12/31/2014 New Years Eve

I missed the last few days, but life was just too hectic with work and family to find the time/energy to post. All is better today and I'm gearing up for our busiest time of year at work.

2014 was a good year for us and I can only hope that 2015 will be even better. I have a feeling it will be! We have plans for visiting friends from California in Orlando in February , fiends visiting us in November, live theater tickets in January and May, girls weekend in May for me and my  high school gal pals (affectionately called the kickball team), some work expansions that I can't talk about yet and I'm sure plenty of other adventures along the way. It's nice to have so much to look forward to!

Our family has grown and continues to grow with my nephew getting married this weekend. My niece will be married next December and then I hope to hear news of more babies..because two in the family are just not enough lol ...

As much as I'd like to add to the fur children population in our home I think that will not be changing anytime soon. We have our hands full with the five we have. With Pony (the cat) and Scout (the lab) getting up there in years I'm afraid our clan will get smaller but hopefully not anytime soon!

Anyway...It's time to get this party started and bring in 2015! Happy New Year and thank you so much to all of my wonderful friends and family that have been there for me (us) .

And a special thank you to Vic , my loving partner that "gets me" like no one else in the world. You mean the world to me and I am so blessed to have you in my corner. xoxox

Sunday December 28, 2014

Dexter exploring the back yard

It was a pretty lazy Sunday. The best kind of Sunday if you ask me.
Woke up around 7:30, tried to watch some of the Hallmark Christmas shows that I had recorded but they just are not the same after Christmas so I deleted them.
I was a little antsy to get out of the house and do something, Vic wasn't. I went to the dreaded Walmart and picked up a few things. Vic mentioned getting retractable leashes for the littles so we could start walking them. I found a few other things and before I knew it the bill was over $200 ..yikes! I did score with the last GoPro remote. I put back the socks I was going to buy..and did not get a calendar so there is that. My impulse buy was a pillow for Vic's new recliner that should be here in a few more weeks.

Vic still wasn't in the mood to go do anything so I took the littles on a walk around the block by myself, with the new leashes. They loved them. It was tricky because Dexter wanted to wrap himself around every mailbox and tree. It was nice to get them out and get us all some exercise. I picked up a frisbee for Dakota (her favorite toy). We played for a bit  in the back yard but it was too hot.

I started reading the GoPro for dummies book but quickly fell into nap mode. I guess Vic was trying to watch a movie and did the same thing. We did start the first season of Downton Abbey , we watched one episode and decided we'd try it another time. I think it will be good but my brain wasn't in the right place to try and keep up.

Tonight we had left over spaghetti from last night...didn't work as well for me this time. I kind of miss the joy of food but I guess that was/is part of my problem.

The Cowboys won today. That's always a good thing :)

Until tomorrow....

Saturday December 27, 2014

Today was a different type of day for us.
I've been watching a friend get closer and closer to the end with cancer and almost told Vic yesterday that it's about time I stop looking at her facebook statuses because it's just too painful. She has lung cancer. It was this time a few years ago that we found out my dad had lung cancer. Triggers.
Today when I logged on to facebook I saw that a friend did her daily post for her. Hospice has taken over and I don't know if we'll see another message from her directly. She isn't taking visitors..we were not the kind of friends that would visit anyway..we met a few times at different gigs and she was always so kind to us. We exchanged emails, I asked for advice ,she was so kind to share her opinions....I'm hoping it will be a peaceful transition and she won't be in pain. Dying is so hard.

Vic and I got up and out of the house before too much of the day got away from us. Vic got a haircut, I went shopping. I found some cute note cards at JoAnn Fabrics on sale. Maybe I'll write more letters in 2015.  I'm missing my girls from Missouri.

We took a trip to the beach so I could play with the GoPro. It was a beautiful day. Very humid, 80 degrees. The water was calm and the sky was gorgeous. I took a few videos but still have not gotten the editing part down.  I really need to stop reading other peoples diaries and get into the GoPro for dummies book my sister gave me for Christmas.

