Looking?

When the kids get bigger I realize that I'm going to have to return back to the work force.

Of course, I haven't really thought about what I might want to do. I know that I'm pretty burned out on healthcare and I'm not sure that I'd want to return.

Maybe I'll look at a sales job search and see if there's anything in my local area.

I did awesome at sales and marketing and really enjoyed it. PLUS it was a great way for me to make good money and have a somewhat flexible schedule.

Just the other day...

I was talking to a friend at a party about the local economy.

The previous year I had told her about how I was doing tons of blogging and how it was bringing in some decent money.

She worked in marketing at Cornell and seemed interested in what I was doing.

Another person who was listening asked more about blogging. Supposedly her department at Cornell is downsizing and outsourcing her IT department to another department off-campus.

Seems like in a year a lot has happened and I hope that a year from now this will all be over and the economy will be back to "normal".

I ate too much.

That's been an all-too-familiar phrase these past few months. I love my food though and when I find something I love...I overconsume.

That's why I should probably alter my eating habits, do some light movement, and consider weight loss products!!

I'm still nursing and so the weight loss products would have to be nursing friendly or all natural.

Sexy bathing suit -- here I come!

Busy Santa.

Yesterday was so busy.

I cleaned the house, did laundry, and made sure that everything was ready to go. Not to mention both kids are at home!

Tonight is going to be even busier!!! The house is already a shithole again and so I have to clean it and then I'd like to put the kids down for a nap since we went to bed so late last night.

Then later tonight...we really have our work cut out for us. Bunk bed hell.

I'm sure there will be profanities!!

Show me the teeth!

I'm a grinder.

I admit it. Every night before I go to bed I have to put in my night guard or else I spend all night grinding my teeth.

Over the years and pre-mouth guard days I used to wake up with a sore jaw. Plus, I have the signs of a grinder - jagged teeth.

Margot's already told me that we don't have money in the budget for more teeth.

But I've been looking around and Washington DC dental implants has some pretty reasonable rates!

SO FULL.

Last night we went to Christine and Amy's seven fish dinner.

I ate way too much and could barely move. At one point I thought that I was going to pop or throw up. Thank God neither happened.

Last night when we got home I nursed Emmy and we both slept SO GOOD.

Of course, that was midnight and I'm pretty sure after being overstimulated her brain just needed 8 hours of relaxation!

I've got to move it, move it.

I'm going to start my weight loss program in just a few more weeks. I figure I should just enjoy the holidays and then it's exercise and diet for me!

Of course, I could just try Hydroxycut and call it a day. I know that medications work great for me and if one little pill can help out... I'm all for it!

This week's schedule...

Well it looks like I have another busy week!

Today we listed our house with a real estate agent and so I'm sure I'll be busting my ass to get the house ready for showings and then dropping off the dog. Ugh.

Monday - Books, Babies, and Bouncing at the library
Tuesday - Playgroup at Deb's/ Cardiologist Appt

I'm exhausted and going for a nap now.

Comfort.

I'm all about comfort these days.

In fact, most of my shoes are slipons and I have even started wearing softpants. EEk.

I have my eye on some Dansko professional clogs this holiday season. They're easy to put on and they're so durable and comfortable.

Years ago I had a brown pair of Dankos and I wore them every day! After a year of straight wear the heels got weird and I had to throw them out.

If Santa's looking at this post --- Hook me up with some new Danskos!

I've been thinking...

that maybe what I'll decide to do while the kids are young is real estate!

We met with our agent today and signed paperwork.

I think I would love to meet with potential buyers and show them houses. Then the fun begins with purchase offers, negotiations, and closing.

Of course, with this economy it'd always be nice to have a steady income like Margot's!

However, it's nice to know that we could live on just one income...

We were just looking...

online for wedding and engagement rings.

Years ago Margot lost her ring and I decided to wear mine so that it didn't look like I was a single mother!

I've told Margot that the one thing that I want for Christmas is matching rings. I figure I'll look online and I might even take a trip to the mall.

I'm selling these

Camera for sale?

Margot's dad has over 20 cameras that we are looking to sale and I have no idea the worth or the best place to sell them.

I'm looking for a good electronics blog that might have information on buying and selling electronics!

Why does the economy have to be in such poor shape when we're looking to sale these very expensive cameras?

The aftermath...

I never realized how much there is to do after someone dies. Margot's been taking care of the financial stuff and I've been doing the posessions and trying to sell off and get rid of stuff.

Of course, the financial stuff would be easier had arrangements and beneficiaries were listed.

I guess it's all good prep so that we can make changes on our will in case anything ever happened.

Back to school for me?

Lately, I've been thinking about what I want to do for an occupation once the kids start school in another two years or so. I enjoyed healthcare and working with the senior population, however, I didn't like all of the responsibility and very honestly I'm not sure I'd want to manage other people.

I've really considered a MS nursing degree. Since I already have a bachelor I think I'd just have to take a few more science classes and then I'd be eligible.

One thing about nursing is that there's a constant need and I could work at the hospital or a doctor's office.

I've always had an interest in Labor and Delivery and a degree in nursing would allow me to be part of the process.

