Friday, August 31, 2012

Patience And A Beautiful Bouquet

What a great surprise I got today!  I received this beautiful bouquet from a woman I know.  Last January I had subbed for her in the lunchroom at our school.  She had not paid me yet for subbing and the time went by.  I thought she had forgotten about it and sent her a friendly reminder the end of May on facebook.  She said that she hadn't forgotten and would pay me in the next few days.  Well, she didn't' pay me and I just let it go.  I didn't want to be a pest.  So yesterday she sent me a message on facebook that she wanted to drop something off at my house and wanted to know if my door would be open by my garage.  I wrote back that the door would be open.  This morning my husband went out and found this beautiful bouquet with a card in an envelope.  She had a very nice thank you card with $70 in it also, saying that she was paying with interest included.  The usual pay for subbing in the lunchroom is $25 so it was a lot more.  It was a long time to wait to get paid but I guess we have to be patient sometimes.  Of course it doesn't always work out like this.  Some people forget all about paying and really do need reminding.  Anyways, it really brightened my day to get this beautiful bouquet!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

New Fiber One Chewy Bars Coupon Offer For Back To School!

To help you make Fiber One Chewy bars a part of your back-to-school snack routine, you can visit http://bit.ly/FOCBCoupon to download a printable coupon for $.80 off the purchase of 1 box of Fiber One Chewy bars (available on a first come first serve basis). 



  • These 110 calories or less bars contain fiber* and calcium kids need , no high fructose corn syrup, and 8 grams or less of sugar

  • According to the results of a recent taste test**, kids prefer Fiber One Chewy Chocolate bars over Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

  • This fall, each box will feature the added bonus of Box Tops for Education coupons on-pack, making Fiber One Chewy bars an ideal snack for school-aged children





  • Disclosure:  I received this information and the coupon offer from General Mills through MyBlogSpark.  

    A Surprise Muskmelon Plant I Found With Melons

    We live in a rural area with a field of 10 acres around our house which has navy beans in it this year.  When we have garbage like peelings or such I sometimes throw it out in the field instead of putting it in the trash.  Well, last year we threw out muskmelon rinds with the seeds you scrape out in the field.  I recently found this plant growing with muskmelons on it.  Isn't it amazing how things grow!  We didn't have to plant the seeds and they just grew into a wonderful plant.

    Mia Mariu Hydrating Anti-Aging Moisturizer and Anti-Aging Eye Cream Review & Giveaway Winner!

    CONGRATS!!  The winner is.........................D. Moniz !!!   I have emailed the winner and they have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be selected!

    Thanks to all who entered my giveaway!

    Wednesday, August 29, 2012

    An Awful Racket In The Bedroom

    Noise flows through the bedroom about every night.  Yes, my husband is a snorer.  Sometimes he makes more noise than other times.  I don't get how he can sleep making all that noise.  You would think he would wake himself up.  I'm a very light sleeper so even a little noise wakes me up.   I don't know why I can't sleep with any noise and really envy people who can sleep through anything.  One thing is for sure, I'd be the first to hear if anyone would break in our house.  Why do men snore more than women?  Do they have something different in their throat than women?  It's a mystery to me.  I can see why some couples sleep in separate rooms and am thinking this happens quite often.  Does your husband snore?  What remedies do you use or can you sleep through it?


    Monday, August 27, 2012

    Trying to Avoid Germs In Public Places

    I have to admit when I go to public places like stores or any place else I try to avoid germs.  I don't just focus on germs but try to avoid them if possible.  When I used a public bathroom I don't touch the door handle but use something like my shirt or a paper towel to open and shut the door.  I don't really like touching a grocery cart either and always use the wipes they have for the handles.  You see people that go to the bathroom and don't even wash their hands and you wonder what they are thinking.  Yuck!  Of course, they are probably the people who never get sick.  

    Also when you go to a buffet, did you ever think of all the people using the serving utensils and their germs.  Do you think all those people have clean hands?   I never thought about that until someone brought it to my attention.  Well, now I don't really like to go to buffets.  I go out to eat occasionally but you really don't know what you are eating and who made it.  Maybe it's better we don't know some things.