I finished Andy Cohens Diaries this morning and now I'm onto Andy Warhols.  It is motivating me to keep up with my blog/journal.

We had lunch at Gold Rush, a delicious BBQ place on the Island. I think we eat there at least once a week. I've been trying new things lately. Today it was broiled scallops and they were to die for. I had no problems keeping them down at all. Vic stuck with her ribs and corn on the cob and mac and cheese.

Not to make this all about food but for dinner I heated up the spaghetti sauce my sister gave us for Christmas. Every year she gives everyone her yummy spaghetti sauce.  I miss having garlic toast with it but bread does work with my lapband very well so we've given that up at our house.

The rest of the evening is more binge watching of The Affair on showtime. I'm actually getting into it now too. I like our binge watching weekends. I get lot of laundry done and games played on my phone while I'm engrossed in whatever show it happens to be.  We've done this with Games of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Orange is the new black, House of Cards, United States of  Tara, Girls, Nurse Jackie, and I'm sure a few others. It's the best way to watch TV if you ask me. No commercials, no waiting until the next week .

I was going to share a picture of our trip to the beach today but I think I accidentally deleted all the files :( , before that happened I did manage to put a video up on youtube..it's longer than I wanted but until I figure out the editing part it will have to do :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-PYOILz1dw

Have a great evening! Hug your loved ones!

Friday December 26 2014

I could have slept in this morning but my internal clock doesn't really let me do that.
It's Friday...the day I put on my cute socks and weight in for my weight loss facebook page. I usually forget to actually write on my banded in Florida blog. It's just not as much fun when I'm not seeing big losses on the scale.   I was pleased this morning to find that I'd only gained one pound over the last week. I totally junked it up over the holidays with Christmas cookies, candy, dips, and everything else that comes along with Christmas.

Vic and I went into work after a quick stop at Staples. There were some great deals but we only needed ink. I did slip a few calendars in the bag. My calendar obsession is still in full force.

Work went by quickly and I felt like I got everything done that needed to be done but I am really wanting to come up and spend a day or so organizing and getting all of the end of the year bookkeeping and filing done. Maybe tomorrow.

After work we went to the mall. Yes the mall the day after Christmas...it wasn't nearly as nuts as I thought it would be. I helped Vic pick out her first pair of glasses. She wears readers but this will be a full time , bifocals, pair of glasses. I was just as bad picking out hers as I am for my own. I am hoping once they get here she'll not hate them.

We wandered around for a while, had an early dinner at Ruby Tuesdays and then went in search for some GoPro accessories. We may have had luck at Sears but could not find a sales person for anything. There was a small group of people waiting around the register area in electronics but after several minutes we gave up and just left.

Our evening was spent with me reading  The Andy Cohen Diaries. I can't put it down. It's delicious and the name dropping of my favorite reality stars  just keeps me glued.  Vic is binge watching some series called The Affair . We are a few episodes in,with me half watching, half reading. I think it will get better but so far I'm not into it enough to put my book down.

We got some really sweet Christmas cards today. I sent out two batches this year. I got a few thank you's from the second batch but no one in the first batch mentioned them..I wonder if they ever got them...I wish I could write a clever Christmas letter but I never do. It's always on my "next year" list..kind of like having cute Christmas photos taken. Some day,maybe.

Merry Christmas 2014

Merry Christmas!
I hope this video uploads ok. I got a GoPro for Christmas and I'm not a "pro" yet lol .

I must say it is a welcoming feeling knowing that all of the stress that Christmas brings is now over.
It was a wonderful year and I am beyond blessed and don't want to sound like I am complaining . Every family has their own issues , that I am pretty sure of. Me being the Libra , peace maker, of the family often find myself in the middle of trying to make all sides get along. It rarely works and I stress about much more often and longer than the involved parties I am sure.
But anyway....we survived.

Today we had a delicious brunch at my moms and then spent the rest of the day in a food coma. I'm now awake again and ready to find round two :) Thankfully she gave us plenty of left overs to bring home.

