Talk about a bad week

Hello everyone,

As the title suggest, last week hasn't been one of my best weeks. My oldest sister died and so I traveled out of state for that and when I got back I got the flu and was wiped out. It'll probably take me a week and a half to get back on track. Today is my first day being up and around.

I really hadn't had a chance to be affected by my sister's death yet. Everything happened so fast. Well, she had cancer so we knew she was sick but I just saw her about 2 weeks before she died. She was in the hospital then but she was sitting up and talking to us and was slated to go home. I really believed she would get better. Soon after that we got the call that she was back in the hospital and that it didn't look good. Within 24-36 hours, the news was that she wouldn't make it through the night and she didn't. I'm glad I did see her when I did though. Don't let anyone fool you. Death is not a friend, it is the enemy of all mankind. We weren't intended to die. Everything in us fights to live, to take the next breath.

After coming home, I found myself feeling under the weather, but I attributed it to the stress of having lost a sibling. My mom had a doctor's appointment Tuesday morning and by Tuesday afternoon, I was done for. By Wednesday morning I was fighting a fever of 103 degrees and fought it for the next 2 days after which it finally broke. I literally spent all my time in bed in and out of consciousness. My family did a good job of taking good care of me. They brought me food (yes I typically can eat with a high fever!) and liquids, made sure I took my meds and all the good stuff. By Saturday I felt more like a normal person, just an annoying cough and some post nasal drip to contend with. My oldest son made me breakfast in bed. Sausage, scrambled eggs and french toast with coffee and a biscuit! I couldn't eat the biscuit but I sure did put the rest away!

So here I am today washing clothes and trying to get back into some kind of routine. I have a tendency to want to jump right back in where I left off but I need to take it slow or I'll have a relapse and I don't have time for that! I'll get it done though. To me, "All in a Day's Work" gives me the ability to work at it one day at a time. And I'll do just that!

Until next time and hopefully with happier news,
Carmen

More podcasts

Hey all,

Last week I talked about one of my favorite podcasts. Some of the other ones I like are:
The Dealista from the Quick and Dirty Tips series and Grammar Girl which is also a part of this series. Both are very informative. The Dealista shows practical ways to save money. For example one episode tells you what to look for when buying a digital camera. There are things that are important to look for and others that are not and it's not what you think it is!
Grammar Girl is informative and practical and for me, helpful since I'm a homeschooler. Of course, because it's called Grammar "Girl" my boys dreaded having to listen, but they've gotten over it.

Another one I like is Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone. They only have 4 episodes right now, so they've just recently started. One is a personal trainer and the other lost a lot of weight and they both found each other's blog and decided to do a podcast together. One of them is training to be in a marathon so much of what they talk about is related to running and all the training to go with it. I'm not at that point yet, so while it's informative, I just process and store all the points I hear.

My next post will be about saving money at Target that I learned from Dealista so stay tuned! Finding valuable information and saving money is (say it with me!) All in a Day's Work!

Until next time,
Carmen

I'm back!!

Good day everyone! It's so nice to be back with you all. It's been awhile I know but we've been battling the flu, had some hospitalizations and all that fun stuff. I'm getting to the point that I'm not sure what to write about anymore. I've been reading lots of blogs lately and they all seem so interesting. People either have exciting lives or perhaps they're selling a product or just have something noteworthy to say. Maybe I should write about what my fantasy life would be like! What do you think? We'll see.

In the meantime, let me just tell you about things that have been on my mind. Keep in mind that my mind is not the most organized place to be so... these thoughts are really random and may make no sense.

I recently broke down and bought a 32GB Ipod Touch. I'm still a Palm girl at heart though. Everyone raved at how much better Apple products are to everything else, including it's better user interface. I'm not quite there yet. I like some of the features it has, but for the price and the hype, I'm really not feeling it.

However, I do like the fact that I can load my podcasts on them fairly easily. One of my favorites right now is Fit Girl: Your Guide to Getting in Shape. Kira Langolf's fitness advice is so balanced and reasonable. She really covers all aspects of getting into shape namely, nutrition, fitness, and motivation. She tackles it all. Most of the podcasts are free but if you want to have her "talking in your ear" while to do strength training and such, you can buy them. She has lots of great informative material. Go to http://fitgirlguide.blogspot.com/ for more info! I'll post other blogs that I like in the next few days.

Another thing is wigs! I'm not sure what the fascination is these days! Wigs don't even look good on me, but for some reason I love looking them over and trying them on! I've yet to find one that I like. I even bought one a few months ago. I never wear it out. For some reason, it looked good in the store and even when I put it on it looked nice. (I think maybe they thinned it out a bit) I got it home and it was a hot mess. Most people I've talked to that wear wigs always say they have to play with it a bit or perhaps even cut it. My thing is....what's the point of doing all that? If I wanted to do all that work, I'd do my own hair! My idea of a wig is to be able to just slap on a style! You know what I mean? Having a bad hair day? Trying to stretch your relaxer and you don't want to manipulate your own hair too much? SLAP ON A STYLE!! It should be that simple shouldn't it? Is that so unreasonable? (Can you tell I'm having an issue with this?) I don't want to spend more than 5 minutes on hair that's not mine. Then I found a lady on YouTube who can wear virtually any wig style and color and it looks good on her from the beginning. She can do short or long hair, curly or straight hair, dark or light hair. It's really unfair but beautiful. Then I found the secret to her success. She has a long narrow face like the heads in the wig shop. That has to be it! Well I don't have that characteristic so everything on me looks absolutely crazy. But I'm on a mission to find the wig for me. It's out there somewhere. If someone has full round face like me, and has found success wearing wigs.....please help me out here!!

OK I'm a bit on a roll here but I don't want to overwhelm you guys. I really need to get more into podcasting. I really struggle with writing. I have so much to say but by the time I get it typed out, it's gone! You know what it is for me.....All in a Day's Work!!

Monthly checkup

Hey all,


Just a little note to let you all know I'm still alive. I'm getting my kids ready for school. We've had a busy two months with some volunteer work we were doing. They will start next week and I'm kind of excited about it!


I've also been getting into couponing in an effort to save money. I was able to get about $45 worth of groceries for about $9 and that was name brand items! I was soooo excited! I've done it about 2-3 times and it's starting to be addictive!


As soon as things get back to normal around here I'll be up and running at full force!


Until next time,


Carmen

Hello everyone!

Good day everyone!
I know it's been a good while since I posted and I'm sorry for getting behind. Alot of things are going on and trying to keep everything going has left me little time for anything really. I usually have a hard time falling asleep, but for the last few weeks I've been staggering to the bed and as soon as my head hits the pillow I'm out! Sometimes I actually giggle...it's so sweet to have sleep come that easy!

