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.