    When you go to a motel, did you ever think of all the people who used that room before.  I don't believe they change the bedspreads every time someone rents a room.  Think of all the people who laid their head on that pillow also.  Then there's the remote for the television and the light switch with all those hands that have been on it, not to mention the doorknobs.  I really don't even feel clean after using one of the showers because you wonder if they really cleaned it.

    After our church service everyone shakes hands with the pastor.  Well, you know what I do the first thing I get home is  to wash my hands real well.  Did you ever think of the people who blow their nose or sneeze and then shake hands. 

    I'm not the best housekeeper but I try to avoid germs, especially public place germs.  I guess I might be a little like Howie Mandel. 


    Sunday, August 26, 2012

    We Stayed Home For A Vacation This Summer

    This summer went by so fast I can't believe August is nearly over.  My family didn't go on a vacation this year.  We don't go on a vacation every year and this year was one of them.  I'm sure there are more of you out there who didn't go on a vacation either.  Money is tight these days.  Grocery prices, gas, and everything is going up in cost every day.  

    We spent the summer by planting and weeding a garden for my mother who is 83 (she lives just two houses from us),  sitting outside under the shade tree with mom and neighbors and visiting on summer nights, watching a lot of movies with the kids, going for walks (when it wasn't so hot), having barbecues, and working on an estate sale for a month and a half and having a sale for some people.

    My daughter took a class at college three days a week and one of my sons took an on-line college class so they were busy with homework also.

    Hope everyone had a wonderful summer and have a great fall!




    Friday, August 24, 2012

    Beautiful Blue Robin's Eggs In A Nest

    I had forgotten about this picture I took in the Spring.  An older gentleman friend of the family noticed this robin's nest with it's eggs in the cemetery on his wife's grave.  He doesn't have a digital camera and wanted to know if I would take some pictures of it for him.  Isn't it amazing how a bird makes a nest so perfectly?  The eggs are such a beautiful blue color.  A few weeks or so after this picture was taken our friend went back to see if the eggs were still there and the nest was empty.  The little birds must have hatched shortly after and flew away.  I love listening to and seeing wonderful little birds in the Summer!  They are truly a blessing from God!

    Thursday, August 23, 2012

    Canning Tomatoes From The Garden


    One thing I like is homemade canned tomatoes.  Last year I canned a little over 60 quart jars of tomatoes because our tomatoes were the best we ever had.  This year we don't have many because something (rabbits or deer) chewed the plants and left the stems the day after we planted them in our garden.   We did plant a few tomatoes in the front of the house and I had enough to can 9 quart jars today.  I might have to buy some tomatoes to can some more.  I just counted how many jars of tomatoes I have left from last year and only have 22 jars left.  I use the tomatoes for making chili and goulash.  They taste better than what you buy in the store and it's kind of neat to see the finished product!

    Monday, August 20, 2012

    Combat Source Kill Max For Ants Review and Giveaway

    I don't know about you but I think this year has been a bad one for ants.  We had them in one of our bathrooms and also they were in the kitchen.  I have tried a couple of different products which didn't do very much to get rid of them.  I might have gotten rid of some but there was always more coming. Those little buggers are tough!

    Since I was sent Combat Source Kill Max Ant Bait and Combat Source Kill Max Ant Gel I am very hopeful in getting rid of these little nuisances.  Combat Source Kill Max Ant Baits and Combat Source Kill Max Ant Killing Gel are guaranteed to work or your money back.  The Baits have 6 child-resistant bait stations which you break apart and place wherever you frequently see ants.
    The Combat Source Kill Max Ant Gel has a syringe included which you can use to apply in cracks and crevices where you see ants foraging and entering the structure.  Isn't that a great new idea!  You can squeeze out dabs of gel with the syringe wherever needed. 
    I am very confident in these products!  You don't see many products that are guaranteed to work or your money back.  To learn more about these products and enter to win a $1,000 to have your own Bug Free Backyard Bash courtesy of Combat click here.

    GIVEAWAY: One lucky winner is going to win a box of Combat Source Kill Max Ant Gel and Combat Source Kill Max Ant Bait to help get rid of their ant problem.  Please enter Rafflecopter form below.  Contest ends September 4, 2012.