Sadly however the quality of sleep still isn't that great. I need to figure out how to get that part going. Any ideas? I'll try almost anything. I'm still waking up pretty tired. I usually get up without an alarm at 6:30am. My eyes just open and I can't go back to sleep. I've been trying to get up as soon as I wake up. It seems like such a waste to stay in bed if you're not going to be sleeping, though there have been times when I've laid in bed for hours not feeling motivated to get up (but that's a different story for another time).

It's time for school to get started and I'm actually excited about it. I can't say the boys are but I guess if I were them I wouldn't be either. I like the routine that going back to school brings. This summer has been a whirlwind of activity for us.

Well I just wanted to check in and tell everyone I'm still here. I've gotten some emails and comments about what happened to the posts. I'll have to tell you about the class I took late last month. It's part of what has been keeping me so busy lately. Keeping it together is all in a day's work isn't it?

Until next time,
Carmen

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Motherhood

Technorati Tags: motherhood,rainbow

My husband wrote this poem for me back when the boys were younger.  I just became a stay at home mom and of course he thought that would be the easiest job!  He stay home with us for a couple of days because he was sick and saw what I really did throughout the day.  Here is his poem.

Motherhood

Bounding wounds and killing colds just part of her routine. 

All while knowing that in the war she’s her own regime.

Capture that hill of pots and pans, defeat the spot on the floor.

Round up the troops and scrub ‘em down,

wait there’s a knock at the door. 

Another company enters the field and slows her momentum down,

but she conquers the group and waves them off, to continue to

cover her ground.  She feeds and beds her own troop

ending the daily fight remembering that soon tomorrow begins,

continuing her endless plight.

2-4-1999

Wasn't that neat?! He's actually good at writing poems. Our youngest son has also picked up the gift. I'll have to post some of his stuff also.

The picture above was taken July 17, 2009 after a major thunderstorm here in our area. Can you see the double rainbow? It was awe inspiring! I'll try to send a video of it later if I can figure out how to do it!!

Until next time,

Carmen

 

Free gift from Estee Lauder

Visit any Estee Lauder counter tomorrow evening (Thursday, July

23, 2009) for a free 10-day supply of Estee Lauder's new Advanced Night Repair. No purchase necessary. Go here for more information!

Technorati Tags: Estee Lauder,free gift

African thunderstorm

This is something I just had to share. The human voice is truly a miraculous instrument! This is a group of about 50 people who simulate a thunderstorm and then sing Toto's Africa a cappella. It's so neat!! Click on the link below. Enjoy!

Until next time,
Carmen


African thunderstorm

Shared via AddThis

Dunkin' Donuts Sample

So this the trick that most bloggers use!! Well I'm going to try it. I love coffee but I usually have the opposite effect of most people. I drink it at night to help me go to sleep! My acupuncturist said it's because I must use a lot of creamer and sugar and to try a strong Starbucks coffee to see if it would still put me to sleep. It did. I'll give Dunkin' Donuts a try though and now you can too for free! (If you decide to get a donut too... I won't tell!)

Until next time,
Carmen

Soothing Waters Bath and Gifts

My very good friend Jenifer is the writer of the Soothing Waters and Bath blog. It’s very informative and I know you’ll enjoy checking it out. Recently I sampled some of her products and I just had to tell you all about it! First, I’ll list what I got.

• N.E. Valencia Milk Bath Soak
• Brazilian Espresso Coffee Scrub Bar- Handcrafted Soap
• Lavender, Jasmine w/Sea & Rose Clay-Handcrafted Soap
• Lemon Verbena-Handcrafted Soap
• Pink Grapefruit Body Scrub by The Body Shop

I’ll review some of these on a different blogs. The first one I want to talk about is the Lemon Verbena soap. I really like this one. It’s the first one I tried. It was super creamy and it didn’t leave the soapy film on my skin like most soaps do. In fact, I usually don’t use soap for that reason. This rinses clean and my skin feels soft. The scent isn’t overly powerful (though I personally like a stronger scent) and it reminds me of old fashioned soap your grandmother probably made. It has a luxuriant feel to it. While it’s a great body soap, it’s also perfect for using as just a hand soap since it’s not very drying. This one is definitely a hit! I’m almost out!

The next one that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, is the Pink Grapefruit Body Scrub by The Body Shop. WOW!! It smells sooo good. It’s mentally stimulating, so if you have a hard time waking up in the morning, this is the scrub for you! The gentle exfoliating beads and the wonderful grapefruit aroma does an excellent job at rejuvenating you after a good night’s rest (or maybe even a not so good night’s rest). So far this is my favorite! I personally would also get the shower gel and the body butter since I like to layer my scents. So go over to her website and check it out!

Technorati Tags: handcrafted soaps,body scrub,gift sets

Just wanted to say thanks!

Hey all,

I've noticed that I've gotten some new 'followers' in the last week and I wanted to say thanks! It's really inspiring to write when I know someone is reading. If you want to know or have me write something more specific or even do a review of something I would be happy to do it!! I'm more likely to write when someone wants to know something, as opposed to me just writing because I have something to say. I will be reviewing some bath products very soon! I look forward to hearing from you guys!!

Until next time,

Carmen

What a day!

OK so yesterday (Monday) was a drain. I spent the entire day and I do mean entire day, working with my hair. It started the night before when I decided to prepoo my hair before I colored it. Prepooing is putting a conditioner or something like it on your hair for a period of time before you wash it. (Or so I thought.) It appears that you should use some type of oil and not necessarily any ol' conditioner. I was going to put a rinse in it to combat the gray I'm dealing with, but after I washed my hair, I knew that was not going to happen.

It was a hot mess. For the last couple of days or so, my hair was really breaking off. I could probably knit a sweater with the hair that was on my bathroom floor! When I got in the shower to wash my hair it started to mat. (Is that how you spell that type of mat?) I tried using a large tooth comb to get it under control with no success. Then I figured I'd try using a moisturizing shampoo, again with no success. Finally I just decided to let the water run through it and see if that would help. It did but it was still a mess. Of course I couldn't put any color on it in that condition so I decided to do a deep, deep condition to try to get it back to where it was. I still couldn't really get a comb through it so I just put a reconstructor on it and it started to feel like butter! FINALLY!! I was so relieved.

I left that reconstructor on for hours. First I sat up under the dryer for about 30 minutes and then kept it on for another hour and a half or so. Of course after any protein treatment and especially a reconstructor you need to condition your hair with a moisturizing conditioner so that your hair isn't too brittle and I did. Again, I sat under the dryer for at least 45 minutes and then kept it on for about 2 more hours. I know, I know, that's pretty extreme but you don't understand what my hair was like in that shower!!!

