My apologies to you sweet commentators

OMG, I am such a techidiot at times. Somehow, I had almost 30 comments that I needed to moderate which I didn't really know were there. I think it might be because I was being alerted to my old address? Doh! I'm sorry guys. I've dutifully replied to most of them now and posted the ones that were not ads. PLEASE, come back and comment more! :D And I thought no one ever commented. Tsk tsk on me. I will be better now.

I'd like to especially shout out to Amy, Jules, Techie, and Anonymous (You know who you are. (But I don't)). You guys are awesome. And, Anonymous, you leave some nice comments.

Ok, in lieu of flogging myself with a wet noodle, I will post some silly pictures of myself.

~t

ps--Wow, I've been labelling for a few days and this is the first time I've used "self". I thought I was more self-centered than that! I'll have to work harder.

Smoking Cessation: DECEASED

Yes, sad to say, smoking cessation died today, after 10 days. Those are two packs of smokes sitting on our dining room placemat. (Cute placemat, no?) I am too much of a nag for Kevin to be able to handle not smoking, now in the midst of us trying to figure out our financial situation. Oh well. Please hum funeral dirge with me now...

~t

ps: This is not a commercial for cigarettes. I suppose it might be a commercial against nagging. Nahhh.

Antonio vs. Charro

If you have ever thought you might like to get paid for blogging, you should definitely check out this video I've just completed for PayPerPost. They are a really fun company to work with. (I know, dangling preposition, but doesn't it sound more awkward the other way?) At any rate, I was asked to answer the question, "PPP vs. ?" and describe in detail the sort of battle I would like to see PayPerPost engage in. (Did I just do it again? Goodness, I must stop that. Is it true that if you know grammar rules you can break them?)

Well, I chose Charro. But do not worry, the lovely Charro will not be hurt (I hope). There is a twist. I do have to say, although I am quite casual in my video, I liked the way it turned out. I plan to be doing more videologs, so I need to get used to it. It's fun. I was only sad I forgot to mention Antonio's amazing mouth. It would definitely come in handy. So, there, I've mentioned it.

Now, here's the vid:



~t

ps: Ugh, I look like Billy Idol on a very bad day in that screen shot!

"I Don't Like Turkey Soup"

Ok, so this might be a little bit like Ham and The Ham Update, as in "funny to me for no apparent reason, but maybe funny to you?"

Here goes anyway...

This is my mom:

She doesn't like turkey. For some reason, Kevin and I forget that. I think it's because she likes all sorts of weird things like bizarre seafood salad, liver and onions, crabmeat omelets and other things we would never consider eating. Turkey seems benign to me in comparison, because really, unless you are a vegetarian, why wouldn't you like turkey? It's turkey.

Our friend made us some lovely gumbo from some leftovers from Thanksgiving. We warmed it up tonight for dinner, and we were all happily eating away (Think The Simpsons. No, just kidding, it wasn't that bad.) My mom lives with us, if you haven't caught that. As I tend to do, I said to my mom, "Mom, how's your gumbo?"

She answered, "I don't like turkey soup."

It just slayed Kevin and me. Because we were calling it gumbo the whole time, it really never occurred to us that the main ingredient was turkey. Or her either. I mean we knew it, but it was just so funny for some reason. I guess we maybe also forgot her dislike of turkey? Because I always do. So, we just proudly served her up some turkey soup, tricking her by calling it gumbo. Ha!

~t

Wallhogs: Unique Decoration

One of the coolest new things to come out in photo reproduction is Wallhogs. You submit a photo or graphic and it can be blown up to up to 7 feet tall by 53" for use on your wall. It's like a photo mural and can be completely personalized. You know we are all about murals at our place (with a nod to Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt). Not only that, but they can also take out anything in the background of the photo that you don't like and make it more like a cutout. Here's a sample of one:



There are so many possible fun applications to Wallhogs. (Pardon the pun.) Kids rooms are an obvious choice, using fun graphics or photos of the kids themselves! What about a life size wedding photo in your bedroom? (Ok, maybe not?) How about a huge portrait of the inlaws in the game room for dart throwing? Well, in that case it might need to be a secret game room, but sounds like fun, no? (Not MY inlaws, of course. They are awesome.) The nice thing about Wallhogs is that they are also super durable. So, I'm not sure if your inlaws would even be harmed in the darting process!



