My husband and I have a date night every week. It's usually on Wednesday's or Thursday's.
We had our weekly date night last night.
We went downtown to one of the three local casino's near us to catch the baseball game, have a couple (few) beers and do a little gambling.
It was fun. We both won a little here and there and actually left with $20.00 more than we went in with.
We were home by 9:30pm.
I'm convinced that taking the time to nurture our marriage and relationship is key to "it's" happiness. So many couples garner all their attention towards their children and forget about each other. I am guilty of this in my first marriage although there were many other reasons it fell apart too.
Take a minute to hug the love in your life. Look into their eyes to tell them "I love you". Call them at lunch to say "I was just thinking about you". It goes a long way.
I am the MOM and I was here FIRST!
- I am the MOM
- I am a 44 year old mother of three children and grandmother of one. I am divorced from my children's father whom I share joint physical custody of our youngest two children with. I have been married to my fabulous husband for over 9 near-perfect years. I LOVE this man! He is a wonderful generous, affectionate, tolerant and all forgiving husband. He is also a terrific step-dad/male role model to my kids and an even better grand father to our two year old grand daughter. My oldest daughter attends college to obtain her nursing degree. She has been on her own for over three years now (no longer part of a shared custody arrangement like her brother & sister) My middle daughter is in high school and plays on the freshmen volleyball & soccer teams. She's really creative and talented. My son is in middle school and plays hockey and lacrosse. He is a sweet sensitive boy who still says "I love you Mom" frequently. I work part time running an online ebay store. I have terrific and supportive relationships with my family, friends and of course my kids. I am extremely close to my sister, my Mom and my sister-in-laws. They are my best friends.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Working From Home
As the owner of an online business, I always work from home... or from any computer I find myself in front of when the mood strikes me. I have worked from my laptop while on vacation. I have worked while visiting friends. I have worked from my back deck whilst watching the kids in the pool. I have logged onto computers in various electronics stores just to see what's going on with my store... and then I leave my store webpage up. It's FREE ADVERTISING until someone navigates to another URL. LOL.
I like being able to be anywhere and still run my business.
I like waking up in the morning to see what sales were like overnight. While I was sleeping, others were shopping.
And for the record, I do work and I work hard. I work all different hours of the day. I work on the weekends. I work on vacation... all by choice of course. It is my choice when to work although timely shipments of sold goods are a must and so most days require a shipping schedule. If I'm out of town or on vacation, a delay in shipping message goes out before purchases can be made by customers so that there are no issues with the wait.
My "working from home" routine goes something like this:
Up at 5:00am to make the coffee and boot up the computer in my office.
Drink my coffee and see what sold overnight, check and answer business questions from customers and see what the "competition" is up to.
Then starts the shipping. Usually 10-20 parcels a day. The post lady picks them up from my front door. How cool is that?
Lunch around noon. A phone call to or from hubby.
Afternoons consist of replacing and adding inventory to the site.
Pick the kids up from school. Attend what ever sporting event one or both kids have.
Make dinner.
Kiss husband when he walks in the door.
Check on business during the commercial breaks of our favorite shows
And that's about it.
It's a lot of work. People who've "watched" me work or have stayed with me for extended visits say they couldn't do it. It's too confusing. It's too difficult. It's too much. But I love it. I make my own money. I figured it out on my own. My husband is proud (in awe...really) of what I've accomplished.
I'm lucky enough that I don't have to work if I truly didn't want to. It wasn't a financial issue that led me to this. My husband was happy to provide financially for us while I was raising the kids, volunteering at the school, keeping the house immaculate (as if!) and cooking dinner. But as my kids "outgrew" me, I wanted to do something that didn't interfere with me being a full time Mom, Wife, Daughter, Sister, Friend and now Grammy (Grandmother).
I found that "something".
And it's a great gig.
I like being able to be anywhere and still run my business.
I like waking up in the morning to see what sales were like overnight. While I was sleeping, others were shopping.