Finally SUCCESS! My hair was no longer breaking and I could get a comb through it. I won't be coloring it any time soon though. I want to make sure it is in better condition before I put another chemical in it. I did my first roller set and it came out OK. It took about 45 minutes but I think the time will get shorter the more I do it. I really think it's easier to just pay someone else to do it though. I mean I started before 8 that morning and didn't get finished until at least 7:30 that night. Of course with the economy the way it is, who can afford it? I guess in addition to everything going on, figuring out what to do with my hair is truly ALL in DAY'S work!

Until next time,
Carmen

About that to do list yesterday…

Well let’s just say I went in with a good attitude!  I’ll check off what I got completed then I’ll tell you what happened.

-research small business liability insurance
-call insurance company
-clean bathrooms
-wash clothes and iron
-declutter night stand
-pay bills
-make deposits  ended up not having to do this
-plan dinner (thaw meat)
-plan menu for next week and plan grocery trip
-pay phone bill and cell phone bill
-today is the last day of sale for drumsticks!
-study for meeting
-burn movies to DVD
-convert and burn audio of assembly for Bobbo Fet :-)
-research and learn how to podcast! (your late on this one)
-get caught up with magazine reading
-look up info on less than perfect
-look up library info online and request books for next month
-watch Ironman (probably won't happen until next week sometime)
-organize desk area
-prepare to get info for school next year for the boys
-wash, deep condition and color hair
-gather older magazines for bookmobile
-switch out winter clothes for summer clothes
-declutter closet by giving away clothes you don't wear anymore
-hang blinds and put curtains back up
-sweep out and organize garage
-clean out the truck and wipe it down to get rid of dust (maybe I should let the boys do this)

OK so not too too bad.  The thing that took the longest and most draining energy wise was researching the insurance stuff.  I’ve never had to get business insurance before and it’s best to know what it is you’re buying.  Then you have to get the right price for it.  Once I knew what I was asking for I called around to a bunch of places.  Oddly enough though, it’s not as easy to find an agent to sell business insurance as it is to buy auto, home, or life insurance.  I ended up going online and getting a free quote from about 5 different companies.  Once I get an idea of pricing I’ll start looking for some place a little more local.  I think I just didn’t know where to look.

I started looking in to the podcasting stuff but it appears I’ll need a web hosting site for my audio files.  The tutorial says there are free ones out there, but the ones they listed were not free.  It started to get late and all the words started to blur together!  I was so tired.  I think I could have gotten more done but after awhile all the energy drained out of me!  I was IM’ing with a friend while I was working and I told her I needed to take a nap!  Of course that never happened.  For the life of me I can’t take a nap during the day.  I don’t know what that’s about.   Anyway…

I’m going to try and stretch out the rest of the stuff over the rest of the week.  You know the ironing will be one of the last things on the list and that’s even with my great iron! :-)  It’s all in a day’s work!

Technorati Tags: chores,errands,insurance,ironing

To do list for 6-30-09

So here is what I hope to accomplish today:

-research small business liability insurance
-call insurance company
-clean bathrooms
-wash clothes and iron
-declutter night stand
-pay bills
-make deposits
-plan dinner (thaw meat)
-plan menu for next week and plan grocery trip
-pay phone bill and cell phone bill
-today is the last day of sale for drumsticks!
-study for meeting
-burn movies to DVD
-convert and burn audio of assembly for Bobbo Fet :-)
-research and learn how to podcast! (your late on this one)
-get caught up with magazine reading
-look up info on less than perfect
-look up library info online and request books for next month
-watch Ironman (probably won't happen until next week sometime)
-organize desk area
-prepare to get info for school next year for the boys
-wash, deep condition and color hair
-gather older magazines for bookmobile
-switch out winter clothes for summer clothes
-declutter closet by giving away clothes you don't wear anymore
-hang blinds and put curtains back up
-sweep out and organize garage
-clean out the truck and wipe it down to get rid of dust (maybe I should let the boys do this)

I think that's it. I already feel overwhelmed! I just have to remember to go one step at a time. Of course I probably won't get this all done today but I'll just prioritize it. It's a goal at least.

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To write or to speak? That is the question!

In the next couple of days, I'll be experimenting with pod casting! I'm really excited about it because it's something I've been wanting to do for awhile. I like the idea of learning new things so this will definitely be an adventure. I'd much rather talk than write anyway!


Of course, the whole purpose of me starting to blog in the first place was to get me writing. I've never like to write. I really think it's just a gift that some people have. I mean, I think you can learn to write, but if it's something you struggle with it won't be something you do well. Do you know what I mean? For example, my dad is a natural born salesman. He can talk you into just about anything. He's not pushy, just convincing. He would do well in any type of sales job which he did for most of his career until he retired recently. It's just his personality.


I think schools should give kids a basic education and look specifically at their natural talents and then enhance that. Otherwise, you have kids that are accountants and engineers who don't really want to be and it reflects in their work. I've been told I have the gift of gab. I'm not really sure if that's a good thing or not! I don't necessarily like to talk, it's just something I do better than writing. When we studied Macbeth in high school, I did poorly on my tests. My English teacher couldn't understand why, since I always participated in class and she knew I knew what the subject matter was about. One day she took me outside of the classroom and started asking me question about the test, then she told me I passed with an A+! She told me that I got a C- on the written exam (it was mostly essay) but she knew I knew Macbeth by the way I participated in class and she was right, I loved it! I was fortunate to have her as a teacher. Clearly teaching was her passion since she took that time to assess my needs and then provide it for me. I'm not sure someone without that type of passion would do that.

So that's why I'm going to try pod casting. I'll still try my hand at writing. As you can tell my method is stream of consciousness and I have a million thoughts running through my brain at any given time. Organizing everything and getting it done is all in a day's work!

Until next time,
It's just me!

Ironing

As I’ve mentioned before, I really hate to iron, but I’ve found something that makes it easy to do. I mean, I don’t run to go and iron something, but it’s at least tolerable now. Last week I ironed about 5-6 pairs of pants and 4 dress shirts. That’s a marathon for me! I just put on a movie I’ve been meaning to see and the time just flew by. The one thing that makes ironing tolerable for me is a good iron.

