Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Almost Wordless Wednesday



This is a picture of the top part of Bishop's Castle located in San Isabel, CO. This entire castle was built by ONE man. Jim Bishop has been working on this castle for 37 years, by hand. He has never had any help from anyone. You can google "Bishop's Castle" and get quite a bit of information now. When we "discovered" this tourist spot 3 years ago, there was hardly any information on the internet about it. This is another "must see" spot if you plan on taking a trip to Colorado.


Sunday, December 7, 2008

I Am So Cheap I Have....



Resorted To Making My Own Laundry Soap....

Although my youngest boy has been potty trained for, oh I don't know, 3 or 4 years now, he still pisses......uhhhh......pees the bed almost every single night. Like 99% of the time. Ocassionally we get a day of laundry bliss where we don't have to do loads of pissy......uhhhh.... pee sheets and blankets too.

Lately we have been going through laundry soap likes it's water. We've always bought the gigantic commercial size bucket from Sam's Club, so we were saving a bit of money anyway, but damn!! When you have to buy it as often as we do, it's still hell on the wallet.

I've contemplated making my own laundry soap before, but never actually did it. I was afraid that it wouldn't work. Well, last Sunday I was watching "17 Kids And Counting" on TLC. This episode was how the Duggar Family saves money while taking care of 17 kids. I checked out their website to get the recipe for the homemade laundry soap. Find that here.

Laundry Soap Costs:

180 load bucket at Sam's: around $13

To buy the stuff in recipe: $6.02 (Which will make 3 recipes or about 1,920 loads!!!)
3 Bar pack of Ivory $1.03
1 Box of Borax $2.87 (will make more than 3 recipes)
4 lb. box of Washing Soda $2.12 (will make more than 3 recipes)

Here is the recipe I used:
But make sure you go to their website to read the tips they give!!

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value

4 Cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Tag, I'm It

I was EC dropping this morning and happened upon this fun little list @ Mommying On The Fly.

It’s a random list of activities. The ones in Bold are the ones I've done. I thought It'd be fun to pass it along, and see how much you've accomplished... lol...


1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walk to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhike
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon (a half marathon)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community (they love to whistle at girls who are running!)
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64.Donated Blood, Platelets or Plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (but not the same animal)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

WOW...I'm kind of boring!! I hope to do many of these things one day...I'm still working on it and I'm not getting any younger, lmao.

I was tagged to do this, & I'd really love to pass it on, but I'll tell ya the truth. I'm just too damn lazy right now. I'm terrible! I can't help it! Ha!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Almost Wordless Wednesday


This picture was taken at the Cliff Dwellings in Manitou Springs, CO at the base of Pike's Peak. It's just east of Colorado Springs. It's a great little tourist trap, but one of our favorite places to go.

During the summer you can see some really awesome dances by Native Americans. I am not sure what this dance is called, but it's obviously something about a flying eagle. At the end, they even had the kids come up to do a friendship dance. My daughter Madison, 3 years old at the time, was the only one to go up there. It was so cute!

If you ever take a vacation in Colorado, you will have to be sure to visit the Cliff Dwellings. They are amazing.


Monday, December 1, 2008

25 Days of Victoria's Secrets Widget

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

My Creepy Baby

On The Verge is having a giveaway. Hop on over to her site and check it out. Here's my entry.

So here's the "baby" I made using my picture and my husband's picture over at RoutanBabyMaker3000. The only thing that looks even similar to my children is maybe the nose. Our youngest one has a flat nose like that.

Create Your OwnMake a Routan Baby

Monday, November 24, 2008

Christmas of Dreams Blog Party Day 9

Check out MomDot for the latest question in the Christmas of Dreams Blog Party.



What i
s the most unusual gift you've received?



All of the gifts I've ever received have been appropriate, with one exception. I have an aunt who is cognitively disabled. She always bought a present for everyone, but would always mix them up. It was so cute. My brother would get hair stuff, I would get tools, my sister would get pencils. When we got older, like high school ages, she would buy us little kid presents. You just never knew what you were going to get, but you had to love her for it. She tried so hard and she always sat there with such an expectant look on her face to see if we would like what we got.