Saint Xavier University Online would allow me to get my degree while staying home with the kids. Many times you get to do online work and then for the occassional weekend you would need to do campus work.

It sounds like a perfect match and one that I might seriously look into.

Life's too short to do something that you don't enjoy.

Off for a while.

Things took an awful turn Friday night with Margot's father. her brother was visiting and in the middle of the night we got a call that her dad was unconscious on the floor and not responding. He was taken to the hospital and by Sunday they decided to stop life support.

To say the least...we're all just taking it easy going through stuff and trying to make sense of all of the financial stuff.

Augh.

Fatty.

Okay, this post-pregnancy extra poundage has got to go!

I must admit that I haven't been trying to hard to drop the pounds. I've been eating like it's my last meal and let's not even talk about the whole exercise aspect!

I think I need to find some good diet pills that are all natural. Since I'm nursing I can't do any of the hardcore diet pills that was I on prior to getting pregnant.

Am I employable?

So I must admit with the economy headed towards the shitter I'm somewhat scared of what lies ahead for me in the upcoming year or so when I decided to go back to work part-time.

I haven't quite figured out what I want to do but I might want to stay with teaching and substituting seems to actually be a pretty flexible gig and perfect for doing drop off and pick up at school!

That's just not right...

Every single night I have the worst gas.

I used to have occassional gas but since the baby has been born my body hasn't been the same. To say the least it's affecting everyone.

I've tried cutting out dairy and that hasn't helped in the slightest and so I've gone back on dairy because I miss my milk and cheese so much!

I might think about doing a body cleanse or colon cleanser. I've heard that there can be bacteria in the colon that can cause digestive issues.

Anything's worth a try at this point...

On the go!

I swear lately I've been on the go non-stop.

I had dentist appointments, playgroups, groceries, picking kids up, dropping kids off, and meetings!

I think for my birthday I'm going to ask Margot to take the kids and let me have a day of peace. I'm just going to stay in bed and watch bad television and not be a mama!

Exhausted mama.

Good god I'm friggin' exhausted.

I have given up coffee now for a few days and I can barely function. I almost know what druggies must go through when they detox because I feel useless and spent all of the time!

The good thing...Emmy's been sleeping like a champ and actually been staying asleep through the night.

I know there's light at the end of the tunnel.

Detox me!

We've talked about doing a detox for our bodies. However, I never realized how many different detoxes are out there!

There's orovo detox and the other day I was at the store and saw this detox that has you putting patches on your feet.

Supposedly, when you wake up the patches are black and that's the bad toxins that come out through your feet.

I want to buy them just to see what happens!

Errands.

Today I've got the following list of things to do:

1. Pick up meds
2. Get blood drawn for Thyroid
3. Get battery for G's watch
4. Meet up with fridge guy so that he can fix our freezer

I swear it's always something.

Of course the most important thing on my list is SLEEP!!

Fat.

I really want to lose this baby weight!!!

I keep talking about it and I've gotten to the point where I'm tired of wearing my old maternity clothes and I want to go back to my regular clothing.

It seems like with nursing I'm constantly hungry and if I were to just eat healthy I'm sure I'd drop the pounds pretty fast.

I might look into weight loss pills that are safe while nursing.

This weather!!!

So it's friggin' snowing out.

I can't believe it.

At least Emmy's asleep in her playpen. I just hope that she's able to get some good sleep!

I plan on lying down too because I'm exhausted.

To say the least....last night was rough.

Only a matter of time...

before we're going to have to buy textbooks for the girls!

Grammy loves reading and most recently we bought her some science books at the local book sale.

There are some things that we just don't get with the montessori school and I'm assuming that when she gets older and in their grade school that they'll actually do more book and paperwork.

Quite the break.

EEk!

To say the least since the baby was born I really haven't worked much. Partly because I don't have daycare options and there's no way for me to bring Emmy with me!

Also, I just want to sit back, relax, and enjoy Emmy being a baby.

This was the stage that I missed when Graem was born so it's been really nice to see Emmy turn over and do so many cute things!

Ouch.

Lately, I've had such terrible pain in my feet. At night they tend to tense up and I swear that I can barely walk. Typically I have to walk on my tip-toes just to get down the stairs.

A few years ago I had the same thing and was diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis. The solution was wearing better shoes and/or arch supports!

I think losing weight probably helped too.

After all this time...

of talking about painting the living room and switching out the home theatre system --- I've finally done it!!

Of course, our couch is still broken and the guys are coming next week to take it away for repair.

Now all we need is theater seating and a new flat screen to make our living room cozy!

Moving?

Years ago we were considering moving to San Francisco. We looked at apartments, were going to sell one of our cars and even looked into renting a moving truck to take our stuff cross country!

To say the least it was going to cost a small fortune. (This was before moving pods).

Then the idea totally got yanked when Margot's job got resended and the whole dot com industry went under!

Now of course, I'm glad that we decided to stay in upstate New York and have babies!

New York City?

At one point I thought that I wanted to be in a big city. Especially when I was working in corporate America.

I wouldn't mind Manhattan jobs but I think I'd really have to make enough in order for us to live comfortably.

I've been tossing around the idea of going back to school lately and either getting a teaching, law, or business degree!

