Bottled Waters - Is The Stress Worth The Hydration?

I love bottled water. I know, I know, that's so politically, not to mention environmentally, incorrect. But it's unfortunately very true! I find when I have bottled waters on hand I drink twice as much. I don't mind going to the kitchen to grab a bottled water from the pantry floor, but if I have to exert any energy to get it, forget it.

There are a few reasons why I feel this way, none of which really make any sense, but here they are none-the-less.

We don't drink our tap water because we have a cistern so that means I have to get my water out of our water dispenser. We have one of those that holds the 5-gallon jugs and dispenses the water hot or cold. Sounds great! A nice cold glass of water. Problem is I don't like my water very cold. I like nice room temperature water. Weird, but true!

So, couldn't I get my water out of my new refrigerator with the nice gswf filter? Nope. Cause we never hooked the water to the refrigerator since we don't have city water yet.

I guess I could put my water in a pitcher and leave it out on the counter. That would seem logical, but then I'd have to pour it into a glass and that's no fun. I really just like drinking from a bottle better.

OK, so what are my options? Couldn't someone just make a nice biodegradable bottle? That would make me happy and I wouldn't be so irresponsible.

Reality TV That's Real - And Might Make You Cry!

I'm sitting here bawling my eyes out all thanks to the Bonnie Hunt Show, which introduced me to my new favorite show, The Locator. It's great, but man it makes me an emotional mess. There was a marathon on WeTV this past weekend and I have 5 or more episodes on DVR. I keep saying I will get up and clean after just one more... but then the intro of the next comes on and I just HAVE to know if they find their missing loved one and if that person is as receptive to the reunion as they want them to be.

If you've not seen the show, Troy Dunn has spent the past 20 years finding "un-findable" people and reuniting with them someone who is searching for them. There are children searching for parents, parents searching for children, lost siblings, lost loves, etc. He started his business after his mother asked him to find her biological parents. Unfortunately, his mother's reunion wasn't warm and fuzzy. To the contrary, his mother's mother said she would have aborted if she had known the child would want to contact her at a later time.

None-the-less, many of the reunions are happy ones. Both of the ones I've watched today were. On one of them a son found his father who had also been searching for him. And the other was a father with cancer who wanted to find a son he had left when he was just three. And, apparently though the son was apprehensive, he ended up moving in with his father just to get to know him better before he died. *Can you say tear-jerker?*

The show's motto is, "you can't find peace until you find all the pieces." And, if you love reality TV like I do, The Locator is 'feel-good' viewing you should be watching!

I'll Be Sleeping On Black Friday While You Shop

I'm sitting here looking at BlackFridayAds.com. Why, I don't know. I have friends who have been planning for the big shopping day for weeks, but I don't plan to be in the stores on that day. I've done the Black Friday thing before. It is a little exciting, being with all those crazy shoppers, standing in lines talking to people you've never met before and will probably never see again. However, I love my sleep more! While millions of people are out saving a few (or more) dollars, I will be in my nice warm bed dreaming about Matthew McConaughey.  Yummm....

The only two things I really need are for my house. I'd like a kitchen cart, which I thought would be inexpensive but at Kohl's they want more than $250 for the smallest one. And I'm also looking for a TV mounting bracket, but I want the kind for an older CRT type TV and I need it to have a shelf for the DirecTV receiver.

People won't be rushing out to purchase those items, so I think I'm safe sleeping in.

What are your plans? Are you joining the madness? If so, Google Black Friday Ads, there are plenty of sites that are gathering all the ads into one place so you don't have to search for hours or you may want to join in one of the minute-by-minute live chats such as the one hosted by the Green Bay Gazette.

Let me know what deals you pick up and make me mad that I stayed in bed! Unless I'm still dreaming about Matthew, in which case I won't care!

Free *Almost* Twilight Stickers

My brother recently took a position at Cafe Press. Being the good big sister that I am, I was checking out their website and found some really fun t-shirts. Additionally I found something for all the Twilight lovers and since tonight, in just a few minutes, New Moon will be showing at theaters, I thought I'd share it.

Visit Cafe Press, choose who you want to run with, Edward or Jacob, enter the code CPNEWMOONGIFT2 when prompted, and a Free Twilight Sticker Pack will be added to your cart. (3 stickers) All you have to pay is $1.25 for shipping.

Hope you enjoy -- I know my sister, who is waiting in line right now, will!


Edited to add: I just found this... for more Twilight freebies visit Taking Time For Mommy

My New Samsung Impression - Would I Like It More If Bought Through Amazon?

In September my phone was old enough that I could upgrade it. I really needed a new phone because the one I have been using will turn itself off randomly, many times a day... many times during a conversation. It's not fun to wait for it to come back on, then call the person back, then explain what happened. It was very aggrevating, to say the least.

