Drawings on the Wall

They Can Thank Me Later...

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:54:00 +0000

Today is a big day. I have convinced my lovely dear Aunt to quit smoking. Today is also her birthday. What better present to yourself is there? Nothing. I of course realize that she has smoked a pack and a half a day for the last ...oooh...30 years? So this is going to be no easy feat. To start with she is switching electronic cigarettes. I'm sure you've seen them. They're advertised quite a bit. She can step down on the amount of nicotine with those and they are much better health wise. They also come in a variety of yummy flavors.

I love my Aunt and want her around for a long time, so I'm very happy that she's agreed to at least try. This will be her first attempt at quitting in 30 years. I think it's great that she's finally coming around, and realizing her health is important and that she's important to all of us. She's not the only person I've been hounding to stop smoking either, my friend is also a frequent victim of my nagging. I'm happy to report though, that she's doing really good! I love my friends and family, if I have to be the nagging friend or loved one, so be it! They can thank me at their 90th birthday party! :)

I Would Like to Thank....

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:37:00 +0000

My niece is in college, which is hard for me to fathom since it seems like just yesterday she was 4, but she is. She's now 21, in college and living on her own, well technically with a roommate. She's studying to be a nurse, unless that's changed in the last five minutes. She was chatting with me the other night on facebook because she was completely frustrated with a paper that she was working on. It was due the next day, and she had hardly any of it done. With the vast amount of information that can be found on the internet, it seems funny that she was having trouble finding information, but she was.

I told her about Edu Brary. Which is The Educational Digital Materials Library. There's a ton of great educational materials there. I used to use it quite a bit when I was doing research for a job. It helped her out a ton and I pretty much sealed my win for "The Aunt of the Year" award. I know college is tough, especially when you're trying to do your best and others are dragging you out to party and such. Late nights and a diet of ramen is not easy. So this aunt's tip about EduBrary was a nice surprise for her I think. What should I wear for my acceptance speech? lol!

Swimming Day!

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:33:00 +0000

My daughter's class is going swimming today at our local community pool. I'm supposed to meet them up there at noon to help chaperone all the kids and help out. The kids were all super excited when I dropped my daughter off this morning. Hopefully they're not to rambunctious for us. I'm sure it'll be a fun time though. It's actually they're Valentine's Day party a day late...lol. I'm not really sure why they did it today and not yesterday, because it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but whatever..lol. Wish me luck in watching 30 some kids in the pool! UGH!

Living Alone

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:58:00 +0000

The Author of this post is Velma Baird

Before I lived alone I never thought living alone would make me nervous. When I lived with roommates I was dying to get out on my own! I didn’t want to deal with their bad habits anymore, and I didn’t want to worry about being polite to anyone else. Over the years I had my fair share of horrible ones, and I just couldn’t deal anymore. When I moved into my new place I was really scared, but I thought I was just going through an adjustment period. I had lived with other people for so many years, and I thought what I was going through was normal. When the nerves didn’t wear off after a few months, I went to www.besthomesecurity.com and got a home alarm system set up. I still get freaked out when I hear strange noises outside, but I feel much better knowing that no one can get into my house without the alarm going off. Hopefully one day I’ll get married and have a man here to protect me so I won’t be so worried. Being a single woman out there on your own can get scary!

Out With the Old

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:54:00 +0000

My mom is scrapping her car this morning for some extra cash. It's been broken down in the driveway for months and it's time for the thing to go! The mechanic has been nursing it along for years now, and it's just come to the point that it's not worth putting the money into it to fix it anymore. So to the scrapyard it goes! She'll be getting about 500 bucks for it, so that's not too bad, for a rusted heap of metal that doesn't even run...lol! Out with the old though! In with...... well nothing...cuz she can't afford a new car...lol!

Music Lessons

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:52:00 +0000

My daughter is looking into taking guitar lessons during the summer. I think she'd enjoy it a lot. My ex, her dad, has a guitar very similar to this fender 65 mustang reissue, so she sees him play that, and wants to play herself. I think she's plenty old enough, and responsible enough, to start lessons. I just have to find her a guitar. We will be starting with an acoustic guitar though. Any suggestions for a great beginner acoustic guitar? Would love to find one in the next couple weeks. Thanks!

