in many, many years yesterday and I decided one thing. I need a personal trainer worse than anyone in that entire gym. I am not fat by any means, I am not even overweight. In all reality, I am grossly underweight, which is exactly why I need to be in the gym. I need to build up some muscle, tone what I do have and try to get a handle on being more healthy.

However, I walked in to this room full of people that looked like they had a plan, a purpose and I stood there looking lost. One of the worker people came over to me and asked if she could help me out. She suggested that I start with the treadmills and then move on to the ellipticals . The tread what and elipti who's? What in the world was she talking about? But rather than looking stupid, I nodded my head like I had the faintest idea what she was talking about, waited for her to walk out the door and headed for the snack bar.

By the way, what is up with that? Why in the world would they have a snack bar in a gym? I mean if they had healthy food, I can see that, but NO! These guys had things like pizza, ice cream and those amazingly yummy pretzels. Oh yeah! That's what I am talking about. My trip to the gym ended in frustrated indulgence with a great big soft pretzel doused in butter and covered in salt, a large coke and a cup of soft serve ice cream! It's no wonder I don't feel any healthier!

Making Halloween Costumes

Making my kids Halloween costumes this year was not by any stretch of the imagination easy, but it was fun and it created a great opportunity for me to spend time with my kids and for us to work together and create something that they were proud of. It was a really great experience. It ended up costing me more than it would have to just buy them a costume and it took tons of time, but they loved it and I would not have traded the time I spent with them for all the money in the world. What a great experience!

Who Have You Lost Touch With?

I have two really great friends from elementary school that I would love to get back in touch with, unfortunately, I have no idea where they have gone or what they are doing now.

One is Tiffany, she lived with her family in a mountain town just east of where I now live, however she moved on and started going to another school and we slowly lost touch. I was in the super market once and I saw her mother. We talked and I found out that she was going to Hawaii, I believe for a cheerleading competition. I gave her mother my address and phone number and asked her to give it to Tiffany. She either did and Tiffany decided that she did not want to contact me or her mother forgot. Either way, I never heard back from her.

The other is Jessica, my best friend from the time Tiffany left until I moved into public school in the 5th grade. We spent every possible minute together. I remember there was a little house or shed type thing behind her house that we would play in. It was dirty and run down but it was our own place to play alone and quiet.

Well, now here I am, 20 some odd years later, wishing I had kept in touch with them better. Luckily there are things on the internet such as people search engines that allow you to search for people you knew or people you want to get to know.

Quick Chicken Noodle Soup

I am not a huge fan of spending a lot of time in the kitchen so this recipe works great for my family.

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 Whole Cut Up Chicken
1 Cup Sliced Carrots
1/2 Cup Sliced Celery
1 Med Onion Diced
4 Chicken Bullion Cubes
2 Quarts Water
1 Package of Pasta
1 T Parsley Flakes
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Broil the pieces of chicken for 10 to 15 minutes on high to brown the outsides and bring out the richest flavor. Start the water boiling and add the roasted chicken, Carrots, Celery, Onion, Cubes and seasonings. Boil for 20 to 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are soft but firm. Remove the chicken, remove bones and chop into bite size pieces. Add any type of pasta you would like and boil until the pasta is cooked. Return the chicken to the pot. Warm and serve.

With some warm rolls, this makes a great cold wintery day meal.

Microwave Cooking

I love cooking with my microwave. It saves me time and honestly, with my crazy work schedule, I have learned to scale down the portions to allow me to cook in the microwave ovens they have there at work. It take just a little prep time at home and when it is dinner time at work, I pop it into the microwave at work and I have a home cooked meal that is healthy and MUCH better than fast food.

I have even done brownies in the microwave. I mix the batter, separate it into a couple microwave safe dishes with lids and take one a night. Microwave them for 45 seconds to a minute and I have a warm chocolate brownie at work! It's great!

