Growing Up So Fast

Speaking of Growing Up So Fast

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:08:00 +0000

I came across these old photos of my three children. I cannot believe Olivia is now almost 9, Dante is 6, and Wyatt is 5 already.

Going to see a classic New York play, RENT

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:03:00 +0000

Guest post written by Jessica Griffith

There are all kinds of things that my daughter and I had on our list to do while we were in New York over Labor Day. There were so many great ideas but there is only so much that you can do in a New York minute! But I had to put my foot down and say that we had to make going and seeing a play a top priority becuase it's such a great place to go and see a play! She agreed and left all of the research for it up to me.

While I was online looking up soem stuff about seeing some plays, I ran across some stuff on miracle ear. I've thought about getting hearing aids some and after I read about that I got a hearing test and got fitted with a pair of them.

I was really glad that I went and got them before my trip because I think they definitely helped me enjoy the play a whole lot more. Our seats were near the back but I think that almost any seat in the house when it comes to stuff like that is really great.

Perfect Gift for Baby and Mom

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:16:00 +0000

This personalized baby gift basket is the perfect gift idea for baby's first Christmas.

This beautifully embroidered collection of baby essentials is made of luxuriously soft 100% cotton and features Jingles™. This plush bear captures the spirit of the season with a big red bow and jingle bell.

For this and more personalized holiday baby gifts, shop BabyStuffGifts.com

Some Things Never Change

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 10:48:00 +0000

Wyatt, my youngest, just turned 5 yesterday :( Babies really do grow up so fast. Here he is as an infant, sleeping on me:

Here he is a few weeks ago, sleeping on me:

I hope he always loves and trusts me this much.

Getting a Bad Deal on a Car

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 09:54:00 +0000

Once upon a tie I had a wonderful friend, who lived in California, and had bought a "Certified Pre-Owned" used car. (This is a car that has been sold by the franchised dealer for that make and model and the automobile manufacturer includes a written warranty for the buyer) and well, this particular car seems to have turned out to be a lemon. Of course she is devastated because she spent a great deal of money on this car and no has spent even more money on car repairs.

The first thing I asked her was if she was familiar with the Lemon Laws in California. I really feel strongly that she has a case against the dealership that sold her this car. I advised she look into finding the best Lemon Law attorneys in California to help her make heads or tails of her unfortunate situation - there are decent California Lemon law lawyers who can help.

I told her she could be entitled to restitution under the California state lemon law because it offers the option of having the company buyback the vehicle or she could get a new car or truck.There are California Lemon Law attorneys who are excellent at redeeming restitution for their clients.

I also told her she needs to stop taking the car in for repairs--repairs she shouldn't have to be making already.

Room Re-Do

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:43:00 +0000

We have been thinking about redoing our daughter's room. Right now, she has carpet in there and I think I would like to rip that out and have the hardwood floor exposed. Then we can sand it and finish it - I think that will look nice.

Then I saw a few rooms in a home and garden type magazine that had wool rugs instead of wall-to-wall carpeting. I really liked the look of the rooms - so much that I mentioned this to CJ - told him I would like to consider a wool rug for Livi's room.

He is not sold yet on the idea so I have some research to do on this - regarding not only the look but also the longevity and upkeep. There are so many things I want to do with her room. Maybe we should just completely Gut it and start over! Although that would be a bit pricey - her room has not been touched in years and this house used to be my grandparents so you can just imagine how badly the rooms need to be re-done.

Adult Bunk Beds are Comfortable and Practical Beds for Grown-Ups

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:41:00 +0000

The quality of beds has come a long way in recent years. One category of bed that has really improved in quality and comfort is adult bunks beds. As children, most of us loved having a bunk because it was a novelty to have one of these beds. Itís not just kids however who opt for bunk beds nowadays. Many grown-ups prefer sleeping in adult bunk beds for practical and comfort reasons.

