They're out there again?!

Okay so, you may know what I'm talking about when I say "lawn fanatics". Hey, you might even be one. Don't get me wrong, Jeff and I love to be outside and don't really mind mowing our lawn (I try to leave this chore for Jeff as much as possible though). But don't you just hate it when you mow your lawn and then the next day your neighbor (or the service that they hire to take care of it...ahem) mows theirs and makes yours look like you haven't touched it. I admit that with all of the rainfall recently, our lawn is growing like it is near some kind of nuclear facility. So, it is currently in need of a good trim, but I am gaining an appreciation for our "meadow" look. Alas, I know that our post-lawn care satisfaction will be short-lived once the lawn jockeys unload their supped up equipment next door. Maybe we could get on the same schedule...nah! P.S. The pic is NOT from our yard but a good example of what I'm referring to.

Fun With Photos

I kind of stumbled on this really cool site called Big Huge Labs the other day. I followed a Father's Day gift idea link and there it was...the land of endless possibilities. Well, I'm sure there is an end out there but I definitely won't ever reach it. This site is associated with Flickr. The CD case/cover (see pic on left) was what caught my eye first. I thought that this personalized gift would be a great addition to the gift that Jeff and I were planning for his dad. Aren't we so cute! What dad wouldn't love us? :-) I suggest that if you are looking for a creative, fun, and free gift then this is the site for you. Have fun playing with all of the fun options!

What does it have to do with candy?

Okay, so I admit I am conservative but in the grand scheme of things I would probably be labeled more on the liberal side of the conservative family tree. But when it comes to advertising sometimes we just have to ask the question, "When is enough, enough?". My prime target being the recent M&M advertisements that you can find online, on TV, on billboards, in print ads, etc. Since when do you need sexual innuendo to sell chocolate candies? Seriously. Why do they think that they have to jump on the sex sells bandwagon in order to sell bags of good quality candy? After seeing some of their ads, and the tactics that they are using to get America's attention, it actually makes me not want to buy any more of their product.

Why candy? You would think that their largest target audience would be kids and families but what kind of message are they sending, really? I realize that every company is battling for a "piece of the pie", but to stoop to sexual innuendo to sell their product is a little much for me to handle. What do you think?

What would you do?

Recently, a 78 year-old man was the victim of a hit-and-run in Hartford, CT. This made big news but not for the reasons you think. No one stopped to help him. People just kind of stood there watching or slowed their vehicles and then sped away. I asked myself what I would do in this situation. Would I just stand there in shock or call 911 or run out in traffic to help? I guess none of us really know how we will react in a situation until we are in it. But will we be prepared, that is the big question.
I like to think of myself as a fairly calm and rational person. One who can think clearly when the 'ol adrenaline is pumping but who knows, each situation is different with many angles and points of view. I have seen accidents happen right in front of my eyes and come across several driving. I've always called 911 or stopped to offer assistance if I was able. But I have never been in a position where it was just myself and someone who was really hurt and needed serious lifesaving attention.
An incident that happened at the Cracker Barrel we were eating at yesterday really got me thinking though. Most Cracker Barrels are set up with the same basic floor plan. You go in through the store then there are two large, separated dining rooms that are open to traffic (the people kind) on the ends. Well, we were sitting along the wall closest to the store and looking over our menu and talking about our recent visit to the Magic House when a woman started screaming. She was all of the way across the building along the wall of the other dining room. I had noticed the couple earlier, just because they were both eating with their sunglasses on and I thought it was odd. (hmmm) Well, I guess it took the 2nd or 3rd scream before it registered that something was wrong. It was relatively loud in there and I was in the middle of trying to understand what Gwen was saying (I need a lot of concentration to decode sometimes). But, once it registered I found the source and got up and started moving towards the couple...there just so happened to be 10 people already in front of me though. So I guess I just kind of watched and made sure that all points were be covered: someone calling 911, someone tending to the people, and someone getting the manager. At first I thought that the guy had choked and needed the Heimlich. I don't really know what I would have done if we were seated next to those people. Would I have known what to do? Later, we found out from our waitress that he had a seizure. Definitely wouldn't have known what to do for that. Maybe that should be one of those things everyone must learn, like changing a tire or balancing your checkbook. Basic emergency care. You can't always count on the cars to stop or for people to call.

