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It's never too soon to find the perfect costume. Especially toddler costumes.

Zane's eight, he'll be nine by Halloween this year and really, where does the time go? I remember his first year, well, he was just a couple weeks old so we stayed home. But the next year, he didn't even wear a costume because he was totally afraid of them. We did go out trick or treating with a friend and I have some cute pictures in the scrapbook. The next year, would you believe he was sick and we stayed home? By year four, I'd pretty much given up on trick or treating. But that year was a good one. I think he was Sponge Bob. The fifth year he went with my friend Kimmie while I went to a conference. He's went with them for his sixth and seventh year as well.

So here we are. The toddler days are over and he was eight this past October. We had a Star Wars birthday party and he was a Jedi and we made his costume. Here's the party pictures.

Anyway, enjoy the cute toddler years. They don't last long.

I don't know about you, but this homeschooling family goes through a lot of ink cartridges. Oh hush now. I realize that printing out my short stories and manuscripts (okay, manuSCRIPT) takes up a lot of ink, too. But really, I think most of the ink goes by way of the three R's. And the StarWars.com coloring pages. And internet coupons. We just print a lot, okay. At least Zane has never stuck french toast in the printer like Ree's boys.

To the point: InkjetDeals can help. I gave up my Hewlett Packard Laser Jet Printer for a Brother. That should be tip eight on the Seven Tips for Saving Ink article. Buy a Brother because then you only change the ink color that has run out.

So there's some coupons too.
Carrot Ink Coupons
4inkjets Coupons (I used these guys last time. Great prices, great ship time!)
123Inkjets coupons (I've used these guys in the past, too)

I love saving money!

Confess to the Demon Barber

Sounds like my kind of thing, eh? I know Heather told me somewhere how much I would enjoy Sweeney Todd. I searched her blog, found her posts about Sweeney Todd, but came up blank as far as her telling me there, so maybe it was in chat? So, all I know about the demon barber is what I've read from Heather, my cultural guru.

She's pretty excited about the movie, Tim Burton directing Johnny Depp and music by Stephen Sondheim. Heather knows who he is because she likes him or something like that. I have no clue. But that doesn't stop me from wanting to see the movie, because I trust Heather.

I mean, this is like a horror musical! How fantastic! (Oh and did you hear Stephen King and John Mellencamp are in the process of writing a ghost story musical thingy?!)

I'm not sure the story, but a demon barber is probably enough to get me to watch it. There's also this little site set up where you get to go and confess all of your evil doings.

And wouldn'tcha know it? You can even visit Sweeney Todd on MySpace!

Click here to visit the official Sweeney Todd movie site

I received a sample of Biotene Sensitive toothpaste. Here's a grand photo of me trying out the goods:

I didn't mind trying the toothpaste. My teeth have been sensitive as long as I can remember. I cringe when I watch Phil take bites out of his ice cream. Bites! AHHH! There is no way my front teeth can touch anything cold like that! And it's not just ice cream, it's really anything too cold or too hot. I've tried other products but they've not worked, so I was a little skeptical about this toothpaste.

Biotene Sensitive is different because rather than masking the problems, it actually has ingredients to help solve the problem. They mix Potassium Nitrate with Biotene’s patented Enzyme LP3 Complex™ to form a unique toothpaste that helps protect your teeth against sensitivity while the enzymes help to heal bleeding gums and prevent gingivitis and oral infections.

I liked the way the toothpaste worked. They claim to have a great tasting product, but I beg to differ in that area. However, this is one of those situations you must make the dreaded trade-off. I've decided that in order for my teeth to feel better, I should use this stuff, but for my mouth to taste great, I either need to dab a little of my good tasting toothpaste in my mouth afterward or I need to get some good mouthwash.

If you're anything like me you love getting stuff in the mail, well, good stuff. Not bills or icky junk mail. My favorite things to find in my mailbox are:

Letters and cards from friends--love this more than email!
Books
Money
Free Samples of Cool Stuff

This post falls into the Free Samples of Cool Stuff category. First are these super cool good smelling pencils or Smencils. Mine was citrus-y orange. LOVE it. It comes in a great tube to keep the scent fresh. Think neat, wacky and fun stocking stuffer.