The clean machine.

I've been pretty happy with our Dyson. However, it seems to be having some sucking issues lately. I'm sure there's something that I need to clean out and it's engineering is pretty easy to figure out.

I've heard that Electrolux vacuums are really good too.

From now on...I will never again buy another cheap vacuum! God knows, we've been through our fair share of vacuums under $100. Heck, we've probably purchased five of them already!

Music to my ears.

I've tried absolutely everything to get Emmy to stop crying. In fact, I purchased these little wind chimes that are in the forms of duckies that were attached to her carseat and I've since moved them to hang off of her seat.

Nothing works.

The other day I went to a Le Leche meeting and one thing that the girls were talking about was to turn the radio on an AM station and let the static on the channels be heard.

Sure enough...the best cure all and what has worked on a few occasions to end crying.

Static.

What is going on with me?

Something is totally whacked with my hormones. When I was pregnant I had absolutely NO pimples or acne of any sort.

Now... I've got pizza city going on and it's gross.

I need fast acting acne cures that will help me beat this stuff.

Or...maybe I should just get pregnant again.

JUST JOKING.

How original.

That's exactly how I don't feel these days. I really try to do a decent job of getting meals on the table by the time Margot gets home and I like to make sure that it tastes good too.

However, I've been at a loss for what to prepare these past few weeks and I wish I could figure out some new recipes. Maybe I should come up with a 2 week menu and stick with it!

*pop*

Goes the pimple.

I swear I've tried all pimple creams and I've almost given up hope that I will ever be acne free!

In fact, the only time that my complexion was perfect was when I was pregnant. Now how twisted is that? Most of the time it's the other way around!

I have a dermatologist appointment in September and I think I'm going to mention it again. The last time I went to him he gave me some cream and I was pretty inconsistent about putting it on!

The good ole' days.

I used to enjoy going golfing a few times during the summer. Of course, when I was a corporate girl I was all about having the best golf bags, clubs, shoes, and even clothing!

I've thought about taking Graem out to the local golf course but didn't want to shell out the big bucks. Plus, I didn't know how well she would tolerate it.

Now that we have a new putt-putt place down the street I think I might give that a shot first!

Back in the day...

we used to own motorcycles!

Ours were nothing special and half of the time I'd tip mine and end up on the pavement. OUCH!

Now that we're settled down with kids I don't forsee in our near future going back to the days of boats and motorcycles!

However, when the kids go to high school or college I might be interested in looking at used Harleys!

Can't take the biker out of the chick, ya know?

Me wants.

A new LCD TV. I've been keeping an eye on them and they've gone down in price considerably.

In fact, over the next year or so I can forsee having to get a new dvd/home theatre system and possibly a new television for the living room.

Of course, I'm not sure where we'll find the money to replace our existing television!

I'm desperate.

For some sexy shoes.

It seems like pregnancy did a number on my shoes and I've been wearing crocs and sandals all summer. However, my chacos have come to the end of the road and I really need to think about getting another pair.

Of course, I know that fall and winter are right around the corner and I will probably need a new pair of slide on shoes too!

Yikes.

With everything going crazy we forgot to realize that Margot's passport expired!

I've heard that when it expires you have to go through all of the tedious paperwork again. I wish we would have realized that it was about to expire and just renewed it.

God knows we don't have a whole lot of extra time these days with two little ones running around!

SO HOT.

Today actually hasn't been bad but when I was a kid I used to love to hang out near the refrigerators section of the appliance store!

Mind you, I lived in Houston and a cool day is in the low 90's.

These days the temperature doesn't get too hot in upstate New York and today is a mild and overcast afternoon. I have the fan turned on with the window open and it seems to be perfect!

No more moving for us!

We just went to a friend's apartment the other night and they moved last week. They had to go up three flights of stairs and I'm sure they thought hiring movers was the best investment they had ever made!

Margot's dad moves all of the time and next time he moves I think he should hire New York Moving Company to get the job done!

The last time he moved he hired some guys off of the street and to say the least some of his stuff ended up broken and missing!

The zoo!

We had such a great time taking Grammy and Emmy to the zoo when we were in Houston. I was disappointed in the gift shop though because all of the t-shirts were pretty cheesy and wanted something really unique as a reminder of our day at the zoo.

Perhaps they should have ostrich feathers and all proceeds go to the zoo?

The only thing I was able to bring home from the zoo was a pretty bad sunburn!

We need a new television!

Okay, I've started wanting a new television now that we're at a friend's place and they have a big screen television! It's been so nice and even with my bad eyesight I can even see what's going on and read the wording.

Of course, once we get a television we're also going to need a LCD mount.

Maybe we'll look at our local store and see if they have any good discounts and offer a good deal with financing!

On our way!

Well, it's just a few more days before we leave to go to Houston. I'm really excited because it's been ages since we've gone and I have a lot of catching up with family and friends.

While we are there I'm going to check out a Houston travel guide because I'd like to take Grammy to some of the kid friendly spots and maybe even a museum or two.

They're baaaaaaack.

I'm talking about my zits. I swear the day that I had Emmy I started getting pimples again.

