Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas to us....Hubby is home!

We are so happy! Hubby was finally released from the hospital today. I never knew a week could feel so long.

Unfortunately, he missed the "family" Christmas get together, but he wanted us to go ahead and have it on Sunday. It was fun, but not nearly as much fun as it would have been with Hubby there. During the afternoon, MIL asked if it would be okay to call Hubby and I told her it would. So she called and talked with him and then each of our kids took a turn talking to him. It made me feel a little bit less like our kids were losers for not calling their dad over the last week.

Here are some pics. (I have not edited any of these.)

Theo, Meredith, Billy, Wyatt, Jacob's back.

 Chance

Samantha, her bf Nile, Theo, Meredith
 Jacob
 My mother-in-law.
As you see, I was taking pics and managed not to get in any of these. LOL! Though there were other cameras present and I may show up somewhere.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Saturday, December 22, 2012

BooHoo! Hubby is not home yet.

You heard it right. We really hoped that Hubby would get to come home yesterday but no luck for us. His primary care physician decided that he had a mild infection in his foot so called in an infectious diseases doctor. This doctor has been one of Hubby's doctors for years but we haven't had to see him in about 2 years.

He is really good and Hubby likes him a lot but it's delaying Hubby's discharge.

So tomorrow I'll be going for our Christmas get together at MIL's house with the kids and grandkids. I have a feeling that with Hubby absent our party won't last nearly as long as usual. Then afterward I will go sit with Hubby at the hospital again.

I can't wait till he comes home I really miss him here and I am really tired.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Here we are again...

This is not a duplicate post. We are back at the hospital.

The result of Hubby's  catheterization a couple of weeks ago was to find that he has a blockage in his femoral artery. So today we are having fem pop surgery. No, that is not a chick drink. LOL!

We are hoping he will be out of the hospital by Friday as we were talking about having our Christmas get together with the kids and Hubby's mom this weekend.

And Hubby has not told anyone about the surgery. It is secret surgery.

Wish us luck.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Getting ready for Christmas!

I have been bad and not posted in a while. Too much stuff has been going on here. Here is a little catch up...

I'm taking every Monday in December off so I will have 3 day weekends all month long. I took my first 3 day weekend, last weekend to start getting ready for Christmas. We bought a tree on Saturday and put up on Sunday.  It is beautiful!
Yesterday, we went to MIL's house and took Theo and Wyatt to see Santa Claus, who was cruising through MIL's neighborhood on a firetruck. It was pretty cool!


Then Hubby, who can't pass up a chance for a funny pic of the grandkids spotted a police car and we got this:

Today was a totally relaxing day and I did almost nothing.

Tomorrow, I make blueberry jam.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Guess where I am?

Hubby is having a procedure today so I am sitting in a room waiting for him to come back from the cath lab. What what you see below is my view of the corner of the room I am waiting in.

The procedure was scheduled at 8 a.m. this morning so we got there at 7. The doctor showed up at around noon.

Were we ticked off?

You bet.

And the doctor will hear about it as soon as I see him. So so will his billing office when I get the bill. I want a discount.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Winners of my Purex plus Oxi Giveaway are....

Sluggy
Ashley
Tiffany Christie

Congrats! I will send you an email for your mailing information so that I can send out your coupons for FREE Purex plus Oxi.

Thanks to all who entered!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Don't miss my LOW ENTRY Purex plus Oxi Giveaway!

Really low entries so far and there will be 3 winners.

Go here and enter now.

Two seniors?.....

Yes, PLEASE! Yeah, I responded almost joyously when asked if I wanted two seniors at the casino buffet yesterday. I told the lady that I can finally say yes to that question and as my dad says, "Give me my discount." LOL!

Okay, so I am not a senior most places, but on 55+ Tuesdays at the Coushatta Casino in Kinder, LA, I now qualify. That l means the lunch buffet, regular price $12 only costs $5.50 on Tuesdays. You BET I will claim Senior status to save $6.50.

As we were being shown to our table, I told the hostess it was the first time since high school that I had been called a senior. She said, "I bet high school was a lot more fun." I responded, "No, ma'am. I am having a lot more fun NOW." LOL!

We actually have gotten to have the $5.50 buffet since last year when Hubby turned 55. I guess if one of a couple is 55, they give it to both. Because the last couple of times we came, I would say, "One 55 and one regular." and they charged 5.50 for both. I do not mind aging a bit! Not when it saves me money!

I left the casino Monday night up by a big ol' $90. WooHoo! Yesterday, I gave that back. Now I am up for the trip by $1. I am no sure how Hubby is doing. I am not sure how Hubby is doing, I think he said he is up and he has a pile of money, but it may be a bunch of ones. But our room is free for 3 nights and so far our food has been free. Oh, yeah and we can get free gas for the trip back.

We are having a great vacation!

Monday, November 19, 2012

My goofy hubby

Hubby acting goofy at Pizza Hut.

We decided to stop for pizza on the way to the casino.

I am on vacation!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

I know most people will be busy this week. Some will be trying to figure out how to cook this
Some  people will be frantically searching for their recipe for this


Some of you will be tearing out your hair over having to deal with in-laws.

Not me.....

I will be sitting in front of a slot machine here.

We will not be coming home until Thanksgiving Day, so no cooking for me that day and no house full of  people. We will see the kids and grandkids sometime Friday, Saturday or Sunday, but I am leaving it up to Hubby to arrange, as he didn't agree with any of my suggestions. LOL!

I WILL be cooking a turkey dinner, but I think Hubby doesn't want to share, as he is pushing going out to eat with the kids and just having a quiet dinner with the two of us.

Hope everyone stays as stress free as possible this week.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Green Giant Seasoned Steamers Giveaway WINNER!

And the winner IS....................

Sluggy!!!

You are my weiner again! I will send for your mailing info, unless I still have it from last time.

Congrats, Sluggy!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Purex plus Oxi Review and Giveaway (3 Winners!)

Introducing Purex plus Oxi, a new stain-fighting liquid detergent from Purex!

Purex plus Oxi is the most powerful Purex detergent available. In fact, it works against over 101 different stains! The three stain-fighting enzymes in Purex plus Oxi each work against different types of stains for the most Purex stain-fighting power you can get.

Purex plus Oxi, like all liquid Purex products, has been specifically formulated to work in both high efficiency washers and traditional washing machines. And because it is from Purex, you know it won’t break the bank. Purex plus Oxi leaves your clothes Bright, White, and Clean and costs half the price of the leading brand.

A powerful combination of detergent and stain fighters

• A hypoallergenic formula with a light, fresh scent

• Perfect for everyday laundry or heavily soiled loads

• Visit purex.com for additional product information

As a Purex Insider, I recently received a free bottle of Purex plus Oxy to try for myself and I just love it. Well, of course I do….I don’t have to do the laundry. So I just got to smell it. But Hubby has used it and says it works great, just like Purex always does. Admittedly, we do not have heavily soiled laundry, so I cannot really tell you what a great stain fighter this is. But it is a great laundry detergent and we will be buying it ourselves. Purex is our favorite brand after all.

Purex is having a sweepstakes here that runs through Friday 11/130, giving away $6,000 in prizes. Purex wants to give 1 lucky winner $1,000! There will also be 250 2nd place winners that will each win $25! So, go enter right now! You can enter every day!