I’ve gone through a lot of irons in my day, believe it or not, and about 15 years ago I came across an iron being featured on QVC. It was called the Rowenta iron. Now some of you professionals may already know about this iron, but to me it was new. It looked so effortless! I told my husband that I thought this particular iron might motivate me to iron more. He watched the presentation and was also impressed with its ease of use. I guess he figured if I didn’t like it, he’d still have a great iron to use! I think we paid about $79.99 for that iron, but it was on flex pay so it was pretty affordable. Well I have to tell you, I’m not one of those people who believe in purchasing only name brand items and this iron was… well I’ve never paid that much for an iron. We got the iron and immediately fell in love with it. It was much heavier than irons I used before and boy did that make a difference! It just glided across the clothes and the steam burst was phenomenal! We affectionately called it Row.

About 3 years ago, Row died. I don’t know what happened. I suspect after teaching the boys how to iron they weren’t as gentle with her as I would have like. (Leaving water in it, etc…) I called my husband at work and I have to tell you I heard the heartbreak in his voice as he said, “I guess we knew it had to happen one day.” I immediately started looking up Rowenta Irons on the internet to see if we could purchase another one like it, but sadly, they were all too expensive. My particular iron was called the Advancer and the retail price was $129.99. That wouldn’t be a purchase I would make at that time. I turned to buying an iron at Wal-mart and of course I was so disappointed. I tried to buy the heaviest one they had thinking that would make the difference. It didn’t. In fact, I went through about 3 irons trying to find one that did the job Row had so easily done. Mind you, I had to get these irons because they would break down and would need repairing. It cost more to repair them than it did to buy them! I had gotten used to the best and it wasn’t to be had by me anymore. Or so I thought.

When Linen ‘N Things went out of business last year we, as usual, tried to wait until things got down to at least 75% off. Of course everything was picked over and not much of anything was left. I was helping my mom buy some towels and pillows when my husband came over and said, “Look what I found!” It was Row! I got so excited and then I saw that the cord had been chopped off. He said it was the display model and they cut the cord to discourage people from running off with it. We went back over to that area and looked to see if there were any more of them left and there weren’t any to be found. Again I was heartbroken. But my husband, the genius he is, (he is MacGyver!) said it wouldn’t be a problem. They were selling everything, shelves and all, so they would probably sell this to him also.

He went and found the manager of the place with iron in hand and said, “I’ll take this off your hand for $10.” The manager asked what he would do with it since the cord was cut and he said I’ll figure something out. After they agreed on the deal my husband told him that he’ll just replace the cord! The manager was so shocked! It’s like it never occurred to him that you could do that! When he came to his senses, he asked if there was another one back there and there wasn’t. Well, there was another Row but the one we had was the top of the line. He ran back there and got another model and told my husband he would pay him to fix the cord on that one! DH just told him what to do to replace the cord. On the way home we went to Lowe’s and bought a cord for about $3.99 and replaced it in about 20 minutes. (Well he did!)

So now I have an iron worth $130.00 (and so worth it!) for which I paid about $14.50. Is that sweet or what?! I have to say, since that time I've look a little bit more forward to ironing. It's still not one of my favorite tasks, but with the right tools and especially at the right price, it's makes all in a day's ironing a breeze!

Until next time,
It's just me!

One hot Saturday!

Well it was almost 100 degrees here in the south but I'm loving it. I would much rather be dripping with sweat than be slightly chilled! I certainly dripped with sweat today. I don't sweat that much when I'm exercising. (Is that a bad thing?)

I was out laying concrete with my husband and some friends (I should say preparing a site for concrete). It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot but I think the sun was a little too much for me. I had to sit it out for awhile in the shade. I'm not in the greatest shape so I think that had a lot to do with it. I started feeling really lightheaded. Oddly enough though that motivated me to want to get in shape. I'm funny that way, cute clothes won't motivated me but working in the hot sun does! I'll take the rest of the weekend to recuperate and then it's back to work in the house.

I've written about my dislike of ironing, but I've found a product that really does make it easier. That will be my next post!

Until next time

It's just me!

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The Best Kids

I've got the best kids in the world! We're hard on them I admit, but when I see and hear about other kids out there, I'm really glad I have mine. Sometimes we watch the show Nanny 911 and they tell me, "See mom, we're not nearly that bad! And you know what, they really aren't though I realized those are extreme examples. We were watching the show The Worlds Strictest Parents and they said those parents had nothing on us! They're 15 and 16 now, but even when they were little, people always complimented us on their good behavior.

My youngest (he was about 3 or 4 at the time) went to Dollar Tree with me and as we approached to checkout counter his eyes were glued to all the candy. We had a ton of people behind us and all I had was just a few dollars to make my purchase. He pulled on my bag and said, "Mom can we get some candy?" Of course I had to tell him no, and you know what that kid did in front of all those people? He said, "OK. Maybe next time I guess." I'm not lying, he really said that! You should have heard the gasps. When I got up to the counter the cashier she was shocked to see how calm he remained when I said no and that she couldn't believe he didn't go into a fit since she sees that almost everyday. I was proud of him, though not surprised. I've always gotten great compliments on their behavior. Most people would say that I'm bragging since we were the ones that taught them but the truth is I can't take all the credit. In any situation where learning is involved, while there is the responsibility of the teacher to teach well and to stimulate a desire for learning, much of the result is based on how much the pupil is willing to learn and put into practice. It is to that end, their participation in that learning process, that I'm extremely proud.

Does this mean they are perfect kids? Absolutely not! There are many things they need to work on, but isn't that true of all of us? I'm just glad that the things they need to work on aren't things that have me calling the police or having the sheriff department know us by name! I've homeschooled them since they were in Kindergarten so they've always been with me. Many people ask how I could stand to have them around all the time and don't I need a break sometimes. Well I do get breaks from them when they have other activities that they are engaged in or when the visit friends, but the truth is, I'm always looking forward to them coming back. I actually miss them! They are quite entertaining. Now that they are older, they're gone more and for a longer periods of time. That's part of growing up and I'm fine with that. I'm just glad that they like it at home and are glad to be back.

It's said that it takes hundreds of thousands of dollars to raise one child to the age of 18. But having them thank you for being home with them and loving them... well that's priceless. Raising great children is not all in a day's work. It's a lifetime commitment, but one that brings great blessings and for which I'm extremely thankful I had the opportunity to do!

Until next time,
It's just me!

Free Hair Care Sample

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Last week of school!!!

This is finally the last week of school! I think I need the summer vacation as much as my kids do. They are getting older now and want to work a little this summer. Actually, since we started a new business the boys have been working with dad a good bit already. They've actually been enjoying the physical labor. (I never thought it would happen!) As our business grows, we'll have a lot more for them to do. My oldest son has problems with asthma and allergies, so I told him he could help me design the website and do some accounting work. He hates the idea of doing the accounting stuff but seems to enjoy the web design, so maybe he'll take that on more and I'll concentrate on the accounting.