Oh to be a kid again...

Yesterday, Gwen (my 5-year-old niece), Mom, and I made the trek out to the St Louis Magic House. It is a children's museum that my siblings and I just so happened to visit when we were in kindergarten. I think that Gwen had a pretty good time. She was definitely enjoying the many hands on activities that they had for kids of all ages. Her age almost seemed like the perfect age to get the most out of almost all of the exhibits.
It was 20 years ago but, I did remember some things about the Magic House. The actual structure of the building used to be an old 3 story house but it has been expanded by more than 100% and they are currently adding on another annexed building which will again more than double the museum's size. I only remember a couple of other parts; the wall where you can push the little plastic needles through to make shapes, the rubber band wall, the static ball that made your hair stand on end, and the best part the big swirly slide at the end. Gwen had to go down the 3 story slide twice (she flipped over somehow the first time). I had to give her credit, she was a little shaken up, but she got back on it to do it again. Afterwards we told her that her daddy had gone down that same slide almost 25 years ago. She didn't seem to want to believe that. (Hee hee). Some new parts that I think we all enjoyed were the Lewis and Clark trail (kind of Indiana Jonesish), the Waterworks, and the craft room on the basement level. I would definitely recommend the Magic House to anyone with young children through grade school. There is something there for everyone and yes, even us adults are amused and entertained at the Magic House .

Yes...I know...I'm one of "those" ladies now.

So, with the crunch from higher gas prices, food, etc. I've decided to have a go at this trend that is sweeping the nation: no, not hitching up the mules, but a little something called CVSing and couponing. I've only dabbled a little in the CVS world and am by no means an aficionado. I'm kind of more like a parasite actually, I take others ideas (from blogs and websites) and use them for my own benefit. But, that is what they are out there so I don't really feel bad about it. It's a great little deal where you can spend little to no money on everyday essentials. My problem is that I have to tell myself, that we can only use so much toothpaste so I don't have to get every deal. It is just the two of us and Mickey so I don't bother buying stuff we won't use unless I can get it for free and then all bets are off. I'm sure I can find someone to take it!

Now couponing, I think I've got a little better handle on. It's pretty easy; clip your coupons (online, paper, etc.) and again visit a few sites to help with your list and voila! You've got a ton of free stuff (see pic for my free goodies from last week's trip to WM). Wal-Mart is a great example of a place to go with coupons that cover the entire cost of an item. With their low prices and a good coupon you may even have overage. Not every store will give it to you but if they do, that extra $ then goes towards the balance on your bill. So if you plan it right, have the right coupons, and don't buy off your list then there you go: MONEY SAVED! My trip last week, was extremely long, but was very rewarding. My starting total was around $140 and I only ended up paying around $55. I did run into one issue though. Apparently there is a coupon limit at WM and I must have hit it because the checker had to call a CSM over to help the transaction along. When asked, she didn't really know the limit but jeez. I counted and I had used 43 coupons. Not bad right? But yes, I could tell by the looks of the those in line behind me...I was one of those ladies. Price you gotta pay though right?

la la la la...

There are moments in every one's week or month when something so great happens that you could just sing. I had one of those moments this past weekend when I found gas at $3.85 a gallon. It's kind of disgusting though that I've been conditioned to believe that is a good price for fuel. I'm sure that one more blog post on the high cost of gas won't really amount to much either (other than relieving some of the disgust that I've been harboring).

With most of the towns around here having gas at $4.05 or higher it's enough to make you become a hermit. But life has to go on and people have to get out, right? So I recommend the following site for all of the latest tips on cheap gas: http://www.gasbuddy.com/.