Research! I Love It!

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:09:00 +0000

With the elections coming up, that's all you hear about in the news anymore, or at least that's the way it seems. My cousin who is extremely political was looking for a place to get campaign signs cheap, so I did a little research online and found him a place. He was super happy about it. I love providing people with information. Maybe it's the dork in me, but I love researching stuff. If only I could get paid full time for doing it. lol! I'd be a super happy camper.

Anniversary Gift Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:38:00 +0000

I've been looking around all day online for personalized anniversary gifts. My Aunt and Uncle, that I'm very close to, are having their 25th wedding anniversary in two weeks. They are of course having a huge party and I want to get them a great gift. The 25th anniversary is the silver anniversary, so I'm thinking a nice engraved silver platter or something. I don't know though, I'm open to suggestions. lol!

Snow!!!

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:27:00 +0000

Well mother nature is making up for the lack of snow, and she's doing a great job! Ugh! We have gotten so much snow in the last week or so, it's unreal. At the beginning of January you could still see the grass through the snow, and now on January 20th there is a good foot and a half of snow in the yard! Crazy! And we've gotten most of that in the last few days. I hate winter!

I'm Hopeful!

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:50:00 +0000

There is a lot on my mind tonight. Mostly things that I need to get done. Next month I absolutely have to start looking for life insurance. Both are going to be up for renewal, so it's definitely time to start looking. This coming year is going to be filled with a lot of changes. I'm hoping that at some point this year I will also be looking into mortgages
or rental houses for my family. We are absolutely way too crowded in our current living situation. We really need a 4 bedroom house and we are currently living in a 2 bedroom house. So it is very crowded in here.

I'm not sure how it will all go, or what we will find, but I'm hopeful. This year needs to be the year that things change for the better. The last couple have been pretty rough, so I need a good year. I'm hoping I find good deal on the car insurance, can get some bills paid off, raise my credit score, and that that will help us find a great house. It's funny how doing the small things like paying your bills on time, really affect the big things that you want, like getting a house. Something to definitely keep in mind!

Dr. Mom

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:36:00 +0000

Well today my my mom mentioned that she thought I might have a B12 deficiency. I was like...yeah right..Dr.Mom. I ended up looking it up though, and I do have several of the symptoms....so maybe she's right? I don't know. My mom is one of those hypochondriac people. Not only about herself, but others as well..lol. If you cough or have a headache, you might possibly have a brain tumor or something!!!. It's funny and annoying at the same time. Ah, mothers, you gotta love them! lol!

Soda Machine, Here We Come!

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:52:00 +0000

Today I spent a good part of the day just browsing the internet. I haven't done that in a little while, so it was nice to just see what's out there again. I found some great Macys coupons, that I'm going to use I think to buy a soda machine for my mom's birthday. She saw one on TV recently and was ooo'ing and aah'ing over it for ages. Apparently it would save us lots of money and would reduce the amount of recycling that we would have to do. So that would be nice, and we can have fun making soda together. :)

Baby Shopping!

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:23:00 +0000

So my friend found out a few months ago that she is expecting a baby. After a short spell of freaking out, and some very excited smiles, we are now getting into the chores of purchasing some of the needed baby items. I've been scouring the internet for deal sites and found Nomorerack.com. They have some great deals on everyday items. I read some nomorerack reviews, to avoid any nomorerack scam possibilities and decided to give it a go. I went ahead and signed up.

So far I am loving it. There are great deals everyday. I'm hoping I can get some maternity clothes there, as maternity clothes are not exactly cheap. Nothing is really cheap though, when it comes to a baby. Diapers, formula, clothes, all the necessary baby gear. It all adds up, and since this is not her first baby, she won't be having a baby shower. So every little bit helps when it comes to saving money.

This has definitely been a reminder that children are expensive and that I'm definitely not ready to have anymore anytime soon..lol. I'll save that headache for my dear friend!