Now my face is pretty much a war zone and I look like I'm straight out of a high school yearbook.

I should look into getting the best acne treatment out there because if I don't these pimples might just take over my whole body!

I've got to look through my stash of...

books before we head to Rohoboth beach. It's been ages since I've been able to read a good book and I feel the need to stimulate my mind.

God knows, this is the best time to do it because when Emmy gets moving --- I know I'll be chasing her around the house!

The wonder drug.

A few years back I was put on medication to help with weight loss. To say the least it was the boost that I needed to lose over 75 pounds! To this day I have been able to keep most of the weight off.

After I nurse I might think about going with generic Phentermine. The real Phentermine worked perfect but it wasn't covered under my insurance.

Getting married the old fashioned way?

A few days ago I was visiting a friend from high school's website. They had pictures taken and I was intrigued to see that they did a wedding with renaissance costumes!

She was always into the renaissance festival and wore the clothing to school and I'm glad to see that she found someone that had the exact same passion and hobby.

What we interesting was that everyone in her wedding and even the guests were dressed up too!

I wonder if they had delicious food for their reception? Mmm.

Upcoming travel!

We just booked our flights for Houston and I was shocked to see how much our airline tickets were. Augh. We even ended up using some frequent flier points too.

Thank God we don't have to look around for cheap hotels in the Houston area because the cost of housing would have put our traveling budget into the red.

In fact, I talked to my mom the other day and she mentioned instead of us renting a minivan that they are going to see if they can borrow my grandparents van for the week that we're there.

Lord: help me.

I know that once the kid gets here I'm going to be pretty bummed that I gained tons of weight. So that's why I'm thinking ahead and trying to figure out a gameplan to get my unwanted poundage off!

I've thought about looking into elliptical devises for the house. In fact, it might be the best option because we can put it right in the basement and I don't have the excuse of having to go to the gym or even leaving the house!

What to get the bridesmaids?

Just the other day we were talking to Alex and Dom and they mentioned wanting to get married in California!

We thought it would be an excellent idea and are in full support of it. When we started talking about the wedding we didn't realize how much there really is to getting it organized!

One thing we didn't even know about was bridesmaid gifts! Who would have thought that you'd have to buy someone in your wedding party a gift?

Guess we're pretty out of the loop!

Needing them more and more!

The last time I went to the pool and took Grammy I realized that more and more we need pool floats!

Graem is a pretty good swimmer but there's no way that I can just let her go in the pool because she still can't keep above water. I appreciate the Y's pool because it's just shallow enough for her feet to touch the bottom and her to walk.

Of course, the last time I went swimming I had a heck of a time keeping my big belly under water! It seems like that baby just pulls me right to the surface!

I love silver!

We have been looking for ways to make investments with our money. Mostly Graem's college money, my retirement, and Margot's SEP money.

We've considered stocks and bonds, but one thing that's always been around and proven to be dependable and constant is silver.

Through Monex Deposit Company you can purchase silver in ignot or coin form. It's a risk-free investment and something that's sure to add value to your portfolio. Not to mention diversity.

This is really going to be something that I look at in the future. The stock market might be doing well today...but you never know what could happen in the future.

Holy NYSEG.

This morning Margot came downstairs and showed me the Electric and Gas bill.

I was shocked that in the spring without heat our bills are coming in at almost $250 per month. That's outrageous considering that we don't use a lot of electricity and we're pretty frugal about turning off the lights when we're not using them.

Not to mention, we've been airdrying our dishes and running our clothing on quick wash.

What more can we do??

What a mess.

A few months ago when Margot went to take care of her father she realized that his finances were a complete mess.

Literally, he has tons of debt and no revenue coming in!

At some point you've got to wonder when to seek credit card debt relief!

I know it's easier said than done but there's something beautiful about not having any debt and being able to live your life the way you want to without having to worry about all of the lingering bills!

Always on the lookout...

for good small business opportunities.

I've been somewhat lax on marketing and doing the day to day upkeep of running my business. Perhaps I feel the need to focus on the pregnancy and having this baby.

Plus, I have an idea that when the baby gets here that I might not have time to do much more than to care for her, Graem and myself!

Either way, I know I should keep up the business because I never know when I might want to fall back on it in a few years!

Watch out!

Just the other night I realized that we don't have a watch with a second hand! So we were using an online contraction counter which was pretty inefficient considering that you had to have the laptop nearby and you also had to press a button at the start and stop of each contraction.

Maybe for the birth I should think about getting a breguet watch! At least I'd know when the contractions started and since they are known for keeping perfect time I might even be able to write the information down and graph it too!

Of course, more than likely I'm going to be so occupied with contractions and getting the kid out I will really care less about what's on my wrist or some graph!

I was able to find some great watches at ViaLuxe! The website was easy to use and I like the set up. Not to mention, the pictures of the stunning watches are amazing. It makes me want to buy a few watches.

Of course, I'd have to spend Emmy and Grammy's college fund to do that. But you never know when I might hit the lottery! (I guess I'd have to play first, right?)

Not only are they classics with a great look...but they have a great reputation for being competent and hardy watches that can withstand almost anything!

Need help?

Years ago we were dealing with a loved ones addiction.