~t

See? I Really Need that Camera,Ted

Just LOOK at the last day of posts? Hardly ANY pictures! Where are the pictures? Did my kid not do anything cute at all today? I'm sure THAT'S not it. Am I getting too serious? Naaaaahhhh. Must have new HP Camera. Sending vibes to Ted Murphy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(whispers: Pick me Ted, pick me.)

~t

Buy the Sky and Sell the Sky

Wow. I'm listening to XM radio on my TV while bopping around the Internet and REMs Fall on Me just came on. The whole CD, Life's Rich Pageant, was a fabulously mellow, entrancing ride. Hearing it now takes me back to listening to a tape in my little room in New Berlin, WI. I imagine it must have been at least 20 years ago. I was probably 13 or 14. Fall on Me was one of my favorite songs. (Call out to my old grade school friend, Ann Winze, for introducing me to the songs the cool kids were listening to.)

Did you ever read Proust's Remembrances of Things Past, I think it's called? (Le Recherche du Temps Perdu en Francais.) It is a very large work, multiple volumes, I think. But the most well-known part deals with a little cookie called a Madeleine and how he eats a Madeleine one day and just the mere taste floods all his senses with so many memories. I think for him it was of visiting an aunt as a child and eating those cookies. That's how I felt hearing the song just now. Isn't memory a miraculous thing?

~t

Health Quotient Going UP

Kevin and I are both interested in upping our health quotient significantly. He is actually excited to be finally gaining weight (I know, annoying), but worried that he might be gaining in the wrong places. I'm planning on re-embarking again (purposeful super-redundance there) on my weight loss journey.

It's great to have a convenient way to get helpful tools for your health, and N101 Nutrition is a fabulous site just for that. This place has deals on some big name products in natural skin care, beauty, vitamins, supplements and sports nutrition. We love Avalon Organics shampoo and conditioner around here. I also need to stock up on protein powders, and they have a nice selection.



~t

Smoking Cessation: Still Cessased.

Well, we made it through today, but just by the skin of our teeth. And thank goodness for the French coffee press I got at Thriftway. That helped. Kevin kept mentioning I should also buy some cigarettes. But if we've gone through the last week of freakedoutedness and constant videogaming for nothing, I might have to hang myself up by my toes until I can't feel anything anymore in order to continue my life. So, no, I did not buy cigarettes today. I did say, "Hey, why don't you put the patch back on." That seemed to help.

~t

Attn Fellow Bloggers: Ontok Topsellers

Looking to make a few extra holiday spending bucks this season? Ontok Topsellers offers $.15/click on the highest ranked products at Amazon.com. This is especially great for blogs with content on hot holiday gift ideas. All you need to do is sign up with Ontok. After approving your site, they will send you some html code to add. Check it out in my sidebar.

~t

Snow, snow, more snow

Man, I cannot believe there is MORE snow! And some hail and sleet to boot. Yikes. Caspian is thrilled with it. The rest of us are less than thrilled. Well, I'm not sure if Zane cares. He's kinda indifferent to weather. He liked going to the store today, though. Even though I think he might have been hit by the mocha volcano that kept erupting behind him in the cart. Weird kinda day.

Sob, Sob, Sob...NEED Camera!

We love digital photography in our house. Word on the street is that payperpost Prez Ted Murphy has been gifted some 10 sweet cameras and photo printers from HP. We would loooooooooove to be gifted a set from Prez Ted. We have very compelling reasons, so read on...

Unfortunately, we have NEEDED a new digital camera since the day we bought the one we currently have. We LOVE taking pictures. Both personally and professionally. Kevin even used the camera every day for a year on his website to document his glorious bed head. Let me tell you, sharing a camera wasn't great, either. As you well know, I LOVE putting pictures on my blog. I LOVE sharing pictures with my friends and family. I just LOVE photos. They add so much!

AND, my kids are so freakin' adorable, it's IMPERATIVE that I document their growing up years. Just look at them...