What was one of my favorite gifts?



Well, it wasn't actually my gift, per say. One year my dad bought my mom a plane ticket to come out here an visit us. It was awesome to have her here for a week. She lives in Wisconsin and we live in Colorado, so we don't get to see each other very often.

Do you think re-gifting is okay?



Sure do. I don't do it often, and I usually don't use it as a gift, I just give it away. But if I receive something that I won't use or something I already have, I would rather give it to someone who I know can use it or donate it.

Sponsors: Day Nine Blog Party Question is Brought to you by jaC Jewelry, Cutie Covers and Sassy Baby.

VIP BLOGS to visit are Parent Reviewers , Mom Most Traveled, Mommy Zabs, MomStart, HipposToes, Run DMT


Friday, November 21, 2008

Christmas of Dreams Blog Party Day 8

Check out the haps over at MomDot. She's got a lot of great things going on including the Christmas of Dreams Blog Party.



Do you shop on Black Friday? What time do you start? Do you finish all your shopping on that day? What's the best deal you have found? What's your shopping strategy?

H
ell no.
That's all I have to say.




Sponsors: Day Eight Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Koshas, Leapfrog and Soda Club.

VIP BLOGS to visit are Parent Reviewers , Mom Most Traveled, Mommy Zabs, MomStart, HipposToes, Run DMT


Thursday, November 20, 2008

Christmas of Dreams Blog Party Day 7

Round 7 over at MomDot. Hurry up and enter the Christmas of Dreams Blog Party!



Who is on your naughty list? Who is on your nice list? Tell us why.


Naughty list:

1. Weekend manager at bowling alley who grabbed my arm and scraped me with her nasty nails. I feel like I need a rabies shot.

2. My dog Bogey for doing a high speed rolling dive into the middle of my back right on my spine. It's gonna leave a mark!! He's like 90 lbs of pure crazy lab.

3. Mother Earth. She made it snow today!! What the heck was she thinkin?



Nice list:


1. My pharmacist. I always forget to reorder my meds, so he put me on the automatic dealy without even asking me. Just did it. He's awesome.

2. Gather. It's a great community and I won $150 for groceries in one of their contests. That freed up more money for food sale and coupon shopping, and of course the holidays. Thank you Gather!!

3. Last, but surely not least, my most wonderfully awesome family. They're great and they don't even have to try. I love ya's!!



Sponsors: Day Five Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Sillymonkeez and My Baby Bump

VIP BLOGS to visit are Parent Reviewers , Mom Most Traveled, Mommy Zabs, MomStart, HipposToes, Run DMT


Want to Win a Nokia E-71 Smartphone?

If you'd like a chance to win a Smartphone by Nokia, head on over to MomDot. She's got a great contest going on, and it's easy to enter. Good luck!



She has some other great things going on too. There's the Christmas of Dreams Blog Party going on. She's got some great prizes to hand out at the end of that.



Wii want to play! She's got a contest going on for a Wii too. All you have to do is vote for her. Details on her blog. Peep 'em out.



Once again, AWESOME prizes and a load of fun. Good luck!!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Christmas of Dreams Blog Party Day 6

Round 6 Christmas question from MomDot. It's quite interesting to read everyone's answers. Click over there and see what's going on.



What is your favorite holiday memory from your childhood.



Ladies & Gents, I honestly do not remember a lot from my childhood. This is a tough one. I guess one of the funnest things my step-dad did at Christmas is he would letter or number our gifts so we wouldn't be able to shake them and see what we had received early!! The anticipation was great. One year he made a mistake on his list and got the presents mixed up just a little towards the end. It was a hoot!

Sponsors: Day Five Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Flying Colors Baby, Uncommonly Cute and Lollipop Book Club.

VIP BLOGS to visit are Parent Reviewers , Mom Most Traveled, Mommy Zabs, MomStart, HipposToes, Run DMT


Almost Wordless Wednesday

This is a great picture of one of the aquariums at the Aquarium Pyramid at Moody Gardens, Galveston, Texas. It was awesome!!


Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Christmas of Dreams Blog Party Day 5

Blog Party at MomDot. Go take a peek!



Today, make a blog post about what you do to give back during the holidays. Do you volunteer your time? If so, please tell us where. What do you do to teach your children the true meaning of the holidays?



Honestly, and sadly, we do not do much in the way of volunteering during the holidays. If I meet a family who has no money to bring smiles to their childrens' faces, I will do a drive to get presents or gift cards, and food for them. That usually happens
every other year or so.

My oldest child is almost 10 now. Last year his classmates told him that there was no such thing as Santa Claus. He asked me if that was true. I didn't want to break his heart just yet, so my reply was, "As long as you keep Santa in your heart, he is real." It
seemed to satisfy his curiosity.

Now, I realize that the true meaning of Christmas isn't Santa. But I just had to share that. It was a very touching moment for me and my son.

So, on to the true meaning of Christmas. I am a believer, but I do not know much about the bible, or anything like that. I do try to teach my children what I do know, which isn't much. We alway
s give money to the bell ringers, and give whatever extra we have away. I tell them Christmas isn't about presents (even though they are nice to receive). The main thing we stress is that Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and it's about being together with friends and family. There is no greater blessing.



Sponsors: Day Five Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Baby Pop and Chic Covers

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Monday, November 17, 2008

Christmas of Dreams Blog Party Day 4

You can still get in on the Blog Party over at MomDot. I'm having a blast and even getting a few entries in for the prizes to be given away at the end. Oh yeah, did I mention all the traffic? Way more traffic to my blog than I've ever had! Got MomDot!



What is your favorite holiday recipe?


Two Three of them. I can't help it. If we are invited to another's house -used to happen when we were a younger couple, but doesn't happen so often anymore- I always made these two, just to make sure I had them available. I remember one year we were invited somewhere, and she had everything that I usually have at my Thanksgiving table, except the green beans were plain green beans with slivers of almonds in them. I was like WTF??? I looked at my husband and almost cried.

Green Bean Casserole

2 cans green beans, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup (use cream of chicken if you don't like mushrooms)
3/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 1/3 cup French's Fried Onions (seperated)

Preheat oven to 350° . Combine green beans, soup, milk, pepper, and 2/3 cup (half) of the French's Fried Onions, mix well. Bake for 30 minutes, then sprinkle with remaining French's Fried Onions. Bake for 5 minutes more.

Apple Pie
(This recipe thanks to Betty Crocker's New Cookbook, with my own little bitty adjustments)

Two pie crusts
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
8 cups thinly sliced peeled VERY TART apples
4 Tbsp margarine or butter

1. Heat oven to 425°. Put one of the pastries in the pie pan.
2. Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in large bowl. Stir in apples. Pour into pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with margarine. Cover with top pastry, seal and flute the edges. Then put a couple of slits in the top so steam can escape. Cover edges with foil so they don't burn or get too brown.
3. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust. Cool in pie plate on wire rack.

Rainbow Jello
(Make sure you let each layer COMPLETELY set, or it won't be pretty!!)

Black Cherry Jello
Cherry Jello
Lime Jello
Lemon Jello
Orange Jello
Apricot Jello
Strawberry Jello
1 can of evaporated milk (350ml)

1. Mix black cherry with 1 1/2 c. boiling water until dissolved, put in pan. Let set.
2. Mix cherry with 1 cup boiling water until dissolved, let cool, then add 1/2 cup evaporated milk, add to pan. Let set.
3. Mix lime with 1 1/2 c. boiling water until dissolved, put in pan. Let set.
4. Mix lemon with 1 cup boiling water until dissolved, let cool, then add 1/2 cup evaporated milk, add to pan. Let set.
5. Mix orange with 1 1/2 c. boiling water until dissolved, put in pan. Let set.
6. Mix apricot with 1 cup boiling water until dissolved, let cool, then add 1/2 cup evaporated milk, add to pan. Let set.
7. Mix strawberry with 1 1/2 c. hot water until dissolved, put in pan. Let set.

Describe Your Holiday Table

Well, it looks an awful lot like my everyday table. It's a pretty small table, so we only have room for our plates. All the food stays on the counter, and there for sure isn't room for any decorative junk.