    Disclosure: As a Purex Insider I was given Combat Source Kill Max Ant products for my review. All opinions are 100% my own.


     a Rafflecopter giveaway




    Friday, August 17, 2012

    A Different Job - Try Doing Estates Sales For People

    My sister, her husband, and my husband and I finished working on a pretty big estate sale.  The sale started yesterday and goes till Sunday.  We have been working on the sale since July 2nd.  It has been a lot of work and everything is going pretty well.  Yesterday there were over 200 people waiting for the sale to start.  It was something else.  It is a big farm house with a four car garage filled and also a gigantic pole barn with 3 boats, a tractor and everything else you can imagine.  We are going to start a sale after this ends which will be a smaller sale.  

    It's kind of fun to work on estate sales.  People have to take out what they want before we start working on the sale.  We put up tables and price everything for the sale.  You never know what treasures you will find to sell.  Every sale is different. At this sale there is a neat old Beatles pillow from the 60's which a couple of my kids like.  I might get it for one of them for Christmas.  Some people have a lot of stuff and some not so much.  Also, some houses are clean and some are pretty dirty.   Some have a lot of antiques and  some have a lot of just plain stuff.  We charge 30% of the gross sales.  Before it's ready we advertise in local papers and wait for the day to come.  The day of the sale we put up signs and wait for the people to come!

    Thursday, August 16, 2012

    Immuno-Viva Renew Anti-Aging Serum Winner!

    And the winner is...


    Entry #1212  Kyhere H.
    Congrats to Kyhere H. on winning the Immuno-Viva Renew Anti-Aging Serum!  I have emailed the winner and they have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

    Wednesday, August 15, 2012

    Mums Starting To Come Out

    I think the mums are coming out earlier this year because of the warm spring we had.  This is the first one I have that is starting to blossom.  If you buy one in a pot you can plant them in the ground and they spread and come back every year.   I love this color!  Do you have any mums coming out yet?

    Monday, August 13, 2012

    Mia Mariu Hydrating Anti-Aging Moisturizer and Anti-Aging Eye Cream Review & Giveaway

    I was so excited to say the least when I was contacted by Mia Mariu to do a review and giveaway for their Hydrating Anti-Aging Moisturizer with SPF 30+ and also for their Anti-Aging Eye Cream.  I'm all for anything I can do to help with looking younger.

    First a little about the Mia Mariu company.  Mía was founded by Jeannie Price, who wanted to create a company for women who want an exciting new way to make money without taking time away from family. Isn't that awesome?  Who doesn't want to make some extra money and have fun at it!  If you want to join other entrepreneurial women who want a new business opportunity,  progress and take charge of your life Mia Mariu could be for you.

    Mia Mariu offers awesome beauty products, including foundation and concealer, mineral blush, lip liner, lip gloss, eye liner, loose mineral shadow liner, and perfection brushes to name a few.  Mia's products are all made with high quality botanicals, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and peptides. If you are not completely satisfied, a 45-day money-back guarantee is offered on all Mariu Products.

    I tried the Mia Mariu Hydrating Anti-Aging Moisturizer with SPF 30+ and I am so pleased at how my skin feels soft and velvety.  It was so silky smooth and not oily or sticky when applied to my skin.  I really love it a lot!  On top of that I got to try the Mia Mariu Anti-Aging Eye Cream.   I loved this awesome product also and how it  made some fine lines around my eyes smoother and less noticeable.  Both of these products are top notch in my opinion!



    As you can guess, I highly recommend this company to any women who would like to try some exceptionally wonderful beauty products.  Also if you would like to join the Mía team for a great business opportunity selling their awesome products while being at home you can click Here.


    Giveaway:  Mia Mariu is offering the same great products I tried to a lucky winner of Gloria's Bits and Pieces!  Please enter the Rafflecopter form below.  Contest ends August 30, 2012.

    Disclosure:  I received the products shown above for review purpose and was not monetarily compensated. All opinions are based on my own experience. The prize will be sent out by sponsor.  I am not responsible for a winner not receiving their prize, however I will make an attempt to help winner receive their prize.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway





     


    Win A $1,000 Bug-Free Backyard Bash Sweeps From Combat!