I bought our first digital camera right before Zane was born. That was a good move. But we didn't have a lot of money, so I got pretty much the bottom of the line. That camera more or less died within about a year. So, I bought a new one right before his 1st birthday (Feb 27, 2006). The new camera did not work at ALL when I first bought it. I had to limp by with the old camera for MY CHILD'S FIRST BIRTHDAY!!

As you can see, it worked out allright, but it was very stressful. We had to have some cake therapy.

I took the new camera back only to be humiliated at the store when it worked just fine. Now, by "just fine", I mean the camera's own version of "just fine". I think perhaps it is haunted. See, it has a mind of it's own. It spits on my attempts to take photos when I would like to catch a moment. It says, "No, I will take the picture when I am good and ready." The camera really has no artistic sense. It is usually good and ready about 45 seconds after the great shot moment has passed. This attitude is detrimental to taking photos of adorable children with stubborn attitudes.

We moved across the country this past year and don't have jobs yet. We're working on that, but new digital cameras of the caliber we need are not necessarily the most practical purchase at this point. Christmas is coming. We must capture the special moments at Christmas, no? Poor, unemployed artists need help, or we could miss important moments like this...

Now, if all this weren't enough to think we absomatutely NEED a new digital camera as a wonderful gift from my main catfeesh Ted, I will remind you that we just moved across the country. We have friends and family all over the place that NEED to see pictures of these kids. Do not deny them, I say. I'm not even daring to hope that the digital camera might have the capability to take movies. Oh, that would just put me over the edge of Heaven. I LOOOOOVE Video OPPS. Just love them. Love them, love them, love them!

I will add one final plea to the sad, desperate tale of my need for this glorious photo equipment. My husband, artistic, creative soul that he is, is also an extremely short tempered volatile redhead. (Ok, that might be a weeeee bit over the top, but go with me here.) He gets very ANGRY when the haunted camera defies him. It isn't pretty. A new camera could very well save our marriage.

Think about this. You could save a marriage.

This post is sponsored by HP.

~t

ps--If none of this stirred your heartstrings, would you believe that leprechauns stole our camera and we need a new one? We need a new one!!!! Allright? We really, really, really need it!

pps--OH, and I'm getting my own domain on Thursday. Need great pictures! Need 'em. Really.

What is WITH Today?

First of all, it's snowing, AGAIN! School was postponed 2 hours. Kevin's coffee maker didn't work. He's doing ok with the not smoking, but not smoking+not drinking coffee+not knowing what to do with Caspian was NOT a good combo. Oh dear. Zane and I made an emergency run to the grocery store and Starbucks and all seems to be doing better. I hope.

~t

Urban Minx

Here's a little love for a store and site based in my own backyard. Well, not exactly my own backyard, but in the Pacific Northwest. Check out UrbanMinx.com, your online source for designer clothing. Looking into the about us section makes me want to shop there in person, and I just might. English-born owner, Melissa Walton created a shop that "focuses as much on having a good time as it does on providing the highest of fashion from all over the world."

I mostly clicked that link because I saw the British flag pop on my browser tab and was concerned that I'd have to pay an arm and a leg in shipping. Not so! Also, any order over $100 gets free shipping. So, if you can't get there in person, the site is defintitely the way to go.

A former buyer for Harrod's in London, Walton has an amazing selection of designer brands. Since my lifestyle has become quite casual of late, I love the Twisted Heart collection of designer sweats. I don't need to have a Vespa to get a Vespa jacket, do I? Too cute. (Makes me think a little of comedian Eddie Izzard, "Ciaaaaaoooo.")

The selection on the site is amazing. They have items for ladies, gents, shoes, and accessories.

The brands are almost too numerous to mention, but I'll throw in a few right here:

BCBG Max Azria
Ben Sherman
Juicy Couture
Laundry
Mimi and Coco
Spanx shapewear and hose (Not that we need that.)

Allright, there are literally dozens more.

Urban Minx also has a 20% off holiday dress sale going on right now. The coupon code is "holidayfrock". They have some really adorable ones. This is my fave.

Now go have some fun shopping. You deserve it!



~t

Smoking Cessation, Day: I've lost track

Smoking cessation has been going surprisingly well. Kevin has even foregone his nicotine patch since he went to bed last night. We're talking like 16 hours here. Now, the weird thing is: he has been nicer this week than usual. Maybe HE is the alien around here? I don't know. He planned to use push-ups, poetry writing, and yoga as part of his quit smoking plan. That didn't really happen. Video games seem to be working for him. You go, Kevin!