Purex also gave me 3 coupons for a FREE bottle of Purex plus Oxy (max value $6.00) to keep or give to my readers. Well, I am going to give ALL 3 of them away! Yeah for you! It is super easy to enter. All you have to do is one or more of the following:

• Check out Purex.com and leave a comment telling us something interesting you learned. (once)
• If you entered the Purex sweepstakes, leave a comment that you did. You can do this one every day. (daily)
• You can also enter daily by leaving a comment giving us a tip on something you do to make dealing with laundry easier.(daily)

Winner will be chosen by random drawing on Sunday afternoon, November 25 and the winner will be posted on my blog and notified by email. When you get tired of the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving and Black Friday, you can come enter again!

Good luck!

*Purex provided me with a sample of Purex plus Oxi so I could review it. However all of the opinions expressed here are, as always, my own.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Green Giant Seasoned Steamers Giveaway!

Yeah, I have another giveaway!!

With a dash of imagination, a pinch of culinary skill, and a heap of flavor, Green Giant Seasoned Steamers™ are giving you a new reason to enjoy eating your vegetables. Shake up your vegetable routine with these flavorful, chef-inspired options that are seasoned to perfection, without a drop of sauce. Now, more than ever, you can leave your family craving more vegetables with every meal and break through meal monotony with a new palate-pleasing vegetable option for everyone! With new Green Giant® Seasoned Steamers™, eating vegetables just got easier and more delicious!

Available in six different varieties, Green Giant Seasoned Steamers™ are one of the first sauce-free seasoned vegetables to bring unique chef-inspired seasonings and premium cut vegetable blends to your dining room table.

These tasty Seasoned Steamers are bound to spice up any meal with six varieties including: Mediterranean Blend, Tuscan Seasoned Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts with Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper, Honey Roasted Sweet Corn, Honey Dijon Carrots and Backyard Grilled Potatoes

Visit http://www.myblogspark.com/uc/main/7643/ to download a printable coupon for $1.00 off the purchase of one package of Green Giant Seasoned Steamers™.

AND – during the month of October, there will be a “Love it, or your Money Back” offer available at greengiant.com!

Recently I received a great giftpack from Green Giant and MyBlogspark. It included:

(1) VIP coupon for one free package of Green Giant Seasoned Steamers™
Apron
Green Giant Serving Spoon
Mixing Bowl
Bag of Green Giant Seasoned Steamers™

Green Giant and MyBlogSpark has offered to give one of my readers an identical gift pack. I know you want one!

As always, it will be really easy to enter. Just leave a comment. You can get one entry for each of the following:

1) If you are a follower, leave a comment that you are.
2) Check out the Green Giant Website and leave a comment about something you found thas is yummy!

3) Check out Green Giant on Facebook at http://goo.gl/UORFP and leave a comment that you did.
 
And, because I know a lot of people love daily entries, you can come every day and leave a comment about your favorite veggie and why it is your favorite. . See....easy! You can enter through midnight Thursday, November 15. I will pick a winner on Friday, post the winner’s name and send an email for your mailing address.
Good luck!

Disclosure:  The coupons, information, and gift packs have been provided by Green Giant® through MyBlogSpark.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Getting ready for Thanksgiving

I am a member at Vocalpoint.com and read a really good article today posted here by Maureen F. that I thought I would share. Many of you will not need this information, but it might help someone. (There is no giveaway and I was not asked to share this.)

How to cook your first bird.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. If you’re on deck for making this year’s meal, don’t worry. Everything you need to know is right here.

Keep It Simple, Sweetheart. If this is your first lap around the turkey track, you should probably shy away from doing something fancy like frying your turkey. In flames is not how you want Thanksgiving to go down. Stick to a simple recipe that doesn’t require a lot of prep and is easy to execute.

Determine how big a bird you’ll need. If you want leftovers (and who wouldn’t? After making this meal, you’ll be on strike for a while), plan on 1-1.5 pounds per guest. If you want a lot of leftovers, apply that number to even the youngest of attendees. If math’s not your thing, use this handy Plan Perfect Portions calculator.

Choose your bird. Now that you know how much you need, it’s time to decide whether you want fresh or frozen. But keep in mind that either way, you’ll need room to store it.

• If you want a fresh turkey, order it now. It’s rare to find one available right before Thanksgiving. And be prepared: a fresh turkey is a lot pricier than a frozen one.

• Should you decide to go the frozen route, you can pick your turkey up as soon as you see it on sale.

• Don’t worry about getting a turkey with a pop-out thermometer; you’ll go by time and your own instant or leave-in meat thermometer anyway just to be on the safe side. You don’t want your first turkey to end in your first case of salmonella poisoning.

• Before you buy, make sure it’ll fit in your oven. If you don’t have enough room for one ginormous bird, consider cooking a smaller whole turkey in the oven and a turkey breast in your slow cooker. It’s so easy, so tasty, and the gravy practically makes itself. It’s also the perfect choice for smaller crowds.

Pick your pan. You’ll need one big enough to hold your bird. If it doesn’t have a rack, see if one of your cooling racks will fit inside. If not, ball up some aluminum foil for the turkey to rest on. Keeping it off the bottom of the pan helps it to cook more evenly and gives the pan juices a chance to caramelize a bit. Disposable pans are also an option, but keep in mind your turkey will be heavy and a flimsy pan could spell disaster when removing it from the oven.

Thaw your frozen turkey in the fridge one day for every 4-5 pounds. Count your days back from Wednesday, not Thursday, to ensure a complete thaw. If you’re really behind the 8-ball, you can always ‘quick-thaw’ your turkey in the kitchen sink or a bathtub. Fill either one with cold water, lay your turkey in its wrapper breast-side down, and change the water every 30 minutes or so. It takes about 30 minutes per pound to defrost this way.

Figure out when dinner will be served. Use the suggested cooking time located on the bag your turkey came in, along with any recipe you decide to follow, as your guide. Don’t forget to work resting and carving time into your equation when figuring out how soon to put the bird in the oven. Once cooked, your turkey should rest for about 20 minutes; it could take at least that long to carve it, too.

Give your bird a bath. On the big day, put your thawed turkey in the sink. Look inside both cavities for giblet packets and turkey necks; you’ll want to remove these before cooking. They’re definitely in there, so don’t give up if you don’t find them at first. Thoroughly rinse the bird inside and out, remove any stray feathers or other random plastic parts, and pat dry with paper towels. You’ll want to clean your sink thoroughly after your turkey’s safely in the oven.

Prepare your turkey for roasting. If you do nothing else, rub the outside of the bird with oil or melted butter; for an added level of crispy goodness, get some underneath the skin, too. Then sprinkle inside and out liberally with salt and pepper and your turkey will be delicious. But if you want to get a little fancier, do some web browsing; there’s no shortage of suggestions out there. I followed this recipe my first time. It wasn’t too complicated but made me look professional. One more thing: even though your mom probably did it, don’t cook the stuffing in the bird; it’s too risky.

Take your turkey’s temperature. The general consensus is you should cook it 12 minutes per pound at no lower than 325°. Check for doneness by sticking your instant or leave-in meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, right at the crease where the leg attaches to the body; it should read 165°. Keep in mind the breast cooks faster than the rest, so you may need to cover it with foil the last half or third of the estimated cook time to keep it from drying out.

