Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Does anyone know?

I was wondering if anyone had experience with a company called USANA? My brother heard about it from his pastor. It is a MLM company, but you don't have to sell anything to make money. You can sell their health and beauty products if you want.

From what my brother has explained, you get signed up below your sponser, then you sign up 2 people, or if you don't sign up any people, whoever your sponser signs up next would go under you.
You would pay out 120 a month, but collect a check each week. Starting at $40, then it doubles, and keeps doubling each week until you reach $1000. The 120 a month is for a small product purchase. The pastor, his wife and son have already signed up and have collected 2 checks each.

This is from what I have gathered from my brother. I did see people on ebay selling the products for a descent amount. So you wouldn't be stuck with a basement full of vitamins and shampoo.

Does anyone know about the company? There isn't much online about them other than their company website.
I don't think my brother's pastor, who is a close friend, would get us involved in some sort of pyramid scam. He heard about it from another pastor. And thinks it might be a good deal for people who need extra money each month.

So if you know anything, please let me know.
Friday, April 24, 2009

Spring is finally here!

Spring has finally arrived! The weather has been so nice the past couple of days. Bright sunshine, nice breeze. I've had all the windows open all week long ,airing out the house.

I'm still not smoking! I just recently went down to the 3rd stage in the patch too. It's still been tough. There are some times when I just really really want a cigarette. But I've resisted the urge to light up again. I am really hoping this time I will be able to quit for good.

Later, I'll do a freebie Friday. I've gotten lots of coupons for free dinners, appetizers, and BOGO stuff at stores.

Have a good weekend all!
Friday, April 17, 2009

Freebie Friday!

I love freebies or getting something for a MAJOR discount. I've always been amazed by the ladies that can go to the grocery store and spend $20 and come out with 2 carts full just by using coupons and discounts. I try and try to do this and always fail. I'm still trying though.

On one of our local news channels they have a reporter doing daily deals. See her blog here. http://dionsdailydeal.wordpress.com/

On tax day she was posting all the free food around town. So many bargains. and FREE food. I signed up for all of our favorite restaurants email lists and got these great bargains.

Houlihan's: http://www.houlihans.com/EmailClub.aspx- Sign up and get a free coupon for an appetizer and free entree on your birthday. I got a package in the mail from them with recipes for some of their dishes and a coupon for a BOGO entree. Their food is really good too. Love their Tuscan Summer Salad.

Mimi's Cafe: http://www.mimiscafe.com/- Sign up for their e-club and get a coupon for a free Breakfast entree.

Boston Market: I got a coupon for a BOGO crispy country chicken item.

Fazoli's :http://fazolis.com - Coupon for $2 off a $5 order.

Arby's : Free roasted chicken club sandwich with purchase of any soft drink and fries.

I emailed Chili's once about a great server we had and they sent me 2 $10 gift certificates for dinner.

Price Chopper has a kids club. Sign up your child and get coupons and your child gets entered into raffles to win things like a new bike and helmet.

Do you know of any other restaurants that offer coupons when you sign up on their email list? Or any other good freebie sites?

What grocery stores do you know that double or triple coupons? I know K-Mart is going to have a double coupon day soon. Plus sign up on their site and get 2 $5 coupons. Same with Sears. And both have layaway!

What bargain shopping tips do you have?





Tuesday, April 14, 2009

I quit..

I quit smoking one week ago. Me and my husband decided to do it together. I'm using the patch and he is doing the cold turkey way. So far, we haven't killed each other or the kids. So I'd say we're doing pretty good.

I got my test results back from the doctor. All my bloodwork came back good, except my Vitamin D levels. They were low. But I figure since we are just now coming out of winter, that should be normal. That still doesn't explain my headaches, my muscle aches and fatigue. I figure she'll tell me more when I go back next week. She does want me to take 1000mg of Vitamin D3 for a month. It's weird that my Vitamin D was low because I love milk and cheese, yogurt. Who knows?

We had an okay Easter. It was cold and rained all day. We went out to Dennis's parents house, like we do every year. Dennis was kind of getting ticked while we were out there. We live almost 2 hours away, when we come out there we want to visit, talk, find out how everyone's been doing. Instead, the tv is on and we just sit there watching tv. Or cooking dinner and cleaning up after that.
Like Dennis said, if I wanted to watch tv, I'd be at home.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Lost in the City & A Trip to the Doctor

I had my doctor's appointment this morning. No diagnosis yet. She wanted to wait for all my blood work to come back. She's testing my thyroid, my iron levels, my vitamin levels, and a bunch of other stuff. They drew 8 tubes of blood!! I hate HATE needles. I always sit in the chair looking like I'm about to pass out. The lady who did my blood work was good though. She kept talking to me about going to college. She is going back to become a RN. That made it go by quickly and kept my mind off it. I have to go back in 2 weeks and find out my results and have another visit.

I did meet a sweet little elderly lady. She was waiting for the lab as well and we both have a fear of needles. She told me how back during the War everyone was donating blood, so she went to do her patriotic duty and donate. She said she was fine until she looked around and saw everyone else getting blood drawn. "I went down like a rag doll" she said. She was a sweet little lady.