~t

Test Tube Aliens Have Landed

Whose side are you on? Ok, that's the tagline for these funny little aliens you can order.



You have to check this out: alienadoptionworld. This looks like a lot of fun for kids. And maybe certain husbands as well. Not saying whose. Just certain husbands might like this. Actually, it looks pretty darn funny to me. Apparently it's all over youtube. A search of "test tube alien" did yield a number of videos there.

Here's how it works:

1. Order the alien
2. A test tube is sent with a powdery chrysalis
3. Just add water
4. It starts to hatch
5. Then you can interact with it through the research lab online
6. You also get food called "sloog" that you feed it
7. Your alien grows to adulthood in a few weeks
8. You can continue to interact with it online for a few months

This is better than a pet rock!





~t

Uhhh...like, it's not supposed to do this here.

We moved to Washington for the lovely grey skies, the beautiful trees, the temperate climate, and the LACK of snow! It is so not even December yet, and LOOK what got dumped on us. Ugh, ugh, ugh. Caspian couldn't be happier. I told him to quit manifesting this stuff. He is going to Idaho for Christmas and he can get his snow, there, gosh darnit. Well, here is the crazy stuff. (Grrrrr...)

~t

Pop goes the question!

It's pretty common at this time of year to hear about a lot of people getting engaged. Personally, I might be suspicious that the guy is trying to avoid having to buy me a ring AND a present, but other than my suspicious nature, I suppose a holiday engagement is a nice thing. One of the nicest things about it, in my opinion would be the fun of telling all the family at the holiday festivities and showing off the engagement ring. Female friends and relatives love to fawn all over diamonds.

But, before you get to that point, you need to have a ring, right? And you want to be a smart shopper. Well, check this out: Abazias Diamonds features over 80,000 loose diamonds and a wide selection of jewelry at wholesale prices. I know that if Kevin were going to get me a piece of expensive jewelry, I'd want him to be smart about it. And if you're getting engaged, you're about to merge your finances, so it's a good idea. And don't be discouraged at the thought of a "discount diamond". Of the diamonds at Abazias, most of them are certified by either the GIA, EGL, or AGS. If you don't know what that means, it means one thing: quality.

The site itself is very friendly, attractive and informative. You can even build your own ring. How fun is that? They have many, many choices and different kinds of jewelry: wedding bands, pendants, and watches (including the exclusive Paris Hilton line), to name a few. If you're feeling a bit intimidated by the vast amount of choices, there is also a Personal Shopper available to make things quick and easy for you.

Ooooh, I really like these fashion rings. I have to say, even though I'm not always about jewelry, I am in a little bit of bling heaven here. Check it out!



~t

Black Friday: A Good Day to Sleep

Man, my sleep has been really off lately. I keep almost getting it straightened out and then it goes wonky again. We did nothing today. Pretty much nothing. I got up with Zane, but I was so tired I fell asleep on the couch at about 11:00 am. Kevin fed him lunch and brought him to me after so we could go nap together, which we did until about 3:00. What is this? Retroactive turkey tiredness? Or, I suppose it could be my overactive myLot life.

But I'm not tired at night because I either fell asleep with ZV at naptime or when I put him down at night and then wake up and do things later. It's crazy. But falling asleep is such an on-the-job hazard when you lay down with a warm and sleepy child twice/day in the dark and have to be still and quiet.

I really must set myself a bedtime. I need boundaries. I live with my Mommy. Why isn't she getting me on a schedule? Oh dear... Just kidding, Universe, I do NOT want my Mom's help getting on a schedule. Hers is messed up, too, anyway.

~t

Leaving FOR Las Vegas

Everyone knows that Vegas can be an exciting town to visit, but more and more people are relocating to Vegas permanently. It's a competitive city, but there are also a lot of opportunities to make money. Part of the reason Vegas is so attractive to many is that it is a very business-friendly state. If you've ever considered moving to Vegas for this reason or any other, you'll probably want to check out Las Vegas real estate.