The Benefits Of Internal Skin Care

I am a firm believer in being able to heal yourself if your body can produce the proper tools to do so. Unfortunately, too many people do not get the proper nutrition to keep themselves, their body, bones and skin healthy. Then they end up at the doctor or dermatologist and are told that they need unnatural remedies to correct the problem.

My question is why not find the root of the problem and correct it rather than just treating the symptoms? We can treat the symptoms of a problem for the rest of our lives and never, ever find and correct the problem in the first place. Of course that means a lifetime of medication purchases for the pharmaceutical companies, but for the rest of us it means lost money, declined health and dependency on an unnatural substance to keep us going.

Fortunately there is one company that is working to treat the problem of healthy skin from the inside. R.G. Skin Revitalizer, which stands for Red Gâc, is an oil extract from the tropical superfruit Gâc, it is rich in carotenoid antioxidants, and when taken as part of one’s daily diet, essentially provides skin daily nourishment that works from the inside out.

It is just so nice to see a company that cares about naturally caring for your skin.

Calling All Seamstresses....

Calling All Seamstresses, Joann's is having their Midnight Maddness, 99 cent pattern sale!!! I did not know about this until I unknowingly walked into the trap. And for me it is a trap, a money losing trap because I buy all of these extravagant patterns that I will never make due to lack of ability.

Well this time it was no different, I bought a darling pattern for cheerleading uniforms, a pattern for really fancy dresses, a mid-fancy dress and a cute little summer dress pattern, then some Halloween costumes and a pattern for prairie dresses.

Now if I could just manage to use at least some of them then I will feel much better!

How Would It Be

It's no secret that I love the art of massage. I could go every week if I could afford it. Unfortunately I can not afford it most of the time. But how would it be to have a video tutorial that could teach your spouse to give the same kinds of massages as the professionals? You could learn together and massage each other. What a wonderful Valentine's Day gift. Take a look at what they offer.



This one is a Foot Reflexology Video and can show you the techniques involved in reflexology in the foot. How to relieve stress, cleanse the body and such.

Stealing Cinderella

I heard this song on the Country Music station that I listen to and I just fell in love with it. While I am not a Dad and the feeling are different for me than for a Father, the song just makes me remember to love my kids in the here and now because very soon now will be just a memory and gone forever. The times of running through the sprinklers, jumping in the leaves and dancing on Daddy's feet are so short lived. Enjoy them while they are young.

Stealing Cinderella
By: Chuck Wicks

I came to see her daddy for sit down man to man
It wasn't any secret i'd be asking for her hand
I guess that's why he left me waiting in the living room by myself
with at least a dozen pictures of her sitting on a shelf

- Chorus -

She was playing Cinderella
She was riding her first bike
Bouncing on the bed and looking for a pillow fight
Running through the sprinkler with a big popsicle grin
Dancing with her dad, looking up at him
In her eyes i'm Prince Charming
But to him i'm just some fella
riding in and stealing Cinderella

I leaned in towards those pictures to get a better look at one
When I heard a voice behind me say "Now, ain't she something, son?"
I said "Yes, she quite a woman"
and he just stared at me
Then I realized that in his eyes she would always be

Playing Cinderella
Riding her first bike
Bouncing on the bed and looking for a pillow fight
Running through the sprinkler with a big popsicle grin
Dancing with her dad, looking up at him
In her eyes i'm Prince Charming
But to him i'm just some fella
riding in and stealing Cinderella

He slapped me on the shoulder
Then he called her in the room
When she threw her arms around him
That's when I could see it too

Playing Cinderella
Riding her first bike
Bouncing on the bed and looking for a pillow fight
Running through the sprinkler with a big popsicle grin
Dancing with her dad, looking up at him
If he gives me a hard time
I can't blame the fella
I'm the one who's stealing Cinderella

Where Can Your Job Take You?