Well that's all for today. I'm trying to keep my posts a little shorter. I can get a little long-winded sometimes! Hopefully this will allow me to post a little more often. Getting it done efficiently is all in a day's work!

Until next time,
It's just me!

Friends don't let friends buy Gateways

Computers. Love them or hate them, once you get used the convenience of having one, there's no turning back. There's so many to choose from. Does it matter what brand you get? In the past I didn't think so. After all they're all IBM clones anyway so one is just as good as the other, right?

Nothing could be further than the truth. Let me tell you my story.....


About 5 years ago, my sister told me about this new program that let's you watch and record TV on your computer (Windows Media Center). I thought wow, that's better than Tivo since I also get to burn whatever I record to DVD. My husband then buys a Gateway computer from Tiger Direct (we have a retail store in our area) for me and a laptop for himself. Initially I had some problems with the hard drive but I took it back to Tiger Direct and got a new one. No problem. I had that computer for about 5 years. In fact, I still have it and use it regularly. I'm using the laptop now that my husband got to write this blog. The CD drive no longer works. I guess I could take it and have it fixed some place but for heaven's sake...it's 5 years old!!

About a year ago, my husband bought a HP computer. It was really nice. He got it from HSN or QVC and it came with a 3yr in-home warranty. He has had no problem with that laptop. Of course, the time when I needed to get a newer computer. A faster processor, larger hard drive, and more memory. A girlfriend of mine bought a Gateway from QVC and it was horrible. There was one problem after another. She wasn't very computer savvy and bought it because I told her that it was a good system. (After all, I'm still using mine.) She told me Gateway wouldn't take it back and she had only had it for about 3-4 weeks. She's also really good at negotiating with people but, Gateway wouldn't budge. Fortunately, QVC was willing to take the computer back and refund her money. (Yea QVC!) I think she went on to buy a Mac!

Well when I decided to buy my computer I went to Best Buy. I'm not sure why. They didn't have a great reputation as far as I was concerned. I mean charging someone for bringing something back? Really? Anyway, I went there to buy my Gateway. I realized sometimes you might get a dud, but I wasn't really expecting any problems. That's where I made my first mistake. I did have a problem, but still I wasn't thrown off by it because at least I was still under warranty. It had only been 2 weeks. I decided, instead of messing with it, I'd take it back to Best Buy and exchange it. Besides it was less than 30 days so they shouldn't have a problem with it. That was the second mistake.

You should always read the back of your receipt. Really, I mean you really should. The truth is I only had 15 days to return a computer. However, Best Buy was gracious enough to allow me to bring it back and exchange it (It had been 16 days.)and I did. I got it home and again started having problems within days. This time I called Gateway Tech support (sorry excuse for a 'support' department)and the technician was on the phone with me for hours. After about 4 hours, he said I need to reset my computer to factory settings, of course, the thing didn't come with disks to I had to have it sent to me. In the mean time I needed to call back and another tech said that wasn't my problem at all and gave me something else to do which didn't work. It took about a week to 9 days to get it the disks and after resetting my computer it still didn't work. I'd had enough. I called them back and stated I wanted my money back. I told them I had gone through 2 computers and weeks without being able to use it. They sent me to a 2nd level technician who then said it was, in fact, a power supply issue and if I would send it to their repair center in TX they would fix it. Of course, I asked them to send me a return authorization which he was willing to give me. However, he said I would have to pay for shipping. That was outrageous to me. You want me to pay to have a 3-4 week old computer fixed that's under warranty? I don't think so. I told them that would not be agreeable. As I told him, as a courtesy, they should pay for shipping since this the second machine I had and I've not been able to use it for 3-4 weeks because their tech support misdiagnosed the problem. He said he would talk to his supervisor and call me the next day to give me an answer.

He called the next day and told me they would not pay for the shipping and that if I took it anywhere else to have it fix, it would void my warranty. I asked to speak to his supervisor and he refused to give me a name, number or address. (Never accept a 'no' answer from a person who doesn't have the power to answer 'yes'! and never give your money to a company that doesn't value your business.) Needless to say the conversation went downhill from there. I was beyond disappointed. Here I was, stuck with a machine that I can't use and can't afford to have fixed! (Not for long, of course.) I called Best Buy and asked them what they could do to help me. Do you know what they said? They told me to come in that afternoon when a regional manager was there so that I could talk to him about it, which you know I did. (Well actually my husband did, he's got the gift of gab! I did go with him though!) We told them that we lost confidence in Gateway and asked if they would be gracious enough to let us get another brand that was comparable to the one we had and he said YES!!! I ended up getting a Dell!

The good thing about a Dell is that while the warranty is still only a year, you can take it to some place like Geek Squad instead of shipping it to the other side of the country and they would honor the warranty. While I had a problem initially with it, I found tech support to be efficient, and knowledgeable and so far I'm not having anymore problems.

The lesson learned is this: A product is only as good as the company that backs it up. In this case Best Buy went above and beyond to satisfy the customer. Did I tell you they never once charged me for bringing anything back?! Gateway did nothing to satisfy the customer even when they clearly made the error. Check the warranty on high ticket items, if the price is low but the warranty sucks, there is no value in the item. It's better to pay a little more and get a better warranty. Trust me, paying for peace of mind is a good thing and being a good consumer...it's all in a days work!

Until next time,
It's just me!

Book Review-The Survivors Club

I heard about this book on some talk show or maybe it was on NPR. I was fascinated by the subject. Why is it that some people automatically know what to do and when to do it? Is it something that you are born with or can it be learned?

Ben Sherwood discusses this subject in depth. He has many interviews with 'survivors' exploring what made them think and do the things they did. He spoke with people who survived the Holocaust, plane crashes, and the sinking of ships. In doing so, he found a common denominator among them all. He goes into the science of it all which is truly fascinating! He explores how relevant faith is to those who have survived.

There was a particular passage of the book that I felt was profound. Edie, a Holocaust survivor who later became a psychologist said that many of her patients "lose sight of their power to make choices." She continues, "What we really need to survive--breathing, sleeping, eating, eliminating--is very different from what we think we need. People think they need approval. They think they need to be right. They think they need to be perfect. But none of that is essential to survival. It's just dessert." That's a great life lesson.

An encouraging point about the book is the fact that while some people seem to have this 'ability', the truth is many of us can learn how to do it. Most of it is just paying attention believe it or not. I won't give all the secrets though. Just go and read the book! Just consider it all in a day's work! (If you're frugal like me, you'll request it from your local library!)

The journey of friendship

In my life, I've had some good friends. Some were just like me and some were the opposite. Some came in and out without a thought, others stayed forever. This blog is dedicated to one who stayed a forever friend.