The article was cut off at the “final stages” section, but as stated above, once cooked, your turkey should rest for about 20 minutes; it could take at least that long to carve it, too.

Hope this helps someone!

Monday, November 5, 2012

Can we say FREE?!

You all know that I just love free stuff. If you didn't know, you must be new here. LOL!

In preparation for my birthday, I signed up for the mailing list for some of my favorite restaurants and last week I received some coupons. Here is what I got:

Free entree at Casa Ole (Mexican food. yum!)
Free sandwich from Schlotzky
Free dessert from Chilis
$5 off anything at Jason's Deli

I think I got some other ones, but those were the ones I was interested in. So, Saturday, Hubby and I went to Casa Ole and I got my free entree, delicious chicken and spinache enchiladas with white cream sauce, topped with mushrooms and shrimp. It was SO good! We also had chili con queso and some sopapillas for dessert. For those unfamiliar with sopapillas, they were little fried pillows of, in this case, puff pastry, sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzle with rum caramel sauce. Can we say YUM! That was my birthday lunch and I was quite happy.

We passed on the other freebies as I didn't feel like spending money at the other places to get my freebies.

Yesterday we went to see "Flight" with Denzel Washington. He did an incredible acting job. We really liked it. Then a relaxing rest of the day.

Today I am at work. Yes, work. I have my last class for Community Emergency Response Team training and didn't want to miss it.

We will be taking a "birthday trip" to the casino in a couple of weeks. Yeah!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

And the winner of the Progresso Giveaway is......

Sluggy!

You knew if you visited my blog often enough you would get something out of it. LOL!

I will send you an email to get your mailing information. I need it ASAP, so I can get it submitted no later than Sunday.

Congrats and thanks to all who entered.

Another giveaway coming up!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Progresso Light Soup Giveaway!

Craving rich and creamy flavors, but don’t want to splurge on calories? With two new creamy flavors, Progresso® Light soups are giving those who are managing their weight a new reason to celebrate! At 100 calories per serving, now you can indulge in warm, creamy soups like Light Creamy Potato with Bacon and Cheese* and Light Chicken Pot Pie Style* without feeling guilty. Packed with indulgent, satisfying flavor, these two new Light creamy soups are the perfect way to make thoughtful eating decisions without sacrificing incredible taste.

These two new Progresso Light creamy soups are joining the lineup of more than 40 flavorful soups that are 100 calories or less per serving.
These Weight Watchers® endorsed soups have 100 calories and a 2 PointsPlus® value per serving.
The Creamy Potato with Bacon & Cheese variety boasts pieces of potato with savory bacon and rich cheese flavor

The Chicken Pot Pie Style variety exudes a home-style essence with cuts of white-meat chicken, hearty potatoes and classic vegetables
*Light Chicken Pot Pie Style: At least 33% fewer calories than regular ready-to-serve soups. Light Creamy Potato with Bacon & Cheese: 50% fewer calories than the leading potato, cheese, and bacon ready-to serve soup. See nutrition information for sodium content.
In addition, visit http://goo.gl/WbbPS to download a printable coupon for $1.25 off the purchase of 4 cans of Progresso® soup. Be sure to share this coupon with your family, friends and readers so they too can take advantage of the savings and try Progresso Light creamy soups today!

MyBlogSpark and Progresso have offered a gift pack to one of my readers. Your giftpack will include:

(2) Cans of Progresso® Light creamy soup

(1) Soup mug
(1) Lunch tote
(1) Water bottle


Entering is easy, as always. You can get one entry for doing each of the below and leaving a comment.

Check out the Progresso Website http://goo.gl/lK6CS and leave a comment that you did.


Check out Progresso on Facebook http://goo.gl/2WZKV and leave a comment that you did.

And you can leave a daily comment telling me what you like about Winter.

You can enter through 5 pm on THURSDAY, November 1. I will pick a winner on Friday evening and email you for you shipping info. This is a quick turnaround giveaway as I have to submit winner's info on or before November 4.

Good luck all!.

Disclosure:  The coupons, information, and gift packs have been provided by Progresso® through MyBlogSpark.

(editted to correct day of the week. thanks, Marilyn!)

Friday, October 19, 2012

I would never dream of taking her rings…

I was reading a message board today while eating lunch and there was a discussion of families fighting over assets when a relative dies. There were all sorts of horror tales of what people went through. I was amazed, as I cannot even imagine my siblings and I fighting like that.

We have all stated at one time or another that we don’t want our parents’ stuff or money. We want them to use up every single bit of what they have while they are here.

They, of course, have wills and whatever is left when they go will be disposed of exactly by the terms of their wills.

The thing that bugged me a lot was people talking about fighting over their moms’ wedding rings. I know my sibs and I would not do that, as our mom will be buried with her rings. They are hers and she doesn’t have to leave them to anyone.

And we certainly wouldn’t just take them.

They are hers.

Please know, if your mom passed away and left you her rings I am in no way saying that you should not have them.

Monday, October 15, 2012

I am just TOO married....

Last week, I decided that I was either too old or too married.

Well, I am not too old, so I must be too married.

Several women at work were discussing hot guys in our office. I don't find any of these guys hot. Sure, some of them are attractive, but they do not cause me to salivate like some of these women are doing. Oh, yeah, and they are all married!

Is it odd that I do not drool over guys that are not my husband?

I don't think so.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

And the winner is......

JC!

Congrats, JC! I have sent an email requesting your mailing information.

Thanks to all who entered!!

Monday, October 1, 2012

Kroger $25 Giftcard Giveaway!

Attention Kroger shoppers! Grab a cart (or two!) and head to your local Kroger Co. Family of Stores for the Kroger Buy 5 – Save $5 Event! From October 14th through October 24th purchase 5 participating General Mills products, and receive a coupon for $5 off your next shopping order* (coupon printed at checkout)!

Look for some of your favorite participating General Mills products like Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Pillsbury Toaster Strudel, Betty Crocker Cake and Brownie Mixes, Hamburger Helper, Totino’s Party Pizza, Yoplait** and many more!


Promotion varies in different locations so please be sure to check your local Kroger Co. Family of Stores*** for specific deals and offers which include: Kroger, Ralphs, King Scoopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith’s, Fry’s, QFC, Baker’s, Owen’s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Fred Meyer, Pay Less Supermarkets and Scott’s Food & Pharmacy

Don’t let the savings pass you by! Fill up your cart and save with the General Mills products you love at the Kroger Buy 5 – Save $5 Event!

MyBlogSpark and Kroger sent me a $25 Kroger Family of Stores gift card to use on the great savings available during the Kroger Buy 5 – Save $5 Event. And they want to give one to one of my readers, too!
As always, entering my giveaways is super easy. Just leave comments! That's right, you get one entry for each comment you leave. If you follow my blog, you get one entry for that. Then, every day, you can leave a comment about which General Mills products are you most excited to see participate or what you plan to do with the $5 cost savings.

You can leave a comment every day through Monday, October 8. On Tuesday, I will select a random winner, post the winner's name and send an email for mailing information.

Happy entering, all, and good luck!


* Products must be purchased during one shopping visit. To view a list of participating products see your store for details. The $5 coupon offer off your next shopping trip offer expires 1 week from the print date, with the coupon prints ending October 24th. Any offers printed on October 24th will expire on October 31st.