And for the record, I do work and I work hard. I work all different hours of the day. I work on the weekends. I work on vacation... all by choice of course. It is my choice when to work although timely shipments of sold goods are a must and so most days require a shipping schedule. If I'm out of town or on vacation, a delay in shipping message goes out before purchases can be made by customers so that there are no issues with the wait.
My "working from home" routine goes something like this:
Up at 5:00am to make the coffee and boot up the computer in my office.
Drink my coffee and see what sold overnight, check and answer business questions from customers and see what the "competition" is up to.
Then starts the shipping. Usually 10-20 parcels a day. The post lady picks them up from my front door. How cool is that?
Lunch around noon. A phone call to or from hubby.
Afternoons consist of replacing and adding inventory to the site.
Pick the kids up from school. Attend what ever sporting event one or both kids have.
Make dinner.
Kiss husband when he walks in the door.
Check on business during the commercial breaks of our favorite shows
And that's about it.
It's a lot of work. People who've "watched" me work or have stayed with me for extended visits say they couldn't do it. It's too confusing. It's too difficult. It's too much. But I love it. I make my own money. I figured it out on my own. My husband is proud (in awe...really) of what I've accomplished.
I'm lucky enough that I don't have to work if I truly didn't want to. It wasn't a financial issue that led me to this. My husband was happy to provide financially for us while I was raising the kids, volunteering at the school, keeping the house immaculate (as if!) and cooking dinner. But as my kids "outgrew" me, I wanted to do something that didn't interfere with me being a full time Mom, Wife, Daughter, Sister, Friend and now Grammy (Grandmother).
I found that "something".
And it's a great gig.
Shouldn't Light be Less?
It has long been a game of mine, a hobby if you will, to see how much I can reduce our grocery bill, by shopping the ad paper for what's on sale while using a coupon for it too. It takes time to do this, but the money savings are worth it. I've saved $102.00 on a $211.00 grocery bill. That is my all time record savings.
At the grocery store that I frequent the most, they'll run a special for many different items at 10/$10.00 with the 11th item being free. You can mix and match any of the 10/$10.00. One week the items may consist of Pringles, salad dressing or pasta sauce, etc. In order to take advantage of this offer, you really have to pay attention to how many or each item you're getting.
A couple of weeks ago the grocery store had their name brand salad dressings as part of the 10/$10.00. So I picked up 3 bottles of Light Ranch along with (8) other 10/$10.00 items to make a grouping of 11 items for $10.00.
It wasn't until I got home and took a look at my receipt that I realized that just because I had purchases the light salad dressing, my Light Ranch dressing was not part of the 10/$10.00, but full price... thus messing up my "grouping". Not only did I pay FULL PRICE for this salad dressing, I didn't get my 11th free item. Boo! BAD FORM!
So my question is... Shouldn't Light be less? Why aren't the light varieties included in these promotions? Since they are "light", isn't there "less" to them? Making them cheaper to produce even?
Dang... you really have to pay attention.
I was in Walmarts on Monday and they had Pringles (which I LOVE!) for 88 cents a can. I could only find (1) can of "Light" Pringles so I took it to the register with my other purchases and asked the cashier to check first if the "Light" Pringles were 88 cents like the BBQ, Sour Cream & Onion, Cheddar Cheese, Pizza and Regular varieties. Sure enough... NOPE! $1.97 for the Light variety. I told her, never mind. I'm not paying twice as much for less calories. She giggled at me, said she didn't see any reason why the light ones weren't marked down... especially because they were with the ones that were a lower price... and reduced the price manually.
Justice at last!
At the grocery store that I frequent the most, they'll run a special for many different items at 10/$10.00 with the 11th item being free. You can mix and match any of the 10/$10.00. One week the items may consist of Pringles, salad dressing or pasta sauce, etc. In order to take advantage of this offer, you really have to pay attention to how many or each item you're getting.
A couple of weeks ago the grocery store had their name brand salad dressings as part of the 10/$10.00. So I picked up 3 bottles of Light Ranch along with (8) other 10/$10.00 items to make a grouping of 11 items for $10.00.