My Biggest Holiday Cooking Disaster


One year I tried to put the jello layers on too fast and they blended in a little. Oh, and once the pie crust didn't turn out as pretty as I wanted it to.

Sponsors: Day Four Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Bottlewise and Glow Mama

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Friday, November 14, 2008

Christmas Dreams Blog Party Day 3

The party is going strong over at Momdot. Great questions and tons of other great blogs to check out...plus free stuff at the end!!



Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Do you budget for the holidays? Do you always stick to your budget? Share with us any budgeting tips you may have!



Hell no, I haven't started my Christmas shopping. Well, I take that back. I received a $50 gift card from Target for posting over at Gather, and I bought some stocking stuffers. Other than that? Nope.


We sort of budget. First, my husband gets a bonus every year. This is what we spend on the kids. The bonus is different every year though. Sometimes it's $400, sometimes it's $1,000. We never know. We can get it anywhere from 2 weeks before Christmas, to getting it on Christmas Eve. Then we use whatever is left over from the few paychecks before Christmas for stocking stuffers and for presents for each other.

We always stick to the budget because we use cash. You cannot spend more than your means that way!! Sometimes it can be frustrating, because we want just one more thing...but in the end it's better to stick to the budget than put ourselves in debt for the rest of our lives for some cheap piece of crap made in China, that will probably b

reak in a month anyway.

To stay with your budget, I suggest the "envelope system." Every payday figure out what you need for bills, gas, food, extras, etc. Stick the allotted amount for each into an envelope that is labeled. When the money is gone, it's gone. There's no way to overspend with cash. This is how we do it. We never go over, and we usually have a little extra left over. It's a little hard to get used to at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's way easy and worth it. Happy shopping. I hope you have tons of fun. :o)


Sponsors: Day Three Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Appledonia, Hippos Toes and My Bag

VIP BLOGS to visit are Parent Reviewers , Mom Most Traveled, Mommy Zabs, MomStart, HipposToes, Run DMT




Thursday, November 13, 2008

Christmas of Dreams Blog Party Day 2

You have got to check out the Blog Party over at Momdot. It looks like it's going to be a ton of fun, with some great prizes given out.



The Jimenez Family Traditions
(Or Lack Thereof)

Honestly, we don't have many. We live in Colorado. My family lives in Wisconsin. Mike's family lives in Virginia. It's just us out here, so it's not as easy to make family traditions when you're not near the fam.

The first few years after I came back to Colorado we traveled back to where I grew up for Christmas, once again not making it easy to make our own traditions!! The last couple of years we've stayed home. Although it's a bit lonely, it's much easier not to have to travel 1200 miles just to deal with family. Ugh.

The one thing we do for Christmas is let the kids open one present before they go to bed. After they're in bed and asleep then my husband and I open ALL of our presents that we gave each other. Yes, all of them. Why? We can't help it!! We love to give gifts to each other. Unfortunately, we are not able to give them very often, so Christmas Eve we make each other open the gift that we gave. We're funny.

I pretend like I send out cards every year, but the truth is....I've done it like 3 times in the last 10 years. I'm a total procrastinator. And when I don't procrastinate, I just forget. Damn ADHD.

For Thanksgiving the five of us usually stay home. I start cooking a day or two ahead of time. I cook enough food for 20 people, I swear. Ummm, if not more. I can't help it!! My family was HUGE growing up, and I learned to cook BIG!!

Christmas of Dreams Blog Party Day 1

Since I obviously cannot think of a single thing to blog about, I decided to join in on the blog party over at Momdot. They will be asking a new question every day. It's going from Nov 12 to Nov 27. Jump in on the fun over at Momdot!! (and yes, of course, I'm starting a day late).






Introd
uce You & Your Family & Share Holiday Photos

Sponsored by: La Belle Toile and This and That by Randi

My name is Melissa. Yep, that's me.



I have a wonderful husband, Mike.



And three little monsters named Dylan, Michael, and Madison.