Recently Decided

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:41:00 +0000

Guest post written by my buddy Bernardo Graham

My daughter recently decided to buy her own place after years of renting in town. I was excited for her, but understandably nervous since the part of town she lives in doesn’t have the best crime statistics available. As any father would be, I was worried she was going to find herself alone and scared some night, so I did what I could to try and make her place feel safer. I researched security system options at a website about Orlando security systems and got her the Rotweiler puppy she’s been asking me for for years. That will keep her safe and keep her company! I also made sure once she was moved into the new place that her windows locked tightly and that back gate got fixed. No reason to take any chances we don’t need to! Sarah will always be my little girl and though she’s in her mid twenties, I consider it my job to make sure she’s as safe as she can be. I know her mother would never let me hear the end of it if she wasn’t!

New Year Goals

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:48:00 +0000

Well it is the new year and with the new year, comes new goals for me. I'm not going to call them resolutions, because I always fail at resolutions. This year my GOAL is to lose 45 pounds and keep it off. If I did that, I would be incredibly happy and proud of myself. I'd look great, I'd feel good, and most of all I would be a lot healthier. The older I get losing weight, becomes more about getting healthier rather than looking "hot". So this year I WILL lose 45 pounds! No if's, and's, or but's about it!

The Price is Low!

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:53:00 +0000

My mother has recently taken a job as a caretaker for an elderly man that lives next door to us. She needed some extra cash, and it's close by, and she's done that type of work before, so it seemed like a great fit for her. She asked me the other day to look up adult diapers at disposablemedicalexpress.com. She wanted to see how much they were, and so I went ahead and looked that up. I was surprised to see the price wasn't as much as I thought it would be. There's been several things lately that weren't as much as I thought they would be. The other thing was a ceramic heater. I've been chilly doing my blogging lately. So I'm going to be purchasing one of those soon. Especially now that I know they aren't that expensive!

Getting Thinner...Just Not in the Right Way

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:34:00 +0000

I'm not sure if it's stress or just from getting older, but I've noticed that my hair is starting to thin a little bit. Not only that though, but my eyelashes are also getting thinner. I've always loved my eyelashes. They were thick and long, so I'm not liking this new realization...lol. So I've been looking online for eyelash growth products that work. I might get one as a Christmas present to myself. I've noticed as I have gotten older that I'm worrying a lot more about my appearance, as far as wrinkles, skin care, hair...that kind of stuff. Before you know it, I'll be applying night skin creams and putting my hair in curlers. Growing old is so fun!

I Need Room to Grow

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:06:00 +0000

So lately I've been getting very frustrated with my current living situation. I am currently living in a small two bedroom home with my mother and two children. I share the bigger master bedroom with my two kids. I have a full bed, and they have bunk beds. Needles to say, there is not much room to spare. I would really love to get a bigger home in the next year or two. I'm really hoping for this year though, as I'm not sure how much longer I can stand it.

I've been looking online at houses and did a little research into Five Star Mortgages, and I'm hoping that I might be able to buy something. I would really love that, and I know the kids would. I'm not really sure how feasible it actually is, but one can dream. lol! All I know is that if I have to live here much longer, I'm going to go insane. Well I guess I'd at least have my own room then, a padded one..lol.

Any tips for new home buyers? Have you bought a new home recently? Are you happy with your purchase?

Comfort or Style?

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:50:00 +0000

Which is more important to you? For me comfort will, hands down, always win. I am a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl, always have been, always will be. I do not own a pair of high heels, and probably never will. I will wear my sneakers, thank you very much! LOL! I decided that I might apply for a job at our local hospital in the housekeeping dept. I don't mind cleaning, and the hospital seems like a great place to work.

One of the things that came to mind was that my uniform would be scrubs. So I was poking around online and looked at http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/. As much as I like to be comfortable, I think this is actually a big plus for me. I get to do a little cleaning and wear extremely comfortable clothes all day. Win win, as far as I'm concerned. lol.

