Supposed Newlywed Bliss: July 2009

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Business Trip to Chicago

I'm off to Chicago!

I leave tomorrow and I'll be gone for the weekend.

It's a business trip to the Tropicana Headquarters for TotallyHer.com. I LOVE business trips! Granted I've only been on one, but this will be number 2! I get to tour the headquarters, meet with all of the Tropicana officials, do a bunch of product meetings, try a Core Fusion workout, cook with a professional chef, go to a couple of really nice restaurants, and stay in the upscale James Hotel. Very exciting!

The only downside, hubby can't come. But it's going to be a bunch of women writers from various websites all getting together here. Girl weekend! Should be fun hanging our with my peers :-)

So here's to the windy city!

Traveling Noticing Random Stuff

Getting to travel more makes for some interesting experiences, which includes some of the little things in life. For example: have you seen those new hand dryers popping up in public restrooms? The ones where you stick your hands actually in them and it dries your hands as you slowly remove them from within. Sounds creepy, but it’s not. It’s actually quite effective.

Affordable Modest Wedding Dress

I wish I had found this website when I was shopping for a wedding dress! But funny enough, looking through it my favorite dress is the one that looks most like the dress I did have :-D

This website has overall good reviews which is excellent news because I will be ordering my Matron of Honor dress from here (very exciting and fun!). But for those shopping for a wedding dress check it out...

Click photo to buy this modest wedding dress online for less than $200!

Dress Number 10136

Also see: Modest Wedding Dress - Lace with Sleeves Dress Number 6419

Fact for the Day

Information about plants is fascinating to me. I’ve really taken to my garden and slowly but surely I am learning more and more about caring for plants and all kinds of facts about different plants. Did you know that ephedrine comes from a plant? For some odd reason I keep thinking anything in a pill is magically conjured up in a lab instead of originally being grown first. Silly mentality. But yeah, that’s my random fact for the day.

Brand Names

Brand names are a funny thing. Sometimes immediately you realize what the product is by the name and other times it take a second or two for it to register. When I see the name Fastin I think of fast food, or some quick mini mart, or maybe even slang for going on a fast. Would I have guessed diet pill? Probably not. But now that I think about it, it’s actually a clever name for the product.

Aging Process

Fortunately I’m young enough to not worry about the signs of aging yet, but before I know it I’ll be concerned about buying wrinkle cream and watching out for gray hairs. Until then, I’m taking steps to stay young looking by limiting my sun exposure. Big sun glasses, sunscreen, wearing modest clothing, and staying out of the sun when possible all contribute to healthier skin in the long run. While you can’t prevent wrinkles, at least you can somewhat prevent the damaging effects from the sun.

Haha! Too True

The Great Camera Debate

There is always a debate about which camera is best to buy. Each person has their favorite brand, but then there are those that are flexible based on price, reviews, and technical specifications. What about you? Which is your favorite brand? Would you prefer a Canon camera or a Nikon camera? I prefer Fuji myself. I also prefer to buy online because it’s so easy to compare all of the prices, reviews, and technical specifications side by side and make the best choice.

Heart Necklaces

Every time I pack and unpack I attempt to organize the jewelry that has traveled with me. I must say, I need to do better at it! But one of the fun things about going through it all is admiring my collection of heart pendant jewelry that are all gifts from my husband. There's the locket he gave me on our 1 year dating anniversary and the locket he gave me for our 1 year wedding anniversary. There's a necklace he gave me our first Christmas together as a couple and one from my 22nd birthday. There's a heart shaped necklace he gave me our first Christmas as a married couple. And a special double heart necklace he gave me shortly after our wedding. They're all so beautiful and hold such special memories.

I definitely recommendto any guys out there that heart pendant jewelry makes for a romantic gift.

RV Adventure

Most likely rv camping is not my thing, but I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. However, I have friends, an older couple to be exact, that are off on a long term rv camping adventure across the country. I’m so excited for them! What a great way to spend your retirement, going from place to place, seeing the country, meeting new people, and living out life to its fullest. Sounds fun!

Pretty Search

This is what I found when I typed "pretty" into search on photobucket. Well... this and a bunch of photos of random girls, lol. But I did find pretty scenery like I was looking for.

And it all makes me think of Virginia. Okay... a little home sick now...

Ceiling Fans and Summer Heat

Thank goodness for ceiling fans and air conditioning during these hot summer months. It’s just so hot in Texas. My friend Courtney and I were talking about how we’re both from the east (Virginia and North Carolina) and how living in Texas sure does toughen us up to the heat. We visit back home and it’s cold! (comparatively) I remember last summer walking around Jamestown in 80 something weather (maybe low 90’s) and being perfectly comfortable. I used to sweat in heat like that. Funny how things change.