Years ago as a teenager I struggled with friendships. Well not really struggled. Let me explain. I have a twin sister so that kind of gives you a sort of built in friend. Outside of that I really never looked to have more friends. I was not a very social person. In fact, my mother tells me when I was little, people would see the "twins" and come and talk with us and I would hide behind her skirt while my sister basked in the attention. So you see having many friends was never a big deal for me. Most of our friends were really her friends and my acquaintances.

Then the teenage years hit. I still didn't long for friends but found one anyway. She actually got along better with me than she did my sister. Of course, as I later found out, we liked the same guy. In the truest sense of teenage immaturity, we took turns liking this hunk of a guy. He was younger than we were but we didn't care. It was only by a couple of years. Anyway, we formed a good friendship despite being each other's 'competition'. After awhile this guy joined our friendship and toward the end of the year he and I became an 'item'. My girlfriend and I still remained good friends throughout. After awhile however I realized that I could not continued dating (that's right I said it!) this guy. Our lives were going in two different directions. I also found that my girlfriend and I were going in different directions. We never fought over him, he was never the problem. Our priorities were just different. After high school she went one way and I went the other. My boyfriend seemed to want to take the same road as she and we broke it off. The problem now, is that I had a group of 'friends' that I had gotten comfortable with. They were people I could hang out with, be myself with. People who like me for me and not because I was a part of a pair. Boy would that change. I was soon to learn the value of true friendship.

After a meeting one night, I saw a tall (I'm only 5'4" so everyone is tall to me!) redheaded girl and her family visiting. I'm usually not the type to go and introduce myself to people. I was way too shy for that. However, I realized that both my friend and boyfriend were not going to be a part of the equation and I needed to start new, so I went up to her and introduced myself. She was nothing like me. She was bubbly, friendly, uninhibited, and LOUD!! I loved her to death from the start! She and her family were visiting Charleston on vacation. We all went out to eat that night and I got to know her and her family. The next day she invited me to the beach house where they were staying. We walked along the beach and played cards and basically set a great foundation for a great friendship. They were only there for a week and so soon Beth was gone. We kept in touch briefly. (No Internet or unlimited long distance back then!) She assured me that they come to Charleston every year so I'd see her again. Of course I figured I'd go back to my boring life and she'd go back to her exciting life and that would be that.

She came back the next summer and a few more after that. As we got older, it was easier to keep in touch since we weren't hindered by the travel plans of our parents. To this day Beth and I remain very good friends. In fact, when I met the true love of my life, she was in my wedding! She soon got married shortly afterward and her husband came down to meet us. We always joked that no matter the distance and time between us, we always managed to pick up our friendship right where we left it. It's funny really. Whenever we get together, it's like no time had been lost.

It's been years since I've talked or communicated with Beth in any way. That was until today. I got an email from her this morning. She said every morning she gets up waiting to read my blog. She says I write it like I'm talking to her. (Thanks sweetie!) I hate to write so that's a big complement to me! She said it felt like old times the way we comfortably fit back into each other's lives. She's right. I smiled and giggled so much when I got her email. I felt like we were back in Charleston and she was coming in for a visit. In an instant, I felt the connection.

My ex-boyfriend ended up marrying a dear friend of mine (I introduced them!). We vacationed together one year with our families (it wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be). They have two boys and so do we. The kids adored each other and we're still friends to this day! My girlfriend from that time... well I've not heard from her in over 18 years and don't think I ever will. That's OK though. Through that experience, I learned to make my own friends.

So now, I'll be blogging with some regularity since Beth's out there waiting to here about what I accomplish all in a day's work!

Until next time,
It's just me!

Wii Active by EA Sports

Hello everyone!!

I'm having a great morning so far. Today is one of those days when I have a ton of things to do in a short amount of time. My energy levels are usually pretty low, but lately I've been taking a fish oil supplement and a chromium picolinate supplement and have been feeling like I can take on the world!

Yesterday I bought the Wii Active game and I LOVE it! It's so much fun! I really felt like I got a real workout. I'm trying to start working out more but in the past with my energy levels being at zero, I never felt like doing it. After taking the supplements, I felt like I could take it on and after doing it just once yesterday I really feel a difference. I went to bed last night anticipating working out again this morning! I actually got up early to get it done and again, I really felt motivated through the workout. When I was finished, I felt energized. I usually don't like working out in the morning but it really does give me a sense of accomplishment for the rest of the day. I rarely spend time doing things for myself, so when I get this done first thing in the morning when no one is asking something of me, I feel like I put myself first. Otherwise as the day goes on, I get put further on the back burner.

I love the way it tells you how many calories you want to shoot to burn during a workout. So far I've always surpass mine. At the end of the workout, the trainer really compliments you and the things you did well but also on some things you may need to work on. I find that I'm having a difficult time with the running. I guess I just don't have the stamina for it. My trainer constantly encourages me to continue though, and I know that by the end of my 30 day challenge I will have built up my endurance enough to do it with ease. I also find that my knees are kind of sore after the lunges. I've never been good at doing those. I'm hoping I can work through that also. I'm not sure if they are supposed to hurt or not though.

Like the other Wii games, you can create your Mii. I wish you can put your measurements in to create a more realistic Mii. My Mii looks a lot better than I do, though I suppose they want you to visualize what you want to look like rather than what you actually look like. I'm a realist though. It would be more motivating for me to put in my measurements and then see myself shrink every week (or not) as I plug in my new measurements. Anyway, it's a really fun game and I think worth getting. This is especially so if you are new to working out. I found the intensity stimulating but I'm out of shape, so for someone who is more fit, I'm not sure how intense it would be. It does have a variety a intensities to choose from, so I'm not sure. I know if you get it from Wal-mart they'll take it back if you have a problem with it. I think it's worth a try though. Living well is all in a day's work!

Until next time,
It's just me!

Facial product review

I have to tell you about this new product I came across. It's by a company called Petal Fresh Pure Botanicals. The products I tried were the Aloe & Apricot Facial Scrub and the Aloe & Pomegranate Clay Facial Masque with Green Tea.

First of all I got both of these from Big Lots for $2.00 a piece. The store is about 30 minutes from my house so when I couldn't find what I went there for I kind of made it a consolation purchase. I had been planning to buy a scrub and masque for awhile but just never found anything I wanted to spend money on. (I did consider making some up myself.) I just picked these up and a few other stuff and went home.