Where can your current job take you? Mine takes me all over the world. I love it! I work for Continental Airlines, from home and while the pay is not the greatest at $6.89 per hour, but they offer good commissions and incentives and the benefits are amazing! I can fly my family anywhere in the world for a reasonable amount of money, okay for a ridiculously small amount of money. They offer the ability to trade away parts of your shift to allow for extended vacations, health, dental and vision benefits as well as the ability to work from home. But most of all, the best thing about my job is the flight benefits. I can take my son to Chicago to see Sue, the world's largest Tyrannosaurs Rex, or I could fly down to Ohio, buy myself some Ohio State Buckeyes tickets and watch the Buckeyes play a football game on their home field. I could take Clayton to Germany to get a feel for the environment to help him along with his Country project. There are just so many opportunities that this job offers me.

Where does your job take you again???

Continental OnePass Miles

Did you know that Contintental Airlines Onepass program offers an incredibly easy way to earn miles towards getting yourself a free flight? I am talking SO easy. You can shop online at most of the major retailers and earn miles on your account. I bought my girls Halloween costumes on Target.com and earned myself 450 onepass miles towards my next free, revenue flight. And it was so easy and something I would have done anyway, as the costumes were not available in store anywhere.

It works great, it is a win, win situation and I am well on my way to earning a free flight. Are you?

I love Designer Jewelry

I am a sucker for fine jewelry and I can always tell a knock off when I see one. So when I saw this site I was amazed! They have an amazing selection of fine designer jewelry with some of the most beautiful designed I have ever seen. I am a typical woman and I love diamond as much as anyone else but put diamonds with white gold and it make for an amazingly stunning design. Take a look at their Calla Lily Diamonds line. I love the shimmer and shine involved when you combine the white diamonds and white gold. Then once you get it on your hand it just stands out and begs to be seen.

If you love designer jewelry as much as I do then you have got to check out this site, but if I were you I would leave your credit card with your husband, 'cause you are gonna want to use it! Trust me!

Flower Halloween Costume

My little girl wore this costume last year and she loved it because it wasn't bulky or overdone. Just simple and cute. I loved it because it was SO easy to make.

I took a regular, inexpensive headband and wrapped it in green felt. Then I cut 14 flower petals out of pink felt. I then cut 7 pieces of wire, twice the length of the petals and bent them into the shape of the petals. I then glued two petals together with the wire between them to help them stand up straight. Then I glue each completed petal to the headband. Once on the headband I used gold glitter glue to add decoration to the center of each petal.

I dressed my little gal in all green and put her headband on and she was the prettiest little flower I have ever seen.

*We also teased her, saying that she was a weed everytime she took off her headband. She would yell back, "I are not a weed!" It was very cute.

My Cats Are Worse Than My Kids

I don't know what it is about cats that causes them to think that any and all rules do not apply to them but my cats are the worst! They play where they want, sleep where they want, expect us to let them in and out on a whim and play with them or be bit in protest. They poop and pee where ever they feel like and eat anything that appeals to them.

My poor husband is so frustrated with them because they keep sleeping on top of his models and legos, knocking them off the shelves, breaking them and chewing on them when they look tasty.

My living room is not safe either! They claw at the couch, knock over the table lamp, pee and poop in the corners and chew on he throw pillows. I have half a mind to banish them from the house completely.

Fortunately for them, I was reading online today that cats that are feeling lonely will act out in an attempt to get attention, just like small children. So I am going to give loving on them more often a try but geez! They are worse than my children!!!

Bedroom Cleaning Check List

I have struggled, trying many different ideas to get my children to get their rooms cleaned and keep them that way. I finally found something that has worked! We made a bedroom cleaning chart that has worked so well. We had to tweak it a little the first time we went through it to accommodate everything in their individual rooms and their individual personalities as well as to not make any one step over whelming but the finished product has worked like a charm.

They start with their 30 minutes of cleaning every day and get as far through the list as they can. Then the next day they start at the top again so as not to get behind again and work as far as they can until eventually they finished the last thing on the list and the next day they started at the top and got through the whole list in a matter of minutes and were able to get on to other chores in the house.

Now their rooms have this quick checklist that they go through everyday to keep their rooms clean and they are much happier and so am I. Below are the two lists that I created. Feel free to use them and adapt them to your children's individual needs.

