Caffeine Mom - Gettin' Through Life One Cup at a Time!

Moving to Texas

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:35:00 +0000

Posted by Gaylord Campbell

I have lived in Georgia for basically my whole life so when I was away in college and my father called to tell me he was getting transferred I was not excited about the idea. Georgia was all I knew and where I grew up by my family is my home. How could I stay in Georgia when my whole family was moving a thousand miles away? I decided that since I only had two more years of school that I would stay there and when I graduated I would move out to Texas to be near my family.

Once I got out there and got acclimated to the area I decided that I wanted to move in to my own place instead of living with my parents. My mom suggested that I check out this web site: ShopElectricityRatesTexas.com before I got set up with one electricity provider. She told me that in Texas you can shop around for these things. I found this odd considering you can’t really do that in Georgia. You pretty much just use whoever has service in your area.

What Did You Say?

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:57:00 +0000

Remember those "can you hear me now?" commercials? Well, seems we (read - society) has moved on from that but still, cell service has not really gotten any better - no matter who the carrier is or where they are located.

I have a friend in Canada and every time she calls me from her work building, I have a difficult time picking up the phone to talk to her. Why? Simply put, the call drops about 5 times in a span of 10 minutes! So frustrating! I told her to get a cell booster (all she has to do is Google wilson cell booster canada for the best one!) because her calls will no longer drop and I will talk to her!

Got His Dream Job

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:31:00 +0000

Here is a picture of my husband a few years ago when he spent a lot of time building and repairing guitars, as well as playing them. He had so many different kinds of guitars but he never had a guitar case for each of them, so those hung on our walls.

Now he actually works at C.F. Martin Guitar - building for a living. It is not very often people are able to have their dream job!

Valentine Giveaway: Jingles the Bear

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:42:00 +0000

Baby Stuff Gifts, an online retailer for personalized baby gifts, is giving away an adorable bear as their Valentine's Day promotion.

For a chance to win, see GIVEAWAY: Jingles the Bear from Baby Stuff Gifts

All entries must be submitted by Friday, February 3, 2012 midnight EST

US residents only.

Please see Terms and Conditions for this giveaway

Winner will be chosen using http://www.random.org

How Are Those Resolutions Going

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:32:00 +0000

Did you make any New Year's resolutions? If so, how are things going, have you been able to keep them?

I have a friend in Virginia who kept talking about losing weight and was asking me the best way to find personal training richmond va online because she wanted to get a personal trainer. Yea, that was then. Now...she just uses her treadmill at home, when she can because suddenly she is to busy for anything else.

So much for her resolution!

Not Even Coffee Helps

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:37:00 +0000

I know it is a bad day when even coffee doesn't help keep me energized. I've been trying to get work done today but it has been difficult. It all started when I decided to browse the Internet looking for Tourmaster Synergy 2 apparel to get my friend's son for a gift. It all went downhill from there.

I just can't seem to get it together today. It's raining outside too, so hat doesn't help! I seriously need a do-over!

Making Nighttime Peaceful

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:01:00 +0000

As a mom, I know all too well the difficulties nighttime can often bring about. When my daughter was transitioning into her big girl bed in her own room, it was very difficult, not only to get her to want to go to bed but to stay in her bed. It actually got to the point where she did not even want to be in her room alone.

I realized that she needed a bed to feel comfortable in and secure as well. She also needed her bedroom to feel like her safe haven; a place she wanted to retreat to day or night. With this in mind, CJ had her help him design the type of bed she wanted and this is what he created:

Here's a picture showing how much room there is to land:

Here is a picture showing how we utilized the space under her bed:

Of course I know not everyone is able to build a bed for their child. However, if you have children, purchasing the perfect kids bed to fit your child's needs and individuality, is still something you need to do.

Finding unique kids' beds is often a daunting task if you solely rely on traveling from store to store in your local area. I suggest looking online for a kids bed that your child will love. For example, if we had looked online for a bed for our children, these are what I would have picked:

For Olivia, the Emily Bedstead:

This four-poster bedstead is finished in a cream paint and covered in pink roses. It is solidly built and able to fit a standard single mattress so she could still be using it!

For the boys, the Disney Cars Bedstead:

Perfect to use the Disney Cars design while the boys are growing up and then transform it into a generic sophisticated bedstead as they grow older. The longevity of this product makes it an investment!

I found both of these beds at Dreams.co.uk

College?

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:35:00 +0000

I know a few high school seniors (friends' kids) who want to go into the medical field after high school. I am talking, they want high profile jobs, like Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon Jobs or brain surgeon jobs!

All are trying to get into major colleges. I wonder what this process will be like when my children have to decide on careers and colleges.