We literally didn't know what the next step would be and we didn't know how serious the addiction was until we were faced head on with it.

When it was suggested that our loved one go to a drug treatment center we were shocked. It seemed so extreme.

However, after a few months getting treatment...our loved one went back to life as usual...minus the drug addiction.

My poor eyes.

I swear since I've gotten pregnant my eyes have gone from bad to worse!

Margot's brother got Lasik surgery a few years ago and it really helped his vision. However, he still has to wear glasses.

Margot has talked about getting Lasik but I must say that I love her in glasses and can't imagine seeing her without them!

Our summer to-do list.

Right now we have an ongoing to-do list and at the bottom of mine is "have baby."

Of course, I haven't let Margot see her "to-do" list once the baby is actually here! It includes fixing the bathroom ceiling and also adding a deck and French doors to our kitchen.

My job during this period will be feeding our newborn daughter and shopping. Maybe my first purchase should be some new patio furniture!

Hooked up!

So we're pretty sure that when we're on maternity leave that we're going to try to travel. WHy wouldn't we? It's the middle of the summer and we have off for most of it!

Of course, with things up in the air with Margot's father we really don't know how we're going to make arrangements and what time frame we should be looking at.

I think I'm going to start looking for some cheap flights and if we are able to find them...just book'em right up!

Know a good dealer?

I'm not just talking about any dealer...I'm talking about a coin dealer!

One thing that never loses it’s value is silver coins! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value.

Monex Deposit Company offers silver and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but Monex Deposit Company (MDC) is an industry leader. They sell silver in two forms: coin or ingot. We all know what the coins look like, but the ignots are pure bullion cast in a convenient size and shape. I can only imagine they look like the blocks that are in most cartoons!

The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for silver - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

Watch down.

The other day I went into one of the jewelery stores on the commons with the intent of actually getting a battery for my watch.

You'd think that the place that sold me the watch would be able to replace the watch...WRONG.

Instead, they referred me to another place where I can get a watch battery.

While looking my eye was caught by Audemars Piguet offshore watches. They are absolutely stunning and totally perfect for the outdoorsman!

What should I do?

Before getting pregnant I lost around 100 pounds! Of course, during the various infertility treatments and then getting pregnant I've gained some of that weight back.

After I have the baby I'm really going to focus on losing the weight again. Being this big is reminding me how it was before I lost all of the weight!

Before I used weight loss pills and although I'm going to be nursing - after I stop I'm not beyond trying that again!

I'm blind.

I seriously have issues with reading. Whether it's a book or the computer I'm constantly squinting to see the words!

I think it's high time that I think about either getting a good pair of glasses or looking into magnifiers.

Of course, I'll be just like grandma with her bi-focals. And to think all those years I gave her heartache over them!

I know I should...

look into getting medical id bracelets.

I've had my pacemaker for close to four years now and I keep thinking that there might come a time when I can't tell a medical professional that I have a pacemaker. Then they'd have to rely on the cards in my wallet and perhaps a database that might or might-not have my information in it.

One easy solution would be to have a necklace or bracelet that had my name and pacemaker information.

I love my cloth diapers!

Okay, so I haven't actually used them...but I like the fact that I'm doing my part to save the earth and I think I'm going to love how they look and feel on little Emerson's bum.

Of course, when I went to buy the diapers I had no idea where to begin. It's not like they have cloth diaper franchise stores out there!

Instead, the answer was a local little mom store right on the commons!

So much learning...

As mentioned before, I've learned so much about healthcare and finances over the past few weeks in dealing with the stuff with Margot's dad.

Today I was on the phone for hours dealing with the leasing agent, car lease person, health insurance, social worker, and nursing home.

You never realize how much red tape is out there! Dad isn't eligible for medicare or medicaid because he's not a citizen. However, I found out the other day that there's a medicare part d! I had only heard of part A and B.

Oh another thing..

that I should go ahead and put on our infamous "to-do" list - speaker mount and hook up our new home theatre system that Margot's dad gave us.

Of course, we should probably focus on actually packing our bags for the hospital and putting the carseat in the car.

First things, first - right?

The good thing...

about all of this stuff with Margot's dad is that I'm really getting some experience with dealing with the hospital and medical systems.

The hard part is that you can literally spend all day on the phone with one insurance question and I'm scared to say that just because you get coverage with that one person doesn't actually mean that you'll get coverage when it comes around to getting the bills paid.

I think it's really all about covering your ass and making sure you get badge numbers, names, and phone numbers!

Of course, we'll see if that even works...

Surrender?

Just the other day our friend T came over. She's a local police officer. I was shocked how geared up she was!

I'm sure she probably has the best gear when it comes to protecting herself.

One thing I kept looking at was her Blackhawk holsters!

LAPoliceGear.com has some great police gear and they also have some pretty reasonable prices. If you're looking to get geared up ... check'em out!

This post sponsored by: LAPoliceGear.com

So little time.

So I was actually planning on doing some subbing Tuesday and Wednesday. I know it would have totally busted my balls...but...I figured the money would be a nice little treat before the baby comes.