Boy’s Bedroom Cleaning
 Make Your Bed
 Pick Up All Blankets, Pillows & Stuffed Toys
 Pick Up All Dirty Clothes
 Take All Dirty Clothes To The Laundry Room
 Pick Up All Clean Clothes & Put Away
 Put All Shoes In The Closet
 Pick Up & Throw Away All Trash
  Pick Up Lego’s
 Pick Up All Other Toys And Put Them Away
 Put Away All Things That Belong Somewhere Else

Girl’s Bedroom Cleaning
 Make Your Bed
 Pick Up All Blankets, Pillows & Stuffed Toys
 Pick Up All Dirty Clothes
 Take All Dirty Clothes To The Laundry Room
 Pick Up All Clean Clothes & Put Away
 Put All Shoes In The Closet
 Pick Up & Throw Away All Trash
 Pick Up All Dolls And Put Them Away
 Pick Up All Other Toys And Put Them Away
 Put Away All Things That Belong Somewhere Else
I hope you can find this as helpful as it has been to me.

Traveling Help

I had no idea how many bags are "mishandled" by the airlines and airports until I started working for the Airline. Suddenly everything is becoming more and more clear to me. While only about 7% of bags are mishandled, think about that in terms of more than 1 billion people fly every year with baggage. Now do the math and tell me what you think?

Well, I had the opportunity to get my daughter a dog tag. They come in a wide range of colors with options of Sports logo's on them. As I was getting this for my daughter, I got a pink one with a cheerleading logo on it. I had her first and last name and our complete address engraved on it with the intent that she put it on her suitcase when we travel, that way, if her bag is lost, it can be returned in a timely manner, rather than shipped to a warehouse to sit and eventually be auctioned off to the general public.

But I was really amazed when it arrived. It was much, much nicer than I had expected. It was a gorgeous shade of pink, the engraving was easy to read and done very well, they even included a chain to go with it. But the most amazing thing to me was the quality of the workmanship and the quality of the product. It was a thick metal, much more so than most dog tags you see and it was obvious that someone has put a lot of time and care into the machines they use. I have seen many places that do engraving and their machines engrave too deeply and leave the sharp little edges around the letters or they engrave to softly and it is impossible to read.This one was done perfectly! No sharp edges, deep enough to easily read and prevent any type of abrasion rubbing it off. I am just completely impressed, I think I will need to get one for each of my other children now.

Hannah Montana is Coming To SLC

If you have a Daughter, this is really not a huge surprise. Everyone with a young daughter probably already knows about this and has been begged for tickets to the sold out show that are now being scalped for upwards of $1000. Well the good news is there is a small glimmer of hope for those of you who are not interested in paying $500 for a place for your hinny to sit through a 3 hour concert. Many, many radio stations and businesses have jumped aboard the Miley Cyrus "Hannah Montana" wagon train and are offering contests to their listeners and customers.

Here are a few that I know of:
Cricket Stores
101.5 The Eagle
B98.7
And Automatic Car Credit on Main Street in Layton.

Go to their websites or into their stores and register to win. I might just see you there! I have 2 little 8 year olds bursting at the seams!

When Is It Time?

When is it time to replace the kitchen faucet? My poor kitchen faucet has definitely seen better days. It is leaking from the base and the hand sprayer sinks down into the hole in the sink because the plastic ring that holds it so nicely is broken off. We do not have a water softener and so the faucet get caked regularly with lime scale and while I clean it often, it consistently gets worse and now it sprays in all directions. Washing the dishes and mopping the floor now go hand in hand. I would call this a good time for a new kitchen faucets, wouldn't you?

Now will someone please tell my husband???

Getting Organized

I have started to get more organized by making daily schedules for my children. I have laminated them so the kids are able to use a dry erase marker to mark off what they have done. It helps them keep on track to get ready for school in the morning and to get their homework done at night. Their Schedules look something like this.