Holidays With Family

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:40:00 +0000

We went to visit CJ's family over Thanksgiving. Since we do not see them that often we also celebrated Christmas with them, even though we only celebrate Yule as a family-they celebrate Christmas. Here is CJ chatting with his grandparents:

It was a nice time. I would love to put this picture on one of those personalized photo mugs and give it to his mom for her birthday.

So Ready

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:55:00 +0000

Guest written by our friend Katie Callahan

I’m a student and I am SO ready to get out in the real world and never having to do schoolwork again. A lot of my friends are really into being lifetime students but for me, it’s all about making money and putting everything I learned into real world applications and that’s why I can’t wait to graduate.

I’ve got my clear 4G wireless internet and all the right books and I even have a two bedroom apartment where I have plenty of room to study but at this point in my life it’s really hard for me to sit still long enough to learn anything. I wish that I had known how long this last year was going to take me or I would have been sure to try and graduate on time instead of taking a victory lap.

I just wish things would have planned better but you know, I’ve only got a few months to go before I’m done and that’s not long – I’m just going to have to wait it out!

Finding Things Online is Easy

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:09:00 +0000

Part of my job is to help clients get ranked well within Google search for certain keywords. Because of people like me, it is very easy to find even the most obscure things. For example, if you search mattress los angeles you will likely find mattress stores in the Los Angeles area.

The more often a keyword points as a link to a certain web page, the better chance it ha of ranking high within Goofgle search.

I Need a Boost

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:45:00 +0000

I need a boost for my business. I wish I had more money available to put towards my business. I have even considered unsecured small business loans there for a moment!

I do not want to get to desperate, I just want a boost - something to get me over this hump. I know things would be much better if I had the mean to make them so,

Dreaming of Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:13:00 +0000

It's chilly and rainy here - soon I will be saying it is snowing. In fact, snow is in the forecast for this week. Yuk! I miss warmer days and cooking out. I even miss swimming and I hate how I look in a bathing suit!

I was just reading up on an arizona pool fence company that has some great prices on pool fences. Now I need to find a place here in Pennsylvania because I am seriously considering a pool for our back yard.

Personalized Book for Dante!

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:04:00 +0000

Last week I blogged about a really neat personalized music CD I got for Wyatt for his birthday. Since he loves Mickey Mouse, I got him the 'Sing-a-Long' with Mickey CD and he LOVES this CD! You can see the video here: Sing-a-Long with Mickey

Since all three of my children enjoy this CD and I had such a wonderful experience with the website I dealt with when ordering, I decided to give their personalized books a try. I ordered a Batman book for Dante and to my surprise, it arrived quickly and is hard covered! Perfect!

I especially like the first page of the book and the cool stickers that came along with it. (click to enlarge for a better view)

The story is neat - it has his age and even includes Livi's and Wyatt's names, as well as our town and state. The website is Music and Books 4 Kids and today they are having a Cyber Monday special: 30% off books and CDs. The discount code is CM3011. The discount puts the CDs at $13.97 and the books at $9.07!!!

Almost a Month

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:28:00 +0000

Well, CJ and I have been married for almost one month and it sure went by fast. We haven't gotten been on a honeymoon yet, we haven't even had a night away, alone; I haven't had a chance to wear my sexy nurse outfit yet, lol, j/k.

We plan to go to Disney in March for our 'DisneyMoon' and we are going to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House. We stayed there in June and liked it a lot. We had a pool view:

In March we got a Savanna view. This should be interesting. So many people rave about the view and being able to wake up in the morning seeing animals roaming around.

Holiday and Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:41:00 +0000

CJ's birthday is December 29th - he always got a holiday/birthday gift growing up. I try every year to give him something unique for both occasions. I'm stumped though a to what to get him this year.

My Uncle Eddie's birthday is also in December. I got him the swisher sweets cigars he loves so much and the kids got him a Notre Dame calendar.

CJ's mom's birthday is December 31st....UGGGHHHHH, HELP!!!

Personalized Holiday Baby Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:45:00 +0000

There are all kinds of personalized holiday baby gifts at BabyStuffGifts.com, including these adorable plates:

If you like these and want to place an order, please submit your order by December 9th, 2011! All orders received after that date are NOT guaranteed to arrive by December 24, 2011.

Also, if you "LIKE" Baby Stuff Gifts on Facebook you will receive a coupon code for 10% off these plates, personalized baby toys and even personalized baby gift baskets - my favorite!

Got Third Place

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 23:51:00 +0000

Olivia had a cheering competition today and her squad placed 3rd - which is great because there were more than 3 squads that competed and only three places! She is the blond in the front on the riight (when looking at the picture)

If they do better tomorrow I would love to have a neat surprise for her. I found cookie bouquets online and think they are such a great way to tell someone they are awesome!