Then this thing with Margot's dad came up and I know she's totally stressed. There's so many little details that need to be tended to including working on getting him out of his office lease, lexus lease, and then working with his health insurance.

It seems like all of this takes tons of time and there's so much information that noone knows.

Plus, tomorrow I'm going to watch F because L's grandmother is very sick and she went to South Carolina to see her. So other L is at home and planning on make the trip in the next few days and needs to run some errands.

It's nice to have the flexibility to help friends when needed.

Russians know love!

When I met Margot over 10 years ago and she took me home to meet her family I was shocked to see that her Chinese father was dating a Russian woman! Supposedly, he had done a breast job on her (she was an exotic dancer) and the rest is history!

They are still together and for better or for worse.

At first we questioned if she was one of the mail order brides you about about from Russia! But she actually moved to the states prior to meeting Manny!

LoversPlanet offers profiles of Russian women that you can look at, write, and even meet! It's Russian dating at it's best and it's a great idea for people that are on the search for a foreign bride.

It's a win - win situation!

When we get our new bathroom...

I think we should keep it simple yet stylish. I like the pedastool sink that we have now. However, I just took a look at some of the Danze faucets and they are really cool.

One option would be just to do a half bath upstairs. That way it wouldn't eat too much into our bedroom space and we would have the satisifaction of a bathroom upstairs!

A new bathroom?

I really don't think it would be too hard to add a bathroom upstairs. Of course, it would cut into our big bedroom but I'm willing to make that sacrifice for a toilet and the possiblity of walk in tubs!

I can't imagine actually being able to go to the bathroom upstairs without going down a flight of stairs.

Of course, as it is now...I wait til my first potty break at night then I make my home on the couch.

Hooked up!

I'm totally shocked that it's been awhile since our home theatre system pooped out. Maybe it means that we're watching less television and DVDs? Or maybe it's just decided to behave!

At some point we're going to remodel and have a new family room. We've already talked about getting a sweet television and no home theatre is complete without home theater sconces!

So much to do...so little time.

I can just feel the days going by before I pop this kid out! I think we're close to around 70 days. I've felt the major need for nesting and making home improvements.

I also realize the fact that if we don't do something soon to our bathroom I'm afraid the whole ceiling is going to cave in.

Of course, I figure with Margot taking off 8 weeks when the baby's born maybe she can tackle that and we won't have to worry about getting an additional shower inside the shower!

So expensive!

Just the other day we looking at our finances and couldn't believe how much we spend on health, life, car, and home insurance! At some point we're going to look into getting more life insurance for Margot because the last time we got a quote it was way too expensive and we're guessing it was because State Farm has jacked up their prices.

More than likely we would look into getting a auto insurance quote too. It'd be great to go through a one-stop-shop so that we could combine payment and receive multiple discounts.

You should see...

what my bedding situation looks like. I'm on the couch these days and I have five pillows around me.

Last night we were watching television and Margot was on my "bed" then all of a sudden Graem crawled up beside her and went to bed! This was at 5pm or so and actually ended up sleeping through the night.

I figure I'll probably be spending the rest of my pregnancy on the couch. Of course, last night I was lying on the couch and couldn't help but think that it would be gross if my water broke on it.

Maybe in the next few weeks I'll put down some chucks pads or something!

Feeling hot! hot! hot!

It's been a while since I've gone out and purchased new clothes. I bought a lot when I was first pregnant and since then I've outgrown half of them!

I figure towards the end of the pregnancy I'm just going to get a few moo moos and call it a day.

Another option would be to look at men's fashion. Men's clothes seem to fit bigger and I could even get some baggy jeans that fit comfortably too!

We should keep lookin'

A few years back when Graem was smaller we looked at different life insurance rates and thought that we should add more to Margot's life insurance in case something were to happen to her.

The obvious would be because she's the main breadwinner and we live on her income...we should have a back up.

When the nurse came out to do the physical it was deemed that with Margot's asthma that she was at high risk and when we got back the rates we almost died at the high cost!

Of course, we ended up not going with that option...but we're still looking.

Got change?

When I was a kid I used to try and collect coins. I didn't do a great job and I attribute it being that I was so young and didn't have a clue to what I was doing.

However, I was able to find a 1901 Indian penny that I believe might have been pretty collectible. I gave it to my parents to keep and God only knows what has happened to it over the years.

Margot, on the other hand, did a much better job at collecting many a rare coin! She actually has binders and information that notes what the coin is and the history behind it. Her father helped her set it up and she used to get the coins mailed to her on a monthly basis.

ZoomCoin.com is a great website for collectors and others who are interested in starting or maintaining a coin collection. In fact, this might be the perfect hobby for our two little girls!

Busy.

Lately, I've been so busy trying to get everything in order for the new baby!

Not to mention, I've been picking up a few subbing jobs here and there when they are available. I think I've gotten to the point where I just can't take being on my feet and by the end of the day not only is my belly cramping but my back is totally killing me.

I can't believe we have a little over 100 days before we get to meet little Emmy! Time is really flying!

We need new cables!

We picked up a new surround sound system from Margot's dad and I must admit that it's pretty nice. The only thing that's missing is our ability to hook it up and cables.

I'm sure we don't need CAT6 cables because those are way too heavy duty but I can't seem to figure out what we do need!