So, I've been on the hunt for a new phone. I thought I wanted a phone with a slide-out keyboard. I like to text, but even with T9 predictability, I'm so dang slow at it! Since I type a lot, I thought a QWERTY keyboard would make me a little faster. Even though you're only using 2 thumbs and not all your fingers, I still know the keyboard better and hope to be zipping out texts.

I had it narrowed down to the LG Xenon and the Samsung Impression... until my husband got an iPod Touch and I found all these cool apps that can be downloaded. I'd love to be able to keep my grocery list in my phone, or log my workout time, etc.

The only thing that was holding me back from the iPhone was the data plan. $15 a month would be fine if we had cell service where we live. Since we don't, I can't make a call, or text, or get on the internet unless I'm out running around. And, when I'm running around I don't usually have the time to do anything but the task at hand.

So, cell service being what it is, I decided against the iPhone and all it's cool apps. I was back to my original dellima of the LG or Samsung. I wanted the Samsung, but it's price was quite a bit more than the LG. Until I saw the refurbished price!

Some people might be afraid of purchasing a refurbished item but I like them. I figure whatever the design flaw was for that item, it was sent back and repaired and no longer has it. We've purchased refurbished laptops, refurbished iPods, a refurbished XBox and a refurbished Garmin GPS.

So, I ordered the Samsung for just $19.99 after renewing my contract. Great! Right? Yes. Until I saw that Amazon.com now sells Cell Phones.

I could have purchased the same phone new instead of refurbished for just five dollars more.

So, did I return the refurbished and order one through Amazon? No. I probably should have. The warranty is 9 months longer. But what a hassle! I'd have to reactivate my old phone send the refurb back, wait for the new phone, activate it. And each time I have to drive 5 minutes away to get cell service to so.

But I am happy with the Samsung. It feels solid, slides easily, the keyboard has large keys for easy texting. It has a great 3MP camera on it! I just wish it had a flash option for indoor photos. It has a SD expansion slot so I can add as many songs and pics that I want. And, I got this cute black giraffe patterned case for it! Very girly and stylish, yet practical too!

My only suggestion? Get it at Amazon!

Why Was Shay's Transformation Overlooked?

I wasn't happy Shay was voted off The Biggest Loser Tuesday night. It's not that I like Amanda any less, it's just that I think she can do it on her own while Shay still needed the help. Plus, Shay had lost 17 whopping pounds this week! To lose 17 pounds in a week and then be sent home seems wrong. And the fact that Rudy flat-out lied to her... Do you think he didn't remember saying that they'd get to the end together and then go at each other, or is he just that conniving? Either way I lost all respect for him.

I always look forward to the "transformation moment" at the end of the show. It's exciting to see that when the person voted off went home, they were able to keep working hard and losing weight. So, when they didn't show Shay's, I was upset.

My first thought was that I must have missed it, so I skipped backwards on my DVR and looked for it... No, it wasn't there. Then I decided she must have gained a bunch of weight back and that's why they didn't show it. But, to my surprise, I found it on The Biggest Loser website, and she has lost more weight. At the time this was taped, it was another 38 pounds!

It makes me wonder, are they trying to keep me in suspense? (But why post it online?) Are they mad at Shay? Are they prejudice? Or, did they think Daniel and his friend, David's, story is more important?

Personally, I don't like David's story. He says, "I don't feel unhealthy, and I know I can do it." Um, apparently you can't do it, or you would have the first time, when there was money involved. And as for unhealthy, that's because you're so young. We'll see how you feel in 10 years.

Shay's story was much better, they should have aired it. But, here it is now for you to see...

My Wild Ride In A 370Z

My brother just bought a 2009 370Z. Oh, to be young and not care about anything but your car. I, on the other hand am just too dang practical to ever buy a car that expensive. His car costs what I have left owing on my house!

However, the car is really pretty, very sleek, it's small and built for speed with a just a hint of a rear spoiler on it's compact rear side. His car had it's own photo shoot last week. Now how many of us have cars that can brag about that?

On Friday he took me for a ride in it... and practically made me pee my pants! He had to show me how it could go from zero to 70 in just a few seconds, which pressed me into the seat. I then hunkered down, screamed, and closed my eyes! He laughed and slammed on the brakes to show me how well they worked, effectively causing me to become alert since I almost now had whiplash.

We only went a few blocks, and that was enough for me. I always thought I'd like to be a race car driver... but I don't want to be the passenger I've now decided!

Serena Bare - Too Much Too Handle?

Serena Williams is on the newest issue of ESPN Magazine. That, in and of itself, wouldn't be a shocker, but the fact that she's 'tastefully' nude is.

Personally I think some of the tennis skirts she wears reveal more than this photo, the way it was shot. But apparently it has some people up in arms.

Kathie Lee and Hoda posted it on their Facebook Fan Page and asked people to comment with their opinions. Well, they got what they asked. At last look there were more than 270 comments... with a wide range of views.