I'm looking forward to 2015. I see many great things happening in our business future and hopefully families future too! :)

2014 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

I hope that 2014 has been kind to you. No complaints here, it started off rocky with Vic in the hospital with doctors thinking she had had a heart attack but thank goodness that all worked out and ended up being nothing , at least nothing they could pin point.

In February we started meeting with the bank and began the process of clearing up credit and doing what we needed to do to purchase our first house together. We finally closed on it in July. We learned a lot in the process and I have a feeling it won't be too long before we do it again! 

We also hit the State Fair in Tampa. It was a cold day but we had a lot of fun! 

In April I started selling FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) and picked back up on ebay some. I didn't end the year making as much as I thought I would but it was a nice extra income over the months. My goal at this point is to try and get into it more next year. (Vic too) It's getting harder the busier we get at work but I'm sure we'll work something out . At some point during the year I started working four days a week in Venice and Fridays in Sarasota..it really cut into my sourcing and shopping time. 

In May over memorial day I rented a condo on the beach for some of my girl friends from Missouri that I went to school with from grade school on. It was a much needed  and much appreciated mid year break for all of us!

Summer started off with my niece graduating from Nursing School and my  nephew graduating from FSU and started law school in Colorado. I'm so proud of both of them! 

My other nephew had a baby boy in August and my other niece had a baby girl in September , so we are definitely blessed with babies this  year.  Two of Vics friends in California had babies as well , and I am finally going to meet one of them next year!

In October Vic and I went and saw Garth Brooks in concert. Best Concert Ever! We stayed over in Gainsville  and had a really nice time. 

In November my very first best friend (from second grade) came to Siesta Key with some of her friends. We had not seen each other since high school or junior high but it was as if no time at all had passed. They are coming again next November so I hope it turns into an annual thing! 

For Thanksgiving, Vic, Victor and I drove up to TN and rented the same cabin that we rented a few years ago for dad's last Thanksgiving. It was nice being back there and we went into Pigion Forge this time and did some fun things. It was a nice get a way before our busy season hits. Probably not as nice for Victor, I think the phone rang with work calls the entire time.

Now we are in full holiday mode. We've gotten together and made Christmas cookies. Had a birthday celebration for my niece and will be getting together for Christmas. We've gone way over board with presents this year but it's too hard not to with babies in the mix!  Since they are only 3 and 4 months old I'm not sure they will have much fun , but just thinking about next year with them makes me smile! The last baby in our family was my nephew and he's 20 years old now! 

Something that won't happen in 2015 but just hit the news is the ability for gay couples to marry in Florida! Vic and I have set a date  tentatively for Oct 17 2015 (our birthdays are on the 1st and 7th so we liked how it had both numbers) .. Will keep you posted! 

There are other great , exciting things in our near future but I will have to wait to share those once it's a done deal. :) 

Feeling very blessed and happy for all of the family and friends that I have in my life. Thank you!

And....Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

Straight No Chaser featuring Kristen Bell - Text Me Merry Christmas (Off...

BarkBox Unboxing November 2014 Hit or Miss?

such cute wrapping paper! 

We were so excited to get home from work and find our Barkbox on the front porch yesterday. I will share what was in this months box and then our reaction and what the pups thought.

 Wagatha's Kitchen Sink treats, all organic , GMO free ingredients including bananas, pumpkin, cooked apples, carrots, roasted ground peanuts, flax seed, honey , sunflower seeds, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, ginger and allspice. Everything but the kitchen sink.
We are pretty picky about the treats we give the dogs and usually stick to the same brand as their food (Iams) but I did sample everything from the box and the littles did seem to like these treats. DJ wasn't a  huge fan but I think he wasn't feeling good yesterday. I like that they are small treats and can be broken up so I don't have to worry about the little dogs (miniature dachshunds) choking on them.  The Labs inhaled them and didn't even chew.

The next treat was a chew stick type thing. Dakota inhaled this and I guess she liked it. I'm pretty sure the Labs don't even taste their treats because of the way they eat them, I could give them a cardboard bone and they would probably react the same way.

