Are you prepared??

Every where you turn people are losing their jobs. Things are not like they were 10 years ago with gas prices and jobs being outsourced. People are losing homes, cars and everything they've worked so hard for. There have been some circumstances in my life lately that's got me thinking -  "Are we prepared?" If one of us were without a job, or God forbid both, would we be able to keep up with the lifestyle we are so accustomed to?  We don't live a lavish lifestyle at all we do have times where we are living paycheck to paycheck. Which is why it got me thinking, what would we do??! My Dad is a financial genius. I'm not just saying that because he's my Dad, but he's one smart cookie. He married my Mom at a very young age  straight out of high school and has worked hard not only at his job, but at making sure he was always able to take care of his family. .. and one big way he did that was learning how to save and also to live within his means. When I started asking him how we should … [Read more...]

Fall is near!

Fall is my absolutely, positively most favorite season of the year. Out come the jeans and hoodies, the fall festivals, the leaves are changing colors, and the weather is just right. I have already started on my 'fall decor' for this year, and thanks to my Pinterest board, I have all kinds of new ideas (and recipes!) Here is a simple way to add some fall flair to your home. Just empty out a pumpkin, and drop a small enough flower pot in - VIOLA! Add a ribbon for flair if you'd like, but I think it would look just as cute without. This would look great as a centerpiece, or on your porch! THIS idea is awesome as well. I hate the way my empty, dead flower pots start looking once the cooler weather hits. It seems soo drab and ugly. This is a great idea to give it some flair. I think fake pumpkins would be your best bet so you can use them year after year, but real would work too. Use a stake to put down in your pot, and slide each pumpkin on (this will keep them from tipping … [Read more...]

Finding Nemo 3D Opening Sept. 14th

We were lucky enough to see a screening of Finding Nemo 3D this past weekend. It is hard to believe that the original was released almost 10 years ago. My daughter wasn't even a year old yet; And now I was able to take all 3 of my children to see it on the big screen. The magic of the movie hasn't changed - it's just better if it's bigger! =) They also came out with a really cool app the Finding Nemo 3D  Scavenger Hunt Nemo and his friends have gone missing, and it's up to you to find them! Dive into a Facebook scavenger hunt to find Nemo, Dory, Crush, and all of your favorite Finding Nemo friends, and unlock buried treasure along the way. If you need a little help, you can ask for a hint from your Facebook friends. Disney never disappoints.  Don't forget to buy your tickets for this weekend! … [Read more...]

Becoming a Mortgage Broker

Have you ever thought about going back to school to get a better education in hopes it would help you find a better paying job? You might think with the economy being where it is one of the worst jobs to get is a Mortgage Broker. However, you are wrong! That currently is one of the best jobs you can get since homes are selling for cheaper in some areas. I have a friend who goes through and purchases homes for dirt cheap. Puts in a little work to up the value, then turns around and sells them. This all depends on the area you are in, and the state of course. Tennessee seems to have a better turnaround then Michigan when it comes to this type of business. If you have the best mortgage education you could become a very successful Mortgage Broker in your area. It really is never to late to get a better education and to advance in your career. I know several people who are always advancing, I often wonder if they keep the same job for more than a year. I know I personally couldn't … [Read more...]

Newport Aquarium – Sweet Pea the Shark Ray’s Birthday Celebration

Sweet Pea the Shark Ray is celebrating her 7th birthday and everyone is invited to the party at Newport Aquarium. All events are free with admission. For more information or tickets, visit www.NewportAquarium.com or call 1-800-406-3474. Every Day: Sing “Happy Birthday” to Sweet Pea during special dive shows in the theater and see her giant underwater birthday cake. Show times: 11a.m., 11:20 a.m., 11:40 a.m., 1 p.m., 1:20 p.m., & 1:40 p.m. Mon-Friday: Watch divers hand-feed Sweet Pea and the Aquarium’s male shark ray Scooter in the theater Monday through Friday at 2:30 p.m. Sat. Sept. 22: -- Party with the Radio Disney Road Crew. Join the Radio Disney Road Crew as they turn our Theater into party central with music, games, giveaways and great prizes from 2:30 p.m – 4:30 p.m. -- Special weekend Shark Ray feeding at 12:30 p.m. in the theater. Sun. Sept. 23 The first 200 kids will receive a McGruff Internet Safety packet. This packet … [Read more...]