There were some who were fine with the photo, leaving compliments such as, "That's a big beautiful powerful woman with a great smile," or "I think it is beautiful!!! She's a beautiful woman and athlete!!!"

But on the other hand some people have very strong negative opinions such as, "INAPPROPRIATE doesn't begin to cover this topic. What happened to wholesomeness and virtue as good things?," and "what does this have to do with sports. i'm tired of women complaining about how they are only seen as sex objects and then you get someone who should know better doing a cover like this..."

What's your opinion of the cover photo?

Online Shopping Is Becoming The Norm For Me & Many More

My in-laws won't shop online. They are sure they are going have their credit card number plastered on every site on the internet, for every villainous schemer to get if they do. But if you're like me, a mom with too many things to do in a day, internet shopping is the way to go! No kids throwing every toy and piece of candy they can't live without in your shopping cart. No long lines. No one whining about how they have to go potty, are hungry, or just because they aren't happy. Just you and a computer - and if everyone else is asleep in the house, that's even better!

I had never even heard of Cyber Monday until 2005 or 2006. Now it seems to be almost as normal as Black Friday. What is it? It's the name for the Monday immediately following Thanksgiving. It's the Internet's answer to Black Friday. A day where retailers offer sales online in an attempt to get the holiday shopping frenzy going.

The date for Cyber Monday 2009 is November 30.

So, what are some of the hottest products this year going to be? How about a Go Go Pet robot hamster, or squirrel, or chipmunk, or rabbit, or...? (Sounds good to me - no more cleaning out the cage) A Wii, a FlipHD, or maybe a Kindle?

My Clothes Want To Smell Like An Herbal Morning Kiss

I just created a new fabric softener scent and entered to win a $100 Spa Finder gift card! My scent is called Herbal Morning Kiss and smells of herbs with undertones of dewy petals and a moonlight kiss. (Not sure what that would smell like, but it sounded good!) I really wanted something with a lemongrass scent, but that wasn't an option. Lemongrass is my new favorite scent!

The contest runs until 12/27/09, so you still have time to enter. (Unless you just don't like going to the spa!) Just visit Downey.com to get started designing your own fragrance. And, if you like the scent I designed, be sure to click on the link below and vote for it!

A Cat Named Rufus

Way back before my son was born we had a cat named Rufus. Rufus was the meanest cat you've ever seen. He wasn't a friendly cat that wore cute cat clothes and costumes like Daisy The Curly Cat.  Instead he hated people! And, although he was my baby and I would have given him only the best cat products on the market... he wouldn't have any of it!

He was so mean that my mother-in-law was scared to death of him.  If we didn't put him up, she wouldn't come in. (Many would consider this a blessing!) And, he especially hated women.  He'd sit on the edge of the couch and hiss/growl.  It was an awful noise, one that made it quite understandable that people should fear him.

One of the funniest stories from my past comes from this dumb cat.  Believe it or not, this is true.

The cat was in the bathroom closet, (that's where we kept the litter box) and he was howling.  Hubby and I went in to see what his problem was.  He jumped out of the litter box when we came in and started scooting his butt across the floor.  As gross as this sounds, there was something hanging from him.  It was red and we realized it was a shoelace.  Hubby stepped on it and the cat moved forward until the entire shoelace...  all 36 inches of it, were out!  Yes, it was a high-top, 36" basketball shoe shoelace!  I would catch him chewing on them from time-to-time, never thinking the stupid animal would eat one.  But he did, and somehow managed to pass it without any problem.

We had to take Rufus to the local shelter when my son was born.  We didn't want to and tried a few days to wait it out and let them get acquainted, but the way he hissed at women was what he did to my baby.  When I found him standing over the top of my son hissing and growling I had to do something.

I like to think that since he was neutered and declawed he found a nice owner who spoiled him with cat costumes and a nice plush cat bed, but a part of me thinks he was probably put to sleep.  It's been so long now that I guess I'll never know.

If you have a cat and want to spoil it be sure to check out ShopWiki.  They bring items from more than 30,000 stores together in one place and in addition to cat food, beds and other essential cat products, you'll also find important information on cat care.

A Boy Named Sue For Music Monday

While I have a very diverse range of music likes, hubby has only a few loves, but they are worlds apart. For instance he loves Metallica, U2 and... old country, especially Johnny Cash. On our way to our favorite camping spot last week we listened to Johnny's many, many hits. This one is probably very well known, but it still makes me laugh every time I hear it. Hope you enjoy it too!



Lyrics | Johnny Cash lyrics - A Boy Named Sue lyrics

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

I Want To Retire... Any Chance Of It Happening Soon?

We received our latest 401(k) statement last week and I almost did a dance. The amount actually went up this quarter! I had to laugh when I told hubby though, because it still isn't up to where it was less than two years ago. (It's either laugh or cry!)