We also have 3 dogs, Gruff (black one), Goldie (dark yellow), & Bogey (light yellow). Then there's Luke, our Iguana. Next we have Guinea(pretend like you have a french accent), who is our (wait for it) Guinea pig. I have 3 hermit crabs, all of whom are named Mr. Krabs. We also have 2 parakeets (named birdie) and a cockatiel who we call Girly. Last we have a fish. I think we call him fish. I will spare you all of the pictures, and just put one in of our dogs.



Let me try to find a couple of Christmas pictures from last year......Well, I can't seem to find them. I will post them when I figure out where hb is hidding them.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Okay, yeah, so I've been slacking off. I haven't had hardly any posts to my blogs in quite a while. Hopefully that will change soon. I'd like to get back on track. Till then here's picture I took just a couple of weeks ago.

Colorado Sky Right Before Sunset



Wednesday, November 5, 2008



Wordless Wednesday #1


Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Coupon Abbreviations

So here is a list of coupon abbreviations for newbie’s like myself. ;) I was sent this and it is soooooo helpful when looking at other peoples blogs.

MQ = manufacturer coupon

MIR = Mail in Rebate

OOP = Out Of Pocket

P&G = Proctor & Gamble Sunday supplement coupons

Peelie = coupon that you peel off the package

RP = red plum coupon insert from Sunday newspaper

RR = Register Rewards (these are the catalinas that print out at Walgreens)

SS = Smartsource coupon insert from Sunday newspaper

Stacking = the art of "stacking" your coupons in a certain order so that they will ring up how you want them to

Tear Pad = A pad of refund forms or coupons found hanging from a store shelf or display

V = Valassis (same as red plum) coupon insert

WYB = When You Buy

Blinkies - Machines that spit out coupons in store isles

BOGO - Buy one get one free

Burn - Paying for purchases with ECBs or RRs that DO NOT generate more ECBs or RRs

Catalina - machine that spits out coupons, usually at grocery store

CRT - Cash register tape - coupons to use at CVS, target, etc.

ECB - Extra care bucks at CVS

FAR - Free after rebate

Filler - Getting other stuff for free when you go negative

IPQ - Internet Printable Coupon

OOP - Out of Pocket

Overage - When coupons make you go negative, add a filler

Peelies - coupons found on the package

Q - Coupon

Rain Check - When store is out of an item, they will give you a paper with the sale price and when they restock, you can take advantage of it!

Roll - Using ECBs or RRs to pay for purchases that generate ECBs or RRs

YMMV - Your mileage may vary, different at different stores

OAS: "one any size" Some coupons specifically state on them that they can be used on any size product.

POP: Proof of Purchase. This is the upc symbol on the package.

P/H: postage and handling

SAE: self addressed envelope

SASE: self addressed stamped envelope

SMP: specially marked package, meaning a package you find in the store that has been printed with a refund offer on it.

UPC: "Universal Product Code". It is that box of black lines that the checker passes over the scanner at the checkout.

WSL: while supply lasts.

Blinkies = coupon dispensed near product, in the store (usually from a "blinking" red box)

Catalina = a coupon dispensed at the register at the time of purchase (either at end of receipt or separate)

ECB = Extra Care Buck (CVS)

ESB = Easy Saver book (Walgreens)

ESC = Easy Saver Coupon (coupon found in Walgreens Easy Saver Catalog)

FAR = free after rebate

IP = Internet Printable (a coupon you print off the internet)

IVC = Instant Value Coupon

MFR = manufacturer

B1G1F: "Buy 1, Get 1 Free"

BTFE: Box Tops for Education

BRU: BabiesRUs

C/D: Complete Deal. A refund form with all the proofs of purchase needed to send for the refund.

C/O: cents off coupon, or cash off coupon.

CRTC: cash register tape

DCRT: dated cash register tape. Must show the date of purchase on the tape.

LSASE: long self addressed stamped envelope

NED: No Expiration Date

Being pretty new to Couponing, this was a MAJOR help.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Love Coffee? Get Your Free Sample Of Dunkin' Donuts Coffee Here:

I love me a good cup of joe. Ran across this while I was cruising around on the internet, thought I'd share the love. Enjoy!