Supplementing

Eating right has many benefits but it’s not always easy to do. Cost of food, lack of time, and even health problems (such as allergies to certain healthy foods or IBS that can cause sensitivities to all kinds of good for you edibles) can get in the way. We know that eating healthy is the best colon cleanser but there are situations where additional supplements can be useful. Kind of like vitamins, where we know we should get all the vitamins and minerals we need from our diet, but since most of us don’t eat anywhere near the right kind of varieties to do so, we rely on vitamin supplements to well, supplement our diet.

Information is Key

When choosing any dietary supplement, from vitamins to diet pills, it is absolutely necessary to get the facts. Information from those that have tried it, from experts, and so forth is useful in choosing what is best for you. Research it and find out what works. Granted everything will have a few bad reviews here and there, but based on logical information and a majority of positive reviews you should be led in the right direction.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Do NOT Call Your Credit Card Company!!!

Do NOT call your credit card company!!! I learned the hard way. I called and asked if they'd lower my interest rate because of my good credit history but they wouldn’t budge. A few weeks later I received a notice in the mail that my interest rate was being increased by 5% and when I logged into my account I found my credit limit had been reduced by one third. They claim in the notice that it’s “in response to market conditions and our increasing costs” but considering my husband has the same account but separately in his name, and yet his account hasn’t been changed, I suspect I'm being punished for my inquiry. According to Finance Columnist Liz Weston I am not the only one this has happened to. Also check out this post. AND this one.

This is what I get for taking novice advice. I thought, "You know, it wouldn't hurt to try to negotiate. It worked for so-and-so's friend." I was WRONG. It indeed hurt, it hurt my FICO score and didn't help the situation with the debt AT ALL!

So be aware in this credit crunch that the financial world is NOT what it used to be. Check out 5 Ways to Protect Yourself During the Credit Crunch.

Optimize the Earning Power of Your Blog

Looking to make your blog a better competitor online and earn you more money? By using this free seo service you can optimize how effectively your blog entries show up in search engine results. This is especially important if you earn money through click revenue ads since more people visiting your site increases the odds of those visitors clicking your ads and making you some money.

Further Education

With the recession, there is a lot of talk about people going back to school to further their education and better compete in the tough job market. The best way to do it is online. That way you can still work, but also get your degree. Whether it’s stating college, finishing a Bachelor’s, or getting a Master’s there are online programs available to do so. The University of Scranton offers an excellent online MBA program. No need to attend in person classes since this completely online AACSB accredited MBA program gives you all you need from the comfort of your computer. The entire program is typically completed in 2 years. And for some people, the required GMAT is excused, so check out the details of the program to see if you're one of them. So if you're thinking about completing your MBA check out The University of Scranton which was ranked in the top 15 by the Princeton Review.

When Jealousy is a Good Thing

Jealousy is an emotion meant to motivate. It is only a bad thing when you let it make you want to take away from someone else. It is okay to feel jealous as long as it makes you want to achieve more without harming anyone else.
Read more...

Overcome with Help

Did you know that being addicted to drugs (any drug addiction) is considered a brain disease? Seriously, the chemicals in your brain literally change and the mental associations between drug use become normal, even good, rather than realizing the dangers to one’s health. That’s why drug rehab is essential for those with this problem to ever recover. They literally have to learn that drugs are bad for them because they no longer know how to function without it. Overcoming any addiction requires a retraining of mentalities and habits, but drug addiction is extra tough since there are the chemical factors as well. But it can be overcome with help.

Movie Critics vs. Family Films

Do you think that critics are too harsh on family films? I do! Check out my article and express your opinion on the matter.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The Pros and Cons of Online Shopping

You’ve got to love shopping online, there’s pretty much everything and anything you can think of! My favorite thing to buy online are electronics because it’s so easy to compare and contrast the details. Books and movies are also favorites on mine to buy online, type, find, buy rather than hours of browsing (unless I get reading the reviews and then it takes me hours but then I’m a well informed customer). Other people prefer to use it for other things, such as shopping online you can find plenty of natural weight loss supplements available for purchase or other health supplements. I’ve ordered over-the-counter medicine online and it’s nice and easy. However, I generally don’t like to buy clothes or shoes online. I’ve tried a few times but nothing replaces the ability to try it on, make sure it’s comfortable, make sure it looks good, and make sure I’m completely happy with it.