I believe in the importance of saving for retirement. I sure don't want to work forever. But what is the perfect way to do that? I'm not sure I'm the one to ask. I know one of my clients buys and sells stocks constantly. He's the type to read all the reports and really knows what he's doing. I also know that gold is near an all time high and gold is something that seems to hardly ever lose value. Even in ancient history there was great value put upon gold coins. (The first real gold coins were made in the 6th century BC in Lydia.) So, it's easy to see why it might be a good investment.

In fact, (and this makes me ill thinking about it) if you had purchased $25,000 of gold bullion coins in the early 70’s and held on to it you could sell that gold today for almost $525K!

Are you wondering what in the world a bullion coin is? According to Wikipedia it's "a coin struck from precious metal and kept as a store of value or an investment, rather than used in day-to-day commerce." They come in different weights and as an added bonus are usually of limited quantity and are quite nice looking, such as the #1 gold coin choice which is the Gold American Eagle which captures a bald eagle swooping into a nest holding its family - this scene is meant to symbolize many classic American concepts.

I guess I really just need a Retirement Investing For Dummies book! A step-by-step guide to getting out of the daily grind as soon as possible! Anyone want to write it for me?

Candles For A Cure Is A Huge Success!

I was hoping to post about Scent-Sations (Mia Bella's) Candle For A Cure last month, but with all my vacations (2 camping trips and a trip to Florida) I never found the time. So, now I'll tell you what a success the program was, and how you can still help.

Last month in response to breast cancer awareness month Mia Bella released the Hope candle. A candle created especially for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure to breast cancer. The 16oz pink jar candle is perfumed with high-end designer fragrances, and for each candle sold, Scent-Sations decided to donate $10.00 to the Foundation with an initial goal of $5000!

Did they meet the goal? With flying colors! The check presented to the Foundation a few days ago was for $15,190.00!

The great news is that the Fundraiser is not over! You still have a chance to help. Just purchase a Hope candle and a portion of the proceeds will be sent the following month to the Foundation. You get an incredible smelling and burning natural wax candle, and we all get closer to a cure!

Click Here to get your Candles For A Cure.

My Ramblings About Car Safety And Insurance Prices

If only all cars were made so that you could survive a crash like the one Ryan Newman lived through at the NASCAR race on Sunday. His car skidded on it's hood for the longest time and then rolled sideways and landed hard, back on it's hood. Street cars aren't designed for that kind of impact.



Kentucky has a series of signs throughout the state that according to their website, "provide timely information to motorists of any upcoming incidents and estimated delay times." On our way home from our Florida trip the signs read "616 people have died on Kentucky highways this year." I told my husband I didn't want to be number 617. Fortunately I wasn't, but two days later it read 619 which meant in two days three people died in car wrecks.

Then yesterday hubby decides he could be using less gas by driving our old car - the one we had given to our son before he bought a car with less miles on it a couple months ago. However, it's not insured any more. So we call Progressive, (Who I love by-the-way. They were amazing when my Jeep burned last year. It burned on a Friday evening and on Monday afternoon they were at my house with a check!) and ask for insurance quotes on adding yet another car. This will be number four. Four cars, three people, one of which is a male under 25.

It's less than $50 a month, so we add it for now. We'll monitor it and see if we would save that much on gas in a month by using the car verses the truck. If not we'll drop it again. It's nice to know that we have a backup car if one of ours decides not to start one morning, but what's odd is that it costs more per year to insure it than the one my son is driving daily - and that car is a year older. I'm told it's because the one he's driving has a better safety rating. That makes me feel better for him,  (since I can't put him in a car with roll bars) but now I have to worry about hubby. Hopefully he can keep it from rolling end-over-end!

Favorite Photos - Fur Babies, A Chipmunk And Why Won't The Crossword Puzzle Burn? - Blog Hop Tuesday

I'm late with this post... yes, we went camping one last time for the season. We're back now and here it is nevertheless.

This week's Blog Hop Theme is "FAVORITE PHOTOS". Let's see those great photos... fun, inspiring, cute, special. Leave a caption with each photo so we can enjoy them even more.

These aren't my favorite photos of all time... but they are some of my newest favorites. All were taken this past week.

Our fur-babies.  It love this because it looks like they were posing for this photo.  Actually I took this through the glass door because I knew if I went to open it, the little dog would jump up.  As I suspected, I took this and then went to the door to try to take one outside and he ran to me.  Thank goodness the glass was clean...

This little guy was so brave, he even scurried between my feet at one time.  I guess he's worried about the upcoming winter...  (I love his little paws, they are so cute!)

I was sitting by the campfire looking at the photos I took that day and noticed this crossword puzzle in the fire.  I couldn't figure out why everything was on fire but this small section.  It did finally burn, but at least I got this photo before it went up in smoke...