So about 2 weeks go by and yesterday while washing my hair I decided to take advantage of my time in the shower to use this facial scrub and masque. (I hate doing it over the sink.) Well first of all the scrub was amazing. The granules were large enough to get the job done, but small enough to not tear my skin apart. The smell was also very nice. After rinsing, my skin felt great. Then I put on the masque.....wow! Just putting it on was like a spa experience! I was expecting it to be thick and stiff but it was thick and smooth and luxurious. I just kept rubbing it on my face. It felt sooo good! After rinsing that off and patting my skin dry, I thought I would immediately have to put some moisturizer on to keep it from getting that tight dry feeling. I didn't have that problem at all guys. I mean, my face felt like all the impurities and dirt were removed (I had just gotten through cutting grass) and my pores felt and looked smaller, but my skin felt fresh and soft. I probably could have finished my routine right there but something told me to go for the moisturizer since my skin isn't as resillient as it used to be when I was twenty. Of course, then my skin felt a little on the oily side. I have combination skin so these products did a great job of balancing my skin's needs. I would definitely give it 4.5 stars out of 5. The price made this a perfect discovery. I'm going back up to Big Lot's to see if they have anymore. I'm almost sure they don't since it's been a couple of weeks. If you guys can find it somewhere near you, run and get it quick, fast, and a hurry!

It's really nice when you can find great products at a great price all in a day's work!

Until next time,
It's just me!

Why I'm so happy!

I'm really happy because my husband finally fixed my car!! He's really quite brilliant actually. He can fix almost anything! He takes care of all of our oil changes, brake work, and just about anything else.

Once, as I came to a stoplight the car just shut off. I was terrified. The boys were little and I didn't want them out of the car but I didn't want to leave them in the car. Two men came and pushed it to the side for me so I wouldn't hinder traffic. I called my husband at work and he came right out to see what the problem was. As soon as he looked at it, he said it was the alternator. He pulled the old one off, (right there on the side of the road!)took it to the parts store and purchase another one, and then put the new one on kissed me and went back to work! MY HERO!! I don't know why that impressed me that much but it did! He was my knight in shining armor! I think it took him all of an hour and a half.

What I also like is that he knows what he can and cannot do. We have a truck that needed an engine, so he called our very best mechanic, Mr. Greene and had it priced. But since he knows alot about cars, he's also able to tell when someone is trying to get over. (That's not a problem with Mr. Greene, though. He's as honest as they come.)

My Kia just had some problems that we thought originated with the alternator, but it turned out to be the crankshaft pulley. Well Mr. Wonderful just looked up the part, had it overnighted to the house and put it on in about an hour and did it with a fever and runny nose! My sweet baby!! He's amazing, just amazing! Of course, it wore him out and he's been in bed all day. Pobrecito!

OK so I'll get off here and go make some chicken broth! For him and me...it's all in a day's work!

Until next time,
Just me!

Clinique's Black Honey Almost Lipstick Re-Review

OK, OK, OK!! I admit it. I really like Clinique's Black Honey Almost Lipstick!!



I didn't like it at first but as I tried it more with my lip liner I really got into it. It is by far a staple for me. I shouldn't have come to such a quick conclusion about it. It just took me some time. I'm not really a makeup person, so I find when I do get something new, I have to kind of play with it a little. As you saw on my previous blog, my time can get chewed up pretty easily so it's hard to find time to 'play makeup'. I've been learning alot from ladies on youtube like yasjencon, ateyaaa, sogirlgems, buildable beauty, usvi84 and many more. I also should tell you about the Even Better Makeup. I can see some changes already, though I think in the future I'll probably go for the one without color. When I wear it though I get great coverage that feels light and actually I don't feel like I have it on. When I check the mirror though, it looks almost flawless and with the lipstick it really gives me a finished, polished look. So now I have to give it 4.5 stars out of 5. (I can't give it a five, nothing is perfect!!)

It's all in a day's work to find things that work for you!!

Until next time,
It's just me!

Things I Know for Sure

It's been awhile since I've been able to blog. I did get many things on my list done. Over the past couple of months I've come to a realization of sorts which leads to the title of today's blog.

1. Everything changes. No matter how much you relish something, expect it to change.

2. Only time will tell you who people really are.

3. People are only who they really are; no matter how much you want them to be something else. Fortunately for some, #1 is a help, for others, it's a hindrance.

4. A house should only have one woman in it, unless she is a minor child. :)

5. If you don't know who you really are, there will be hundreds of people trying to dictate to you who you are.

6. What a person is or what he has, is not nearly as telling as who he is.

7. With regard to gossip, my mom would say... "If a dog will take a bone, he'll carry one." Don't forget it.

8. Contrary to popular belief, money is not power. It may be haughty , but it is not power.

9. All things are naked and openly exposed in God's sight. Nothing goes unnoticed or unhandled.

10. With regard to the above, my mom would also say, "If it doesn't come out in the wash, it'll come out in the rinse."

Well I think that will be all for Things I Know for Sure today. I'll try to make it a weekly installment. I know many of these things are well known to most people. I just wish as it relates to people I know (or thought I knew)some of it weren't true. I'm still green and think that most people mean well most of the time. I guess it's just something that you learn all in a day's work!

Until next time!
Just me

So how did I do?

Yesterday I listed a ton of things that needed to be done. I'm happy to report that I did get most of it accomplished. However, some things got moved over to today which why I'm blogging at 10:27pm instead of getting my butt into bed!! Actually one of the few things left to do was the ironing. I cannot tell you how much I hate to iron.... but I'll give it a try.

Though my husband and I knew each other and were great friends before we were married, we never dated. (If you want, I'll tell you the story about that.) When we first got engaged we sat down and talked about some of the things that were important to us and would have an impact on our marriage. I came from a home where it was pretty traditional. My mom stayed home and my dad worked. I felt that was important and fortunately he did too so, while we didn't plan to have any children right away, I would stay at home with them once they came along. That meant that he would be the breadwinner and I would keep house. No problem. However, ironing was not included. That was clear from the start. I can't explain why it's an issue for me. I really can't. I remember his mom coming down to visit and when he started putting up the ironing board to iron, his mom said,

"Where's Carmen? Is she feeling OK?"

He said, "She's fine. I just do the ironing."

Can you imagine your mother-in-law having that conversation about you?! She got used to the idea though and is cool with it now! It's just a tedious job that I really hate. I think I got it from my mom. We were poor growing up, but my mom managed to find a way to pay someone to iron for her! It's really odd because I have an identical twin sister who loves to iron and gets a sense of accomplishment from it. WEIRDO!!!

So the clothes may be there for another day or so...or more. ;-} After all, in addition to trying to getting all my work done yesterday, my husband called and wanted me to bring some equipment to a job where he was working and of course my mom sent me on an errand for her also. So, I think I did pretty well all things considering. After all for me, it just all in a day's work! My next post will be about my experience with Gateway. I'm waiting to see how that situation will be resolved before I say anything. Also, I think I'll started to divide up some of my blogs based on subject matter. What do you think? I'm looking forward to hearing from you!!