Mamavation Monday

Today I am taking on a different approach to my normal Mamavation Monday post. Last nite my daughter brought me her homework assignment (and yes, we are sometimes that family that puts off homework until the last minute, even though they had allll weekend to finish it) anyway, her assignment was an "ABOUT ME" poster to hang in the hallway at her school. To my horror, and my daughter's, there was a "HEIGHT AND WEIGHT" that they had to fill out. For the whole school to see! Now I can see asking a preschooler for their height and weight, but what does your weight have to do with telling the world about YOU?? Especially for a 3rd grader? Now my daughter isn't over weight, whatsoever. But she is solid, and she was NOT thrilled about sharing her weight with the world! She weighed herself 3x until she got a weight she 'liked' and then put that down on her paper. How sad! I have always tried to instill in my family (especially my daughter's) that HEALTHY and HAPPY is what matters, not … [Read more...]

Gift Ideas for Her

Whether you are looking to get the special lady in your life a birthday gift, Christmas gift, or a just because gift you cannot go wrong with jewelery. Sidney Garber statement necklaces make great gifts for those that you love dearly. Not only are they unique pieces they also go great with any outfit, whether she has a business meeting or a family function to attend. Often times finding the perfect accessories to go with our different outfits can be a challenge. However, as long as one follows the different trends this task can be simple. Soon the fall trends will be out and you will see more and more people wearing the fall colors, as well as having a different hair styles. During the Summer months I tend to wear my hair shorter, once fall/winter starts to arrive I let my hair grow out. This helps keep me warmer in the cooler months. What are some fall trends you follow? Do you match your accessories? Maybe some maple leaf earrings, or a fall like scarf to go with that … [Read more...]

Happy Labor Day

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Labor Day. I am just sitting here working on a few things and thinking about cleaning. Usually I don't get far from the thinking part, I get to wrapped up into other things I am working on. Thank goodness for my "things to do" list or I would be in trouble. I thought it would be neat to bring you a few fun facts about Labor Day. Fun Facts: In 2010 according to the US Census 5.9 million people worked from home. On average in 2010 it took people roughly 25.3 minutes to commute to work. In New York and Maryland it took about 6 more minutes. In June 2012 there were 155.2 million people age 16 an older in the nation's labor force. You can find more fun facts here.                                                              Source: dazzlejunction.com via Morgese on Pinterest … [Read more...]

Kicking a Bad Habit

People start smoking for many different reasons, sometimes it is to look cool in front of their friends other times it's just to see what it's like. Once one starts smoking it is often hard to kick the habit. My husband has been smoking since he was about 14 years old, I started when I was 19. My reason for picking up a cigarette was to try and release some stress. At the time I was going through a lot in life and I was having a hard time dealing with those issues. So I turned to cigarettes. At first they gave me a bad headache, but they helped keep my mind of the things going on around me. I tried to quit smoking several different times. However, the addiction was to much and once I quit I would end up starting back up again. I quit while I was pregnant for my daughter. About a month after she was born I started again, depression sunk in and I was in need of my nicotine. It took me almost 7 years from starting again to put the cigarette down and never pick it up again. I … [Read more...]

Mamavation Monday

With the hustle & bustle of "Back to School" we as Mom's have a tendency to forget about ourselves. Oh who am I kidding, we always seem to forget about ourselves, but it seems worse this time of year! Summer seems to bring the worst out in our family, we get lazy, just enjoying the break from the go-go-go of the rest of the year. We eat things we shouldn't,and that's a hard habit to break. School, work, sports, homework, house work... it seems never ending. But I have made it my goal this year to keep my family active and get some me time. When I work out and take care of myself, I take care of my family better. I have more patience, I'm more relaxed, and honestly more happy. Not only am I making life easier on all of us by making sure to take the time, but I am making sure I am being an example for my children. This week my oldest kids start back to school, next week my son starts preschool. My husband will be coming off the road; for those of you that didn't … [Read more...]