**Yoplait items vary by state

***Excludes Food 4 Less

Disclosure: The gift card, information, and additional sample have been provided by Kroger and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

I am getting an Aldi!!!!

I  almost gave Hubby a heart attack this morning. We decided to go to a movie this morning, so hopped in the car and headed out. We went around the block and stopped at a light to turn left. I looked up and screamed "OH MY GOD!" and scare the crap out of Hubby. Really, I screamed. I never scream.

Right across from where we were stopped is a construction site. We have watched that corner being torn up for a while now.

Today there was a sign at the construction site.

An ALDI sign!

I am getting a Aldi right around the corner from where we live. I could WALK to it!!

I had to explain to Hubby why I was so excited.

And apologize for scaring him.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

The Progresso Winner Is.......

Marilyn's Money!

Congrats.....I will send you an email to get your mailing info.

Thanks for playing, all! I will be having another giveaway soon!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Combat Giveaway Winner!

SonyaAnn, you won!!! I will send you an email for your mailing addy so Combat can get your ant bait out to you pronto.

Thanks to all who entered!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Progresso Recipe Starters Giveaway!

Back to school means back to busy weeknight schedules. Between homework, activities, practices, work and class, preparing a delicious home-cooked meal can be quite a challenge, and getting started is often the hardest part. Let new ProgressoTM Recipe StartersTM cooking sauces give you a head start to a home cooked meal, and you´ll ace the dinner time routine this year!

Progresso Recipe Starters sauces are available in five flavorful varieties that can each be used as a starter to create numerous home-cooked meals. For added inspiration, Progresso created 80 recipes utilizing this new line of cooking sauces that can be found on Progresso.com/RecipeStarters. Many of these recipes are classic family favorites, such as Bacon Mac n´ Cheese, Chicken Pot Pie and Chicken Parmesan, and utilize ingredients your family may already have on-hand. In addition, all of the recipes on the site include a Rate and Review feature, so we encourage you to leave a rating and review of your own, in which you can even include a link back to your blog post about that recipe! Look for Progresso Recipe Starters in the soup aisles!

Inspired by the five "Mother" Sauces that form the basis of classical French cooking, including Béchamel, Velouté, Tomato, Espagnole and Hollandaise, Recipe Starters use a variety of ingredients and the best techniques to make sure you have delicious options to take on the school days dinner dilemma. The five varieties are:

•Creamy Parmesan Basil: This creamy, full-bodied and indulgent sauce that was inspired by alfredo and creamy pesto sauces can be used to make dishes such as Crispy Garlic-Parmesan Chicken, Creamy Chicken Alfredo, Basil Chicken Ravioli Carbonara and Basil Chicken Thai Noodle

•Creamy Roasted Garlic with Chicken Stock: With caramelized, roasted chicken broth, garlic and a touch of cream, this stock is perfect for dishes such as Creamy Lemon Chicken, Chicken Pot Pie and Chicken Enchiladas

•Fire Roasted Tomato: A medium-thick tomato sauce, accompanied by flavors of roasted, caramelized tomatoes, oregano and bell peppers, which can be used as a great way to begin creating Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, Easy Weeknight Chicken Parmesan, Cheese-stuffed Mini Meat Loaves and Mole Tacos

•Creamy Portabella Mushroom: Creamy and highly indulgent, this smooth sauce is rich with sautéed Portabella mushrooms, giving you any easy way to start delicious dishes like Easy Weeknight Beef Stroganoff, Steak and Mushroom Sandwich and Tetrazzini

•Creamy Three Cheese: Rich and creamy with a blend of yellow and white cheeses, and a savory background of chicken stock, onion, garlic and cracked pepper, this is a great way to satisfy cheese lovers with Easy Weeknight Bacon Mac & Cheese, Twice-Baked Potato Pizza and Cheesy Egg Breakfast Tacos  
I was so excited to receive a Progresso Recipe Starters gift pack which included:
•Two cans of Progresso Recipe Starters
•$10 Visa Gift Card to purchase recipe ingredients
•Progresso Recipe Starters recipe book, including 5 recipes to get you started
•Baking dish
•Measuring Cups
•Sauce Scraper

We haven't tried the Recipe Starters yet, but plan to soon! I can't wait!

Progresso and MyBlogSpark is offering one of my readers the same Gift Pack I received. I know you want one!! As always, it will be really easy to enter. Just leave a comment. You can get one entry for each of the following:

1) If you are a follower, leave a comment that you are.

2) Check out Progresso.com and let us know of a yummy recipe you would like to try.

And, because I know a lot of people love daily entries, you can come every day and leave a comment about anything you would like.   See....easy! Good luck, all!   You can enter through midnight Tuesday June 18. I will pick a winner on Wednesday and post the winner’s name and send an email for your mailing address.

Disclosure: The information, products and ProgressoTM Recipe StartersTM gift packs were provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Two more days to enter my Combat Ant Bait Giveaway

Head here and sign up! Super low entries!

If you don't need Combat Ant Bait, surely you know someone that can use it!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Combat Max Ant Killer and Giveaway

I recently received some Combat Source Kill Max Ant bait and gel to try out and tell you about it. Wouldn't you know we have had no ants to try this on? So, I am going to send it to my parents, who have been having a BAD ant problem. When I was there visiting, Mom was trying all sorts of things to safely get rid of ants.

I HAVE used Combat products for years, so I know that their ant products are just as good as their roach products which are great! Let me tell you a little about the ant products.

Combat Source Kill MaxA2 Ant Gel

This product is formulated to effectively control ants. It contains Fipronil, a fast-acting active ingredient. It's speed is still slow enough, however, for foraging ants to return to the colony and feed the bait to the larvae and queen so the entire colony is killed.

Combat Source Kill MaxA1 Ant Bait

This product contains an effective insecticide which kills most ants commonly found in homes. This product is effective because the ants carry bait back to the colony so that all ants are killed. It even kills ants outside to keep them from coming in.

Combat is giving away $1000 to one lucky winner to have a backyard bash. There is still a little summer left for bashing in the backyard. Just go here to find out how to get rid of ants and enter to win!

You can also win right here! Combat is giving away the same Combat Source Kill package I got. One package of ant bait and one of ant gel. To enter, just leave me a comment about any bug problems you have dealt with lately.

And, as always, since we all love daily entries, you can leave a comment every day about something fun you did this summer. Giveaway runs through Tuesday, September 11. I will pick a random winner on Wednesday.

Good luck!

NOTE: I was provided Combat products to try giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

First Day of School

Hey, just because my kids are grown does not mean I don't have pictures. Check out my grandsons on their first day of school.

Theo on his first day of first grade.
And today (8/29) he is 6 years old.
 Theo and Wyatt (3) on their way to school.
 Jacob (5) on his first day of Kindergarten.
My kids made some pretty babies!

Friday, August 24, 2012

Rocking out at work....

Since we went to an “open concept office” a year and a half ago, sometimes the noise level in our office is almost unbearable. For me, anyway. Since I am working on contract and legal documents most of the day every day, I really need to focus. My boss is not very tolerant of errors, even though he realizes it is hard to focus in our environment. (He complains about it, too.)

So, I often plug in earbuds and listen to music. I have never done this in any previous job or office as I think it is very unprofessional. But, it is necessary now. I have got to focus.Several years ago, Hubby made me some “mix tapes” on CD. Awwwwww….isn’t he sweet?! So, many of them have my favorite genre….wait for it……..disco. I heard the collective moan and I don’t care a bit. I love disco and have loved it since I discovered it in college. Disco music just does wonders for me whenever I hear it. 

