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Auntie’s Angel: The best part of my day
For many of us, the best part of the day is when we leave work. Not for me, at least not in recent weeks when I have been picking up my niece from daycare and caring for her while my sister teaches in the evening.
The best part of my day isn’t when I pickup my niece from daycare and she gleefully yell’s Aunnnnteeeeee as she smiles from ear to ear. I smile from ear to ear too but that’s not the best part of the day.
The best part of my day isn’t the ride home as she recaps the day with her playmates while “chair dancing” to the music on the radio.
The best part of my day could be our dinner parade as Auntie’s Angel insists upon helping to prepare our meal. I get a kick out of seeing her grow-up before my eyes. Our dinner conversation regarding how much of a “big girl” she has become since she is now leaving her blankey at home, tying her shoes and all sorts of 4 year old things.
The best part of the my day could be the 30 – 45 minute break I get when my niece takes a bath but that time is usually filled with loading the dishwasher or adding yet another load of clothes to the washer and dryer. Sometimes, if I’m lucky, I get to make a phone call back east to friends of family before I’m summoned to wash the princess.
The best part of my day could be the bath ritual that includes scrubbing toes and a little face followed by the “sack ‘o tatoes” ritual. After I have removed the little angel from the tub and wrapped her in a towel, I pick her up over my shoulder and tell her that I am carrying my sack of potatoes and she squeals with laughter….I’m not a sack ‘o tatoes Aunteee. We laugh as we put on enough lotion to make her slide out of bed. However, this still is not not the best part.
As we wind down for the evening, the best part of my day could be our quiet time that is spent reading a book…well, the time spent learning to read and practice her pronunciations. However, it is not.
The best part of my day is known as “tickle armpits”!! Yes, part of our nightly ritual is to play of game of tickling my niece until she cannot stand it. The uninhibited laughter is pure magic. No matter how bad my day may have been or how long or difficult, when I hear her laugh, my day is perfect and that is the best part of my day.
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The Glass Half Full
I think most people complain about something from time to time and I am no exception. Lately, I have complained about not getting a raise for the 2nd year in a row, although the company is profitable. I have complained about the $12,000+ loss in pay from a job I had in Virginia….almost 5 years ago. Of course, I can never have enough gadgets so my reduction in pay just fuels more fire.
Today I came home to be greeted by a neighbor seeking an air pump for a nearly flat tire. She went on to explain that she had to move because she had been abandoned in Arizona and her kids were helping her move. My puzzled face prompted her to explain that her husband had moved her to Arizona only to telephone that he was not going to join her and that he had a girlfriend. She had worked on Walmart for several years only to lose that job and she just could not afford the payments. She was in good spirits and took the “oh well, what can I do?” attitude.
Perspective
Needless to say, I felt grateful for my well-paying job even though we did not receive a raise. I was glad that I could pay my bills and still have a little blow money. I am truly blessed that I can pay my bills without worry. It has not always been or seemed that way but that is the case now.
At the end of the day, all I could complain about were wants, not needs. I do not NEED another mac computer..I just want one. The only thing I need is really more of a to-do item and that is get my vehicle serviced. So, at least for the moment, I will not complain and enjoy my blessings.
My glass is definitely half-full. Is yours?
How-To Buy a Laptop
Are you just overwhelmed with information when it comes to purchasing a Mac or Windows laptop? If so, then this video is for you. I review how much memory to consider,
Better Spending Habits: Do Not Pay Retail Prices!!!
Recently, I have started to take better care of my spending habits. Anyone that knows me is well aware that I have a weakness for electronic gadgets. As a result, I’ve been working on changing how and what I purchase so I can afford the items without breaking the bank nor paying retail prices.
Open Box Specials
Currently, I’m in the market for yet another Mac Book Pro and Apple does not make any inexpensive devices. As a result, I’m trying to purchase open-box items at local stores and these deals are better than Craigslist, Ebay or Amazon combined. I witnessed a gentlemen purchase the June 2009 model of a 15″ MacBook Pro for $1000!!! Folks, these machines start at $1699 so the savings was huge. If you are not aware, I am also a Dave Ramsey fan so I’m confident would endorse this method of purchasing especially since the same manufacture warranty was included. Have you considered purchasing an open boxed item? Often times, there’s nothing wrong with the item but the original purchaser changed their mind and returned the item.