 Sorry for the poor quality photo here, i was trying to get pictures without the dogs seeing what was in the box. I gave this chew to Scout because it said it was good for the hips and joints and Scout being our oldest dog , needed it the most.. It sounded like hard plastic being broken when Scout ate it and I saw some blood on his gums, so I would not do this "treat" again. They are freeze dried beef trachea treats and are topped with liver sprinkles...yuck. Maybe I should have read all of that before I gave it to him.

This turkey leg toy is my dogs least favorite type of toy. Dakota did use it to torment Dexter (our toy hoarder) but that was about it. These types of toys usually get chewed into pieces pretty quickly so they don't squeek any more, and then I worry about the dogs swallowing the pieces of plastic. It was removed by the end of the night.

The carrot plush toy was the favorite for Dexter. He loves plush, soft , stuffed toys and if they have stuff sticking out like ears, legs, eye balls that he can chew off that's even better! It only took him five minutes to chew the green leafy things off the top and swallow one so Vic had to cut them off (see picture below). It was also removed by the end of the night because he turns into a very over protective dog of all toys and he just isn't very nice to be around (for the other dogs)

The Bigs couldn't wait to see what was in the box!

Diamond Candles Review/Reveal

Just recently I learned about several companies that put rings in candles. I decided to give them a try. The company that I am reviewing is Diamond Candles. I purchased the candle and am not being paid for this review.



Unfortunately my ring was not worth anything. I will share photos, doubt that I'll wear the ring because of the size of the fake diamond and the ring is a little loose. I wear a size 7 and it's probably an 8.   It was still a fun experience and I have the candle to burn for the rest of the season.It's not very strong in smell which is nice so it won't over power the house.

The candles run $24.95 and you can  often find sales on facebook or by signing up with the candle company. Each ring comes with a code and you can win a ring worth up to $5,000. Here is what their website says about them:

Diamond Candles is on a mission to make home fragrance fun. We combine the scents of premium 100% soy candles with an exciting and fun RINGREVEAL™ experience. Our candles are handmade in Durham, NC and we release fresh, fruity, floral and exotic scents all year long.

Inside every deliciously fragrant Ring Candle, you’ll discover a surprise $10 ring packaged with a special code. Enter your code on our RINGREVEAL™ website to reveal if you’ve discovered a ring worth $100, $1000, or $5000. Lucky winners will choose their ring’s style and size from our exclusive ring collection.

Want to see for yourself? Watch our RINGREVEAL™ videos or go ahead and take the plunge and get your first Ring Candle today. Don't forget to share a picture of your ring on Facebook and Instagram with #DiamondCandles and #RingReveal to be a part of the Diamond Candles story.

The Candles come well packaged 

There is a gold seal marking just where the ring is placed in the candle 

After getting your ring out, there is a code that you go to the website and enter to find out what your ring is worth

Subscription Box Review-Unboxing. Scentbird November

I have been loving my monthly subscription boxes so much that I've added several new ones to my list.
I was searching on YouTube the other day to see what other unboxings I could find and came across one for a perfume subscription.

I'm not one of those girls that is well versed in perfumes. In my 20's I did work at a perfume store (Perfumania) so I learned a little more about the different brands and scents. Most days I don't wear perfume at all. Growing up I remember my grandmothers scent when we'd be going out or at church..it was Youth Dew by Estee Lauder. Later my sister and mother would wear the same thing when it was an extra fancy gathering. Usually in winter because it's a pretty heavy scent. I have a few signature scents that I've worn over the years but usually like switching it up but not to the expense of buying the designer brands that I'd really like to wear.

But anyway...the subscription service is Scentbird. You can pick your perfume each month like I've done or do a survey and have them match it up to your style/taste and pick it for you.  It cost $14.95 per month . The first month you get an atomizer and a bottle of  the perfume in a vile that fits into the atomizer much like a lipstick tube. Each month you get a new vile. For my first month I picked Michael Kors and it smells amazing.

 I purchased this plan and am not being paid to do this review.