Morning Checklist
 7:30am Wake-up
Brush Teeth
Make Bed
 7:35am Eat Breakfast
 7:50am Shower
 8:15am Get Dressed
 8:25am Gather Stuff For School
Get Coat, Hat and Mittens On
 8:30am Leave For School

After School Checklist
 3:45pm Home
Snack
 3:55pm Homework
Reading
Extra Practice
 5:00pm Play
 6:00pm Dinner
 7:00pm Housework
 7:30pm Brush Teeth
Get Pajamas On
 8:00pm Bedtime

Exceptions
Wednesday  5:30pm Housework
 7:00pm Scouts
 8:00pm Brush Teeth, Pajamas
 8:15pm Bed

I take into account the fact that five children cannot shower at the same time so I alternate that throughout the morning and the child next in line is great about keeping the showering one to their time limit because they know that they may miss breakfast or something else important if the first child in the shower takes too long. I also take into consideration each child's extra curricular activities and adjust the schedule for that day to include everything.

This has worked really well in allowing my children the freedom from me hustling them all morning and all night and allowing them to have some independence and be responsible for their own time, while I am still able to provide them with the guidance they still need.

How Can A Business Survive...

How can a business survive in this day and age without the new technology that is offered by web based programs and options. No company can survive in this world of high speed internet and Wi-Fi without the basics like e-mail, mobile phones with internet access and such. Now the latest in innovation, is the mobile website which is a great way to keep your business going strong no matter where you, or your client are currently located.

There was an article in AdWeek talks a little bit about where the market is leaning in respect to companies needing a wap site and something like this becoming mainstream. Personally, I think they are being way to conservative in their opinions. I see this as something that is going to take off like wildfire and lead the industry to greater heights and much more accessible company options.

Wonderful Vacation to San Antonio TX

This is exciting for me to write as I have not yet had the opportunity to take this little adventure, but am planning it as our next family vacation. I have a very dear friend that told me about a place in San Antonio Texas called the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch where you can drive through the refuge with a bag of feed and your windows down, or the minivan doors open and the animals will come right up to your vehicle to eat from your hand. Animals like white rhinos, antelope, zebra, wallabies, ostriches and many other exotic animals will come right up to see you! It sounds like an experience to amazing to pass up!

Then when it is time to strech your legs you can park and wander through the walk-about area where many animals including giraffes, lemurs and talkative macaws await your arrival. Young ones or the young at heart are sure to love the petting zoo where you can find rabbits, African guinea pigs and small sheep. They have a cafe and picnic tables to stop and eat before continuing on to your next destination.

Add the River Walk in downtown San Antonio and you have an amazing adventure. I can't wait to get my kids out there. And me too!

The Dreaded Chores!!!

No one likes to think about having their children do chores. It is not pleasant and never, ever fun. They fight, they whine and they argue. However, know you are not alone in this! Most parents go through it and most survive it with little permanent emotional scarring. Luckily for us, now a days we have the Internet to assist us in our times of need and out there in the big wide world of the web is an amazing little blog called Chores and Allowances. It is all about Parenting from a fathers point of view, sometimes funny, some times thoughtful but always helpful. His blog is created to help parents of young children, tween and teens in a fun and thought provoking way and he accomplishes this very eloquently. I promise you, it is worth your time to take a look and have a laugh with a father that is right there with you.

Great Prices on Gift Certificates

Everyone loves to receive Gift Certificates, it gives them the freedom to get what they want, when they want it and they know that someone was thinking about them. Not to mention I am sure most of our recipients would love to know that we didn't starve our families to get them a gift! Well here is a great site that offers Gift Certificates to local Utah businesses, retailers and services.

They are constantly changing and a new one is featured on Good Things Utah on ABC4 every Monday morning between 10:00 and 11:00am. Gift certificates are limited, so if you see one you would like, get it now, before they are all gone.

