First Recital!!

His first recital- and mommy is so proud. He did a great job, but more importantly, he had a great time. Just look at that smile on his face! He loves his dance class.
How cute is he? LOL. (The girls, too, LOL)

He takes tap and ballet, and he was [Read more…]

Top 5 Kid Friendly Interior Design Ideas

Sometimes, when we’re thinking about renovating a room (or two) in the house,
unless we’re expecting a child, the kids’ rooms end up being low on the priority list. It’s
not that we don’t love them or want them to have the very best; it’s just that either they’re
too young to have a firm opinion on how they would like their room to look or we end up
drawing a blank on some cool (and relatively inexpensive) interior design ideas. If you
can relate, you’ve come to the right place. Here are five ways to decorate their room in a
cool and kid-friendly kind of way.

Go up the wall (kind of). One of the quickest (and cheapest) ways
to change a child’s room is to change their walls. You can do this by painting it a different
color (bright shades or chalkboard paint are two popular options) or by wallpapering it.
When it comes to wallpaper, these days, there are a lot more options than it used to be.
You can find everything from geometric shapes and animal patterns, to metallic sequin-
prints, hearts and insects (like ladybugs and butterflies). You can even alternate walls
with different styles for a unique look. Poster prints and wall stickers are hot trends too.
BareWalls.com and Joanne’s are two places that have a ton of those kinds of options.

Put the room into sections. If your child’s room is limited in
space, day beds and bunk beds are still viable choices to make more room. However,
something that is becoming increasingly popular is separating one portion of the room
from another with either a curtain or literal room dividers (that you can find at IKEA or
Wal-Mart). While one side is designated for sleeping, the other can have either their
entertainment equipment or it can be set up to be like a study for homework purposes.

Surround the [Read more…]

Dry Rub Grill Recipe

Here’s a good dry rub recipe, I’ve used it on tons of grilling food and love it. Simple, easy, but not the best picture though, sorry about that, I can’t make ribs look good. LOL

This is a super simple, super easy never fail dry rub recipe that I was given years ago. I add and subtract ingredients though just to change things up now and again. Perfect for summer and even better perfect for Father’s day! I have used this on all kinds of meat though I don’t like it on fish. We used this on spare ribs this past [Read more…]

5 Simply Ways to Save on Medical Expenses

Cutting down on all costs is a necessity for the majority of American families in
today’s economy. With the extra tight budgets many families are facing, affording
healthcare for some is downright impossible but it’s an important budgetary item,
especially if you have kids. You can’t avoid medical costs but there are ways you can
save on them. Below are five simple ways to reduce your family’s medical costs.

Use Preventative Care
Taking the time for routine check-ups, physicals, dental cleanings, and eye exams is a
much cheaper option than letting something go until it’s necessary to see the doctor for
correction. A co-pay for a routine teeth cleaning might cost you 10 or 20 bucks, whereas
having a cavity filled costs hundreds and is painful. Many insurance policies cover
preventative care options like these so check with your insurance company to know how
many visits you have covered each year.

Lead a Healthy Lifestyle
The best way you can ensure that you and your family stays as healthy as possible is
by leading a healthy lifestyle. Be sure at least half your meals consist of fresh fruits and
vegetables and you avoid processed, chemical-infused foods. Teach your kids the value
of exercising by example. Have a weekly family bike ride, hike, or Frisbee game in the
park. Your lifestyle is one of the major factors in preventative care. The more you do to
stay healthy, the less medical care you’ll need.

Avoid the Emergency Room
A good policy to uphold for you [Read more…]

Save Your Money- Find Today’s Best Deals Here

Score a Free 8×10 Canvas Print right now, just $14.95 shipping and handling. So it is a great deal, you are saving $50! Or if you want a bigger print you can save $40 off.

No More Rack has a jewelry sale right now, on bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and more! All items you purchase from their will have $2 shipping! They offer daily deals at a pretty good discount!

Snag a Refurbished Sony Blu-ray Disc Player w/ Netflix for $40 + free shipping for a limited time and while supplies last!!