After my appointment it was lunch time. My husband was still at home waiting for me, so I decided to pick up some Taco Bell for us. They are doing a bunch of road construction around our neighborhood, so main routes to our house are closed off. I had to take a route that I had never taken before alone. I must have missed my exit because I wound up on the Kansas side of Kansas City. I turned around, stopped at a gas station and got directions.
I tried using my cell phone, but since I just use a pre-paid phone, it was empty of minutes. My youngest daughter had used all of my minutes the last time she went out with a friend. I refilled my phone, and started going the way the gas station man had told me.

He told me wrong!! I ended up back in Missouri but going South instead of North like I needed to. I had to turn around again. On Hwy 71S and Prospect!! If you live any where near Kansas City, you know Prospect. Heck just turn on the news and Prospect will be mentioned along with the latest murder, robbery, rape.... You get my drift.
I flipped around and headed back on 71N. This time I finally got in touch with my husband.

"Do you know why I am calling you?" He should know. I am always getting lost when I have to take the major interstates and highways. I am direction challenged.

"You're lost. Where are you?"

"All the way down by the 3 redlights on 71." I mumbled.

"How in the hell did you wind up down there?" He said in between laughing at me.

"Don't ask! I just had half my blood drained to feed the vampires under the doctor's office and I'm hungry!"

"Don't get bitchy or I'll hang up." He said back.

"Just guide me back home. I just want to get home." I was about to start crying I was so frustrated.

He stayed on the phone with me until I got our street's exit and then laughed at me when I came in the door.

He did give me a hug and a kiss for bringing him a chili cheese burrito though. I guess that makes up for getting lost on the Kansas side of Kansas City.
Monday, April 6, 2009

My kids are driving me to the brink

Isn't that the saying of all mothers? Their kids are driving them to the brink of insanity?! Mine have been especially annoying and just pushing the limits and my buttons lately.

I finally made a doctor's appointment. After my husband and brother both threatened to call for me. When your older brother threatens to drive up from Mississippi and hogtie you and force you to go, you kinda give in.
The problem is I don't feel like I need to go. I don't have a cough, the sniffles, or a fever. I just have been feeling like blah lately. My back and shoulders ache. I feel like I ran a marathon and got hit by a Mack truck while doing it. I ache all over, plus the migraine headaches I used to get only once in a while have been hitting me 3 to 4 times a week now. I sleep 8 hours a night but wake up feeling like I haven't slept a bit. I think my husband has been getting tired of hearing me say I'm exhausted at 6PM every night. Plus I feel like I am wound as tight as a rubber band.

This is why I don't want to go to the doctor. I feel like I will just be wasting their time. That I will be just complaining about things that don't make much sense. How can I be exhausted when I don't work outside the home, my kids are in school all day? I just don't want to be seen as one of those complainer patients. The ones who come in with this laundry list of aliments that don't make sense or the ones who just want that drug fix. That is just not me.

I have a hard time with doctors because of my genetic condition. NF type 1 (neurofibromatosis). It is a very hard condition to explain and very few doctors know anything about it. It affects the nervous system and causes nerve tissues to grow tumors on the skin. Most of the time I have to explain to the nurse or doctor what it is. Even I don't know that much about it.

I just hate feeling like crap all the time. It is so against my nature. So wish me good luck at the doctor and hopefully they will be able to tell me what in the heck is going on with me.
Friday, April 3, 2009

th' situashun is skeppical - redneck calls a psychic

I had to make a late night milk run last night. My kids have this habit of putting about a teaspoon of milk back in the fridge. I have no idea why they just don't finish it off. Their excuses run from saving it for me so I can have coffee in the morning i.e.so momma is not a rabid witch in the AM or they didn't know it was that low. Since my husband refuses to go out after he has taken his boots off, it was up to me to make that run to the QT.

It was then I caught the late show on the husband's favorite country station. Apparently they had a psychic on. Whodathunk it. A psychic on a redneck station. For some odd reason I have this fascination with psychics. No, I've never been to one. Something about that line in the Bible saying it is a no-no. I'd rather be safe than sorry. I even dated a guy who claimed to be a psychic. He really liked his patchouli oil. Funny, he never saw me dumping his tarot card reading butt.

But, I digress. They had the usual callers. Will this guy ever ask me out? Maybe and the caller needed to focus her energies on people who actually *shock* returned her love. Will I get a promotion at work? Outlook not good, try again later. I think she was making good use of her magic 8-Ball. Then came the country fried redneck caller.
He started out saying that he had been married to his wife for 4 years. They had been sweethearts for a long time. *so far so good* But wait for it, just wait....
She was pregnant. *Cue me saying, uh-oh-this call is about to go downhill* And he didn't think the baby was his.
You could hear a pin drop in the studio. The DJ began stuttering and it must have been contagious because so did the psychic.
She started off by saying that a baby was a wonderful gift and it would need love and support no matter what. Our redneck friend, contested, saying he loved his wife, even if she might have been a trifling hussy-(my words not his). Psychic countered by saying that he would need to love the baby because.....dum de dum dum- it was his baby.
Then our redneck said my title phrase-th' situashun is skeppical . Yes he said it like that. Psychic gave her last word and said it didn't matter if it was his or not. He needed to love the baby. The call was quickly disconnected after that. I think things were getting just a little too deep for the DJ and psychic to handle. Plus I think her 8 ball broke.