Until next time I'm,
Just me

It's Tuesday already?!

Sorry about not getting a chance to post yesterday. Blogging in the morning is probably better for me since the house is pretty quiet then. The problem is there's not much to say about the day because it hadn't got started yet! I guess I'll write about what happened the day before. Yesterday I went on a couple of studies and then went to an early dinner. All in all it was pretty uneventful. I was supposed to call Gateway regarding my computer, but I really wasn't in the mood to argue. :-[

Today's task
* Call my attorney regarding a car accident I was in,
* Call my mom's attorney (same accident),
* Research starting a lawn care business,
* Come up with a name for the business,
* Create flyers and business cards for the business,
* Find a accounting program I don't have to buy, or at least create one in Excel,
* Research how to create an accounting program in Excel :-)
* Check the boys' schoolwork to make sure they are on track and schedule next weeks' work
* Clean the carpet upstairs
* Finish laundry and set up clothes for ironing
* Prepare for the meeting tomorrow
* Wash car inside and out
* Clean coils under refrigerator
* Check to make sure we have filters for the A/C so that they can be changed 5/1
* Pay bills
* Call the tailor and let her you'll pick up alterations on Friday
* CLEAN DESK!
* Clean master bath
* Dust and vacuum
* Wipe cabinets down
* Find some time to get on the treadmill
* Call Gateway
* Take mom shopping
* Check her prescriptions to see if anything needs to be filled
* Go over prescription receipts for the last month to determine which pharmacy is cheaper out of the 3 she's using.
* Take scripts to Medigap pharmacy to see if they have better prices
* Find some time to eat!

Can I get it all done? I guess we'll see. After all, it's just all in a day's work!

Until next time,
Just me!

Clinique product review

Okay so for the past couple of months I've been hearing everyone rave about Clinique's Black Honey Almost Lipstick. It's supposed to be flattering on just about every skin tone. I've also heard about the Even Better Makeup that evens and corrects skin tone. Let's start with the lipstick.

I can't say I was particularly impressed. Just last week I bought a lip gloss (Donna Michelle-cherry scented 0.5oz (1.5g)) from Dollar Tree that is perfect for my skin tone and lip color. It enhanced my natural lip color and when worn with my liner (Rimmel-041 coffee bean) it looked more like a lipstick that can be dressed up or worn for everyday. All of that for $1! (the lip liner was about $1.99 at walmart) So when I paid $14.50 for this "unbelieveable best seller" I was really expecting to be wowed. I wasn't. In fact, I was rather disappointed. For the money I expected more but didn't get it. I told my sister I would give it to her, but then I tried it today with the liner and it's still just okay. I give it 1 star out of 5.

Now on to the Even Better Makeup SPF 15. The jury is still out on this one. I've only tried it once so far so I can't say anything definitive yet. However, at $24.50 it better make it's point quick! As far as coverage is concerned, it's okay. I mean for the price, it's not doing anything a cheaper product couldn't do. I'm not spazzing because I assume the fact that it will clear my skin is factored into the price , so I'll just have to give that part of it time to work. So all in all I'm not that impressed with Clinique makeup. I mean, it's ok it's just not worth the extra price. There are other products that do just as well for less.

I must say, however, though I've never purchased the 3-step skin care program, I've tried the soap and the Dramatically Different Lotion and noticed an immediate difference in my skin texture, with which I was pleased. I just have a hard time coming up off the money for it.

I'll give a review on some Mary Kay products I've tried later.

Until next time...
Just me!

In the beginning...

Well this is my first attempt at blogging. Hopefully all will go well. I don't know if I will post this publicly at first. I'll probably start it off being a way to record my thoughts and then post it publicly later. Maybe not. Actually it looks as though this will be public. I'm not seeing anything that lets me turn it private. I have a rather uneventful life. I mean, it's busy to me, but I'm not sure it's interesting to other people and that's the point of a blog isn't it?

My husband and I are trying to start a business. Hopefully it'll be something our children can be involved in. They're older and can work the business, but hopefully it'll be something they can own one day. The economy is really bad right now and my husband has been out of work since October 2008 so we figured we'd better try to start something rather than wait for someone to offer him something.

Well I guess I should tell you a little something about myself. I'm a wife, mother of 2 teenage boys, and a homeschooler. I consider myself a Jane of all trades and a master of none. I love to read and learn new things, though I can't say I'm always up to a new experience. Does that make sense? I like to do things on my time, but I'm also punctual. I hate to be late! I have an identical twin sister which always leads to interesting stuff. We talk on the phone everyday. I absolutely hate to write. I know, then why am I blogging? Well I'm trying to change. Like many people I need to lose weight and as a longtime tomboy I'm just now getting into makeup and hair. (thanks youtube!) I care for my 83 y/o mother who recently suffered a heart attack. My companions call me often for support and advice and my attitude about it is much like James Taylor's song, "That's why I'm here"!

My biggest accomplishment are my children. My oldest went to kindergarten and then we homeschooled. My youngest has never been to public or private school. They are both wonderful boys and great students, though like most teenagers, they need some prodding from time to time. People always comment on how well behaved they are. They really are great kids! They're funny as all get out too! I mean, we really don't need cable for entertainment. They are so not like me. They're very social people.

The one thing I could really work on is taking care of myself. I'm relentless in taking care of and nurturing others but I always come in last, which usually means I don't get taken care of. I feel guilty when I take time away from my family to do something for myself. It always seems that when I finally get on the bandwagon, something happens that makes me sacrifice myself. For example, I finally got to the point of taking care of my nails. My nails are ridiculously soft and won't hold nail polish for nothing! (Anyone else have that problem?) I mean, I'll polish them that evening and the next morning it's already coming off! Anyway, I just decided to get gel nails so that the polish will stay on. However, I usually end up getting a french manicure since it doesn't show up much when they grow out. However, at $35 a pop it gets rather expensive especially when the only person working is no longer working. So I've had to give that up. It really looked nice while it lasted though. I got a lot of compliments on them. My hands were made for them...my wallet was not!! I've been learning a lot on youtube, though I'm always amazed at how much time those ladies seem to have to do those videos! It must be like a job to them or they are very organized!

Well I guess that will be all for today. Hopefully I'll try to post with some regularity, though they'll be much shorter. It actually took me a few hours to do this since I've been washing clothes, fixing lunch for hubby and youngest son before they headed off to work and cleaning. I'm about to take my other son out with me to run some errands since he has his permit and needs some practice. I consider myself a season homeschooler so if you have any questions please feel free to ask me. I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time....

Just me!