Pandora's Casket

A friend of the family is having a baby shower in a month so it is time to start thinking about a gift for their little bundle of joy.

One thing that I know always goes over well with new parents and that is having baby gifts engraved for their new baby. I wanted to find just the right gift so this is what it will be for them. Luckily it will be easy as they know the sex of the baby (a girl) and have the name picked out also. One of the few showers that I have been to that mad gift shopping a breeze!

I did find a few sites that I book marked as I can not decide which item to purchase. Wanting something unique but something that will actually be used by the parents and their child at some point!

Thank heavens for shopping online as you can go back a few times to look at the item before you purchase. No buyers remorse at all. Plus I have to be completely happy with the purchase if it is going to be engraved!!

I know it's August and heading into September but this new heat wave is just too much. We have been lucky to have cooler weather that was so welcoming but now we have three or more days in a row that will be in the 90's. This is just not acceptable! haha

This weekend is the big time Jamboree that we have every year. You all know the one with the cow pattie bingo betting that is just wondrous to see. Yep, it's back. We were scheduled to have some cooler days for the weekend but oh no those have been replaced with hot, hot temperatures. Not looking forward in that at all.

Trevor washed his all weather car floor mats this morning and they were dry within a half an hour or so. That is quick as they usually take longer to dry out. I guess that was a good thing as he had to go to work and needed to clean them as he had spilled his chaw all over the mats.

So not only will I be stuck hearing Norm ramble on and on about his empty life (he is going to the parade and to the demonstration that Nick & Jamie are in for Karate) I will have to suffer the heat as well.

Personally, give me 100 degrees and humidity of 65 and have Norm stay home! That would be bliss

I am still looking for the right comforter set for the Fall/Winter season coming up. I have found so many that I really liked but nothing that I said A Ha! That's the one. The last time that I went on my quest it took me nearly a year to find the right set.

Now while I was scouring the web I did run into peacock alley bedding and all I can say is WOW! Of course I found something right off the bat there but the prices are way off the mark for me! I am now trying to find a comforter with the same or near same design and colors that I found. Yea, I know good luck with that!

I really do hope that it doesn't take me another year to find. I have learned though that I have to actually love the comforter or set otherwise I am off again in a month or so looking all over again. Now I just make sure that my bedding is what I love at the time. My burnt orange set is gorgeous and after all these months I still look at the set and smile. That is what I have with all my bedding though so the next set must join the others ranks!

Even though Colt really does not have to worry about his future college tuition we are still looking into the various grants and scholarships that will add to the funds that is already set up for him. Since he is graduating from high school this year this has become a daily topic or search for as much information that we can find on the subjects of grants and scholarships.

We were lucky enough to locate a site that has information from engineering grants to

grants for physical therapy students and everything in between. I personally was happy to see that they included criminal justice as that is what he is planning on studying in college. Finding the information was quick and easy. Plus the articles that were on the site answered a lot of the questions that we both. What was even more helpful was the search engine on the site. Placing our zip code in the search box led us to the various schools in and around our area that offer grants, scholarships and focus on his niche that he wishes to study for his career.

Finding a site that is helpful when you need the answers is always a heavy burden lifted off your shoulders. We still have a ton of things to take care of within the next few months. The applications are piling up that is for sure. I am hoping that he decides to attend Ball State. It is a lovely campus and has a super good educational system.

But in the meantime we are using the information that we located here to help answer those questions that may arise on scholarships and grants. If you do visit will find that there is information that is broken down into specific categories. Helpful and easy!

Since we had scare with the led in the paint on of all things the floor I have been looking at other things to make the house a little more on the health friendly side. Especially for the grandchildren and boys. Painting and placing linoleum on the floors was a semi quick fix so I want other things that will be as easy. A friend of mine has placed one of the sensor sinks and soap dispensers in his home and loves the way he feels it will cut down on bacteria that may be spread. So that has been on the list to start pricing.

I have taken it a step further and started to think about airblade hand dryers that we can place in the bathroom. They are more expensive to say the least but if they will help in cutting back on germs or spreading germs I say it might just be worth the cost. Now it is looking into the brands and who has the best quality of these driers. In starting to do a search I have found that a lot of companies use dyson hand dryers in their bathrooms. They appear to be well made & economical as well. I ran a quick search on reviews for the brand of dyson and so far found nothing really negative for the brand.