(The screen is not really blue, it's black. Don't know why it came out like that?) Anyway, I took a picture of the next one because I was taking those sneak preview pictures of the Cowboy Christmas Tree--I sampled an Ambient Fire DVD Yeah, yeah. Sounds cheesy, I know...but honestly it's cool. You get to choose from 9 different fires. My favorite, I fell asleep on the couch listening to it last night after decorating that monstrous 12' tree Phil got for us, is the campfire. Great crackling fire, crickets, a hoot-owl, Heather, it was like camping on my couch. Add a campfire scented candle and you'd be set. Honestly, I loved it.

Other stuff on the fire DVD--music. Holiday, Jazz, and Acoustic Guitar, Piano Music or plain crackling fire.

I didn't get a sample of this Charging Station for Electronics but I want it. Hint. Hint.

Found some new stuff at CouponChief.com for everyone to check out. I'm not sure what is happening in marketing these days, but I found Illuminations Coupons for Halloween Clearance. Already!

Have you thought about Thanksgiving? My Wines Direct has free shipping!

I used to be good at starting my Christmas shopping early. I've not been so good at it lately, I might start up now so that I have a little jump on the season.

Hickory Farms (for my dad)
Phalftgraff Deals--HOLY COW!! I might have to get new flatware. Some are 50%- 80% off!
The Vermont Country Store Deals for my mom, sister and sister-in-law
And possibly Ace Hardware for my husband and brother.

Who knew there were so many Kohler Faucets? I'm forever pretending I'm getting a new house and have all the money in the world.

We went to an excellent restaurant in Effingham, IL called The FireFly Grill and I fell in love with this place like I have never before fell in love with the atmosphere of an eatery. This photo is from their site: It doesn't do justice to the place, though.

I used the facilities and found this awesome bathroom sink, made by none other than Kohler. Yeah, I supposed it's a bit odd to get excited over a sink...but, let's face it, I've been stoked over things weirder than a sink.

So. Here's my sink:

With one of these faucets, I can't decide which I like better:
First


Second

Sometimes I can be a real city girl. I still love living in the country, I don't know that I'd ever be able to give that up. I love the privacy, the woods, the animals, and the quiet. But there's a part of me that desires to be downtown. Phil hates it, but Zane and I are made for it--as long as we get to come home to our quiet woodsy house when we're finished.

This past January, I took Zane to Chicago for a Jeremy Camp concert at the House of Blues. We went into the city a couple days early and hit the museums, Shedd Aquarium, and Navy Pier. I was recently surfing the web and found that Museum of Science and Industry has a Star Wars Exhibit until January. If you've been following my blog, you know Zane is all about Star Wars (and I think his mom is getting hooked, too.)

Had I known about Chicago Tours I might have been able to score some City Passes. We'll be going to Chicago again before January because we cannot miss the Star Wars Exhibit.

Oh, and did I tell you? I submitted to Pen to Press Retreat and I was accepted! That means I'll be in New Orleans in May 2008. I clicked on New Orleans Tours and the first two listed are a Voodoo Tour and a Ghost Tour!!

I was clicking through the Gallery Furniture site and dreaming a little. We moved in this house 4 years ago and decided that we'd remodel a couple rooms. We haven't done anything more than paint, but we're starting to get some plans down on paper for the kitchen and our bedroom.

Sometimes I sit and think, if money were no object--what kind of furniture would I have?

I guess I like furniture that looks elegant and at the same time is durable and functional. I cannot live in a museum house. We're very outdoorsy and active and to have furniture that I'd be afraid to touch--ICK! I want comfy, dependable, beautiful and (this is key) functional.

Well...here's my bedroom set(with king mattress, of course).

My living room (minus that table. I'll find a better table!)



Here's the tables



I bet all of these choices have something to do with my personality profile. Jen will figure it out.

drug rehab.

My Uncle was addicted to prescription drugs. I posted just the other day about how he was in ICU for an overdose suicide attempt; I talked with the psychiatrist hoping to get him checked into a facility that wouldn’t allow him to check himself out of. The doctor informed me that only a state run facility would fit that bill. His hands were tied, however, because the state run facilities had a six to eight month waiting list. I said, “He’ll be dead in six to eight months.”