Most bunk beds for adults are large enough to hold two or three people. They're perfect if you have a shortage of space in your home. They're also the ideal solution if you have a number of guests staying in your home. These beds make a change from the traditional beds most of us are accustomed to.
Adult bunk beds are designed to a high quality. The range of bunk beds for adults continues to grow. Most modern beds are made from wood or metal. Wooden bunk beds are bulkier and heavier, while metal beds take up the minimum amount of space and are easier to keep tidy.

The most popular types include the following:
* Twin over twin bunk bed
* Twin over full bunk bed
* Twin over futon bunk bed
* Staircase twin over full bunk bed
* Twin over loft bunk bed

Bunk beds have come a long way from the basic, uncomfortable beds of the past. They're practical, comfortable and take up a minimum amount of space. If youíre thinking about getting a new bed, it's worth your while finding out more about adult bunk beds.

Trick or Treating!

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 01:02:00 +0000

My Littles are not so little anymore :( Had a fun evening trick or treating tonight! Happy Halloween everyone!

Making the best candy cupcakes ever!

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:29:00 +0000

Guest post written by Kendra Cartman

One of the things that I try to do every year after Halloween is use up all of that extra Halloween candy to make some really good baked goods. It never fails that my husband thinks that we don't have enough candy at our home for our trick or treaters even though I've bought plenty. Then on his way home from work on Halloween evening, he'll stop at the grocery store along with everyone else to pick up those last few bags of candy. I tell him not to do that every year. But he still does. At least all that extra candy is really good for making some delicious baked goods after Halloween is over and done with!

I started doing that years ago when I got sick of seeing all this candy laying around the house for too long. Now each year I use my wireless internet Winston Salem to look up all kinds of great recipes for it. Now I'm certain that my husband goes and buys the extra candy just because he knows that I'll be forced to use it.

But I'm okay with this routine too. It really gives me the chance to experiment with candy as ingredients, like when I used some snickers chunks in cupcakes!

Personalized Music and Books for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:44:00 +0000

My children are ages 8, 6 and soon to be 5 - they LOVE music and they enjoy reading as well. I found a site that sells personalized music and books for kids and let me tell ya, these are GREAT!

My kids get such a kick out of hearing their names sung in a song, or seeing their names in a book. In fact, my youngest loves it so much, all he wants to do is read! This is a big deal for me because he is the one who always seemed to be disinterested in books, no matter what the story was about. Now, he loves reading! I am definitely going to order a few personalized books for him for his birthday, which happens to be next month!

Carrying Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:42:00 +0000

One of my good friend's is pregnant and she is June in the beginning of June. She is kind of a 'crunchy' parent, as in, she home schools (well, cyber school to be exact) and prefers organic foods to processed. With this in mind, I think one item she may love (as a gift from me) is a baby pouch so she can wear her baby.

I actually tried several different types of baby wraps when my children were babies but I could never get the hang of it. I think she will be able to figure it out, if not, there are lots of places she can go to ask for help - like websites, forums, social media sites, etc. This way she will be able to better decide which pouch or wrap is best suited for her and her new baby.

I am really happy for her and her husband. They already have two awesome children, a boy and a girl. Can't wait to find out the gender of this new wee one! Having three kids is fun; I should know, I have 2 boys and 1 girl!

Bunkbed For the Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:27:00 +0000

Wyatt and Dante were still in toddler beds - up until this past week! At ages 6 and almost 5, I thought it was time to get them 'big boy' beds but we just did not have the money to do so. My mom and grandma found an awesome deal for a bunkbed in a flyer from the newspaper and offered to buy it for the boys. The bunkbed even came with two mattresses a dresser with 6 drawers, and a nightstand! Here is Dante, loving the fact that he gets 'top bunk'!

Now that they have real beds, I can see I will need a bed skirt because already they are shoving toys under the bottom bunk! I know, 'boys will be boys' but sheesh, it is insane how messy they really are! I think a nice bed skirt will look good and will also keep the mess under the bed hidden.