Scarves can really add character to an outfit! Right now you can grab some gorgeous [Read more…]

Summer Social – Winner take all @GKhair

The GK Hair C880 Curling Iron is awesome- according to my mom. The titanium plates are so smooth and glide over your hair no problems. The titanium plates are different than the average curling iron, which gives you more control and makes it easier to use in her opinion. My mom hates how frizzy and kinky her hair is, and says that this makes her hair silky and smooth and was very easy to use. GK has superior heat output, and is super convenient and not as time consuming as many other irons. Also- one swipe, and your hair is how you want it to look- you don’t need to keep going over and over like some other irons. (Hence that whole not time consuming thing.)

The world according to my mom;
“I’ve never used an iron that was titanium before and was very pleasantly surprised. My hair was softer, smoother and the friz factor was very very low as compared to the ceramic iron I’ve been using. It heats up very quickly and cools just as quickly. That’s a good thing. It’s lightweight and easy to use. I would give it a 9 out of 10. The only thing I would change would be to make the plates a little bigger and to include directions with the product as none were enclosed with the one I have.”

THE GKhair™ PROMISE

GKhair is much more than just a name. It’s a brand with a promise. A promise that your hair needs will be fulfilled. GKhair invests heavily in research and development to continually advance the science of hair to deliver new and innovative products. Whatever your desires may be, GKhair is the experience your hair needs.

The GK Hair C880 Curling Iron creates smooth, shiny curls on all hair types
1 Inch barrel (28mm)
Perfect for all hair types
Tourmaline Plates
Adjustable temperature – 122F – 410F
Heat sensitive indicating loop
360 degree spinner barrel
Digital LED display
1 year warranty
US – 110v-120V
EU – 230V
AU 240V
Voltage power consumption 45W-150W
[Read more…]

Tips for Maximizing Storage Space in Your Home

As your family grows and expands, you may start feeling a little strapped for storage
space in your house. Don’t run out and buy a bigger house just yet, though. Instead, use
your space more effectively. With the tips listed below, you’ll find there’s plenty of room
to store your stuff without sacrificing living space.

Start by organizing. If you store things in every single nook and cranny available,
clean them out and decide what you actually need to keep. Then do the same to your
storage rooms. The better organized your storage rooms are, the more space you’ll have
for storage. Disorganization takes up a lot more room than you might think. The same
applies to your garage. If you just throw everything you don’t want to deal with right now
out there, that stuff will start taking over. Go crazy with plastic storage bins and a label
maker to keep yourself organized. If you have shelves and predetermined areas for
everything, your house will stay clutter-free.

One option if you just don’t have enough room in the house for everything is to buy
a small shed or storage unit that you can put in your backyard. It would be a great place
to store that stuff you don’t need very often, like holiday decorations and keepsakes.
They come in wood and metal composites and in every size you could need. Sheds
are relatively inexpensive and there are ones that would fit most budgets with prices
anywhere from about $500 to $1,500. This would be a quick and easy way to provide
more storage with little effort.

Don’t [Read more…]

Hair Loss Prevention Tips for Women

Not many women like to talk about thinning hair or the possibility of female balding.
Although figures vary, it is believed that approximately 15-25% of women suffer from
thinning hair, so millions of women have to deal with the reality of hair loss. And
unfortunately, it is most often genetic; if your mother has thinning hair, you’re likely
to experience it at some point as well. In many cases, it doesn’t coincide with aging
or menopause, as many people believe. Women that are going to have thinning hair
will likely begin to see the signs during their prime childbearing years (25-35). Unlike
men, who tend to have baldness in patterns (receding hairline, bald spot on the crown),
women are more likely to have issues with volume as hair loss is more evenly distributed
and the hairs themselves shrink in diameter. All in all, it’s something that you’d probably
rather avoid.

Luckily, there are things you can do to try to prevent this thinning and hair loss, or
even reverse it. Since most women that are likely to suffer from hair loss will watch their
mother go through it first (provided it’s not the result of a medical disorder, stress, or
medication), you’ll have a good idea whether or not it’s on the horizon. And it behooves
to take preventive measures early on. By the time you actually start noticing hair loss,
you will have lost a significant portion, and it will be harder (although not impossible) to
regenerate at that point.

So where can you start? The first step is to take good care of the hair you have.
Chemical treatments like dyes jobs, permanents, and hair straightening can all damage
your hair, as can daily heat routines (drying, curling, flat-ironing, etc.) and even leave-in
hair [Read more…]