A smart thing that many folks do when they are starting out in a new city is to rent a home. Of course, that's great if you want to check out the area before you buy and so you have some time to decide exactly where you'd want to land permanently. Once you're ready to buy, new homes offer lots of incentives that are worth checking out.




~t

So Much to be Thankful for.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving at our neighbor's house this year. Everyone brought something and there was much AMAZING food. The kids all played together and had fun. The adults all chatted and had fun. There were dogs galore, I think 9 total, 4 of them puppies. (I don't think I got any pictures of the puppies! WHAT was I thinking?) For some reason, I only got one crappy picture of Kevin, so it looks like he wasn't there, but he was. Usually, there are no pictures of me, so today it was the reverse (on the odd occasion that I get dressed up, we have to document it).

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

To see more, check out my Dropshots.

~t

BEST Science Gift for Kids

Caspian is all about exploring the natural world. In fact, the funniest thing happened when Kevin was talking about making rolls with yeast the other day. He asked what yeast was and Kevin said "little animals". Based on that, Caspian decided he was going to be a vegetarian. It really didn't work out for him (he loves the meats), but we found out a few days later he thought Kevin meant chinchillas and hamsters and such. With a microscope, he could SEE the little animals and know they weren't hamsters. I bet he would love that. And I have just the source.



There is an amazing selection of high-quality microscopes at microscopes.com.

Here's a very affordable digital model:



You can find a great number of gifts for children there as well. Many of the microscopes come at huge deals and also have free shipping for orders over $29.95.

Also, check out these gift packages:
Young Scientist
Fun Science
Observe the World
Magnify the World

If you're still not sure, gift certificates are available.

Plenty of more sophisticated models are also available: scientific stereo, compound, digital, photo, and video camera microscopes. You can even outfit a doctor's office or medical lab!



Caspian could definitely check for chinchillas in his soup with those babies. (Isn't it rather comical that he had no problem eating the chickens, but it was the "little animals" that bugged him!)



This site has thousands of gift possibilities and also offers an "Extended No Hassle Holiday Return Policy". That's always important at holiday time. Go shop now for the little (or big) geek, I mean science lover, on your list!

~t

Zane Loves to Build

Zane was having a good time putting together 1 or 2 of Caspian's old Mega Bloks. Well, I finally decided he was ready and I bit the bullet. I brought the whole freakin' bag in from the workshop. How fun.

Everyone loves to build with them. It's so sweet to see Zane and Caspian (and Kevin) playing with the blocks. They made a temple the other day. He likes to put things IN the temple. Including himself. I plan to get him some life-size blocks for Christmas. My Grandma had some when I was growing up and I LOVED them. There were never enough, though, so I'll be getting at least two packs. I think I'll get these. (Yes, we'll need AT LEAST 2 packages, methinks.)



~t

Play Classic Nintendo Games FREE online

Wasn't I just talking about how I wanted to play Frogger? I just found it online! There is a great site with free online games and absolutely no sign up. I love that. I'm not really into giving out all my information all the time. You just go there and you can play any variety of games. Some of their top games include all kindsa of Mario Bros, Pac Man, Drag Race v3 and more. Now this is something to be grateful for!



~t

p.s. I did play Frogger, and it's fun.

Dinnnnnnnner!

Caspian generally sets the table for dinner when it is about ready. Zane likes to help him put the napkins out. It's cute. They are in a drawer by the dining room table. Tonight, Kevin was talking about calling Caspian down to start setting. And then, we turn around and ZANE was putting napkins out all by himself! Was so cute, I took some pictures. :) He was also saying "eat" and "hungry", so I guess he wanted to get the show on the road.

What a good little helper!

(No, Coca Cola is not paying me for this.)

~t

Legal Info to Help Start Your Own Corporation

If you've ever thought of starting your own business, you know there are a ton of things to consider. It can be very intimidating. When Kevin started Shameless Creations, we really didn't know who to talk to about it without racking up a bunch of legal fees. And, let's face it, when you're starting a new business, you usually don't have a lot of extra money lying around. If you did, you'd want to put it into the business, of course!