So, when the noise gets off-the-charts loud, as it does several times a day, I plug in my earbuds and crank up the volume.

I thought I would share one of my favorite songs with you. It is impossible not to move to this song and I can listen to it over and over. Enjoy!
Yeah, baby! It's raining men. Halellujah!

And it doesn't hurt that in my mind, Channing Tatum is taking his clothes off!

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Back to school.

I don't have to worry about back to school, except for the increased traffic in the mornings. But as a Purex Insider, I do have something to share with all you parents that are sending kids back to school.

It’s an exciting time for parents and kids alike with school starting up and Purex has packed tons of Back-to-School information into Purex.com/Back-To-School.

Be sure to check it out and find tips on getting back into the swing of school routines, downloadable lists of back to school essentials and enter for your chance to win a $1,000 Back to School Shopping Spree!

Also, be sure to remind your readers to "like" Purex on Facebook and enter to win up to $10,000!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Yes, I came back....

Did you all think I got lost in the boonies? I wish! I had a fabulous and relaxing vacation and wish I could have stayed forever. Well, I would have had to fly Hubby there, since he was still at home.

But alas, a girl's gotta eat.....and drive....so I came back home and back to my job. And I was SLAMMED this week. I really hate the week after vacation. Not only was I trying to catch up on all the work that apparently can only be done by me... Yes, I am that special.... but everyone seemed to have emergencies that had to be taken care of RIGHT THIS MINUTE.  I was beat every evening. Thank God I don't have to come home and cook and clean. I love my hubby!

I had a great time while on vacation, so even though the week was long and work filled, I am still stress free. So, my vacation was a success!

Here are a few pics:
My 4-year-old great niece, Navi Lynn. She is angelic as she looks....sometimes.
 Her mama, my niece, Jessica. She is exactly as devilish as she looks.
 One of the views from my parents' back deck. Could it be any more gorgeous?
I didn't take a ton of pics as all of the rest of us look the same. But I did have an amazingly wonderful time.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Oh, yeah.....I'm on vacation....

I totally forgot to tell you all that I am on vacation this week. I was so buried at work that I get home just exhausted. I have barely even checked blogs this week. Sorry, I am so behind. I will catch up over the next week when I get a chance.

I am in beautiful rural Tennessee with my first family. Yesterday, I flew in to Nashville, where my sister and her fiance picked me up. First I have to let you know that my virtue is still intact. The TSA agents barely looked at me and said, "You're okay." and waved me on. LOL! I must look safe. Thank God they didn't check my bra for that oozie I was carrying. I'm kidding...I'm kidding. I don't even know if I spelled oozie right. LOL!

We stopped and ate, so got back to my sister's house way in then boonies at around 6 and Sis asked me if I wanted to go to "the auction". There is an auction house not to far from where she lives that has auctions every Friday and Saturday night. They go regularly and I said why not, so off we went.

There was a huge variety of stuff auctioned off, some for great prices, some we thought were not so great. Sis and bf got a few items, but nothing really excited me until the FOOD was auctioned at the end of the night. I am telling you, if I had been near home, I would have filled my freezer. Sis didn't load up like I would have. Of course, she is close to the auction and apparently they have these types of items regularly. She got 2 lb bags of shredded cheeze for $4, sliced Black Forest Ham for $1.50/lb, bacon for $2.50/lb. There were a lot of other good deals, I would have jumped all over and loaded up my freezer. LOL!

I am looking for an auction when I get home.

This morning, I am waiting for my meds to kick in. I am fighting off a sinus infection and woke  up with a bugger of a headache. If I can get rid of it in time, I will go to church with Sis. If I still have it, I may hang out here while they go. Then later, we will head to Mom and Dad's. Can't wait to see them!

I'll check in when I can and will try to get some pics. Have a great week!

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Drought-Proof Your Grocery Budget

I receive a newsletter from the Frugal Living site at About.com and today it was on a timely topic that I thought I would share. I know that a lot of people are worried about what the nationwide drought will do to their food budget. I am not that worried, but thought that this information is interesting and can be helpful to anyone that is worried, or has a tight budget.

(Shared from Erin Huffstetler at About.com Drought-Proof Your Grocery Budget)

You can't watch the news right now without hearing about the drought, and there's good reason for that. Check out these statistics from the USDA and the United States Drought Monitor:
  • 55% of the continental U.S. is now under drought conditions
  • 1,297 counties have been declared national disaster areas        
  • 88% of the corn crop is located in areas impacted by the drought        
  • 87% of the soybean crop is located in areas impacted by the drought
  • There hasn't been a worse drought in the U.S. since the 1950's
All of that adds up to bad news for farmers and consumers. Analysts say to expect higher prices at the grocery store in the coming months, and the list of impacted foods is staggering.
    Basics like flour and dried pasta will go up because of the failing wheat crop. Cheese, butter and milk will go up because of a decline in milk production. Meat prices will go up because of increasing feed costs, and fruit and vegetable prices will go up because of smaller than normal harvests (caused by both the drought and the extreme heat). In short, it seems there aren't many foods that won't be impacted.

    So, what can you do to keep all of these increases from taking a big bite out of your grocery budget? Start stockpiling now. While dairy and meat prices will start climbing within the next couple months, many of the other increases won't reach stores until next year (when we start relying on the 2012 harvest). That gives you plenty of time to stock up on food at this year's prices.

    Here are some places to start:
    • Load up on fresh produce when you find a good deal. Then, freeze or can the extra to enjoy later
    • Stock up on cheese and butter when it goes on sale. It freezes beautifully
    • Meat prices are experiencing a temporary dip. Fill your freezer before the prices start to go up
    • Build up your supply of flour. Wheat flour can be frozen to extend its shelf life
    • Stock up on canned and frozen fruits and veggies. The canned and frozen foods that are in stores now came from the 2011 harvest, so they're still cheap
    • Combine sales and coupons to build a reserve of cereal, oatmeal, dried pasta and other non-perishables
    For a complete list of foods that you should consider stockpiling now, check out: What To Stockpile Due To The Drought

    Sunday, July 22, 2012

    You are NOT sexy!

    This is just a message to all those women that think they are dressing sexy by wearing the smallest, tightest thing they can squeeze their fat bodies into.

    Hubby and I went out to lunch yesterday. Chinese buffet. Yummy! As I have mentioned in the past, Hubby can eat for a LONG time at a buffet. (And never gains weight, the rat.) So, I always have time to people watch after I am done and he continues to eat. LOL!

    Now, I am not the fashion police. But if I were, I would have been handing out tickets right and left yesterday. I do not understand why women, of every age mind you, think it is sexy to squeeze themselves into clothes that are too small. If you have a gigantic gut, I would think you would want to camoflage it. But no! I saw so many that had that gut emphasized with their tight shirts. Not tight enough to suck in it, just tight enough to show it off. And in some cases, to just let it hang out there.

    And let's not forget the ginormous asses emphasized in tight, low cut pants and sequins.

    Not a pretty sight, especially when you are eating.

    Oh, and if you have ginormous boobs, keep those babies in. I don't now want to have to worry that you are going to have a "wardrobe malfunction" any second.