The Beauty of a Grandfather Clock

I have always loved the beauty and timeless elegance that a Grandfather Clock lends to any room, be it a family room, sitting room or entry way. Grandfather clocks command attention and admiration. I have always wanted an Heirloom style Grandfather Clock to stand watch over my living room until I started looking at the Howard Miller grandfather clocks and saw Howard Miller's Contemporary collection. I immediately fell in love with the Urban Floor Clock It's precision and fine craftsmanship is absolutely gorgeous and would compliment my home beautifully. I can imagine it sitting in the sitting room in an apartment flat in Upstate New York. It just has such a contemporary, clean look to it.

Grandfather Clocks just have a timeless elegance to them that makes you think of old English mansions with an old Grandfather Clock in the sitting room, chiming the time for the kids to head to bed or the midnight hour. They have a mystique, an intrigue to them that few people, including myself can ignore. Some people have family heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation, and others have chosen to purchase their own and start an heirloom of their very own, something that their children will remember and will pass down to their children and grand children.

BooBoo Bunny Craft

A really cute and inexpensive gift is BooBoo Bunny. The idea is to give children something cuddly and cool when they get hurt.

They are so simple to make and may be adapted for very young children and infants.

What you'll need:
1 Wash cloth
10" of 1/8" or 1/4" Ribbon
Hot Glue
2 Wiggle Eyes
1 1/8" cotton ball
1 1/2" cotton ball


Roll the wash cloth tightly into a tube. Fold it in half, then in half the other direction. At about 1/3 of the way back Tie it with the ribbon. The first fold will create the bunny behind. The next fold will create the bunny's head and tying it will separate the head from the ears. Then you will glue the wiggle eyes and the 1/8" cotton ball to the head to make the face. Then you will want to glue the 1/2" cotton ball to the behind to make a fluffy bunny tail.

After you are done you can slip an icecube into BooBoo Bunny's behind and keep him in the freezer until you need him.

To adapt this to an infant, you would want to sew on eyes and tails. Use yarn knots as eyes and tails or just use stitches to represent eyes. Then you can dunk BooBoo Bunny in water and freeze for a wonderful teether.

How Do You Sleep?

For some reason lately, I have been having a very difficult time sleeping and I am finding my bed to be more and more uncomfortable. I wonder if I am changing, getting older maybe? (Not me! I'll never get old!) Or if the bed is just wearing out. My husband is not noticing a difference so I think it is probably just me.

Either way, I am starting to think that it is time to buy a new bed anyway. Not just a mattress set, I need a new bed. I have just a cheap canopy bed and my children have taken to hanging on it until the cross beams are bent and now my husband and I just hang our clothes on it and never in the closet anymore. Yep, definitely time for a new bed. I have seen some that I really like, like the modern platform beds, but I think I would have to have a much larger room for something like that so I may just go with a sleigh bed. I really like some of those. Either way, I get to go shopping! Yipee!

My Plan For My 11 Going On 16 Year Old

My oldest it only 4 and 1/2 years away from driving and I am scared to death so I formulated a plan. A plan that has many loopholes I understand, but at least I have a plan. We started out last year looking for a very old beat-up car or truck for him to begin restoring and it was not until two days ago that we hit the jackpot. My grandmother had a 1954 Dodge Pick-Up truck just sitting on her property that her father had left her. This truck has not even been registered since January of 1979 so it has sat a long time in the field.

Everyone has asked for it and up until this point I had never heard her say that anyone could have it. She has been very protective of it and very intent on getting it restored. So I approached her about letting Clayton, Lee and I take a shot at getting it restored for Clayton to drive when he turns 16. She agreed! So tonight we took to opportunity and pulled it out so we could get it out of the weather and start working on it immediately.

Once we pulled it out of the weeds I was impressed to find out what great shape it really is in. There is minimal rust and the drive train works fine. We have not even attempted to start it although it ran when it was parked nearly 30 years ago. Once we kill the wasps off, drain and replace the oil, we might just have a go at firing her up.

Clayton is busting at the seams with excitement. Not only is this an old truck, but it is also a family heirloom. My plan has strengthened one hundred fold. The truck will be the fruit of his labor and a wonderful show truck when finished, but more importantly, a family heirloom that he will treasure, hopefully enough not to hot rod and destroy.

