Pandora's Casket

Today we will taking yet another trip to Lowes. Not one of my favorite places to go as every time I walk in there it means an expensive shopping experience. The last time just a week or so ago was for the stove piping now it's for a new back splash. While I am there I am going to take a look at the mosaic tiles to see what they have in stock. I want to purchase mosaic wall tile for the kitchen around the sink area. I have been trying to find the perfect style and design but in between cost and colors so far not finding anything to my liking. I have been looking and comparing for six months now. It's one of those things that has to be something that I like and can live with for more than a year or so due to the cost. And I am sure that the boys will appreciate it also as they do not want to re-do the same thing over again.

I love the look of glass tiles in kitchens and even in bathrooms. I should really do the back splash in this material but this is something that I want to have done now and to start looking for the bathroom, well tack on another six months of looking! I will be satisfied with whatever they have in stock just as long as it gets done and that is another project marked off the list!

The other day Colton came home from school and he was in a snit. The reason was his new book bag that he loved broke. The cord unraveled and boy oh boy it was a mess. It looked like the Jolly Green Giant should be using it at the way the length was. The worse part was I told him only to use it for the lighter weight items and stick with the northface backpacks that he has. But this one has the Green Bay Packers insignia on it so it is so cool for him to carry.

Friday I noticed that he was back to his normal backpack for his books. The cord is going to be replaced this week so he can go back to using his book bag once again and proudly show his team spirit!

This year is no different than any other years past where we usually dress up on Christmas day. So this year everyone has started to plan for what they will be wearing. OK, I had to slightly mention that there were some outfits that needed a little updating this year. One thing that I started looking at is to update my red heels. I started looking at Jessica Simpson shoes as I already own one of her red patent clutches and it is time to find shoes that will match.

I love the purse style and use it a lot during the holidays in the winter. It just seemed to be the perfect thing to match it with shoes from her collection. I have been having so much fun looking at the collections. Of course right away I fell in love with the Nellia style. It only comes in beige so that does not help me with the red but I really do like this shoe and the design on the back heel is so cute!

Since we have a good 6 weeks or so I figure that I have plenty of time to find the right shoe and style for Christmas. I enjoy the shopping online for shoes and purses not only for the relaxing time but that you can also find reviews of a lot of the items that people have purchased. This way you can tell if the item is good quality and can hold up to the description. I know that my purse even with all the winter use looks just as new as the day I purchased it. Her brand to some may be expensive but it is worth it.

Well, the holidays are right around the corner. And you know what that means. All that luscious food will soon be passed around every where you go. This year for Thanksgiving I have looked into a few healthier bread choices to make for our dinner. Usually it is just the normal rolls but this year since we have a couple people on special Dieta Atkins and another diet plan I want to make sure that the breads are a bit healthier and on their diet plan. Not an easy task finding something for them and also being a crowd please at the same time.

Norm's doctor placed him on a dieta mediterranea style and the foods are easy to prepare and I have found a ton of great recipes that are easy to make. Since he has diabetes this diet has really helped with keeping the weight down for him. The worse part is his weakness for sweets. Which of course makes his diets a disaster to say the least. Try as he may he just can not stay away from sweet snacks and he does not eat them in moderation either.

The boys when they are over at his house try to talk to him about his eating habits but I am afraid this just falls on deaf ears. so when he comes over here for any holiday dinners I attempt to find a dish or two that will help him maintain some food regiment on his diet that he is supposed to be on.

What helps me deciding on food to cook is not only if they are on a dietary plan but the ease of the recipe. Not to mention looking at pictures of the foods as well. I love it when you can see the pictures of the foods and happy that authors use dieta Fricker with their recipes showing what the final result of the food looks like.

Like I tell Norm all the time just because he is on a diet does not mean it has to be like being in prison. There are wide choices of menu ideas that are quick and easy to make. Making a single serving meal should be a snap for him since he only has to cook for himself. It should be pretty easy to make the meals following the dietary recipe.

But like the saying goes "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink", the same goes for Norm and sticking to his diet.