Eventually the boys' room will be redone - the wallpaper needs to come off and the walls and ceiling, as well as windowsills the window frames, need to be painted. New carpet too - once they are older though.

An Alternative to Video Games

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:08:00 +0000

I say, "Use your imagination!" to my kids on a regular basis. With the amount of television shows popping up tat are geared towards kids and the new video games that are now available, it is no wonder my kids have no idea how to really use their imagination.

Last winter my kids watched way too much TV and played too many video games. We do have interactive video games and that made me feel a little better, at lest they were getting some exercise, but again, no imagination whatsoever! This winter I need to make sure I have games, toys, and puzzles that are fun for kids as well as challenging.

While it is important to have all sorts of educational and fun activities on hand for my kids, it is even more important for me (and for CJ) to be more involved with the kids when they are playing. I would love to play Barbie dolls with Olivia, or do a puzzle with Dante and Wyatt. I work so much I find it difficult to fit that in to my schedule. Well, not any more! I really need to prioritize things in my life and this is at the top of my list.

Save on Personalized Baby Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:09:00 +0000

Huge selection of personalized baby gifts here!

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A Nice Lab Coat Site

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:01:00 +0000

I worked in the medical field as a medical assistant for several years. The attire choices were pretty limited back then and even though we got to wear scrubs of our choosing, we still had to wear frumpy lab coats! I really had wished I could find a lab coat that fit my body type.

Today, if you landed a job in the medical field, no matter as a medical assistant or a veterinary tech, the choices available when it comes to medical scrubs and uniforms is plentiful. In fact, many are very stylish and flattering to wear.

I found a bunch here: http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/ -- an excellent site for the type of lab coats and scrubs you will love to wear to do your job in the medical field.

Aulani or other Hawaii real estate?

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:06:00 +0000

Now that Aulani is open in Hawaii, I’m getting the urge to by a bit of Hawaii real estate in the form of more Disney Vacation Club points. Cj thinks that the points are too high but he likes the idea of owning property in Hawaii. He keeps trying to get me to look at other time-shares or vacation clubs in the area.

My thought is this. If we are going to buy-in somewhere, we should just add to our current vacation club points and buy at Aulani. This way, if we choose, we can use our points in Disney.

We are still way up in the air on this. In-fact, we leave tomorrow for our next Disney trip so I guess that gives me time to convince Cj that we should just build on our current Disney points instead of investing in a club outside of Disney. After all, we will still be in Hawaii! Who cares who we are paying when we are there? Have you seen Aulani? Wow! It’s a gorgeous resort. The only thing it lacks is the Magic Kingdom.

Adorable Personalized Baby Plate

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 17:21:00 +0000

Baby Stuff Gifts always has such great monogrammed baby gifts and this custom made plate is no exception.

I love this idea--the letter of baby's first name in the middle of the plate. There is a certain little girl I would love to get this plate for!

Speaking of Growing up So Fast

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:50:00 +0000

Look at my kiddos on the first day of school! Olivia started 3rd grade, Wyatt started Pre-K, and Dante started Kindergarten.

So far, so good. They've been in school 2 weeks already and all of them love it!

More on Personalized Baby Gift Baskets

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:23:00 +0000

I LOVE these personalized baby gift baskets simply because of the celestial theme! This site never lets me down! I have ordered from BabyStuffGifts.com before and was VERY happy with what I received.

There is one for a boy:

There is one for a girl:

Another baby shower is on the horizon and I already know I am going to be getting one of these! Or both of these :D

The Best Day in June

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 19:54:00 +0000

This was the best day in June, ever! The day we arrived in Disney and had lunch in the Contemporary Resort while waiting for our room to be ready at Bay Lake Tower!

Finally Done Shopping!