One of the most confusing things to decipher can be to figure how to legally classify your new business. If you're looking to incorporate, you need to know the difference between INC and LLC. The previous link explains the difference in their handy FAQ. They also discuss the difference between a "C" and an "S" Corporation, the drawbacks to being an "S" corporation, and the difference between an "S" corporation and an LLC. Quite frankly, it's enough letters to make my head spin, but it's great to have a resource that gets it all organized for me.

Now, here's where it can get even trickier. The laws in each state are different. Incparadise.com offers incorporation in all 50 states. Talk about a handy reference and service.



~t

Dinner Conversation: Nature's Candy

This just in from Caspian:

"I love carrots. You know what we should do one Halloween?"

Me: "What?"

"Well, you know how people are afraid of the color orange?"

"Ummmm...no." (much laughter)

"Well, I thought we could hand out carrots."

"I don't think we'd be very popular for that."

"What? They're nature's candy!"

~t

The Bedroom of Your Dreams

We redid most of the house this summer, with one exception: OUR bedroom. Doesn't it seem to be the case fairly often that the Master Bedroom is the last to get done? I guess because it is a private space and you want to make sure your kids are taken care of and... and... and... Well, the excuses pile up.

However, with this site, they don't have to! Great Priced Furniture has just what it says. And a magnificent selection as well. They have armoires, chests, bedroom sets, frames, daybeds, dressers, mirrors, mattress and boxsprings, nightstands, vanities, wall, screens and more. You can search based on the above categories, or search by maker. You'll find such names as Broyhill, Kathy Ireland, Lane, American Drew, Pennsylvania House, and more. There are pages and pages to choose from in each section.

Delivery ranges from 1-3 1/2, and getting it there before Christmas is still a possibility. Husbands, I must advise you to get your wife's opinion BEFORE ordering. However, they do have a 30 day money back guarantee, if you feel like chancing it.

~t

Video Game Lame

Not much going on here. Just kinda grey (how weird) and a sleepy day. I am being told how much we need more video games right now. By Kevin. He needs video games while he is not smoking because he can't think. How our video game situation is sad.

What? A PSone with broken controllers isn't fun anymore? Hey, we had to walk uphill both ways to play Atari pong in my day. BTW, when I played pong again recently, it was still kinda fun and challenging. What I really want is old school donkey kong and frogger. You know, the two-dimensional kind. I'm not for all this 3D. Who needs it? I'm so old school. Or just old.

~t

Hot Tamale Confesses

Yay for HP! If you haven't been to the payperpost blog yet, you have to check it out. Veronique (a.k.a. Hot Tamale) is starring in a new confessional where she talks about the exciting happenings that are going on at PayPerPost, including the new PayPerPost client, HP, who graciously left a camera that found it's way into her hot little hands (did ya catch the pun there?).

Who wouldn't be excited for a new digital camera? God knows we would be around here. We LOVE taking pics and posting them. We especially need one that takes movies, because I've been having so much fun shooting videos for PayPerPost with the family. Our camera now is leaving a little to be desired. But also, it's exciting that such a well-known company has aligned with PayPerPost.

Check it out!

~t

Mocha!

Well, after my coffee post, Kevin decided we should walk for mochas. Who am I to say no to that? Well, I am one to say no to that, actually, because it's somewhat ridiculously expensive for coffee. But, hey, the man is quitting smoking. He's doing ok. Still freaked out, but maintaining with the help of the patch. And I'm pretty sure he didn't buy any.

It's a balmy 51 degrees and sunny today, so we bundled up ZV and took him on the road. It was nice as we haven't been on a walk in quite some time. Check him out.



~t

Delightful Deliveries

I love to shop online, but if you have people who are tough to shop for, it can get tricky. When in doubt, for people like parents and in laws (who already seem to have everything they could ever want or need,) I like the gift of food. People always need more food. And if you can get them some fancy items they probably wouldn't buy themselves, all the better.

One great resource for these types of gifts is America's #1 Gift Basket Website, Delightful Deliveries. Yes, deliveries. I also love a gift that is wrapped and delivered by someone else, don't you? Well, I love that mostly if my giftee is in another state (as many of them are), otherwise I like to give a gift in person as much as the next guy.