Yesterday Dan called up after he received my Samhain card. I figured that he would get a kick out of the card since he has graciously bowed out of participating in long distance workings this year.

We sat and caught up, he talked, I listened while working on papers. He did sound better than the last time I talked to him so that was great. He was filled with news of looking into vacation rentals by owner for Yule. He and his dog, Sammie will be taking a well deserved warm vacation this year. He has been having a hard time finding the right spot that will be warm and accept his pooch.

The news was a huge relief as he has been depressed for some time with his health problems. Now he seems to be back to the old guy that our crowd knows and puts up with!

I am still going to try to talk him into participating as I think it would be good for him to do. Like I told him, planning a vacation needs a little more empowerment to find the right place!

Just glad that Dan is still the man. haha

A friend of mine is a tax preparer and we were talking over the phone about the classes that he has to take in order to stay current and also to make sure that his ea continuing education is up to par with the IRS. He has been doing this for around ten years and now with more and more rules and regulations in place it is a must do for his career. In order to keep up with the rules and regulations he has been searching for on line courses for enrolled agent cpe courses. Time is limited and there are not a lot of reputable schools that adhere to the IRS requirements. Which is something that his employer is a stickler on.

I shared a few sites that I had come across either by word of mouth or accident so he can find the courses that he needs. Looking at the course electives they include the ea ethics course , Children - Tax and Wealth Preservation Issues, and Health Insurance Deductions & the S Corporation Shareholder just to name a few. The courses tell you right up front the hours and cost that is needed to complete. Makes it nice when you are trying to complete a section and want to know right up front the costs with no hidden extras or costs that pop up later. Another good thing is that he is able to enroll in a course that he is able to take an enrolled agent continuing education requirements to insure that he knows what he is up against and what he may or may not need to focus on with his studies.

He is torn between two different schools right now to enroll in. I hope that he chooses the best one so he can utilize the school resources on his off hours and complete his requirements in order to advance in his career.

There is one thing that we are always looking for and that is heavy duty patio chairs. We looked at Adirondack chairs over the summer as we were searching for patio and deck furniture and was impressed with the designs of the furniture. I personally was impressed with the recycled plastic furniture that they offered. At first I had the vision of the standard white and was really pleased that there was other colors available. Between the red and purple these pieces of furniture was a hit here.

I would like to get heavy duty Picnic Tables for the back yard. Yes, we need at least two with the size of our family and also friends that come over during the hotter months. One table is not enough so when choosing I have to make sure that they are durable, matching and reasonably priced. While I was looking at this site I also scanned the children's picnic tables. One thing that I really had not thought of but with the grand children this is also something that is needed in their size. They had a cute green table that was reasonable in price.

Since our yard is pretty big I am always thinking of new ways for seating that is comfortable. I never thought of having a section that had Park Benches for us to sit on. But then it came to me that when we are all sitting around the fire pit out back that might be something to think of. I was really glad to look at all the items that were presented as it gave me a fresh look on how to furnish the back yard.

I do know that the recycled plastic furniture is the way that we are going to go as it is something that will stand up to our weather a lot better than the wood furniture I have looked at.

One thing that I really like that the kids bought me a few years ago and that was one of the lap top lap desks. It is so nice when I need to work downstairs and not wanting to sit in front of the PC. What I have been looking at off and on are the laptop carts that are available in so many styles it is amazing!

In looking for a laptop cart I am looking for something that will have a lot of room. Not like a huge desk but enough space to write without the lap top being in the way. I also would like to have one that will offer a lot of laptop storage so I can place file folders and other important papers in without them being all over the place. In looking at them some are great having their own electrical units installed. Now, I do not need anything that fancy but boy I can dream.

The most positive feature that I liked was that most are on rollers so you can move them around. Which would be nice to be able to have it movable instead of sedentary. Having the capabilities of moving with ease would enable me to work and then easily put it back where it belongs. There are so many styles from stainless to wood finish that choosing would be easy.

Making a small lap top work space, especially during the colder and very hot weather for downstairs would be fantastic to say the least.