Maybe after I drop Graem off at school I'll work on that project.

Ugh.

A man with bling...

is a dangerous thing!

I remember a year ago when we went to Las Vegas to do an IVF cycle with Dr. S. He was wearing so much men's jewelry that he could have been the Jewish Mr. T.

At one point I was really afraid that his gold medallion necklace was dangling next to my bits and I was sure that it might get stuck down there.

Knock, knock.

I've got to remember to pick up a doorbell at the store this week. The last time the UPS guy dropped off a package he must have pushed the button so hard that the darn button caved in and our doorbell got stuck!

I'm glad when we moved into our house that we decided to change all of the hardware on the house including door knobs, locks, and lighting. One great brand that we kept coming across was Baldwin. They are known for their superior quality and great looks too!

Softball?

I don't think I'm going to be playing softball of any sorts this year! In fact, I haven't played the past few years because my back has been on the mend and I don't want to injure it further.

Each year the league gives us engraved plaques to give our sponsor even though we never actually place!

I think it's a nice gesture because that way the sponsor can hang up the plaque in their office and it looks as if they contribute and are active in the community. Plus, they were the ones that shelled out the $1,000 in order for us to play!

Will it go lower?

We've been making sure to keep an eye on the market and the interest rate. Right now we're at a fifteen year mortgage but if the rate drops low enough we'd really think about refinancing and going for a ten year mortgage!

We aren't really dedicated to any one of the mortgage lenders and so we're willing to go with whomever offers the best rates and helps with closing costs.

Of course, we'd really have to get a good deal to make the change. God knows, it's a pain in the butt to do all of the paperwork and the processing always tends to take forever!

Just a little baby fat.

Okay, so I'm going to have a lot of babyfat once this little girl makes her appearance!

I'm pretty sure that I want to nurse for a while and I'm hoping that helps me get off the weight. However, I'm not beyond using hoodia or other natural products to help me lose the weight.

Before I was able to lose over 75 pounds but I was on a few medications prescribed by my doctor and not sure I really want to go that route again.

Friggin' annoying.

Our home theatre system STINKS! Out of nowhere it goes out and creates this huge buzzing noise throughout the house. The dog goes crazy, our ears almost pop, and then the cursing starts.

Over the next few weeks we're probably going to look at a Bose home theater system. We ended up going with a Panasonic because we didn't want to spend the extra money...but had we spent the extra money on a Bose we wouldn't have to replace it three years later.

Lesson learned.

Tons of work.

The past few days I have been packing in the substitute teaching. I figure it's going to be my last work for a while or at least until the baby gets here.

Plus, I figure there's going to come a point where I get so big and miserable that I'm not going to want to sub anymore!

The great thing about subbing is that you can work when you want to and/or do what you have to do in terms of errands.

I guess the downside is the pay sucks and it barely covers the costs of daycare!

Need help?

Borrowing money from friends/family has always been an uncomfortable topic in our family. My dad managed to spin it one time when he and my mom bought our first house back in the early 80's--they were both starting out their practices as physicians, so they didn't have a whole lot of cash flow. The house cost $75,000, and they ended up borrowing about $10k from my dad's brothers and sisters--spread out among 8 siblings makes it a bit easier. My dad always bragged about how he paid them all off within a year.

When Margot and I our house, on our not-as-luxurious-yet-still-comfortable salaries, we did so without borrowing any money. We cashed out our retirement accounts, since it was our first purchase, and scrounged up enough savings to put down enough of a down payment. It was amazing what a common goal forced us to achieve! We managed to live off of one of our salaries, and put away the entire other paycheck each week. Of course there were moments that payday cash advance loans would have helped us make it to Friday, but in the end we made it work. Thank god for overdraft protection.

One thing that has become ever so popular is a cash advance. The whole idea is that you borrow the money for a short term, pay off what you need to with a high interest loan and then when you get the money - pay off the loan. A great website that discusses the benefits and gives great information is PersonalCashAdvance.com.

I'm proud of how we were able to purchase our house without the drama of borrowing from family.

Ouch.

Lately, I've been having scratchy and painful spots where I used to give my old progesterone shots. I haven't had them in over 3 months but I still have pretty bad bruises!

Many people are treated with progesterone to treat PMS and other issues that women might have. I was shocked that they gave me progesterone to keep me pregnant and also when I needed my period.

It's like the one stop shop!

Maybe...

I should go back and get a masters or phd. Years ago I used to say if I won the lottery that I'd go back and get an MBA or a law degree. Now enrolling in an Online Masters Degree Programs has never been easier.

Capella University offers an extensive and impressive list of programs and you can receive a Bachlors, Masters, or Phd.

Their programs are designed with the working professional in mind. You can do the coursework when your schedule allows.

The great thing about Capella is that they are accredited and really have the attention of business and industry leaders. There are many employers out there who are sending and paying for their employees to gain extra knowledge and obtain higher degrees of education.

Of course, you also have to sign a contract with the company that you won't just gain the education on their tab and leave!

“This (or “the following”) blog post was (or “is”) based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.”

Jewelry!