    What made these people think this looks good???? I just don't get it.

    I even asked Hubby if he thought it was sexy. His response, "Ugh. No!"

    If you dress like this and read this and are offended, I apologize. But I am offended, too.

    Thursday, July 19, 2012

    My Purex Giveaway winners!

    I won! I won! LOL!

    I left one comment responding to Sluggy and Random.org picke my number first. But, I disqualified myself. LOL!

    The real winners are:

    janetfaye
    Wendy Rozema
    Marilyn's Money

    Congrats to the winners! I will email tonight to get your mailing information. If you just can't wait, you can send your mailing address to me at fperkins2000 @ gmail.com.

    Thanks to all who entered!

    Tuesday, July 17, 2012

    One more day to enter my Purex giveaway!

    Don't forget to go here and enter to win a coupon for a FREE bottle of Purex. Lots of ways to enter through midnight on 7/18.

    Low entries.

    Go enter!

    Thursday, July 12, 2012

    Purex Let's Be Honest Review and Giveaway.

    Whether it’s paying too much for “premium” detergent or uncovering the truth about skinny jeans, Purex is shedding some light on everyday absurdities. Check back often for new videos where comedian Molly Erdman talks about every day absurdities.  Check back often for new videos.


    Plus, enter for a chance to win free Purex for a year.

    I have to say that "Morning Person" is probably my favorite. I really hate mornings.

    I know you are all waiting to hear what I am giving away. Well, Purex, of course! As a Purex Insider, I received 3 coupons for a FREE bottle of Purex Triple Action detergent. And I am going to give them all away.......to 3 of my readers.

    "How do I enter?" you ask. Well, it is easy! Check out www.purex.com/lets-be-honest and tell me what your favorite video is. Come back and tell me which it is and you are entered to win.

    Here are some more ways you can enter:
    • You can "Like" any or all videos. You can leave a comment once for each video you Like.
    • You can Share any or all videos. You can leave a comment once for each video you Share.
    • You can Tweet any or all videos. You can leave a comment once for each video you Tweet about.
    ETA:  To clarify, you can Like, Share and/or Tweet as many videos as you want to. Each Like, Share and/or Tweet can get you another entry if you leave me a comment that you did it.
      I think that can give you a lot of entries. And because I know some readers like daily entries, you can also comment once a day leaving an hint to help make laundry easier.

      You can enter through midnight on Wednesday, July 18. I will pick 3 winners and announce them on July 19, as well as sending them an email for their mailing information.

      Thanks to Purex for providing the coupons for me to give away. Good luck, all! Start entering!

      AT&T Non-Tech Support, Sort of a Part 2.

      This is the continuation of my Sunday Night at Walmart adventure.

      On Monday, Hubby went to the AT&T store to get the modem I wanted. He said he went to Radio Shack first but it was really busy and the one clerk was on the phone, so he decided to hit AT&T instead. He figured they might have more clerks and he was right. He got the modem I wanted, ($75) with no router as we already have one, and went home.

      When I got home from work, I was so calm and upbeat. Installing a modem is a breeze.

      Or so I thought.

      I have installed modems before. Heck, I have even installed internal modems. I know how to do it and I know how to read instructions. But I could not get the darn thing to work. I even left my router out of the equation, wanting to just get an internet signal before reconnecting everything.

      After about an hour, I gave up and called tech support. Yep, it was like I had never called before. So I went through the whole thing and finally the guy, I don't even remember his fake name, decides the problem is now in the line. What? I thought my modem was bad? "It was last night. Now it's the line." Yes, that is what he told me. So he said they would send a tech out the next day to check the lines. Whew!

      Then an message was left 1/2 hour later, call AT&T or they would assume our issue was corrected. I called BACK....got another tech.....who wanted me to do everything again. I was so mad. I told her I only called to make sure they didn't cancel the tech visit and I didn't need to discuss anything with her. Apparently, I was a little curt as Bob sat listening and laughing.

      The tech came the next day and managed to get an internet signal into the house, but called me at work as he could not get it to my computer. I told him as long as he got it TO the modem, I could take care of the rest and he could leave.

      To make a longer story short, after I got home, I figured out that the modem, router and ethernet card all apparently went out. I am thinking power surge or lightning. So, I went and got the AT&T modem with a router for $25 more and a wireless adapter for my pc. When I got home, in less than 30 minutes I had everything up and running.

      AT&T tech support sucks.

      I do not suck.

      The end.

      Monday, July 9, 2012

      Walmart on a Sunday Night.

      When we heard on the news about the virus that might block internet access at midnight last night, I immediately check both of our computers to ensure that we didn’t have it. God forbid we lose internet connection. Both machines were clean.

      I was watching a movie on Netflix in the afternoon and we were having some pretty odd weather. It was dark and thundering like crazy but not raining. Then there was a giant clap of thunder right overhead that scared the crap out of me. Yes, I jumped and screeched a little. Hubby just laughed. It did sprinkle a bit and a little while later, I lost my internet connection. No big deal. I figured it was from the weather.

      So, I went to the computer and reset the modem and the router and nothing. Then I started trying to get a network connection and no luck. After a while, I ended up calling tech support, and spoke to “Francis”. Yeah….I guarantee that was not his real name. I will just say I have never heard that accent come out of a Francis, and leave it at that.

      After going through all the steps they require, even though I had already done them before calling. Francis determined that there was an outage at the server and he would report it. He said it should be back on-line in 3 to 4 hours and if it wasn’t, I could call back for the status.

      I waited about 4 ½ hours and still had no internet, so called back. This time I got “Patrick”. Yeah, he had the same accent. And guess what? You would think that I had never called in the first time. He made me go through all the same steps I had on the first call. I got a little annoyed. He insisted there was no server outage reported. I told him that “Francis” was going to report it 4 ½ hours ago. Anyway, this guy was annoying, but I still went through all the steps. I asked, “Do you think my modem could have gone bad?” He assured me that it hadn’t. Then for some reason, he decided that I needed to change out my Ethernet cable. Huh??? I had another one, so switched it out. He assured me that would fix the problem. It didn’t.

      Then, guess what?! He decided that my modem must have gone out. And it was not under warranty. I said, “No shit, I got it about 10 years ago.” He, of course, offered to send me out a new one for the amazing price of $75. I told him we would find one locally, thanked him for his time and hung up. I am NEVER rude to tech support. I know they get all kinds of calls, but usually, once one realizes that I know a little about my computer, they stop treating me like an imbecile. This one did not and just pissed me off. Hubby thought it was hilarious.

      So, since the AT&T store was not open, we headed to WalMart to see if we could find a DSL modem there. I am not waiting to have one shipped. We need our internet! We got to WalMart a little before 7 and it was so NOT crowded. If it were not a Sunday night and I had to go to work the next day and I was not pissed about my encounter with Patrick, it would have been pretty nice. It was the perfect time to go to WalMart.

      As luck would have it, our store only carried one brand of DSL modem and it was out of stock. We picked up a few other things, then left. I gave Hubby specific details of what I want and told him to go to Radio Shack today and if they had a modem for $75 or less, to buy it there. If not, he could go to the AT&T store.

      I have not heard from him today. I hope he is okay. LOL!

      (Oh, and yes, for some reason, I can access Blogger from work. We will see how long that lasts.)

      The Winners of the Dry Idea Giveaway are....