Dunkin' Donuts. Dunkin' keeps me blogging. Try Dunkin' Donuts Coffee For Free. Get a Sample

Why I Am A "Mean Person" ~A Daily Rant~


It was a beautiful day here, so we decided to take the kids to the City Park. Lots of people were out and about. Lots of Adults, kids, families, just tons of people. Along with that came many, many dogs. Not a problem. Mostly.

The kids were playing on the playground, which is fairly big. Still, it was covered with lots of kids. There were a couple of families that brought their dogs over, but all of them were on leases and kept right next to adults.

One woman had a small child who looked like she had just learned to walk. I don't think the baby could have been older than a year, but probably around 10 months or so. This woman also decided to bring her dog. She soon realized that she couldn't play with her child while she was holding the dogs leash.

So she tied the dog up to one side of the playground. And then left the dog to go play with her baby. Really?

My daughter is 4. We have 3 dogs at home, so she loves dogs. She came over to try to pet the dog. My husband and I were standing right near the dog, on the edge of the playground. As she was going for the dog, I told her she could pet the dog without permission (a rule, that we don't touch other people's dogs without permission).

The lady then says, "yes, don't touch my dog. She won't bite, but she might bite if I'm not holding her leash." What?

My daughter made 3 or 4 attempts, one after the other to get to this dog. On the final one she got a little big closer, but still not within reach of the dog. This woman GRABBED my daugher's arm and told her not to go by her dog.

Okay. Now I'm pissed. I say to this woman, "Do not touch my daughter. You shouldn't leave your dog tied up away from you, especially if you think it might bite someone if you're not next to it."

The woman continues to try to argue with me, but I just keep repeating that she shouldn't tie the dog up and walk away from it, much less bring it to a park full of kids, if she thinks it might bite someone. What the hell was she thinking? Sounds like she was asking for a lawsuit if you ask me.

She stayed next to her dog after that. She was flirting with some man who had a couple little girls of his own. Her daughter wandered away from her, and came right in front of us. When she realized her daughter was next to us, she ran over, scooped her daughter up and said, " oh, don't play here, these people are mean." Ummm. Okay lady.

Please note in the picture how she is sitting right next to her dog after I tell her she shouldn't have left it alone - even though she insisted that "it wouldn't bite. But it might bite if I'm not next to her." After she was done over there, she went to the swings, and thankfully took her dog.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Legitimate Work At Home Sites I Found

I want to share a couple of websites I've found that seem like legitimate work opportunities. You don't have to pay to become a member or to search for jobs. If anyone is already a member of one of these sites, I'd appreciate some feedback, so I know if it truly is a good opportunity or not.

Genuinejobs.com This one has many, many opportunities for all types of job seekers.

Today.com Payment terms are $1 per post of 100+ words plus $0.002 per impression. For the pay per post part of your compensation there is a max of one paid post per day. Posting more will help your CPM compensation, however, you will only earn $1 for the first 100+ word post of the day.

Bareinternational.com This one is for mystery shopping. Once again, you don't pay anything to join or apply for the jobs.

Hausertrack.com On this one, after you sign up and are accepted, they send mail to your home. After you receive it you have to input it into their system. You get 25 cents per piece of mail delivered to your home. In some instances they may ask you to send it back to them. In that case you get an additional 50 cents plus your postage reimbursed.

Thanks,
Mee

P.S. Only one of these has a referral link for me. I'm not sure how the referral thing works. The rest are just sites that you can go to. I do not receive any kind of compensation for you to sign up.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Gunman Kills 15 Potential Voters In Crucial Swing State


Gunman Kills 15 Potential Voters In Crucial Swing State

Typing Test, How Well Can You Do?

Fun Typing Test:
79 words

Typing Test


MSN put out a new article today about America’s Healthiest Restaurants. Do any of these top your favorite places to eat? You can click on the link to see the article and the reasons for their decisions.

I like Chipotle, Panera, and Macaroni Grill, none of which we actually have in the town I live in. The closest ones are in Colorado Springs, about 45 miles away. They are building a Chipotle here (FINALLY!!).