The doctor looked down at the floor and said, “I know. I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do.”

He killed himself nine months and fifteen days later.

I always wonder, was there something more I could have done? What if I’d known about this drug referral website? I know I could drive myself mad with the “what-if’s” but I also know it’s a part of the grieving process. Only a year and a half has passed, I’m still raw with emotion. Suicide is not easy on anyone involved.

I’m not an expert, all I know is that Uncle Ed’s downward spiral started with prescription narcotics that made him depressed, that gave him physical pain and he took more pills and got more depressed and hurt more and the cycle just continued until he ended his life.

If you know someone, please try to get them help. It is so painful to me to know there is help available and more times than not, people turn away because—well, I don’t know why. If it is you, if you’re addicted, get with someone you love and ask for help. Please.I remember the last time I ran a sponsored post for 1800nodrugs.com, it was a couple days after I had talked about my Uncle Ed and his addiction. It’s ironic to me that I just posted again about him and now have the opportunity to share again the link for this

I was born in NorthWest Indiana, "The Region" to be exact, I was raised here and only 6 years of my 35 have been away from here. I don't know everything there is to know, one can't possibly know everything, but I do try to stay on top of things.

When PayPerPost offered up this opportunity from BP, I'm really glad it was available for me to blog about. Not only am I a "Region Rat" but I'm also married to a man who hauls fuel every day out of the BP refinery. We've got a double dose of interest in this story.

From what I know, BP is doing everything legally and with the environment in mind. They're doing what Americans have cried out for--they're trying to minimize our dependence on the Middle East for oil by upping production of Canadian Oil. From what I understand, this means they need to expand and upgrade.

In my opinion, the tree huggers are looking for a cause and BP's in the way this time. The Chicago Tribune cast the BP Refinery in Whiting, Indiana in a bad light. (I wonder, did they run articles about the mills in Northwest Indiana shutting down when the Olympic committee came to visit?)

The BP plant produces fuel for this area, jobs, and y'know what? I believe they're doing everything to the best of their ability. Here's an article from the Ft. Wayne Sentinel.

PayPerPost just stepped it up a notch! I've signed on with other companies and honestly I'm most impressed with these guys, they're continually pushing forward with innovative ideas and the money I've made has been good. I admit, I wasn’t seeing much change and I haven’t posted many opportunities in the last month or so, but I’m glad I’m still with them. Starting a business is a hard job, let alone starting a business that’s never been done before.

They've released their newest baby "PayPerPost Direct" which basically allows an advertiser to contact the blogger to work out special deals. The advertiser would offer me an assignment and a price and if I thought it was too low, I could ask for more. What a great idea! I can see how this would make money.

The competitors that I've signed on with can't keep up with PayPerPost. They're not offering enough opportunities, they're keeping too much of the money, and they're not working the business as professionally as PPP. I don't know why I keep signing on with the other guys, they're just not consistent.

I should probably just stop trying to find another company out there doing things as well as PayPerPost. The improvements they keep rolling out prove that they’re leading the industry.

Free virus scan and download--Google and Norton are offering an anti-virus software download free. You can see screenshots here.

I'm not a computer guru, but I know one needs a good anti-virus software to protect their investment. Why spend money on a computer if you're not going to take care of it. I chose to highlight this paid opportunity because I tend to use Google for everything. I absolutely love my Gmail and Google Blog Reader and I use Googlemaps often.

I haven't downloaded the whole Google pack, but I just might do that. Jen tried Picasa and seemed to like it, so maybe I'll try it too.

Are you in the market for blinds?

We are. We've had Venetian blinds forever and I'm really tired of the way they look. Not that they're bad, and I wouldn't think anything of it if you had them in your home, I'm just tired of them.

I'd really like Roman blinds or maybe wood blinds. I think the Roman blinds give a warmer feel to a room as well as offer the most flexibility as far a color goes (but that's just my opinion.) So far, these suede ones are my favorite.

What do you think? Which do you like best?

They've got something up their proverbial sleeve and have left creative sorts like me to dream up what it is they're planning.