Although most air blowers are meant for industrial use there is nothing that says you can not place them in your home for personal use. Having something like this may not seem to be the best on an investment level but on a more personal level it just might be. I was impressed to find that these do not just come in the standard metal, stainless style or even the whites that you see. I found that they also have vibrant reds also. Although this is something that will take a lot of thought it is an idea for the future in the bathroom that is for sure.

We are all talking about an early fall and maybe even an early winter here. One thing we start noticing are the geese that are starting the migration and the leaves on the trees. The geese have been migrating early again so if it follows like last fall it will arrive early. Starting to make plans for what needs to be done and getting things sorted out on lists is a task. One thing that we have all started to think about is stepping up the exercise this fall and winter. Usually it is walking or biking but sometimes in winter those two things are nearly impossible to do.


The boys already have their plan and that is weight lifting. Since the weights are in the smaller section of the Great Room they can keep up with their Extreme Body Workout that they usually do three to four times a week. Colton is the one that uses the weights the most. Right now he has this at school (his second year) and comes home and works out as well. He really enjoys this a lot. Nick does a little but he has his Karate (Green Belt) plus PE at school so he gets a lot of exercise that can be utilized even in the bleak of winter.

Shay is the one that has more of the Beach Body type and really does not have to worry about it. I swear it is all that running around after Jer that does it. Sab's has her DVD exercise regime that she does at least twice a week and now that Duncan is running wild she is firming up more and loosing weight nearly every week!! Children seem to help one keep fit, especially when they are little. But they all exercise and try to eat right to keep their bodies fit.


Right now I am back to the 90 Day Review stage of a new Yoga regime. I have been trying to work this into my morning routine with my meditations and other things that I do. School being back in session allows me more morning private time. Instead of sitting down to work right away I have been doing the exercises. I want to keep this up knowing that my walking and bike riding will be slim to none this winter. Oh, I still get in walks in the winter just not as many as I would like due to the snow and especially the ice and sleet.

So if everyone steps up their plans for exercises this winter it should be a fit one for certain.



















This is a guest post provided by Fitness Alliance

Trevor is at that age where he is now beginning to think about obtaining one or even two credit cards in order to add to his credit score. He already has impeccable credit due to his car purchase so now he has decided to shop for credit cards. One of the first things he did was look into obtaining one of the chase credit cards due to his banking. He found a lot of really good information and has placed that on the top of his list. But he has a way to go in order to find the right credit cards that will suit his needs.

I sent him to a site that has more information on the best credit cards and other financial information that he has been reviewing this site for three days. What is impressive is they have nearly 2700 personal user reviews to sort through and read what the normal person has to say about particular cards. Which is good as hearing it from people that have done business with the various companies can be helpful in knowing what you may or may not be up against. Plus you are getting the human appeal, not just what the credit card company has to say. Trevor can use this to help make an informed choice.

He has found that when he is choosing the cards that he wants to make sure that they are low apr credit cards which will weigh into his payments over the long term of his cards and repayment plans. These are all things that he really had no idea that were important while searching for credit cards.

Right now he is still searching and reading. He is in no hurry and wants to find the best credit card and rates that will help him in the future. Really happy that this site was so useful to him in giving him so much information relating to finances!

I have been still looking at cars. While searching I ran into a great site for Honda's located at http://www.napletonhonda.com which is a St Louis Honda Dealer to see what what they had to offer. Like I said previously I am in love with these cars and really want to choose the right one for me. Since the family is dwindling down the smaller car is perfect for us. Plus I imagine that Colt will be driving it as well. I want to make sure that the car is a perfect fit for myself and safe for the boys.

Car shopping is so exciting! Looking at the cars either in person or online seems to be nearly addictive. Especially if you have a make or model in mind. And let's not forget the color and all other amenities that you can get and want included. Proving to be like a full time job here for me lately! But it will be worth it in the end.

I am seriously looking at the Honda Accord 3.5 as I love the body appearance and of course the stats on the car is pretty good also! The color that I am looking for is a blue but they have one in stock and the color that I love is called the Belize Blue Pearl and it is gorgeous! With 22 city miles and over 30 highway this would be great for us since most of my driving is in and around town. Especially in the winter when snow and ice are covering the roads. Staying home is the best idea some days.

While looking at the pictures of the cars and drooling I did investigate the site and started to read the Honda dealer blog for any updates and further information. There was a ton of information regarding the different makes of cars to sift through and read. I read about the beige beauty as they called it. It was a 2010 Accord and nearly changed my mind on the color that I wanted.

I figure that with a couple more months of looking I should find the perfect Honda for us!