Just the other night we went out for dinner with T&J. J showed us her new ring that she received from T as part of an engagement. It was pretty nice but I must admit that I'm not totally sold on gold jewelry.

I think it looks nice on some people who have tan or darker skin but I really do prefer silver or white gold.

We've talked about getting new rings and of course, I'm probably more paranoid about having a ring on my finger since I don't want to feel like a single, pregnant, mother!!

I want a new television!

Of course, we have two working televisions in our house but that doesn't stop me from wanting two NEW televisions!

I think it would probably make sense to get a tv lift cabinet in the bedroom so that we don't have to arch our heads weird in order to view the television set.

If we get televisions I have an idea that our upcoming screens are going to be plasma and flat screen. It just makes sense when you have a house as small as ours!!

stability = good.

After the market crashed a few months ago we have been looking for something new to invest our wealth into. We've looked at international markets and they're really unstable.

At this point I'm ready to buy gold. The one thing about gold, silver, and other precious metals is that year after year they offer a consistent investment.

Not to mention, their demand always higher than the supply. Obviously, by using basic laws of economics you can see that this might be a good idea for the future!

Monex is an industry leader with gold, silver, and precious metals. You can buy the metals in many different types of ways and even store them through the provider.

This is a noteworthy investment and a great way to diversify your portfolio. Especially during these unstable market times.

Maternity time?

I think that when the baby's born that I'm still going to try to keep up with blogging and doing my offers online. The great thing about blogging and getting paid for it is that you can do it at your convienance. Plus, I can do it when Margot's home and has the baby.

I enjoy writing about different topics and I'm sure that the extra cash is going to help pay for diapers and wipes!

Boy, those kids are expensive! OF course, I can't get over the fact that we buy nice diapers for the kid to crap in and then throw them away. Literally, throwing money away!

Can you see me?

Everyone I know has glasses! I personally own some but I tend not to wear them because they feel weird on my ears.



I think it's hard for someone who's never worn glasses to start to wear them on a regular basis at the age of thirty!

Of course, I also don't quite like the style that I have and I might want to try: Great Discovery: $ 8 Zenni Optical Rx Eyeglassess!

They offer great specs at amazing prices and their website is easy and fun to use!

This post sponsored by: ZenniOptical.com

A day of work - kinda.

Well, I'm here at my Border's office in the mall today. I was shocked that I wasn't called to sub. I was sure I'd get something today! HOwever, the break has been nice. I've been working every day I've been available for the past few weeks.

Of course, it's been challenging to schedule all of my appointments with subbing and I try to schedule my chiropractor with days that I have off with G.

Thank God that today I was able to get some blogging offers. Money's been tight lately and it's nice to have a little bit coming in here and there!

SO FAT.

I know I have an "excuse" to get fat these days but when the baby comes I've really got to work to get off the unwanted pounds. I worked so hard to lose the 75 pounds before getting pregnant and now I feel like they are slowly coming back!

One option might be lapband los angeles. JourneyLite.com offers lapbands that can help big people like me lose those unwanted pounds.

My doctor had mentioned this as an option at one point but I decided to go the medication route.

This post sponsored by: JourneyLite.com

SO SLOW.

I must say that blogging these days has been absolutely horrible and I've had to try and find more subbing jobs around town and things to do to make money. One reason is because all of the big time bloggers that had great page rank got dinged by Google for having paid posts.

Of course, my blogs weren't that highly ranked but they are now all ZERO. Which sucks because I really try to put a lot of time into the blogs and make sure that they have good info and also a few advertisements to supplement income.

So, I'm trying to figure out how to make millions and be able to stay at home with Graem.

Any ideas?

So expensive!

When I worked in healthcare I used to always purchase flowers from the local florists. Of course, I never realized how expensive they were because typically the bills were sent to corporate.

When I was pregnant I looked into getting Margot some roses and have them sent to the office like I did when we found out we were pregnant with Graem.

They were starting at $40 and that was for a pretty ugly looking arrangement.

I wish I would have known about wholesale roses online! I could have purchased a beautiful bunch of roses for a dime and they would have been delivered in the same amount of time!

Next kid, maybe I'll remember to do that!

Is it working?

I know right now is the time to try and get everything together for taxes. Margot has already received all of her tax forms for work and she is pretty excited about doing our taxes this year!

Of course, we wish we were able to donate car so that we could get the deduction!

CarAngel.com takes cars that are donated and sells them to the public. They are a non-profit agency and use the funds for good causes.

Used?

I'm sad to report that our upstairs computer has bit the dust. It's quite a sad moment in time and I think we should all take a moment of silence.

Okay, that's enough.

For those that are looking to networking and getting good deals you'll be happy to know that I've found a place that offers used cisco servers and products.

Sapianet.com is an easy to use website where you can find just about anything for all of your business and computing needs!

Accessories?

Whether you're looking for a Chrysler 300 accessory or rims for your 1972 Caddy -- you'll find it all in Texas.

I'm always impressed to see the different cars that are so dolled up. Everyone has rims and every accessory for their car.

The last time I was there I was an old Ford Fiesta with $4,000 rims, a killer sound system, and TV screens in the front and back.

I'd much rather have a nice car with no accessories!