      Drumroll please...


      Using Random.org, the winning entries chosen are 6, 1 & 2.

      Slugmama
      SonyaAnn
      Judy

      Congratulations!!

      I will be sending you and email to get your mailing informaiton and will be mailing your coupons for a FREE Dry Idea this week.

      Keep an eye out for my next giveaway!

      Saturday, July 7, 2012

      Low Entry Dry Idea Giveaway

      Go enter my giveaway through Sunday 7/8.

      Low entries....high chance of winning.

      You can't win if you don't enter!

      Thursday, July 5, 2012

      Some great energy saving tips.

      Just to show that I am more than just a sleezy movie watching gal, (though I do love doing that) I thought I would share some interesting energy saving tips that I found here.

      Please note: Hubby and I do not do all of these, though we should do more of them.


      1. HEAT AND COOL YOUR HOME MORE EFFECTIVELY
      Keeping comfortable doesn’t have to cost a bundle.

      Cut cooling costs. Set your thermostat no lower than 78 degrees in the summer. Consider ceiling fans and a whole-house fan instead of air-conditioning―they use a lot less electricity.

      Check your thermostat. Set it no higher than 68 degrees in the winter. For every degree lower, you’ll carve about 5 percent off your seasonal bill.

      Garden to insulate. Plant trees and bushes on your house’s north side to keep winter winds at bay and on the south side for summer shade.

      Harness the power of the sun. When it’s cold out, open the curtains to warm a room. (Keep them closed to cool rooms in the summer.)

      Replace your filters. Clean or replace furnace, air conditioner and heat-pump filters regularly to keep the units running efficiently.

      Seal drafts. Use caulk and weather-stripping to prevent air leaks around windows and doors. It’s a small investment that pays for itself many times over.


      2. USE WATER WISELY
      Water heating accounts for up to 25 percent of your utility bill. Cut costs now with these simple tips.

      Stop the flow. Don’t let water run while you brush your teeth or wash dishes. You’ll save four gallons a minute.

      Lower the heat. Most people keep their water heater hotter than needed. Don’t set it higher than 120 degrees.

      Wash smart. Wash full loads of laundry in cold water, and opt for line-drying whenever possible. You’ll save on electricity and reduce the heat buildup in your home as well as the need for more air-conditioning.

      Let the dishes slide. Run your dishwasher only when it’s full―you’ll use a third less water than when hand washing. Select the no-heat air-dry feature to increase your savings. And there’s no need to pre-rinse for today’s machines, so save a little water there, too.


      3. POWER DOWN ON ENERGY
      Save a bundle on your home electronics with these energy-reducing tips.

      Unplug. Even when you’re not using your microwave, TV, computer or cell-phone charger, you’re paying for them. Unplug them! Better yet, plug clustered electronics into a power strip and turn them all off at once before you head to work, bed or vacation.

      Put your computer to sleep. Better yet, shut it down. Turn off monitors if they’re not in use for 20 minutes, and CPUs if they’re not being used for more than two hours. Lose the screen savers as they waste energy! Use your lapt op, if you have one. They consume less power than PCs.


      4. SHED SOME LIGHT
      About 20 percent of electricity in the United States is spent on lightbulbs. Help trim that number.

      Let the sun shine in. Don’t use lights during the day. It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to forget.

      Turn it off. Switch off the lights in rooms nobody’s in. Make a house rule: If there’s one person in a room, there should only be one light on.

      Change bulbs. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use almost 70 percent less energy, emit way less heat and last 10 times longer than traditional, incandescent bulbs―saving you $30 over the life of one bulb.

      Space lamps smartly. Keep them away from air-conditioner thermostats; their heat will cause AC units to run longer.

      Install dimmers. Lights that are dimmed cost less and extend the life of the bulb. A dimmer is easy to install, and it allows you to control the amount of light for any mood.


      5. SCHEDULE AN AUDIT
      Don’t throw money out the window! Contact a home energy auditor for a home assessment.

      Ask your utility company if it offers free or discounted energy audits. Many will send an expert to your home for free, and some offer rebate programs to help pay for energy-efficient upgrades.

      Hire a home energy expert. A certified Home Energy Rater can perform an energy-efficiency inspection. A good inspector should be at your home for at least two hours and give you a prioritized list of energy-saving tips. Search the Residential Energy Services Network at www .natresnet.org/directory/raters .aspx to find a certified rater.

      Do it yourself. Audit guidelines and money-saving tips are available online at hes.lbl.gov.


      DID YOU KNOW? 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while they are not in use.

      Wednesday, July 4, 2012

      Happy 4th of July!

      Happy 4th of July from Houston, Texas!

      I don't actually live in Houston, but I work there and it has the best fireworks show every year.

      Hope everyone is having, or did have, a wonderful 4th. This is the last day of my mini vacation and it has been wonderful so far. On Sunday, we got to play with Theo and Wyatt. That is always fun! Of course, they wore us out. LOL! But we have recovered nicely.

      Monday, Hubby and I headed out a few towns over to a local farm we like to go to. It is far enough away that the cost of gas offsets any savings, but the produce is so good and fresh that it is okay. We got squash, brocolli, celery, green onions, yellow onions, green beans, green bell peppers, apples and sweet potatoes. I think that is it. We wanted to get some corn on the cob, but it didn't look really fresh and it was 2 for $1 and stores all around us have it on sale for less, so we didn't get that. We usually go on the weekends and it seems like the produce didn't look as wonderful as it does on weekends, but it is possible that Monday is not the best day to go. LOL!

      We also went to a little "country cooking" restaurant that has wonderful food. It has been there for years and my parents used to go to it a lot when they lived down here. We then came home, brought in our haul and relaxed the rest of the day and evening. Well, I relaxed while cutting, chopping, and prepping veggies for the freezer.

      Yesterday I went with my girlfriend to see Magic Mike. I really liked it. Did you expect any different?? LOL! Rhonda's comment after the movie, "It had a lot more plot than I expected." She is so funny. What was not funny was Matthew McConaughey's bod. Ooooo.....Baby!
      Yeah, the younger guys were hot. But what can I say, I love me a slightly sleezy cowboy. LOL! And of course he is a Texas boy. Gotta love it!

      I will add that it was not the male stripping that I remember from the late 70s early 80s, where, to me, it was not necessarily the stripping that was the draw, but the dancing. The stripping was sort of secondary to a hot guy doing a really great dance number. There was a lot of bumping grinding and lap dancing in Magic Mike and I have been told that some reports say it is true to life of the business. Oh well, it was still great fun. Lord knows I am not too prudish to enjoy a little man flesh on display.

      After the movie, I dropped my girlfriend off and ran to WalMart to pick up a few things. I really hate WalMart. It was SO crowded....on a Tuesday early in the afternoon. Don't these people have jobs???? I did run into another girlfriend while there. She did work yesterday, but her office got to leave at noon, so she was out running errands. We visited for a while, though we did move our carts out of the way and did not block any aisles. LOL!

      When I got home, Hubby and I ran to Kroger, since we had not on the weekend. We found a good price on some good looking corn on the cob, so got 18 ears, which is now in the freezer. We may get some more if the price is the same this weekend. We also found a few other good deals, one of which was on Osteo Biflex which is expensive even when it is B1G1 and using 2 coupons. So our totally was a gasp-worthy $96. Whew! But we are pretty stocked up on everything now.