I was surprised that Denny’s made the list. Do any of them make you say hmmm?

Best Casual Dining Spots:
1. Uno Chicago Grill
2. Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes
3. Mimi’s Café
4. P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
5. Bob Evans Restaurants
6. Ruby Tuesday
7. Macaroni Grill
8. Chevy’s Fresh Mix
9. Olive Garden
10. Denny’s

Fast Food:
1. Noodles & Company
2. Chipotle Mexican Grill
3. Cosi
4. Panera
5. Au Bon Pain

Independents:
1. Los Angeles: M Café
2. Berkeley, CA: Chez Panisse
3. New York City: Blue Hill
4. Chicago: Green Zebra
5. Detroit: Inn Season Café
6. Atlanta: Bacchanalia

I’m going to McDonalds now. See ya later. :o)

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Chili-Lime Pork Tenderloin


I got this recipe from All*You, one of my favorite magazines. My whole family absolutely loved this pork tenderloin, even the kids, so I wanted to share it with ya'll.





Chili-Lime Pork Tenderloin

Prep: 8 min.
Cook: 27 min.
Serves: 6
Cost per serving: $1.56

* 1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin
* Salt and pepper
* 1 tsp. chili powder
* 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
* 1 tsp. soy sauce
* 1/2 tsp. sugar
* 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Pat pork tenderloin dry and season on all sides with salt and pepper.
2. Blend chili powder with lime juice, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Use your hands to rub mixture thoroughly into tenderloin. Warm a large ovenproof skillet over high heat, then add oil. Add pork and sear on all sides, turning meat with tongs, about 2 minutes total. Place skillet in preheated oven and bake until a thermometer inserted in center of tenderloin reads 145 degrees F, about 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of tenderloin. Baste with any juices that have accumulated and add 2 Tbsp. water at a time, if necessary, to prevent scorching.
3. Remove tenderloin to a cutting board, cover losely with foil and let sit for 5 minutes. Slice on diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick pieces and serve.

PER SERVING: Cal, 9g Fat (2g Sat.), 74mg Chol, 0g Fiber, 24g Pro, 1g Carb, 205mg Sod.

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting



Even my husband, who isn't too fond of pumpkin anything, thought these were good. Give it a try. I hope you like them as much as I did!



Prep Time: 25 min.
Cook Time: 25 min.


Ingredients:

* 4 eggs
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
* 2 cups flour
* 2 tsp. baking soda
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 2 tsp. cinnamon*
* 1/2 tsp ginger*
* 1/2 tsp. ground cloves*
* 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg*
* 4 oz cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 2-1/4 cups powdered sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Using a wire whisk, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices; add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour into greased and floured jelly roll pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool. Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract, gradually add powdered sugar. Frost cooled cake. Cut into bars.

*May substitute all these ingredients with 1 Tbsp. and 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

My Dog Cut Her Leg Again....


I went out onto the patio this afternoon to check on the kids outside. There was a ton of blood all over the entire patio. Immediately I start freaking out, asking the kids who was bleeding. They told me it was one of the dogs, but they didn't know which one.

I called all the dogs up to me. I couldn't go to them because I didn't have any shoes on or near me. Turns out my princess dog, Goldie, cut the back of her leg yet again. The cut is about 2 inches long and it's all the way through the skin, down to the fascia that covers the muscles and tendons.

She does this more often than I'd like. The first time was in December 2006. Both her and one of our other dogs, Gruff, cut themselves on the same day. He cut his foot and would have bled to death had he not been taken to the vet. Of course it was a Sunday too, so that bill was well over $1,000. The second time she did it was January of this year. That bill was only about $300 (only?). Now she's done it again, not even 10 months later, the poor thing.

Luckily we have money in savings. Unfortunately I have to pay it back, because we don't have very much in savings, and it seems like it always dwindles this time of year. Birthdays, holidays, what not.

I'll be taking Goldie into the vet first thing in the morning, so I'd like prayers or whatever you do, that her leg will heal quickly and without complications.

(And I'm sorry, this wasn't supposed to be a "poor me" post. It really was just intended to be about my poor puppy).

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