It wasn't until I got home and took a look at my receipt that I realized that just because I had purchases the light salad dressing, my Light Ranch dressing was not part of the 10/$10.00, but full price... thus messing up my "grouping". Not only did I pay FULL PRICE for this salad dressing, I didn't get my 11th free item. Boo! BAD FORM!
So my question is... Shouldn't Light be less? Why aren't the light varieties included in these promotions? Since they are "light", isn't there "less" to them? Making them cheaper to produce even?
Dang... you really have to pay attention.
I was in Walmarts on Monday and they had Pringles (which I LOVE!) for 88 cents a can. I could only find (1) can of "Light" Pringles so I took it to the register with my other purchases and asked the cashier to check first if the "Light" Pringles were 88 cents like the BBQ, Sour Cream & Onion, Cheddar Cheese, Pizza and Regular varieties. Sure enough... NOPE! $1.97 for the Light variety. I told her, never mind. I'm not paying twice as much for less calories. She giggled at me, said she didn't see any reason why the light ones weren't marked down... especially because they were with the ones that were a lower price... and reduced the price manually.
Justice at last!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Does that seat have your name on it?
As I was getting my coffee this morning, I heard the makings of an issue between my son and daughter in the living room.
It seems that my 13 year old son had the absolute nerve to sit in the spot on the couch that my 15 year old daughter sits in every morning. OH MY! Although my daughters stuff (crap) was spread out over "two teenage butt's" worth of space on said couch, leaving only one clear spot to sit in... she had this entitled perception that the boy was in "her spot". As if the whole entire couch belonged to her.
We have other places to sit you know. You can sit in the recliner chair. You can sit on one of the bar stools at the counter that faces the living room. You can sit on the stool. Or ... you could even move your soccer equipment, yearbook, book bag, purse, blanket for the car-ride and whatever else is piled 4 feet deep on the couch to another location, thus freeing up two more spots on the couch.
And then she said it. "But that's MY seat!"
And then I asked it. "Does that Seat have YOUR name on it?"
With total conviction in her voice, it was declared that her brother was just sitting there (in her spot) to start trouble. Both kids have been known to occasionally "push the buttons" of each other, but frankly... it's 5:30am... and my son is simply too tired to think that hard this early in the morning to get one over on his sister. In fact, he's so tired that he plopped himself down in the first convenient, free from "stuff" spot, closest to the TV. Heck, I'd have sat there had he not beat me to it.
So I ranted for about 2 minutes about how none of the seats in the living room have "any body's" name on them and how she was being ridiculous and irrational and how this was a crappy way to start the day... and on and on.
Then I took my coffee into my bedroom, shut the door and didn't even say goodbye to the kids when they left for school with my husband.
So there!
It seems that my 13 year old son had the absolute nerve to sit in the spot on the couch that my 15 year old daughter sits in every morning. OH MY! Although my daughters stuff (crap) was spread out over "two teenage butt's" worth of space on said couch, leaving only one clear spot to sit in... she had this entitled perception that the boy was in "her spot". As if the whole entire couch belonged to her.
We have other places to sit you know. You can sit in the recliner chair. You can sit on one of the bar stools at the counter that faces the living room. You can sit on the stool. Or ... you could even move your soccer equipment, yearbook, book bag, purse, blanket for the car-ride and whatever else is piled 4 feet deep on the couch to another location, thus freeing up two more spots on the couch.
And then she said it. "But that's MY seat!"
And then I asked it. "Does that Seat have YOUR name on it?"
With total conviction in her voice, it was declared that her brother was just sitting there (in her spot) to start trouble. Both kids have been known to occasionally "push the buttons" of each other, but frankly... it's 5:30am... and my son is simply too tired to think that hard this early in the morning to get one over on his sister. In fact, he's so tired that he plopped himself down in the first convenient, free from "stuff" spot, closest to the TV. Heck, I'd have sat there had he not beat me to it.
So I ranted for about 2 minutes about how none of the seats in the living room have "any body's" name on them and how she was being ridiculous and irrational and how this was a crappy way to start the day... and on and on.
Then I took my coffee into my bedroom, shut the door and didn't even say goodbye to the kids when they left for school with my husband.
