If only I could sew....

Book worm

I have more time on my hands here lately than I did in the months past so I have started reading more. Books can be quite expensive and my girlfriends like to exchange then with me if they are really good so I go to McKay's Used books to get them. It is such a cool place and they have everything you could possibly imagine! They even have Wii remotes. I can get lost in there for a hours just looking around.  In school we always had a summer reading list and I never read any of them and to this day I can still hear my teacher from Sophomore year's English saying " class this semester we are going to read the Glass Menagerie" and she had a voice that made nails on a chalk board sound good. She was awful! Maybe that is why I never read it? Who knows but every time she spoke I would shrill and still do at the thought of her voice. EEK! ha ha
Now that I am older I pick different books...fun reads...funny ones about things I can relate to now. I just finished Jemima J and I loved it!

 A few of my girlfriends suggested it and now I can agree that it is a great book! I am currently reading Things I Want My Daughters to Know by Elizabeth Noble.

Here are some of the books that are next on my list:

Good Grief - Lolly Winston



                Just Breathe - Susan Wiggs


Life As I Know It - Melanie Rose

                Just Like Me Only Better- Carol Snow    

                                

                                         

It's Now or Never -   
     Carole Matthews 
                                      Time of my Life         
                                               Allison  Winn Scotch  - 
     The One I Want

                                                           Nancy's Theory of Style -
                                                                Grace Coopersmith

"Herrrr-o...is any-borry there?"

Everyone has seen the holiday classic "A Christmas Story"  and remembers the singing at the end "Fa-ra-ra-ra" right? Well, yesterday here on the 4th floor of the Birch Building we had our own version of this and it was awesome! We have an elevator in the back hall that is strictly for the Judges and the employees of the building. Wwithout card key access you can't move from floor to floor. This Vietnamese woman was in our back hall and she went to get on the elevator for the employees only. The doors shut and about 5 minutes later I hear this knocking and a voice saying " he-rr-o". I didn't think anything about it until a few minutes later it was louder and more panic sounding ..."he-rr-o, is there anybory there, he-rr-o?"! I look out and a friend of mine went to the elevator and and pushed the button to open the doors. We were cracking up because she was so freaked out but yet she didn't stop to think about pushing the door open button! Duh, HE-RR-O!

Grocery Tips

                                                                              

                                               

Going to the store is a chore that tops the "least favorite" chart for me.
I am the girl that always gets stuck behind the little elderly lady on the riding cart,



 
while in front of the "I am way too cool for a buggy" girl that is talking so loud on her phone that you can hear every word she is saying while juggling her basket at the same time ( ha ha you know the type).

Oh, but it's never a complete trip until I see the ever so faithful " I am here to pick up my next ex wife" guy. Sometimes there are more than one.  Usually over dressed or over cologned (GAG) and sometimes they might even be way over age for what he is preying on ha ha but it never fails...they are there on the prowl! I don't know what movie they saw that told them to seek out women in the Kroger but I see it all the time and it cracks me up!

No matter how much I loathe shopping, I LOVE seeing how much I can save. Here are a few tips I have learned along the way:

* Plan your meals- when you know what you will be eating for the week you will have a better understanding of what to buy at the store.

* Buy what you will eat- I hate to see food go to waste. There are many times when I will buy meat and pre-patty it out and then wrap it up into servings for two to freeze.

* Get creative- when planning a meal step out of the box. Cook dried beans  (see recipe on Yummy page) overnight in a crock pot and serve them over rice.

*Add nuts and fruits to your salads for a little change.

* Get your coupons ready before you go!

http://www.shortcuts.com/

www.couponmom.com

www.southernsavers.com

* Don't forget about your local Farmer's Market also! Sometimes shopping there can be 1/2 the price of what you would pay at the grocery store. I love the Farmer's Market here in Nashville!

Hope these help and keep your eyes peeled for Mr. Smellgood at a store near you! ha ha

The luckiest!

                                                                    

                         

  So when I came home from house-sitting on Sunday I realized that Oscar has suddenly turned into this shedding machine. I mean it is a wonder the little guy has any fur left. We can brush him and brush him but the hair just keeps coming and it wears me out to have hair of any kind in places they shouldn't be. OCD kicks in BIG TIME! So, yesterday when I got home from Zumba Don had cleaned and given Oscar aka "Sir Sheds-a -lot" a bath so he would be all clean for me. Yeah he is pretty much amazing!

Lucky and her boa

Ansleigh aka Lucky is the cutest kid ever!

Ride the WAVE.....

So a few weeks ago I was sitting on my couch feeling like Shamoo when this infomercial came on the boobtube. Picture it; feet propped up, picking at my nail polish wondering if I should go work out in the yard or maybe get my tennis shoes on and take it to the park for a long walk...knowing that either one would be better than just sitting here doing nothing. These women come on the screen and they have great figures, normal figures not the "sucked & tucked" type figures that you see most of the time on the tv. Then they start talking about the "FIRM Wave". They show you all these different moves you can do on it including step, ab work, weights, cardio and stability training as well. It looked like so much fun! I wanted to hop off the couch and do it right then. They said you will see visual results within 10 workouts. So what did I do? I ordered it.....

Yesterday was my 1st time on it and can I just tell you that it is no joke! With the complete set you get a 3 set DVD that includes "Rock it off", where you use weights and for 45 minutes you sweat your A$$ off with these ladies working every muscle you have. I had the best time doing that one. They were right, you have to use your core to stabilize yourself and your legs and outer thighs at the same time to rock the wave while using your arms to lift the weights at the same time. It is one heck of a workout! 45 minutes went by in no time at all. After that dvd I moved on to the Express Abs and loved it too! This one is 10 minutes of nothing but moves to chisel your core and help you get the stability down at the same time. It was awesome!

I highly recommend the FIRM Wave to anyone who wants to workout at home but doesn't know what to do.  I am anxious to see if I have visible results in 10 days:). 

If you go to  www.thefirmwave.com you can get your complete set which includes:

* the Wave

* 3 DVD set

* Floor mat

* Resistance band

* Express Abs DVD

* Express Buns DVD

* Eating guides

*Bonus items