Ipsy November 2014 Unboxing Review

Ipsy was my very first subscription box over a year ago. It has also been my favorite so far out of the ones that I've gotten (as I mentioned in my previous blog I've canceled BirchBox and BeautyBox5 because of the disappointing boxes)

One of the things that I've liked about Ipsy is that you can refer your friends and not only do they get to enjoy the same great monthly pink envelopes of joy, you get points. With my points so far I've gotten some great products. This month it was a trio of eye shadows by Milani that are amazing. They retaill for $4.49 each . I love the colors that I got too (Bella Ivory,Bella Espresso and Bella Gold)

Now on to the other goodies that came in my glambag this month. The bag itself is a silver sparkly bag with a pink zipper..super cute. The theme is Girl Meets Glitter.

1. Bye Bye Under Eye, Full coverage, waterproof, anti-aging concealer. I'm not a huge concealer user but I will give this a try. Travel Size is what came in my bag. Full size retails for $24, from It Cosmetics. 

2. Rouge Underground, Make Up Sealant Before it melts away. Full Size Retails for $12.99
I had no idea what this product was. I went to their website and learned that they have several products to spray on...a little glow, a make up sealant to waterproof your make up, and more. This is why I like getting Ipsy ..it's a great way to learn more about new products and to try them out in a sample size before you purchase them. I can't wait to try this one out. There was also a coupon to get $10 off any purchase of $50 more more. Woohoo money saved!

3.J.Cats Wonder Lip Paint in Mad Splatter. Not a fan of lip paint or this type of applicator. But the color is pretty good. I believe this is full size and retails for $4.99

4.Pixie Dust roll on perfume by Demeter. The smell reminded me of some lip gloss I had as a kid and I keep wanting to put it on my lips instead of my wrists. I do like that you can order lotion, oil, sprays to match if you do find a scent you like and I do like these roll on  perfumes for my purse but I'm just not a fan of this scent.

5. The final product is by Elizabeth Mott, You're so Fine waterproof liquid eyeliner. I suck at using liquid eyeliner and will most likely give this away. I do like that in almost every Ipsy bag I get eyeliners of some sort which allows me to try them. I am very sensitive to most eyeliners and mascara and hate buying them to just guess if they will work for me or not. I believe this is a full size sample , it retails for $17.99.

Another thing Ipsy does is gives you discounts each month on the items they send so if you do like them you can go online and order them for 20-25% off for a limited time.

Join me on ipsy and subscribe to the Glam Bag! You get 4-5 beauty products every month delivered to your door, for just $10. Michelle Phan curates the bags! Check it out here: http://www.ipsy.com/r/44in?sid=ipsypoints&cid=email

Monthly Unboxing Beauty Box 5 (NOVEMBER 2014)

I will be doing reviews on several monthly subscription boxes this month. I paid for this box and am not being paid by Beauty Box 5 for my review.

L'Oreal Paris Nail Color. The card says the Retail price is $5.99 but I googled it and found it at Target for $2.69

Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash 

1.8 fl oz found all over the place for 1.83-5.00

The card says a 22 oz goes for 6.49

The Laura Ashley Cherry Blosssom Body Butter smells pretty great. Retails $20 for a set of 6 (1.75 oz each $3.34 Value) 

Den Tek Floss Picks. Retail 2.49 4 count. 

This is probably one of the items that I will throw in my purse and use. Who doesn't need more dental floss? Happy Teeth :) 

Hask Macadamia Revitalizing Shine Oil Retail 2.99 5/8 fl oz

So , adding everything up on the low end I may have just broken even on this months box. 

There was also a coupon to save $1 off an y Den Tek Product, 

BB5 comes once a month. There are a few different payment plans to choose from.
$12 per month
$30 Quarterly (Save $6)
$99 Yearly (save $45 )

I signed up for the quarterly plan but plan on canceling it for the same reason I canceled BirchBox..I don't see the value in the items that are in the box. Here was last months review right here.

I was able to get some of my money back last month by selling the make up scooper outter thingy on Ebay for $7.29 with 8 bids!





To Get your own beauty box 5 use this link: http://www.beautybox5.com/?u=16726