They've already made trips to cities with scavenger hunts, they've offered free cameras and goodies (I won, remember?) They're doing Rock Star Start Up. Oh and then there was the puzzle piece hunt people had to do of me and the wacky pictures I took with the free HP camera. Talk about a way to increase site traffic! Sure did it for me!!

So in the next few weeks, PayPerPost is announcing something...what? I have no clue. Minks for a members? More high paying opportunities? I know, free computers for those of us who write exceptionally creative ads?

Maybe they're having talks with the big wigs at Coca-Cola and Pepsi and heated negotiations are taking place as to which will sponsor the next big promotion. Well, it might be better if the PC guys were fighting the Mac guys. I'd take a free Mac.

They could be announcing that everyone who dyes their hair green and posts a picture will get $1,000 from Kelly Tires.

Or that Jack Daniels is sponsoring a virtual cook-off.

Maybe Breyers will give away free ice cream for a year. Or better yet, Hershey's will give away chocolate for ad space on my blog. Oh yeah!

I guess we'll have to wait and see!

I know I joke a lot about my affinity for wine, see previous post about my birthday, but in all seriousness, I understand the severity of addiction. I understand that I, just as easily as anyone, could slip on the chains of addiction.

I started smoking at around age fifteen. I quit a little over three years ago. There was a time in my life that I truly thought I was an alcoholic, I stopped drinking. I do enjoy a glass of wine, but I also learned what it was to be an addict. I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone.

The Watershed is a drug rehab and this is a sponsored post, but I would run these ads on my blog until the cows come home if one person was helped. I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

You know what a coupon freak I am, right? Oh come on now! Are you new here or something? I'm loving the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University and I wouldn't be a smart consumer if I didn't look for coupons, right? Actually, if there's a coupon out there and you're not using it on the things you normally purchase that would make you...uhm...stupid? Really, if you want to waste some money, I'll give you my address and you can waste it on me!

So check out these promo codes and more at UltimateCoupons.com

Best Deal Magazines Subscriptions from $3.99!

Kohls coupons
10% off through March 31, 2007

One Step Ahead coupons
10% off $50 through April 30, 2007 or 15% off $75 through December 31, 2007

Footlocker coupons
10% off any size order or $10 off $75 through April 7, 2007

This is an important sponsored post. My uncled committed suicide last year and I believe being addicted to narcotics was a big factor in his choice to end his life. They were prescription narcotics, but that doesn't make them any less addictive. He did try to get help, he was in and out of a local detox center but there was no success for him.

Its hard for me to write this post. I wish his drug treatment would have worked. If you or someone you know is addicted, please seek help. I would even go so far as to say this: even if you don't know anyone who is an addict, please visit the site, I've looked it over and there is just a ton of information about different addictions and drugs and a free assessment.

"The only way you can truly get more out of life for yourself is to give part of yourself away.”



The book has sold over 4 million copies. The Ultimate Gift has inspired teen philanthropy initiative called “Show Of Hands”

This is the official site of the movie "The Ultimate Gift"and the grass-roots movement its starting to help charities and give to others. The movie opens March 9. Please visit the official site for information on The Weekend of Giving. You can get a glimpse at YouTube. This is a sponsored post, but I'd put it up anyway because I've heard about The Ultimate Gift and actually just received a free ticket to see it in today's mail!

Yes, I probably sound like that commercial that's nonstop on all the channels, eh? Well this is the last one for today. :) There is yet another new blog marketing opportunity from PayPerPost. I know some people are leery of trying to make money with their blogs, they’re skeptical and I understand. I used to be that way, too.

It's called Review My Post, here's the fun little button.


The way I understand things, you add the code for the Review My Post button to all of your blog posts, even if you don't take sponsored ads from PayPerPost, you can still earn money with this little opportunity.

So, you've got the button on all of your posts and let's say I'm not a member of PayPerPost, I click on it and sign up and a special opportunity is created for me to write a review of your post. It could be a post about about sledding, your grandma, or your precious new puppy, whatever the case, I would get money for writing that review and you would get money because I wrote about what you would blog about anyway. How cool is that?

So click here: Sign up, review this post and let's both make some money!