Wednesday, November 23, 2011

So much to think about.................

 Rob's 40 is around the corner and I got to fit into this $12.80 dress



What a good shopper.......
......EXCEPT that I want this necklace to wear with it



Which is over 10x more than the dress....lol.

I won't be going out on BLACK FRIDAY
I have to start my TO DO list for the month of December
YIKES
So much to plan out So little time
I'd really like to get my decorating done early
I'm loving the outdoors coming in for the holiday



How about this cocktail for the Jollyday?


How-Tuesday: Raspberry Jello Cosmo from Etsy on Vimeo.

Always loving a good magazine browse to get my shopping inspiration going



Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Cheap Trick Tuesday


well back home :) 

Well there are a few articles I found interesting as we traveled and as Black Friday approaches!

The information in this article is pretty right on as we traveled this past week- I seen for myself a lot more carry-ons and not a lot of checking until boarding and beyond. I'm sure as the airlines catch onto to this it will become stricter- but until then.....

Five Ways to Avoid Airline Baggage Fees
by Jeffrey Trull
from Dollar Stretcher email

Don't pay the airlines more than you have to

The holiday season is fast approaching again, and many of us will be traveling by plane to visit relatives. And with another season of holiday airline travel comes another round of getting hit with checked bag fees. The easiest advice for avoiding these fees is to simply carry on instead. But not everyone can do that, especially for longer trips or when there are kids involved. But before you let the extra traveling costs ruin your holiday cheer, there's hope for saving some cash. Here's a few tips to help everyone avoid bag fees

1. If your bag is close to (or slightly over) the size limit, attempt to carry it on. Every airline has a specified limit for the bag you can carry on. These dimensions max out at about 24" x 16" x 10" and 40 pounds on most airlines. But, in my experience, no one actually measures or checks this until you're either at the gate or attempting to put your bag in the overhead bin. If your bag doesn't fit, many airlines will "gate check" your bag, free of charge. If you think your bag might be slightly too big to carry on, wait until an airline employee forces you to check it and you'll often save yourself a bag fee.

2. Maximize your "personal item." Everyone is allowed to take a carry on bag (see dimensions above) and can also have a personal item, such as a purse or laptop. I bring a backpack as my personal item, and it holds my laptop plus extra items, like books, snacks, and even extra clothing. If you're trying to meet the size limit for a carry on item yet can't fit all of your things in that single bag, your personal item can free up some space. Typically, as long as your personal item can be stored under the seat in front of you, you won't have any problems getting it on. Worst case scenario: you're forced to gate-check your carry-on.

3. If you must check bags, reduce the number of bags by maximizing the size and weight. If you're a family of five with young kids, it's going to be a pain to try to carry on everything. But that doesn't mean that you have to check five bags and pay five bag fees. Airlines typically allow you to check a bag up to 50 pounds without having to pay an oversize bag fee, which can be hefty. Chances are that not everyone in your family or group is going to bring 50 pounds of stuff each (who wants to lug around that much stuff, anyway?) If your family or travel group has a lot of stuff, combine what you're packing into one or two bags to be checked and save three or four bag fees. Maximize the checked bag limitations and then carry on whatever is left.

4. Know which airlines don't charge bag fees. As this is written, Southwest and JetBlue are among the few carriers that don't charge for the first checked bag (Southwest doesn't charge for the second bag, either). Other domestic carriers charge between $20 and $30 for the first checked bag and even more for each bag beyond that, which means $40-60 extra on top of your ticket to fly round-trip. When booking flights, be mindful of this and pick the lowest price based what it will cost both you and your bags to fly. A simple Google search for your airline's policy will return the price per bag within seconds.

5. Consider ground shipping items if you're going to need several bags. Prices per bag go up drastically after your first checked bag (and reach ridiculous levels after the second one), so bringing Christmas gifts with you using extra luggage might not be worth it. Consider shipping via UPS or FedEx Ground, especially if your cargo is going to rack up a lot of extra baggage fees. Plus, it could be a lot more convenient and secure than lugging all your bags around the airport, too.