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 18:51:00 +0000

I thought one trip to the mall would be all I needed to get the kids all their school clothing, especially since my mom and grandma went along with me. However, I have been running in and out of several kids clothes stores since last week, trying to get the last of what everyone needs.

Olivia is the most finicky to buy for because she wants to be fashionable but she is so tall and skinny that it has been difficult for me to find the clothes she really likes. The boys were not as bad to buy for. However, the task of buying all three of the kids jackets and coats was not so much fun.

I would up finding the best deals on kids outerwear, along with a large variety to choose from, online. Have I ever mentioned how much I love shopping online? Since we were at stores trying coats and jackets on, I knew the exact size each child needed. This of course, made online shopping even easier.

Next year I am going to start school shopping earlier. Waiting until the last minute was definitely not a good idea. Am just glad everything is taken care of—until spring at least!

Beautiful Castle

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:44:00 +0000

I absolutely LOVE this shot of Cinderella's Castle in Walt Disney World. I did not take this picture, I don't even remember where I found it--I know it was from a random Google search.

In just 25 days we will be back in WDW! I say this every time we are gearing up for a trip, but really, I can't wait!

Health Insurance Concerns

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:07:00 +0000

It has been almost a year now that CJ has been working from home full tie as a freelance writer. We still do not have health insurance. I am always looking for cheap inexpensive medical insurance quotes when I am online, just to see what might pop up.

I did not think finding affordable healthcare would be easy but when I came across HealthCareInsurance.me I was pleasantly surprised. The site has an easy to use quote form that gave me the information I needed about different healthcare plans so I know which is going to give the family the best coverage.

I was even able to get information regarding short term plans as well. At this point, we are beginning to consider him going back to work, full time, outside the home again. Working as a freelancer is just so very unpredictable and having job security is a much better feeling than wondering from day to day what your income will be.

In the meantime, I think I will look around on this site a bit more. I am getting a great deal of useful information. Even if we decide he goes back to work and we wind up getting health insurance from his employer, I will definitely pass on this site to others who are searching for affordable healthcare.

Multi-tasking and Driving

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:39:00 +0000

Guest post written by Derick Burks

Multi-tasking has always been my strong suit. I found out the hard way that multi-taskingin the car is NOT my strong suit. I have never been guilty of texting and driving, but have been guilty of gabbing and driving, writing while driving, playing with the GPS while driving, and eating and driving.

After having a fender bender that was my fault (costing me five hundred dollars the other day), I have decided to give up any multi-tasking and driving. I was on my way to work and running late. I was playing with radio at a light, trying to find good tunes while I was stuck in traffic. While I was stopped, my sister called talking about going to www.TvbyDirect.com and the color that she had painted her nails--- nothing terribly important.

In retrospect, I should have never answered her call. I glanced up and saw the turning lane light change to green. My autopilot registered “go” because I was distracted. I was stopped in my tracks by a car that still had its dealer tag on the back. What luck! I have learned my lesson, I will not be distracted on the road again.

My Grandma is 89 Now

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:54:00 +0000

My grandma turned 89 years old on July 17th and we took her out to dinner for her birthday. Here she is with my kids, her great-grandchildren:

Funny thing is, she paid for dinner; she is stubborn like that sometimes, still wants to take care of everyone. She is at that age where she cannot do as much for others or herself and it is definitely time we take care of her, but she still wants to be independent. Right now she lives with my mom, so she is lucky in that respect.

I have a friend in New Jersey who has a grandmother in the same sort of situation; too old to do some things but not too old to still care for herself. Unfortunately, she does not have family to live with and living alone in an apartment is a bit too much for her to handle. I told my girlfriend to look into new jersey elder care because there are places that actually have people visit those who live alone and help them with their daily routine.

With this type of nj senior care, such as Visiting Angels, older people do not have to feel forced out of their homes and into nursing homes or into senior housing. This solution is good for those who need part-time or full-time assistance, help after surgery or just help with every day tasks.