Bon Bons and Soap Operas

It's the second week of school and I am waiting for some down time.  I'd like to see the person who thinks stay-at-home moms have it so easy - eating bon bons and watching soap operas all day long.  They'd need a smack upside the head.  Let me tell you, I have not ingested one bon bon or watched one soap opera yet.  I have been running constantly since school started last week! I thought today I'd have a little time to myself but my "to do" list is already growing for the day.  *sigh*  Maybe tomorrow.

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HUGE Life Insurance Rate Increase

We received a notice from our life insurance company that our life insurance is going up - about nine times higher per month than we've been paying for years! Like we are going to pay that!  I contacted our insurance agent to find out what we could do but I am going to look for the best price on life insurance myself. Insurance going up that much is just ridiculous.

Pfft!  Do they think I will start breaking down past 40?  I don't think I will.  I plan to meet 40 a lot healthier than my 30's!

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Golf Technology

I stink at golf.  Even with private lessons at a private club with my own clubs, I was a complete failure.  Did you know there is actual technology for golf?  It's not just swing (miss), swing again, walk and look for your ball, swing (and miss), walk, etc.?  If I had a garmin golf gps systems, maybe I would've done better? Eh, who am I kidding. I miss the ball - repeatedly. If I can't get the ball to go anywhere, a device telling me how many yards to the green isn't going to help me. However, it does look like it'd be a really good gift for a golfer for the upcoming holidays (yes, they are coming - - faster than you think)!

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Tablet PCs

My daughter wants a tablet PC.  I am usually pretty up on all the latest technology but I have to admit, I don't really know what these things are.  I don't know if that means I am getting old?  Probably.  Maybe I'm afraid that if I looked into them, I'd want one myself.  Probably.

I am going to research the Asus Eee Pad Transformer tablet.  I think it's time for me to see what's what.  Just because I'm turning 40, I don't have to act like I'm over the hill.  Right?

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High School Starts

I dropped my oldest off at the school today for freshman orientation.  *falls over*

Here's to hoping the next four years will be easy!  :D  I can dream, right?

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This diet works!!

I am not usually a big fan of weight loss diets.  I think it's a lot of starvation and that's not the way to a healthy body in my opinion.  My sister recommended this book, The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor's Plan Designed for Rapid Results and after hearing her talk about the foods and her results, I decided to give it a try.  I lost nine pounds in the first 17 days (would've lost more if I hadn't cheated) earlier this year, while eating a lot, and kept it off.  Those were big factors to me - was I eating heathy foods?  would I feel hungry all the time?  would it work fast enough to keep my attention?  would the weight stay off?

This is one book I can personally recommend.  I have thyroid disease and the weight just would not come off.  This book helped take off the weight and it worked well enough that I've decided to set a second, and final, weight loss goal and get to my pre-pregnancy weight of my mid-20's.  I will start working on this goal their first day back at school so next week - 17 Day Diet HERE I COME!

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Aging Gracefully - Not Me!

Nope, I don't think I'll age gracefully.  I am going to age kicking and screaming!  I don't want my body or mind to break down.  How am I supposed to understand my needs if my mind isn't working right? 

Who understands Medicare?  What's a Medicare supplement?  You know, I spent months studying insurance to get my license and it was all so convoluted, I couldn't make heads or tails of any of it.  (I ended up deciding insurance wasn't going to be my career field.)  Plus, I didn't want to think about getting old and death.  When it comes time for Medicare, I am definitely going to need help figuring out what I need.

I've spent time worrying about who would take care of my parents and my husband's parents but until recently, I never gave any thought that my own kids would have these same thoughts down the road.  I don't know.  Turning 40 in less than two months is getting to me.  It feels like I'm perched on top of a hill facing downward and it's a steep, fast decline without a helmet! My grandmother passed away a couple weeks ago - in a nursing home, in a state far away, with no family around her.  That is just awful.  She could've had caregivers around her if another family member had cooperated.  Nobody should die alone.  Technically, she had staff around her, holding her hand...it's not the same!