This Year's Halloween Costumes

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 11:31:00 +0000

Every year I seem to manage to be ill prepared when it comes to getting Halloween costumes for the kids and myself. This year, I swore I would have them early because we went to Walt Disney World for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party - which was on October 2nd. Of course, I did not follow through and so the kids simply wore black and had their faces painted for the party. (which actually worked out quite well)...

Since we had gone to Walt Disney World so early in October, we still had a chance to celebrate Halloween here at home. So, I still had the task of finding Halloween costumes for trick or treating. We searched high and low online, but all I could find were toddler costumes for the kids - or ones they did not want, and plus size halloween costumes for adults, which I did not need.

I wound up scrapping the entire costume idea for me and found some okay costumes for the kids. The costumes were not what they really wanted, but they still wore them and had fun trick or treating anyway!

Work Part Time From Home

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:04:00 +0000

I have been lucky enough to find work online as an independent contractor. I suppose that is as independent as one can get, huh? However, there was a time when I had to put on scrubs and a lab coat and go to work every day. Sometimes I do miss those days, BUT it is very nice to sit here and work and still be able to be with my kids. It is nice to be able to make my own hours and even though I do have to answer to someone, I do not have to face to face. There is no one watching over my shoulder, so to speak.

So many people ask me how I got started. Well, it was a long time ago and the that I took which lead me to here are not necessarily the same roads I would take again, or suggest to someone. Therefore, for now, I simply suggest working part time from home - especially to moms with young children.

In fact, there are many websites online, no matter what country you live in, that have legitimate work from home opportunities, such as Working Mums. The site, http://www.workingmums.co.uk highlights part time work and full time work. It is not just a job site, but also a community for like-minded women.

It is amazing what the Internet can do for people these days - just in opening up so many wonderful opportunities. I did it. Two years ago, my plan was to work from home and make enough money to be able to pay our mortgage every month. Last year I surpassed that - now I pay for a Disney vacation home IN ADDITION to covering the mortgage!

Got Hitched

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:16:00 +0000

CJ and I have been together for a long long time and we had always talked about getting married some day but we never made any definite plans. I think once, I checked out invitationbox.com rehearsal dinner invitations for prices and then it hit me - I really did not feel like planning a rehearsal dinner, a wedding ceremony, OR a reception.

So, we went for a marriage license the Thursday before Halloween, waited the mandatory 3 days ad then got marred on Halloween! What an awesome day for a wedding anniversary!

Learning as I Go

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:55:00 +0000

Guest post from: Constance Rodgers

I didn’t know a thing about business when I first got my clothing store off the ground…it just kind of took off naturally after years of selling my homemade t-shirts to friends and family. It was a lot to take on at once: a storefront, employees, bank card processing, etc. and it took me a while to feel confident in what I was doing.

The biggest lesson I learned during that time is that it’s crucial to surround yourself with good and trustworthy people so you’ll never worry whether or not you’ve got the right direction behind you. My friends made some of the best employees I’ve had and the ones I’ve hired that I didn’t know sure became my friends fast!

I love that there are so many different ways to “skin a cat” as my mother would say, in the business arena and you know, I think at the end of the day I’ll have tried out all of them. That’s how you learn things, though, I firmly believe that!

Save 10% on Personalized Baby Gifts!

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:49:00 +0000

"LIKE" Baby Stuff Gifts on Facebook and receive a coupon code for 10% off personalized baby gifts!

Personally, I love ordering from Baby Stuff Gifts - I even did a video review! Baby Stuff Gifts Review on YouTube.

Baby Stuff Gifts has a large selection of personalized baby gift baskets, personalized plates, personalized baby toys, etc...

Check Out These Personalized Books and CDs for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:48:00 +0000

This is a great kids' holiday gift idea - personalized music and books for kids is a definite WIN in my opinion!

The online store http://www.musicandbooks4kids.com has a variety of books and CDs to choose from. They have Scooby-Doo, The Wiggles, Mother Goose, and our favorite - several Disney characters! We are especially fond of the Disney music CDs because the character voices are actually the licensed Disney characters themselves - how's that for authentic?

Check out the site - you can preview the music and hear your child's name in the song before making a purchase. Don't forget to get a book or two as well!

Visit them on Facebook as well:
Music and Books for Kids on Facebook

My Little Artists

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 19:44:00 +0000

This holiday season I will be buying lots of art supplies for the kids. I already had to buy hp ink cartridges because they are constantly printing coloring pages!

Here is one picture Olivia made for me. She knows that Cinderella is my absolute most favorite Disney Princess!

I love all these pictures and art pieces I get from my three little ones :)