Just because airlines charge various fees doesn't mean you have to end up paying them. It simply means that those that utilize these a la carte offerings must pay for them. Planning ahead and developing a strategy can save you more than a few bucks on bag fees.

Jeff's website is Money Spruce and he has an article on Black Friday and Walmart....which then led me to this article on Black Friday Dos and Don'ts by Yahoo

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Asparagus Risotto

 YUM
Recipe -HERE
Leek

Pretty Little Pearls
:)
Arborio Rice




 This dish was a comfort food for me..............I don't much like babysitting the rice, but it was worth it!

Peek-A-Boo
Mr. Leeky See
U

PlanetFoob: Another Bathing Suit Designer Just for US!

PlanetFoob: Another Bathing Suit Designer Just for US!: Well she was high risk- so she did something about it and then she did something about it!!! Yes she cheated cancer AND she started dressin...

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Travel


Well with a little traveling I'm doing I can't help but try and dress nice yet comfortable
able to take something off or add something depending on temperature is my biggest thing 

I like Cameron's style for air flight 
I love this for hanging around the city- bus travel


She's just so cute with the hats
my new obsession

This is more like what I look like traveling
Planes make me nervous too

I'm heading to the city tomorrow and it's suppose to rain.....yikes. 
The Doc and I are heading to a Women at Risk event........

I will miss my usual bus partner - mom- she's the best because she always has good snacks! 

I will attempt to pack some good snacks




Oh my........this scarf is NICE and BIG!

PlanetFoob: Hard days come and go.....It's O.K.

PlanetFoob: Hard days come and go.....It's O.K.: Well I had a BAD 2 weeks and I only report these bad times because usually something good happens- I learn to cope and I grow. I also put...

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Cheap Trick Tuesday- get your shopping done years in advance!



OK- sometimes the best gifts in life are free................for reals...lol.

Well I'm a pack rat, but when I was young I was a lot worse than I am now.  So it's my best friend's birthday and she is so special to me NO gift ever seems good enough.  

Flashback:  19something and we are kids.  My friend likes a boy and yes he's cute, but can't spell worth a crap (OK- he misspelled one word)  and my girlfriends are smarty pants and good spellers- SO we thought it was the funniest thing.  Ever since then we would mock his misspelling and laugh and about it.  Why?.....simple things like that made us laugh.....oh the good old days.  girls!

Present day:  I'm moving out of my house in Vestal and I find 2 little notes that he wrote her......why I saved them- NO idea- maybe I secretly liked the bad speller or maybe I kept the note to never spell that word wrong (I'm not the best speller myself).  I actually had the note with the misspelling. I know she will freak out to see this note again and I'm sure she won't believe I still have it......SO it's the cheapest BEST gift ever.  It's history- It's a memory and you CAN'T buy that.  I'm so excited to ship out her gift.




I glittered up a little box to put in in



Wouldn't it be great to teach your daughter or son to keep some random things and will become priceless gifts someday?  I know that the little things of Lucas' that I have saved he will have someday to gift out.  I mean if Leann would have married that boy- WOW what a wedding gift!  lol

Now I know Leann would love and cherish this gift and that would be enough for her-
BUT I did manage to find a vintage dress with the cutest jacket
.....oh and it's pass the BugsBunny and she's it! Bugs is a whole other story.



I also found a few other things......I love packaging up treats. 
Especially for Leann as she does the BEST packages EVER!



Another great gift idea ESPECIALLY for the girl who shouldn't be eating cake- How about this:

Vintage Tea Cup Candle
Low Calories
Low Cost

Martha can tell ya how to do it HERE 

AND don't forget its Restaurant Week here in Binghamton!! 
YUM

Monday, November 7, 2011

Motivate me Monday: I HATE the GYM......really




















I'm way off my gym schedule and the longer I've been off the more I HATE the gym.  It definately needs to be a way of life!  Sometimes the mental stuff makes me crazy and I just can't get going.
I love pinterest ~ and the above imagines really make ya think!  May this week be filled with determination, smiles, gym appointments, good food, outdoors and peace of mind.