Being a caregiver has to be stressful.  There is a book called Minding Our Elders that I want to check out.  Maybe it'll give me some insight into caregiving.  With my mother into her late 60's now, and my in-laws in the 70's and 80's, I really need some more insight!

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Refinancing FHA Home Mortgages

With this economy, has anybody attempted a FHA refinance to see about getting interest rates lowered?  We were thinking about it but we are planning to move in two years (to our "forever home") so I think we are going to hold off and wait it out. If you're thinking about it, you might want to research the FHA loan requirements.

The last couple years sure have been a struggle financially.  Wouldn't it be nice if the number of bills that came in the mail was contingent upon how much money you had coming in that week?  Just dreaming...

I am thinking the economy isn't going to change much until some political changes are made and the wars wind down.  I am hoping in two years, we'll be in a better position financially to get our "forever home" with great interest rates!  Also, it sure would be nice to have my nephew home to settle down, perhaps get a Military VA Loan, a wife, and 2.2 kids...or just come home so his mom and grandmother can stop worrying about him.

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Today's Children's Hospital Visit

We took our ten-year-old to a children's hospital today for some issues she has been having for about a year now. After the first nine months (of her doctor saying it is a virus), he referred to her the hospital.  They want to do an upper endoscopy and a colonoscopy under general anesthetic.  I wasn't expecting this right away.  I thought they'd recommend diet restrictions (like milk in particular) but they went right to the invasive procedures. I wasn't happy about that.

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Sports Team Apparel

School sports have started.  I have three girls in cheerleading and my son playing soccer.  I want to buy sports clothes in their school colors but buying them from the stands at the game is so expensive.  I looked online to see about designing my own custom football jerseys and soccer jerseys in their school colors to wear on game days to school and found Custom Planet.  This looks like a great place for teams or classes to order clothing in their school colors to show school spirit! You can make custom t-shirts, uniforms for basketball, baseball, football, as well as hats and more. They will help you with the graphic design or you can upload your own graphics.  I fiddled around with it and had a lot of fun designing a t-shirt for juniors.

These would be a great idea for youth teams for an affordable jersey for sports that aren't sponsored by a school or for team members to wear outside of game day - showing team spirit!

I need some "mom" sports clothes in my kids' school colors to support my kids from the stands. I'm off to design and shop!

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Purifying Water

I bought a water purifier to purify our tap water for drinking.  It's in pitcher form but I want one that is permanently attached to the sink itself.  What do you prefer?

Thankfully, our city doesn't put fluoride in our water so I don't need to worry about removing that but my trust in government protecting my kids' health - not so much. I'd rather make sure I am doing everything I know to protect my family rather than depend on an organization that has special interests groups breathing down its neck to do it.

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R2D2's Head on an RV

Look at R2D2 on top!!

My sister bought a used RV that needed some cosmetic work - great engine but questionable decorating.  Apparently, it's previous owner had screwed R2D2 onto the top of it!  Yeah, I'd say it is in need of a little rv repair, wouldn't you?  Actually, it was just his head.  Who would think to chop off R2D2's head and screw it onto the top of an RV? The engine was in too good of shape to pass up, despite R2D2 riding on the top.

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Work at Home Mom - - Soon!!!

It's almost time to get back to work (working from home).  I'm thinking another two weeks or so if things work out the way we are hoping and it'll be time to buckle down.  It'll coincide with my four kids going back to school so that will work out great!  This economy has just been awful for my husband's work but we're lucky he still has a job so I can't complain too much.  Pretty soon, I'll have my jobs back too:)

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Summer Almost Over!

Wow, this summer has just flown by.  I can't believe school starts in three weeks.  It's time to hemorrhage money for school supplies, school clothes, school fees, sport fees, and lunches again.  I will do some online and some shopping in person.  I like to use Amazon online -- trustworthy.  For in person shopping, we'll be hitting Plato's Closet (first time - used clothing store I hear is great for teens), Forever 21, Hot Topic, JCPenney, and Wal-Mart.  Let the shopping begin!

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