Delightful Deliveries is America's #1 Gift Basket Website, and with good reason. It's an attractive site, easy to navigate and has tons of unique gift ideas. You can choose from baked goods, candy and chocolates, gourmet meals, fruit and nuts, gift baskets, and fresh flowers. Withing each of those categories there are still pages and pages of gifts from which to choose at varying price ranges. And they have an extensive holiday selection with over 350 items!





Personally, I really like this whole gourmet meal idea. Who wouldn't love high-quality food all ready to go that you just have to pop in the oven? They have full dinners, premium meats, seafood, and soups.

They also allow customers to rate and review their items, so you can learn from people who have actually bought the items what they liked or didn't and why. I always feel better seing impartial reviews before I buy online. I think this site is a great for those tricky people on your list.

~t

Monday Weigh In

Well, I have not really been doing Weight Watchers. I don't know what my excuse was this week. Just didn't try? The good news is, I am still down .6 lbs! Woo hoo, yay for me. I can lose weight all on my own. Ha ha. No, I really do still plan to get back with the program. Not sure if it is this week. Our neighbor invited us to Thanksgiving and wants Kevin's help to FRY the turkey. I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with the points ramifications of THAT. I should probably still count pts the other days, but I'm considering starting a big, public commitment to a goal next week. And I'm still a little sick of counting. Maybe another week of on-my-own and not counting might be just what I need before REALLY starting. Aren't I good at justification?

~t

Coffee!

We absolutely love coffee in our house. I think if he could, my husband would have it continually pumped into him. Well, maybe not, because part of the joy in coffee, of course, is the smelling, the tasting, the feel of it in your mouth. Especially here in the Pacific Northwest, coffee is almost like a religion.

We currently just have a regular drip coffeemaker, but we've always considered getting an espresso coffee maker. There is a lot to think about when considering the purchase of an espresso coffee maker. The sites above give valuable information on the the different types of coffee you might want to make and what to look for in a specific machine for each type. Since these machines can be an investment, it's great to check a reference like this first in order to feel you are making the right choice for you.

Then, make sure to sit back and enjoy your dark, rich coffee treat as soon and as often as possible!

~t

Smoking Cessation, Day 2

How's it going, you ask? Well, it's going.

He's not smoking. He's freaked out. He can't think or use his hands properly. They feel big. I don't get it. The nicotine patch seems to be helping. And going out to the porch to "not smoke". Heck, going out to the porch to "not smoke" helped me tonight. I should do that more often. I never get to just leave a situation. But I did. It was nice. It's been a little stressful here the past couple hours. Aaaaaaahhhh. Just the usual family/kid/new nonsmoker stuff. We'll be allright. But if you want to keep praying, I won't tell you no.

I plan to purchase my own domain tomorrow. Woooo. I'm having a little trouble picking a chart for the time, but I think I have one. More details to come...

~t

DIY Poker

Here is a cool idea. PokerDIY - Connecting Poker Player for Live Games faciliates meetings between folks who would like to play poker online and are looking for others. They also provide tools to find places to play and organize a league. Included in this is a tool that allows you to invite other members to games by email.

What a cool little organizational tool, especially now that there are more online players than ever due to recent online gambling laws. Also included are forums where you can get to know other interested players better.



~t

How Wet Will You Get from a Love n Licks Kiss?

We don't have a dog. We pinky swore when we married that we would never get a dog. We will probably get a dog. BUT, we won't be getting some big slobbery grosso dog.

I just saw Love n Licks Puppies advertised. How wet will you get from a Love n Licks Kiss? These are cute stuffed puppies that DROOL all over you. Is this desirable? This is not desirable to me, even if it is not real drool, but water I put in a dog to simulate drool. Neither do I want my children or furniture drooled. The commercial boasts you will get so wet you need a raincoat! Again, I ask, is this desirable? Mmm...not here. No thank you.

~t

Give me some credit here

Looking for a credit card, but boggled by all your choices? Sometimes having so many choices can make things more difficult. However, it's nice when you can easily shop and compare. Now, there's a site where you can find and compare Credit Cards, decide on the one that's right for you, and apply securely online.

There are credit cards for people with all types of credit. They also organize the card choices by categories such as Low Interest, Cash Back, Rewards, Airline miles, student, business, and credit cards for bad credit to better help you quickly find exactly what you want.