Computer Virus Warning

I do not know where I got it from, and I wish I did so I could warn everyone to be super careful, but I got a devastating computer virus the other day. It shut down my whole system and I could not even load anything. It was awful. I called my support desk and they had me run through a series of different anti-spyware and antivirus programs. When he asked me what I was running, I told him I had Norton's Symantec Anti Virus Program. He kind of snickered and explained that Norton and McAfee are the "lumbering giants" of the computer world. They are clumsy and slow and seldom work anyway. So he had me download some other anti virus software from the Internet and we tried those. When nothing worked he escalated me to a Code 3, meaning that I could not sign into work until someone else called me back and we got my computer running. Well finding myself without my shifts and a lot of extra time on my hands, I loaded my Norton Symantec and started it running. When it was bedtime it was still running and so I let it go. When I woke up it had found 2 malicious files. I deleted them and lo and behold, my computer suddenly worked great!

My two warnings: First: Do not get a computer virus. Second: If you do happen to get a virus, DO NOT let anyone tell you not to use your Norton anti virus program. I could have save myself hours and pay had I just followed my instincts. Don't make the same mistake I did!

Cute Office Craft

I really liked this idea. You take a 22" x 30" piece of plywood and a piece of sheet metal the same size, or you can make it whatever size fits best into your office, and adhere the sheet metal to the surface of the plywood with a heavy bonding, red line tape is great for things like this. Then get 3/4 yard of your favorite fabric from the fabric store and wrap the plywood and sheet metal with it. Wrap it and pull it tight, you can even use some spray on adhesive to adhere the fabric to the sheet metal, but pull it tight enough to keep the fabric close to the wood, turn it over and staple the fabric to the plywood side.

You have just made your own personal magnetic memo board. It works great and I love mine. I do wish I had sprayed some adhesive to the sheet metal to help keep the fabric from being loose, but other than that, it is a great place to keep my many, many notes using my favorite magnets.

Just a Fun Birthday Tradition

Tomorrow is Sarah's 4th birthday and it was so nice to be able to continue our tradition of filling her room with helium filled balloons to wake up to, but we started another one this year. We bought jammies for her to open before she went to bed to remind her that her birthday was tomorrow. It helped to get her even more excited than she already was. We wrapped it early in the morning and made her eye it all day long. Every once in awhile she would go over and pick it up and look at the package, but she was always really good to put it back and patiently wait until later. When we finally let her open it she was positively giddy. She was giggling so hard she could hardly unwrap it. It was a great experience. I can't wait until Tyler-Ann's birthday to try it again!

Christmas Is Just Around The Corner

Christmas is just around the corner, are you ready? I am sure not, but it's a good thing for me that I know about this little known secret called Coupon Chief that can save me hundreds of dollars on the gifts I would buy anyway! Coupon chief offers coupons for nearly all of the major companies like Dell, HP, The Gap, Old Navy, Target, Best Buy, Wine.com, 1-800-Flowers.com and so, so many, many more!

My favorites are the Web Clothes coupons where they offer you 10% off your entire order and have some of the cutest baby and children's clothes I have ever seen.

And the Photo Works coupons where you can get some really great photo greeting cards at a 15% discount! That makes Christmas cards a breeze!

So make your holiday season full of cheer rather than full of stress and use coupon chief for all your holiday shopping.

I Love Fall Foods!

My favorite season is Fall. I love the colors, the cooler temperatures and most of all the delicious food. Apples and squash, pumpkins and corn, apple cider and hot cocoa. Fall is by far the best time to eat. I wanted to share some of my favorite fall recipes. Some are simple, others are complicated, some I even had to look up! But all are fabulous!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Baked Squash

Stuffed Pumpkins

Homemade Apple Cider

Home Made Apple Butter

Grilled Corn

Homemade Hot Cocoa

Calling All Designers!!!