So there!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Nostalgic Playing
My kids each had a friend spend the night on Friday. My 15 year old daughter and 13 year old son have a very close relationship with each other. They share many of the same friends and get along oddly well together as siblings and in their group of friends. In this day of video games, computers, myspace and online IM-ing, I was pleasantly surprised when my kids and their overnight guests grabbed baseball mitts and a couple of softballs out of the garage and walked to a nearby elementary school to play.
My kids are involved in sports about 3/4 of the year so I've never been real pushy about "making" them go outside to play. They swim almost every day in our pool during the summer. As a family we play volleyball, basketball and 4-square often together. But to see these kids get together to walk and play something, uninspired and uninvolved by us, is sadly a rare occasion.
I can remember gathering neighborhood children to fill the baseball diamond at the local elementary school with two FULL baseball teams. We played hide and seek, red rover and rode our bikes all the time. We'd be gone ALL day long, often skipping lunch because we were simply having too much fun to stop and eat...only returning home for a brief dinner... then back out again past daylight. The kids in our neighborhood just don't do a whole lot of that. Up until very recently, I wouldn't "let" my kids out of my sight to go and play. My husband and I would play with them or go with them to play together. We live in a safe neighborhood, but that means nothing these days. Folks just don't feel the same about letting their kids run the neighborhood all day long like we did as kids.
And so... on one hand it was nice to see the kids "go play". But, on the other hand ... even though my kids are 13 & 15... and even though they had their cell phones with them... and even though there was plenty of daylight left... and even though they weren't that far away... My husband and I got on our bikes "just to check" on them after they'd been gone about 1/2 hour. We rode up to school to find them playing catch together in the school yard. They were laughing and having a great time, rolling around in the grass after making tough catches, encouraging each other's fabulous athletic abilities.
My husband and I stayed with them until the kids decided they were done playing and we all went home. I can't tell you how good it felt to be "running" the neighborhood with our kids and their friends. It made me want to stay out past dark.
My kids are involved in sports about 3/4 of the year so I've never been real pushy about "making" them go outside to play. They swim almost every day in our pool during the summer. As a family we play volleyball, basketball and 4-square often together. But to see these kids get together to walk and play something, uninspired and uninvolved by us, is sadly a rare occasion.
I can remember gathering neighborhood children to fill the baseball diamond at the local elementary school with two FULL baseball teams. We played hide and seek, red rover and rode our bikes all the time. We'd be gone ALL day long, often skipping lunch because we were simply having too much fun to stop and eat...only returning home for a brief dinner... then back out again past daylight. The kids in our neighborhood just don't do a whole lot of that. Up until very recently, I wouldn't "let" my kids out of my sight to go and play. My husband and I would play with them or go with them to play together. We live in a safe neighborhood, but that means nothing these days. Folks just don't feel the same about letting their kids run the neighborhood all day long like we did as kids.
And so... on one hand it was nice to see the kids "go play". But, on the other hand ... even though my kids are 13 & 15... and even though they had their cell phones with them... and even though there was plenty of daylight left... and even though they weren't that far away... My husband and I got on our bikes "just to check" on them after they'd been gone about 1/2 hour. We rode up to school to find them playing catch together in the school yard. They were laughing and having a great time, rolling around in the grass after making tough catches, encouraging each other's fabulous athletic abilities.
My husband and I stayed with them until the kids decided they were done playing and we all went home. I can't tell you how good it felt to be "running" the neighborhood with our kids and their friends. It made me want to stay out past dark.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
The IRS or a Root Canal?
A letter from the IRS or a Root Canal?
Hmmmmmm.... which one to choose?
Oh wait a minute!! I GOT BOTH!!!
Oh what fresh hell is this??
Part of my "crappy" last few months consists of both of these "events"!
So... which was worse?
Hands down, the root canal.
The letter from the IRS turned out to be a "fixable" mistake that we made on our 2006 tax return. This has been taken care of... whew! But I have to say... when I saw the FAT white envelope and started to open it... my heart was literally beating loud enough to hear it and I had to hold the letter far enough away from my face, as I feared I would vomit on it, and then not know what kind of trouble I was in!