      Today, will be a relaxing day until the early evening when we will head to MIL's to go see the little firework show her town puts on. It is pretty nice and not nearly as crowded as the one in downtown Houston, or even some of the other small towns around here.

      Tomorrow is back to work and I will probably be tired, but I think I can manage a 2 day work week. LOL!

      Happy 4th of July!

      Tuesday, July 3, 2012

      My apologies for my scheduling.

      I was checking comments and found one from "Unknown" about my Pillsbury Baquettes Chips giveaway ending on June 30 and not July 1. I thought someone was being a little picky about me taking until July 2 to announce the winner, but went back and saw that my winner, Ashley, left her winning comment on July 1.

      I'm sorry.

      But I won't un-win Ashley.

      I have learned my lesson. I didn't get a chance to pick a winner until Monday as I was busy on Sunday.  In the future, I will certainly pay closer attention to entry dates when picking the winner of my giveaways.

      And speaking of giveaways, don't forget to enter my Dry Idea Giveaway.

      Monday, July 2, 2012

      The winner of my Pillsbury® Baguette Chips Review and Giveaway is....

      Ashley!

      Congrats, Ashley!

      I have sent an email for your mailing information.

      Thanks to all who entered!

      Dry Idea AdvancedDry Review and GIVEAWAY.

      As a Purex Insider, I recently received a full size bottle of Dry Idea’s new AdvancedDry Deodorant to try out and review. Since we have had record high temperatures the week before last, it was the perfect time to try out deodorant. Or was it?

      I was sent the roll on form of the AdvancedDry and have not used roll on in years. I didn’t remember if I liked it or not, so thankfully didn’t have a lot of preconceived notions. Especially since the literature and bottle said it was the Fast Drying Micro Cotton Formula. I decided to use it first on the weekend, since if it didn’t work I would be at home and could shower off.
      I shook the bottle as directed, then opened it. It is Powder Fresh scent, but really smelled more like an unscented deodorant to me which was fine. I rolled it on and it went on really nicely. I was expecting it to feel wetter. I mean, I knew it was going on wet, but it did not feel wet and sticky. I don't know how long it took to dry, but it did dry. So, clearly the wetness didn't bother me.

      Now I know you are waiting for the answer to the biggest question.....did it keep me smelling nice all day. Yes it did! I was very happy with how well it did that. As a matter of fact, it worked better than the deodorant I was using prior to receiving the Dry Idea. I didn't think that I would buy it in roll on formula, but after using it for a while, I don't see why I wouldn't. I am perfectly happy with it in roll on formula.

      The only problem I had and it was minor for me was that I was wearing a purple tank dress around the house one of the days I used the Dry Idea and it did leave while marks on the armpits. I didn't notice white marks on any other clothes, so I think I might have just not given it time to dry before putting on the tank dress.

      I give Dry Idea AdvancedDry a big thumbs up!
      Dry Idea AdvancedDry Deodorant comes in Unscented, Powder Fresh, and Cotton Dry
      • Has 24 Hour Protection 
      • Has Fast Drying Micro Cotton Formula 
      • Contains Vitamin E 
      • Is Available in 3.25oz size
      • Available in Roll On, Gel, or Stick.
      SWEEPSTAKES: Dry Idea is also having a sweepstakes where you can win: $500 1st Place and 10 $50 2nd Place Prizes. Enter Sweepstakes
       
      AND I am giving away 3 coupons for one FREE Dry Idea, any formula! I know you are all excited!! To enter, tell me about a stressful situation you have had when you wished your deodorant worked better.

      For additional entries:
      • Follow my blog and let me know you do.
      • Check out DryIdea.com and let me know something you found interesting.
      • Like Dry Idea's Facebook page and let me know you did.
      • If you leave a comment on Dry Idea's Facebook page that I sent you, and let me know you did, you can get another entry.
      • And, of course, for the daily entry fans, you can leave any comment every day. :-)
      Entries will be taken through midnight on Sunday, July 8. I will pick 3 winners on Monday evening and post the winners and email you for mailing information.

      Good luck everyone!

      Wednesday, June 27, 2012

      Hey! I have a giveaway going on!

      If someone doesn't start entering here, SonyAnn is gonna win.

      Of course, I guess she wouldn't mind. LOL!

      Monday, June 25, 2012

      Pillsbury® Baguette Chips Review and Giveaway.

      Looking for ways to spice up your snacking routines? Pillsbury knows just how you feel and wants to awaken your taste buds with their new Pillsbury® Baguette Chips! These hearty chips are sliced from oven baked bread and topped with savory seasonings bringing the unique and contemporary flavors of Italian Cheese & Herb and Cheddar Sun-dried Tomato to gourmet snack chips. The delicious flavors and perfect texture of these crispy chips can help you round out any recipe.

      Enjoy Pillsbury Baguette Chips for a wide range of occasions: eat them alone, add a bit more flavor to your favorite dip, spice up soup, or add some crunch to your salad!

      With 130 calories per serving (21 baguette chips), and 50% less fat than regular potato chips*, Pillsbury Baguette Chips are delicious snack chips that you can feel good about eating

      If that’s not enough to get your mouth watering, then check out these delicious chips for yourself. To download a printable coupon for $0.75 off one package, you and your readers can visit http://bit.ly/PBCcoupon today!

      *Pillsbury Baguette Chips (5g fat per 29g serving); regular potato chips (11g fat per 29g serving). See nutrition information for sodium content.

      I recently receive a gift pack with:

      (3) Bags of Pillsbury Baguette Chips in Italian Cheese & Herb

      (3) Bags of Pillsbury Baguette Chips in Cheddar Sundried Tomato

      I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Italian Cheese and Herb. I like the Cheddar Sundried Tomato, but I am seriously addicted to the Italian Cheese and Herb. I opened the bag, not knowing what to expect, and received a pleasant surprise. The chips are like little slices of toasted breadsticks, smaller than I expected. They are light and tasty and I had a hard time making myself stop eating them. I told Hubby that I think they would also make really good “croutons” for our salads, so we are going to try that.

      MyBlogSpark and Pillsbury have offered to give one of my readers a gift pack as well. Your gift pack will contain: (3) Bags of Pillsbury Baguette Chips in Italian Cheese & Herb and (3) Bags of Pillsbury Baguette Chips in Cheddar Sundried Tomato.

      As always, it will be really easy to enter. Just leave a comment. You can get one entry for each of the following:

      1) Tell us how you would use Pillsbury Baguette Chips to spice up your snacking routine.
      2) If you are a follower, leave a comment that you are.
      3) Check out the Pillsbury Website: http://goo.gl/fL5Fa and tell me something interesting you found.
      4) Check out the Pillsbury Facebook Page: http://on.fb.me/pad9ru and Like Pillsbury, then come back and tell me that you did.
      5) Check out the Pillsbury Twitter Page: http://bit.ly/q8CoIm and become a follower.

      And, because I know a lot of people love daily entries, you can come every day and leave a comment about whath flavor you would like to see Pillsbury Baguette Chips come out with next. Be creative…I know you can be.

      You can enter through midnight Saturday, June 30. I will pick a winner on Sunday and post the winner’s name and send an email for your mailing address.

      Good luck!

      “Disclosure: The product, gift pack, information, and additional sample have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.”