The Ford Motor Company Fund offers a generous scholarship program called Ford Blue Oval Scholars program. It has been offered for years and has help many students further their education. The Ford Blue Oval Scholarship Program is a very prestigious scholarship and they want to make sure that it stays that way.

In that vision they have opened up a logo design contest for designers to design a prestigious new logo for their Scholarship Program. The current logo looks like this, and while it creates a high standard to exceed, I know there is someone out there that can do it even better and make it look even more prestigious and worthy of the scholarship it is promoting. I would love to see one of my readers win the first prize, as it is nothing to laugh about. The first prize winner will receive an Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, with a retail value of $1,700!!! That is amazing! Second Place will get $300 for design software of their choice, Third Place, $150 for design software of their choice and Fourth through tenth place will get a $50 Music Download Card.

These are some amazing prizes and well worth the time to design something fabulous! Make sure you check out the rules and conditions and then get to work designing the next Ford Blue Oval Scholarship Logo!

Do You Have A PayPal Account?

I can't imagine why anyone would not, but I am finding that there are lots of people that have yet to discover the great rewards that come from having a PayPal account. Not just the average buy and sell easily on e-bay thing, everyone knows about that. (I hope!) But I am talking about the ability to get a PayPal debit car and use your account just like your checking account and get 1% cash back on your purchases! Then there is their above average interest rate. Don't quote me on this but I think it is currently 5.5% or right there close. My mortgage rate is lower than that! I love having the flexibility of using my paypal to buy and sell and use my funds immediately. It has been well worth it.

Instant Term Life Insurance with NO exam

The wide world of the web continues to grow each and every day and with each new improvement, our lives become easier and more carefree, right? Well, I don't know about that, but one company has taken to the web to make getting a term life insurance policy even easier. It's called an eLifePolicy and it only takes a few minutes and three easy steps to get yourself or your spouse signed up. There is no exam and if qualified, you can print your in-force life insurance policy in minutes! Easy as that!

It's never a bad time to reinforce your life insurance policy. The statistics in the United States are staggering when it comes to the huge number of people that are either under insured or not insured at all! I would hate to finish my life as a burden to my loved ones. So take some time and make sure your life insurance is enough to take care of your family if something were to happen to you today.

Down on The Farm Cub Scout Craft

I saw this little craft and thought it would be tons of fun as the gathering activity to keep the boys busy as everyone arrives. You take a pine cone and paint it yellow. Then as the boys arrive give them each a small cup of glue a pencil or other stick and a cup of cotton balls. Tell each of the boys to dunk the cotton ball a little way into the glue and then poke it in between the scales of the pine cone. Once their chick is fully stuffed give them two eyes, a beak and two feathers. Have them glue the eyes and beak on to the front and one feather to each side for the wings. Display them for the remainder of the pack meeting.

Colon Cleansing

This is an interesting subject to me, especially since I have no idea what my colon is, what it does or where exactly it is located. However, it has become a hot topic in the last few years. I am very used to cleansing my kidneys, by drinking lots of water and fasting, however, I have never heard anyone explain how exactly you would go about cleansing your colon? There are lots of products on the market made especially to colon cleanse, but is there a natural way? If not, how safe are these products on the market now? And what are the consequences of not cleansing your colon?

Are You Planning a Trip With Your Children?

Are you planning a family trip this winter? I would like to suggest that you look into pending some time in the pristine wilderness offered by Yellowstone national park. Most people have been to Yellowstone during the summer as evidenced by the throngs of people that crowd every corner of the park during the summer months. But so few people have been able to experience the pristine beauty of the park when the snow has fallen and blanketed every trail and every tree. They geysers steam and the hot pots glow. It is calm and quiet. The animals are lazy and slow due to the cold temperatures and much easier to see.

Yellowstone offers many cabins and hotels or you can stay just outside the park in West Yellowstone, MT where the streets are not plowed and the preferred mode of transportation is by snowmobile. Yellowstone is a magnificent park and it is a rare treat to be able to experience it blanketed in mother nature's finest beauty.