The root canal? NOT FUN!! I'm pretty sure I've made it quite clear on the other site that I absolutely HATE going to the dentist... but I do go... every 6 months... So when my jaw started hurting just 4 months after my last check up, I was just sure I had oral cancer. When my dentist pulled up the ex-ray and said, "Terri... you have to have a root canal"... well... I just started crying. Really crying ... real tears... streaming down my face.
My dentist was just so sweet. He's got to be in his late 20's... cute as can be, empathetic, concerned, sympathetic... I either want to marry him or adopt him. He asked me what I was so upset about? I could tell he was just beside himself because I was crying... like unexplainable crying.
It wasn't JUST about the root canal at that point... I just cried cuz I had JUST had it. Enough with the bad news. Enough already... what in the world could I have possibly done to deserve this?
My motto is "what comes around goes around". I say it all the time for both the bad and good in this world. But what has been coming around to me lately nearly took me down. Was I an axe murderer in another life? It's the only thing that explains my sudden, compacted, "give it to me all at once" run of bad karma.
I've been a grateful person up till now. I've been a tolerant, giving, forgiving person up till now. I've let go of anger. I've let go of animosity. I've just let go. I'm not in control here. And the minute I stopped questioning "it"... the minute I just "let go".... things started getting better. I started getting better.
Life happens. I have to learn to accept it as it happens. I'm not in control of it. I'm only in control of how I deal with it... good or bad.
Hmmmmmm.... which one to choose?
Oh wait a minute!! I GOT BOTH!!!
Oh what fresh hell is this??
Part of my "crappy" last few months consists of both of these "events"!
So... which was worse?
Hands down, the root canal.
The letter from the IRS turned out to be a "fixable" mistake that we made on our 2006 tax return. This has been taken care of... whew! But I have to say... when I saw the FAT white envelope and started to open it... my heart was literally beating loud enough to hear it and I had to hold the letter far enough away from my face, as I feared I would vomit on it, and then not know what kind of trouble I was in!
The root canal? NOT FUN!! I'm pretty sure I've made it quite clear on the other site that I absolutely HATE going to the dentist... but I do go... every 6 months... So when my jaw started hurting just 4 months after my last check up, I was just sure I had oral cancer. When my dentist pulled up the ex-ray and said, "Terri... you have to have a root canal"... well... I just started crying. Really crying ... real tears... streaming down my face.
My dentist was just so sweet. He's got to be in his late 20's... cute as can be, empathetic, concerned, sympathetic... I either want to marry him or adopt him. He asked me what I was so upset about? I could tell he was just beside himself because I was crying... like unexplainable crying.
It wasn't JUST about the root canal at that point... I just cried cuz I had JUST had it. Enough with the bad news. Enough already... what in the world could I have possibly done to deserve this?
My motto is "what comes around goes around". I say it all the time for both the bad and good in this world. But what has been coming around to me lately nearly took me down. Was I an axe murderer in another life? It's the only thing that explains my sudden, compacted, "give it to me all at once" run of bad karma.
I've been a grateful person up till now. I've been a tolerant, giving, forgiving person up till now. I've let go of anger. I've let go of animosity. I've just let go. I'm not in control here. And the minute I stopped questioning "it"... the minute I just "let go".... things started getting better. I started getting better.
Life happens. I have to learn to accept it as it happens. I'm not in control of it. I'm only in control of how I deal with it... good or bad.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Date Night
Well... it's Wednesday.
That means it's date night with my husband. I love the fact that we go out every Wednesday. It's a great way for us to stay connected. We both look forward to Wednesday nights for all kinds of reasons.
I don't know where we going tonight and I don't know what we're doing... doesn't matter. I'll be with my best friend. It's always good!
That means it's date night with my husband. I love the fact that we go out every Wednesday. It's a great way for us to stay connected. We both look forward to Wednesday nights for all kinds of reasons.
I don't know where we going tonight and I don't know what we're doing... doesn't matter. I'll be with my best friend. It's always good!
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