Join the e-mail lists!!

Sometimes it pays to join restaurant e-mail lists. You never know what they'll e-mail you. Some 

of my favorite places never send anything. Others such as Hey Cupcake, a true Austin gem gives you a Buy 1 Get 1 Free immediately after you sign up. Right now Buca di Beppo is also providing e club newbies with a free appetizer. I've never been there before but with a coupon for a free appetizer, I'm there! 

Falling Slowly

I cannot stop listening to the song, Falling Slowly after hearing it performed at the Oscars and then finding out it won the award. I enjoyed the movie, Once but I especially loved this song. It's a true story of hope.... The Once website is offering FREE downloads of the song. Take advantage of it while you still can! Look for the "download free song" red box.  Enjoy! 

Green Cleaning

Nowadays, everyone is trying to live like kermit aka green. With a new home, I have joined the green movement. We have always recycled but now we are composting, or at least learning how to compost. I am also attempting to convince my husband that we need to clean our house with green products too. In this awesome book I recently picked up, I am learning all of the benefits of baking soda and vinegar. No more need to spend money on toxic chemicals to clean your house when you can use everyday ingredients!

How Stuff Works!

Finally an one stop website to show me how the world works. Maybe I am the last to find out about this site but now I am a huge fan of howstuffworks. Now that I am a homeowner, I need to learn about how to do a lot of things such as taking care of my garden with compost or home improvement projects. I can even learn how to build patio furniture if I am so inclined! This website is not limited to home and garden projects. Check it out if you want information on just about anything!

All natural beauty products

I've always liked the idea of all natural makeup but never knew where to find it. Funny enough, there's a store in my new neighborhood. Lori, the owner of Myka makes all of the makeup herself with all natural ingredients. She also makes wonderful lotions and scrubs that you can use on your face! The chocolate scrub is good enough to eat!

The costs are minimal, especially considering the high quality ingredients. For those of you who don't live in Austin, the last time I spoke with Lori, she was offering free shipping on all of her products. I especially love the shimmery eye shadows, especially in this beautiful antique copper color.  Support a local business. All natural makeup! How can I resist?

Just for laughs

Sometimes, especially by the end of the week, I need a good laugh. Friends send me funny websites all the time. This website, http://icanhascheezburger.com/page/2/

is perfect for lifting you out of the winter blues!

Printing coupons?

Now it's possible to print your coupons! If you're like me and begin Sundays searching the coupons section, you'll find yourself thrilled by this latest endeavor from Red Plum. All you need to do is search for coupons by your zip code. In addition to grocery store coupons, they have travel, entertainment, and other coupons. Happy savings!

I'm loving luv a dub dub

Although I now live far away from Chicago, where these products are made,

I am still hooked on this chocolate mint body butter. All natural and homemade, these bath products are perfect even for my dry and scaly skin!

Pampered Cats

Now that my husband and I are both working again, our cat, Zee is left to spend her days without companionship. After all this stress, she deserves a day at the spa!

Thanks to this special treatment, without leaving the comforts of home, Zee can now pamper herself all day long. It will not surprise me if one day, we come home from work and she is sitting on the back patio with a margarita and a professional masseuse!

Playing dress up

Playing dress up is not only fun for humans but also for cats.

Couldn’t you see your cat prancing around in costume?

For cats who are particularly interested in fashion, check

out all the different colors!

 

Trying again

Okay now that I'm more settled in my new home, I am going to try writing this on a more regular basis. It's hard to stay motivated... It's funny -motivation is my specialty but I cannot seem to motivate myself on a daily basis. Perhaps, I should skip the motivational slogans

and try something more realistic, something that will keep me grounded when I am demotivated!

If nothing else, I cannot feel any worse when I face challenges.

It's been a while...

Well it's been almost 2 months since my last post. Must be a blogging record or something? The truth is - I'm in need of some feedback to know if this blog should keep going or not...To my fellow readers, I ask you to let me know via comments:

1) Should I keep this blog going?

2) If so, what would you like me to find?

Thanks for your help!

Is that candy really worth it??

Before stocking up on candy this Halloween, you should know that chocolate-maker Mars Inc.—creator of M&M's, Snickers, and other candies—continues to fund deadly animal tests despite the fact that the tests are not required by law and more reliable human studies could be used instead. For more info and to take action, check out Peta's website.

Learn to dance

If you've always wanted to learn some new dance moves but didn't feel comfortable stepping into a studio, you now can with the easy click of your mouse and this incredible site. You will amaze your friends when you groove to irish, salsa, hip hop, and more!

Msn radio is the best!

Since I now have my own office, I need some music to keep me company during the quiet work day. How I love thee --msnradio. Not only is it free but it allows me to create my own stations based on my favorite artists. So I can listen to a collection of songs all day long similar in style to joss stone, bon jovi, or john mayer. This is too good to be true!

Moving and moving with pets

Well now that I am in a new city with a new job, it's harder to maintain this blog. The next month/so might be hectic because of a trip to Hawaii and an official move from Chicago but I'll do my best to post every week/so. If the offer still stands, I might take my online guru of a friend's offer to act as a guest blogger.

Since I'm totally obsessed with moving, I cannot help but offer more tips on moving. If you're moving with your pets, you might want to invest in a soft sherpa carrier. They are even airline approved if you want to take your pet in the sky! To save money, you might want to buy the bag at a pet shop rather than online at the sherpa website.

Measure just how much I hog the bed!

I admit that I am the one in the family that hogs the bed. My husband is constantly complaining that he's pushed over the edge of the bed every night. Every night, I start out sleeping on my side & somehow I end up on his pillow by morning. I just want to show him I love him! Right....
Hopefully, he doesn't see these cool bedsheets that are printed with a ruler. If he does, I'm in trouble!

Moving scams

How do you choose a reliable mover? It's tough trusting a stranger with your personal property! My co-worker who is also moving in a couple of weeks directed me to this fabulous website that not only tells you how to choose a mover but also gives you a list of companies to avoid. If you're so inclined, you can even chat with other movers on the site's message board. Happy moving!

If you're relocating or just want to check out a city

As everyone knows, I am moving in a couple of weeks. To learn more about my new city, I checked out city data forum. If you're moving or just want to learn about what other people are saying about your city, I highly recommend this site! It's very addictive!!

Sell your car easily?

I have to sell my car but I know nothing about how to sell a car. I did look up the value of the car and was surprised by what it said. My husband thinks I'll be lucky to get $1000 for my 1999 Toyota. He's probably right! I've thought about placing an ad in the paper, selling it on e-bay, or craigslist. Then I discovered carmax. They appraise your car & then cut you a check. You can even purchase a new or used car with them or keep the money. It sounds so easy! I am sure I could spend hrs talking to people about the best possible way to get rid of my car but I don't have the time or energy for that.