~t

Getting Dressed is So Overrated

I've been challenged lately. Not by any outside source. By my own internal being. To get myself and Zane dressed. If I do not get us dressed by naptime (around 1:00 or 2:00), forget it, because then I don't think of it until about 5:00, and then what's the point?

It reminds me of my friend Sean's theory of pop tarts. He probably doesn't subscribe to that theory anymore since he is skinny now and runs marathons and stuff. But he said, "You can't just eat one pop tart. So you eat the other one in the package. Once you get that far, you might as well open the next 2pk. Well, once you're half-way done, you might as well eat the whole container." Ok, I'm paraphrasing. It was funnier the way he said it. He's funny.

I know I'm really going downhill when I look at my pajama-clad kid and think, "I'm sure he's more comfortable that way," and quasi-decide to just give up fighting the inertia. What I need to do is commit to getting us both dressed first thing when we get up. But he wants to run around. I want to run around online. My clothes are all the way upstairs. And none of them fit anyway. His are in a basket, clean, around here somewhere.

The struggle comes in when I think about how I want to start doing more videos. And the fact that I don't let anyone take my picture, really. I take everyone else's picture. I wonder...will I just totally give up and let everyone see my grubbiness? Or will it inspire me to be dressed, groomed, shaved, tweezed, all that? Ok, I doubt it on the shaved--I won't put that in a video. I mean, don't get me wrong, I shave. Just not all the time and certainly not every day.

I wonder how this will develop. I'd like to think I'll start getting dressed and stuff again. And not in the same clothes every day (my other recent habit). To be fair, it's the work-at-home thing. I am obsessed with my work-at-home projects, and I get sucked in before I have the chance to select and don suitable garments for the day. And I'm at HOME! Am I not living the good life? And my kid, too. He's so much more comfortable...

Yes, let's see how this develops.

See, it wasn't even hard to find a pic of him in his jammies.

~t

Caspian: Megaglobe Idol

Caspian has wanted to be an actor and a singer for a few years now. He is 8 years old, loves to read, surf the net, play video games, listen to music, and play with his friends. Once he heard about Megaglobe, the amazing new international search engine available in 45 languages and able to sell ads in 50 currencies, he just had to rap about it.

Caspian spent a number of hours working on the song he wrote himself and practicing the lyrics before his offical taping of Mega, Mega, Mega, Mega Megaglobe. He just can't wait for the new launching of Megaglobe to make his internet search time more efficient.

Here, I'll let him tell you all about it...





~t

Mercury is Direct! Kevin is a wreck.

As Kevin would say, "Woo to the hoo!"

Mercury is finally direct. Sheesh, this one took a lot out of me. I am, however, always thankful that I know about Mercury retrograde or I think I would be even more frustrated. At least, with astrology, you can have a sense of when some challenging time and more of the same challenging time is likely to end.

We are still in the Mercury shadow period until December 4th. FromRob Tillett on Astrology.com: "Some astrologers consider that the "Mercury Shadow" begins some three weeks before the actual retro station (when Mercury passes the point of direct station for the first time), but I am more inclined to think that the really noticeable peculiarities begin when Mercury slows significantly, a few days before the retro station. This period of "Mercury Shadow" extends to the Return date, some three weeks after the direct station. Bear this in mind, because experience shows that the effects of the retro period are still marked during the "shadow" phase. Some of the most characteristic annoyances often occur just after Mercury makes the direct station, while he is crawling forward before picking up speed."

I will keep that in mind as I am getting moving on starting my own domain and perhaps even switching to the new version of blogger. Life is good! I think I might wait until the sun moves into Sagitarrius in a few days. Not sure, though. Have to look into it more. There's still a whole lotta Scorpio going on. As of right now--5 planets. Yikes. Intense.

Speaking of intense, Kevin is officially done smoking as of today. Please send him your thoughts and prayers, as this will not be easy for him. He has been smoking for over 20 years! I wonder if there is a saint to pray for regarding this. Hmmm. I've been all about petitioning the saints lately. I think I wrote about it here. I'll let you know how it's going.

Here is a sweet picture of him to focus on while you send off your prayers. (Still having some Mercury Rx issues here myself, trying to finish this post for the 10th time and upload the image. I think I will have to go through Dropshots.)

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos


~t