Jessys Journal

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jessy @ 13:53 | comments(0) | Permanent link

I didn't end up doing that much online shopping this holiday season.  I really like to support local businesses (if you consider that I have two kids and didn't buy a single thing from Toys 'R Us this year)!  However, now that the holidays are over, I am looking for really good deals on a few things, and I've found a lot of good online coupons lately.

Last night, I was shopping for a Wii for my daughter.  She won $500 in a contest recently, and that's what she wants to buy with her winnings.  I did look, but I doubt I'll ever find promotional codes for the Wii.  I did, however, luck out and get some online bargains at Delia's and a few other sites that I enjoy.

Dealsharks.com is one of the best sites for coupons online.  Unlike a lot of the sites I've seen, they seem to have coupons for many smaller businesses, and quite a few retails that I wouldn't think of searching for automatically.  Check it out -- not only will you find good deals, but you may also find some new places to shop!     

jessy @ 12:27 | comments(0) | Permanent link

I really like the use of steel as a building material.  I love it for roofs -- I can just imagine that the rain sounds lovely pouring down on a nice steel roof , and it's a cool roofing option, too.  I also love that steel is a green building material.  Since we always try to do our part for the environment, I am planning for our next barn to be made of steel.

Now that our piglets are growing up, we are going to need a new building to house them in.  I've been looking into green building information since good, energy-star rated insulation will be important to keep them warm during the winter, and of course, sustainable building design is important to me.  I want whatever we buy to last for a long time and be flexible enough that we can use it for other animals, storage, or maybe even recycle or resell it when we no longer need it anymore.  Steel lasts and stays in good condition better than any other material I can think of!

We are getting ready to move the piggies out of their mom's pen in a couple of weeks, so we really need to research our options and make a decision now. 

jessy @ 12:09 | comments(0) | Permanent link

We leave in just about a week for our trip to Florida, and it's time to get out our luggage and start packing.  We'll be traveling on the auto train, so we don't have to worry about packing light (not usually a problem for me, but I'm sure my mom is relieved for herself)!  Once we get our things packed, they'll go into the car and we won't see them again until we arrive in Florida the next day.

Of course, getting packed is somewhat of an ordeal.  My son and daughter have designer luggage that they got for Christmas one year, but we may need to visit a luggage store for ourselves since some of our bags are getting worn out after a few too many trips by air.  Anyone who's flown recently knows how poorly suitcases are treated by airline employees, right?

I've always enjoyed packing for a trip, but my mom gets so stressed about her bags and making sure she has everything she could possibly need.  It's almost funny, or at least it was -- until the time her luggage got lost on the way to Orlando.  That was her worst nightmare come true, and she made sure it was a nightmare for the rest of us, too!       

jessy @ 12:02 | comments(0) | Permanent link

Before I had children, I never needed to think about dieting.  Now, though, it sometimes crosses my mind.  I have some friends who had a lot of success using the meal-delivery type diets -- the ones where you purchase the food directly from a diet company so that you know you're eating exactly the right foods to stay on track.

If you're interested in trying a meal-delivery diet, you have four main choices.  Jenny Craig is one of the ones my friend liked.  She said the food was yummy, and she didn't have any trouble losing weight on the diet.   Another choice is  the Biggest Loser Meal Plan, which corresponds to the popular reality game show where people compete to see who can lose the most weight.  I suppose you could call that one the competitive diet!

NutriSystem and Medifast are the other two major meal delivery diet programs.  True to its name, Medifast promises fast weight loss -- up to 20lbs lost in your first month on the diet.  Nutrisystem, also promising great results, sets you up for eating smaller, more frequent meals so that you can lose weight while maintaining your energy and feeling full, the best way for long-term good results. 

Just make sure you speak to your doctor before starting any weight loss program, and plan to work exercise into your routine as well -- all diets are more powerful when combined with exercise!

jessy @ 08:51 | comments(0) | Permanent link

Mike's brother and SIL are planning a trip to Idaho again this summer.  That's where her family lives, so they try to go back as often as possible -- but I must admit, I'd go crazy vacationing in the same place every year! 

Their Idaho vacations sound like fun, though.  There is more to do there than I would have thought -- everything from camping and skiing to golfing and gambling.  Personally, I wouldn't mind taking the kids on a Yellowstone vacation since I've never been before and that seems like something they should see at some point.  Maybe we'll join Mike's family one year when they go out there.

They've also talked about moving to Idaho, and if they do, I'm sure we'll have lots of excuses to go out and see them.  They had their wedding there when they got married, and Mike got to go.  He said it was actually very pretty there, and he would consider moving if they did.  If you know me, you know I'd go just about anywhere!     

admin @ 11:33 | comments(0) | Permanent link

The house is rented, we are picking up our trailer tonight, and we can finally start thinking about having money for fun things once again!  As usual, I've been hounding Mike to think about vacation options for this year, and one of the places we talked about is France.

I'm a little nervous because my French has gone way downhill since I last studied it ten years ago, but I still love the idea of seeing all the wonderful sights in Paris and around the country.  My friends who have been there confirmed that the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Centre Pompidou, and Notre Dame Cathedral are all as amazing in person as they sound.  And I would love for the kids to have the experience of seeing all the artwork at The Louvre, though I'm sure they would be more impressed by seeing the view from the Eiffel Tower!

France hotels are not cheap, but of course, where else are we going to stay?  The plan would be to travel around, staying some of the time in Nice hotels and then spending a large chunk of time in Paris hotels.  Since there are some cheap Paris hotels, we should be able to save money there and then splurge on a few nights in Paris Latin Quarter hotels.  If we can pull it off, it will be the vacation of a lifetime!     

admin @ 11:04 | comments(0) | Permanent link

Shortly after my daughter was born, her dad ended up filing for bankruptcy.  Between paying off the bills he'd charged on his ex-girlfriend's credit cards and buying what he needed to remodel the house, he was $50,000 deep in credit card debt.  Bankruptcy was absolutely the best choice he could have made.  In hind-sight, our only regret is not buying more before he filed -- we could have gotten away with a lot more than we did! 

Unfortunately, bankruptcy laws have changed a lot in the past five years, and it's not as easy to file anymore.  I'd consider it myself otherwise -- but my debt isn't large enough to make it worthwhile.  

If looking over your taxes this week has brought you to consider filing bankruptcy, then you need to visit Bankruptcy HQ to learn more.  This service will help you to decide whether or not filing is the best way for you to get rid of your unsecured debt.  They will even put you in touch with a bankruptcy lawyer who can help you determine whether to file before or after turning in your 2007 taxes.

That's another thing we'd change about Mike's bankruptcy -- his lawyer was awful!  Don't make the same mistake -- let Bankruptcy HQ match you up with a good attorney!    

admin @ 22:13 | comments(0) | Permanent link