So hopefully I'll be applying there within the next few weeks, I'll probably wait until after the New Year, and things get settled back down. The holidays are definitely not a time to tackle something huge, like applying for a new job. I'll be lucky to make it through to New Years with my sanity, and that's just with all the regular holiday stuff..lol. I hope everyone has a great holiday!

Four More Days

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:48:00 +0000

Four more days and it will be Christmas. I can't believe it, this year has just flown by, especially the last month. I am pretty much all ready for Christmas. I have a couple small things left to buy, but I'm pretty much all done. It feels good. There have been years where I was out shopping on Christmas Eve, and not just for a couple things. I was shopping for ALL my gifts..lol. Yes I am a procrastinator, and I full admit it! So are you done with your shopping?

Right Hand Rings

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:11:00 +0000

I spent a good hour and a half of my day the other day looking at right hand rings. I really miss wearing rings. I found some really pretty anniversary rings online, but I wasn't sure if I really wanted an anniversary ring, when I wasn't celebrating and anniversary. I later decided that it would be ok, if the ring was pretty enough...lol. I'm searching for a amethyst and diamond ring, something simple, pretty, and durable. If you see something like that, let me know! Thanks!

What's Next?

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:41:00 +0000

I'm not much of a sports fan, but once in a while I'll get into something and run with it. Lately it's been tennis. Don't ask me why, because I don't know..lol. Maybe it goes back to my love of Andre Agassi back in my teenage years... I really don't know. I have been watching tennis a lot lately though, and playing it on the Wii.

My mom even commented on it the other day. She said something about my new obsession, and I told her that at least I was getting a little exercise out of it, unlike her facebook addiction. lol! I even went as far as too look up australia travel packages for the australian open 2012. I'm flat broke though, so that's not happening, but it was nice to dream for a little bit.

I'm sure over the next 6 months or so I'll move onto something else, but for now I'm going to enjoy my Tennis. Maybe my next obsession will be cleaning. I can only hope anyway..lol. I really have gotten far behind on it, and have no motivation to do any of it. So if the powers that be can make cleaning my next obsession... please let that happen. My house would thank you, from the bottom of it's heart!

Winter Weather

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:55:00 +0000

So the last few weeks really hasn't been too bad. The weather has been fairly warm for this time of year, with an occasional dusting of snow. I'm sure pretty soon the temperature will drop drastically and the inches of snow will soon be piling up. The snow mobiles will be out in full force, and also the skiers. My niece loves skiing so I'm thinking of getting her a pair of heated gloves
for Christmas. That way her fingers stay nice and toasty warm. As for my fingers? They will stay nice and toasty warm wrapped around a nice big mug of hot chocolate! YUM!

Christmas Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:05:00 +0000

Christmas is around the corner. Have you all started your holiday shopping? I have! I know that's a shocker, as I usually wait til the absolute last minute, but I found some great deals on black Friday that I just couldn't pass up. So I've gotten 4 or 5 things each for both of my kids. I'm feeling pretty good about that. I still have to get them a few more things each, but both their big presents are bought and paid for. I also need to find something for mom, and I need to get some button down shirts for my boyfriend.

I have to say I'm more in the Christmas spirit this year than normal. I'm not really sure why, but I'm not complaining. lol! It definitely makes it a lot more fun. Next weekend I plan on putting up the Christmas tree and am going to start wrapping presents. I usually wait til the last minute to do that, and it always turns into chaos. So this year, no procrastinating! I will wrap early! lol! Wish me luck! I hope everyone has a great holiday!

Well It's Raining Out...

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:02:00 +0000

At least it's not snow. I'm happy about that. I'm really not looking forward to the winter. I hate driving in the snow. I've only been driving for about 5 years, I started driving late, and am not really comfortable yet driving on the snow. Although from what I hear you never really get comfortable, so maybe I'm normal? I don't know..lol. All I know is that I have anxiety about going in the ditch or getting into an accident. In my perfect little world, the snow would only fall on the grass and the roads would stay free of all snow...lol. Yeah I know..I'm dreaming. lol!