What is it about rednecks and psychics. It's like they can't help themselves. From Miss Cleo to Dion Warwick's Psychic Friends Network. Rednecks are calling to ask all sorts of questions. Eager to talk way past the first free 3 minutes. By the way, did you know Miss Cleo was not really Jamaican. She was born in California and she made a killing from everyone, and I'm sure a fair share of rednecks. Eager to find out who was their baby's daddy and would Elmer keep his job at the lumber mill.

Okay, I know I'm poking fun at rednecks. Don't take offense people. I'm a redneck. Born and raised in the deep dirty South, Mississippi. The state that holds the proud title of finishing dead last in any national stats. Besides being a redneck ain't that bad.
We always have ice cold sweet tea in the fridge, plenty of butterbeans, fresh tomatoes, and cornbread and Momma's cathead biscuits ready for company. Just make sure you wipe your feet before you come in off the porch.
Thursday, April 2, 2009

Movie Reviews

We watched a couple of movies this past weekend. The Boy In the Striped Pajamas and Miracle at Santa Anna.

I thought both were great films. The Boy In the Striped Pajamas was one Mary had been wanting to see. It is also based on a book by the same name. Two little boys become friends during WW2. One is a Jew living in a concentration camp and the other is the camp commander's son. It was a very touching and moving film. Make sure you have tissues ready though. Or if you are like me, a whole box of tissues.

Miracle at Santa Anna is another WW2 movie. More of an action/drama film. I'm not a real big action film fan, but historic action I can deal with. This is one is about the Buffalo Soldiers and a mysterious statue head, and these 4 soldiers journey. I'm not going to give away too much of the film because it would ruin it. But trust me, it was really good.

Is anybody else glad tomorrow is Friday. The weekend is almost here!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009

The 4 legged kids


This is Pretty Girl the cat and Oscar the dog. Oscar is a Pekingese and Chihuahua mix. He was the only boy and the only one who looked like a Chihuahua. Oscar is also a garbage disposal. He will eat anything that hits the floor. Pretty Girl was a stray. You might remember me blogging about it back in August. Her and Oscar are the same age. We usually find them like this. Cuddled up together, giving each other kisses. Everytime I see them like this, the song "Secret Lovers" starts playing in my mind.





This would be Gizmo. Gizmo is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. And yes, he is always smiling like that. We got Gizmo about 4 years ago. He is a calm dog, except when company comes over and he turns into a nut. He runs, barks at you, brings you every toy he has. Once you toss his ball a couple of times, he calms down. He also likes to play with balloons. He likes to bounce them in the air.

Here is a little video that Mary, the youngest, took of Gizmo playing with the balloon. Please ignore my messy house. It was the Saturday that snowed and spit ice all day and I didn't feel like doing anything housework related.





Toddlers and Tiaras

Has anyone watched this show on TLC? It is about the pageant world for little girls and boys. I happened to catch a partial episode last night. There was nothing on after NCSI and the Mentalist, so I started channel surfing and saw this little gem.

First off, I don't have a problem with pageants per say, but this show was just creepy. Or maybe it was just this episode. There is just something not quite right about shoving a pair of fake teeth in a kids mouth so they have a perfect smile. Or spray tanning your five year old so she doesn't look pasty white for the swimsuit competition.

They had this one little girl. She was 10 years old and her mom and coach (yes, they have pageant coaches) put her in a white strapless dress and high heels. It looked like a wedding dress seriously. She had about 6 inches of make-up on and her hair was teased to the heavens. Then it got even creepier... her dad or was it her uncle.. It was some male figure in her life said this , "She just looks gorgeous up there. I know she looks way older than she should, but she looks gorgeous." Shiver.... She is 10! 10 years old and looked like she was 18!

I kept screaming at the TV "She's only 10! She's just a baby!" My dear husband looked up for just a moment from his laptop and swore there was no way she was only 10. Then he caught the interview with said child saying how pretty she felt with everyone looking at her and saw her age listed. He joined me in saying "She's only 10!"
The above little girl went on to win in every category and first place for her age group. Her exit interview she said, "I feel beautiful when I win first place." Sad, sad.

A mom of a little girl who lost said, "She's just going to have to try harder next time." Like this was a math test or a basketball game they lost.

It does make me sad to see girls place so much emphasis on their outside appearance. And we wonder why women and girls still struggle with body image.

Yes, I could save myself all sorts of angst if I would just stop watching shows like this, but there is just something about reality TV that sucks you in. You want to look away, flip the channel, but you can't. You remain glued to it. Appalled that there really are people like that.

In the end, one little girl had the best outlook and the most wisdom on it all. She said she wanted to win, but she wanted the others to win more. She didn't want anyone to feel bad about themselves.

That little girl made the entire episode for me.