Amazon, Ebay and Craigslist
I’ve also begun purchasing and selling on Amazon, Ebay and Craigslist. There are great deals on all of these sites for new and used items that are priced lower than retail stores. If you’re skiddish about Here’s how I use these sites:
Amazon
If I want to buy or sell a high-price item and get the best protection, I use Amazon. Items such as electronics and a few books are typically what I sell. Additionally, since Amazon offers money towards shipping, it takes some of the hassle out of shipping. I’m not saying that Ebay doesn’t have some protection but the perception is that Amazon is safer so I typically use them for items that are easily shipped and I want the better price without the bidding aspect. Another advantage of using Amazon is they provide all the photos and description of the items so as a seller, Amazon provides a pretty hassle-free experience.
As far as security, someone recently tried to scam me on an item that I was selling. I sent the information to Amazon and they confirmed the scam. Whew!!! The transaction looked correct initially but in the end, the normal process of how Amazon operates were not followed and that was the tip-off. One problem when trying to sell on Amazon is that if the item isn’t listed in their database, then you cannot add it as a new item unless you have a Pro Merchant account.
Ebay
I typically use Ebay when the item doesn’t exist on Amazon and/or I want to add a video demonstration to the item. Canned photos on Amazon don’t always make the cut when selling an item and Amazon doesn’t allow links to external websites like YouTube or Photo hosting sites to show your item.
Craigslist
I love using Craigslist when I have an item that would be too much of a hassle to ship or the fees associated with Ebay don’t make it worthwhile to sell on that platform. I’ve sold an older digital video camera that used tapes for the media when I wanted to upgrade to a camcorder that used secure digital (SD) cards. I’ve also used it to help a friend purchase a car and after test driving it and retrieving the CarFax details, it was a great deal. I like Craigslist for cash-and-carry deals but as a seller, this method is just a step above yard sales in the aspect that the buyers want to pay as little as possible. As a result, if you’re trying to make even a slight profit, then Ebay or Amazon maybe better options.
Just plain old cheap or is that Frugal?
In some regards, I’ve just gotten cheap or I would like to think frugal. I use rechargeable batteries for my TV remotes and wireless computer mice instead of buying expensive batteries over and over. I take empty water bottles through airport security so I can fill-up at the water fountain for free. I use Google Voice to make phone calls over the internet and keep my minutes low on my cell phone plan. I also use Skype to make video calls or conferencing calls over the internet and that reduces my phone bill. Truth be told, I use Vonage as my phone service so my bill is always the same no matter how much I talk.
At the end of the day, my goal is the save money where ever possible so I have it for for savings, geek toys, vacationing and other things that I desire. So stop paying retail prices whenever possible. There’s money to save!!!
The Urban Tea Loft: Birthday Celebration for 3rd year olds?
This past April, my niece a.k.a Auntie’s Angel turned 3rd years old. As any doting mother, my sister thought having a tea party for little girls would just be devine and it was. However, before we jump into the celebration let’s review a bit of history.
History
Some months ago, my sister had mentioned The Urban Tea Loft located in Chandler, AZ. It is a quaint, family-friendly, wi-fi connected, soul-food cooking, dessert making, tea shop. Whew!!! I had been interested in trying some loose leaf teas but did not know much beyond their basic medicinal purposes. One Saturday, my roomie and I dropped in and little did we know we would get such a wonderful treat.
Eric, the other owner in the husband and wife team, prepared many teas for us and provided a wealth of information regarding the different types of teas. If that wasn’t enough, we just happened to visit on a Saturday afternoon when they typically offer soul-food specials such as smothered pork shops, fresh cornbread and more. Now, these aren’t your typical soul-food specials because they all have some degree of healthiness to them. Now, soul-food and healthy typically aren’t in the same sentence but trust me when I say you must try the food.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the two meeting rooms in the establishments. They can be booked for various functions and the best of all, they are wi-fi enabled. This place is a hidden gem in Chandler.
Atmosphere
Not only is the food great and the teas wonderful but Eric and Glynnis are just such nice people. Whenever we are there, they great us with a hug and make us and everyone feel like family. They go out of their way to make each customer feel special and it shows when repeat customers return. It’s almost like watching long-lost relatives greet each other after having been apart for far too long. Welcoming and genuine.
Present Day
Now, fast forward to April 2009. When my sister mentioned having a tea party for little girls she was blown away by the response. Not only were the younger girls excited but so were the teenagers. As I mentioned before, The Urban Tea Loft is very family friendly environment but not a stuffy tea shop. The young lady’s were able to dress-up and enjoy high-tea and everything was just fabulous. We had tea, scones and specially prepared cupcakes with low (or non) sugar icing. Everything was perfect. As you can see from the photos the food was finger-licking good and the girls had fun.
If you want to fresh food that’s good and a little bit healthy, have a good time or have an event, check out The Urban Tea Loft. We had a blast.