National Treasure

I finally saw “National Treasure.” I know the movie has been out forever, but I had missed seeing it. We found a copy at the library (free rentals!) and I must say, it was a cute Disneyfied adventure movie.

That was some fancy car the guy was driving at the end though. Was it a Lamborghini? Probably a Ferrari. Could you image such a fancy car? I bet repairs require special Ferrari parts. But still, very cool ending.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Accessories to the Car

Everything seems to wear out at some point or another including floor mats and other car accessories. Some people simply like to spruce up their car with new accessories, while others buy a used car as affordably as possible and then replace the little details to make it more like new. Either way, the niceties of life are all in the details. Basic to posh, or old to new is seen in the accessories.

Monday, July 06, 2009

My Featured Article!

Top billing is a definite honor, so I am proud to announce that my article The Benefits of Gaining Weight is the featured article on TotallyHer.com for this month.

Saturday, July 04, 2009

I Talked with Molly Ringwald!

The face of a generation, 80's movie star Molly Ringwald will always be famous for her work in 16 Candles and The Breakfast Club. Now she's all grown up and playing the mother of a teenager!

I had the pleasure to interview her and write an article on it for the website I work for. It was fun getting to talk to such a famous star! She was tired and it came across in the conversation, but being pregnant with twins while caring for her daughter is indeed exhausting. She was still completely nice and excited to talk about her role on her show. Check out my interview with her on TotallyHer.com!

Lighting Lights Up a Home

The personality of a home is in the details. It’s amazing how a lighting fixture can make such a huge improvement. I think of my friends that bought a house and changed out the awful florescent standard ceiling fixture for a lovely chandelier in their kitchen. Suddenly their home looked so much more expensive yet inviting all at once. But it wasn’t expensive, discount lighting fixturers are easier to find than you think. When you can’t find a good clearance bargain in store, check out a discount lighting website instead. Sometimes you’ll even find free shipping!

Video Games

I have to admit, I’m not into video games. But on the flip side, it’s nice that video game companies have caught on to my type and have created wholesome options that have either a fitness or educational benefit. For example: Guitar Hero on PS3 is entertaining in a good clean fun kind of way. That’s what video games should be about.

Friday, July 03, 2009

The Bright Side of Pessimism

"The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised." ~George F. Will, The Leveling Wind

"Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute." ~Gil Stern

"Clear analysis of any situation is often mistaken for pessimism. The two should not be confused." - Barbara Hambly

And to you optimists ;-P
"Being an optimist after you've got everything you want doesn't count." ~Kin Hubbard

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Optimism

No doubt, I'm the kid suspicious of the good things. Yep, I'm a pessimist. It's funny because most everyone that knows me personally (meaning, knows me in person not just via my writing... which my pessimist side seems to come out in writing... or so I've been told... which I don't see reading it since I'm WAY more positive than most bloggers) would describe me as an up-beat positive person who is pretty much always nice. They'd never guess that deep down I'm a pessimist. But let me tell you, it's a protection. If I expect the worst then I'm not disappointed when it happens; I'm prepared. And if anything better than the worst happens, I'm pretty happy about it. What can I say? Life experience has made me this way. Sure, my health is pretty good now, but I know all too well how it can all be taken away in just a moment followed by years and years of suffering. I'll stick with my pessimism. It may make me skeptical, but it also helps me to take advantage of the good moments because I know how rare they are.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Smiley Face = "J"

Apparently if I copy / paste from Word any smiley faces are translated into "J" on the receiving composition, or at least here on Blogger. I'm not sure about facebook, but if it's the same there, I now can explain any random capital J's in my messages. Sorry!

I Feel Like a Goob

Why do I always feel silly after doing something nice? I made a bunch of cookies this evening and thought, "I bet my next door neighbor would like some. He's friends with my husband, so why not?" So I put the cookies in a bag, walk next door, and knock on the door. I felt so awkward being all, "I made some cookies and with you being friends with my husband, I thought you might like some." He was happy to accept and was very nice, but I always feel silly in situations like that. It's amazing I ever do anything nice considering how embarrassing it is to do so!

Have Fun Shopping Online!

Looking for a best buy on electronics? Hello? The answer is Buy.com :-) How about gifts and other goodies? Bonus points on round two… the answer is: Buy.com. Yep, they sell a whole variety of items now. Makes me happy! I love a one stop kind of wesbite (oddly enough, a big fan of those kind of websites but not a fan of one-stop stores). Have fun shopping!

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