    Its summer time and that means 2 things, Backyard BBQs and Bugs. The two don’t mix well together! Right now you can win A $1,000 Bug-Free Backyard Bash Sweeps from Combat!

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    Good Luck!!

    Sunday, August 12, 2012

    A Unique Old Pear Tree With A New Shoot


    When I grew up this pear tree was always one us kids would play around or climb.  My mom said the tree was there when she got married 67 years ago, so I don't know how old it would be.  Last year it produced a lot of pears and this year it has a fair share again.   Some years ago there was a bad wind storm and broke a big branch off on the left side.  We used to joke that it looked like half a tree.  Then a few years after that a shoot started to grow out of it (you can see it on the left).  This great old pear tree still bears great fruit and it has been around for who knows how long.

    It reminds me of the bible verse Isaiah 11:1 - A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.  

    Thursday, August 9, 2012

    Blogging - Hobby or Business

                                                                      getentrepreneurial.com


    I haven been blogging for a little while now and it's a hobby to me.  I like to post about anything and everything.  It's fun to have giveaways occasionally and to enter other people's giveaways.   I know some people are really into blogging and their blogs are very business like.  That's great for some people.  For me I want it to be fun and not get too business like.  Life is too stressful the way it is.  It is fun to meet nice people and see how many people read your posts.  I am trying to get my Alexa ranking down and it has been doing pretty good. 

    Sometimes I get stumped on what to write on my blog.  How about anybody else out there.  Do you run out of ideas of what to write about?  One thing I've found out is that it does take time to build up your followers.  At least for me it has.  I know some blogs have thousands of followers and have been blogging for a few years. 

    How about anyone else?  Is blogging your hobby or a business?  I'm just curious what others want out of their blog.  Everyone does their own thing.  That's what makes us all unique!



    Tuesday, August 7, 2012

    Birthday's and Surprise Parties

    Birthdays seem to come quicker every year.  Today is my birthday and I vividly remember last year for my birthday.  What do you call a great day on your birthday?  Well, I say being healthy, having a great family, and having a home to live in is a lot to be happy about.  We don't go all out on birthdays really.   I got a beautiful flower arrangement from my husband and we went out to eat with our kids.  I also got a lot of birthday wishes from friends on facebook; and many from friends I've met on my blog.  

    I remember when I was 16 I had a surprise birthday party and started crying in front of my girl friends.  It was really fun.  I had been babysitting for my older sister's kids and then all my friends showed up there for the surprise.  Then when I was 21 I had another surprise birthday party.  I was very fortunate my parents and friends planned these.  They bring back lots of good memories.  It's easier to have parties in the summer since everyone can go outside and enjoy the warm weather.  My children's birthdays are in March and the beginning of April so it's still too cold outside here in Michigan to have a party outside.  Maybe I could have a belated party some time for them.  That would surely be a surprise!

    Peaceful Scene Makes Relaxation

    Sometimes just a beautiful picture can make you relax.  We live in a stressful world with lots of modern technology these days.   Don't you wonder what it was like in the early 1900's.  There was no televisions, radios, cell phones, computers, refrigerators, washers and dryers and much more.  Not that I would like to live then.  It seems like it would be too much work from sun up to sun down.  I do wonder if families were closer though in the early 1900's.  The women and girls probably sewed and knitted together and the men and boys probably played checkers or cards if they had some free time.  It would be nice to  go back for a day just to see what it was like; but I'd probably want to come right back to today. 


    Sunday, August 5, 2012

    Religious Poem On My Bookmark

    I have a bookmark in my bible.  I don't know where it came from but I thought I would share the poem on it.  It has this same picture of Jesus on it.

    There's someone who does love you -  and cares for you each day.  He stretches forth His loving hand  - to show his gentle way.

    Forgiveness - Love - Acceptance - are promises He made - Upon that Cross at Calvary - Oh!  What a price He paid.

    He hung there for a reason - God saw us clothed in sin.  He knew there was no chance for - a soul to enter in.

    So God sent us a Savior - Lord Jesus, is His Name.  And those that call upon Him - He cleanses from all shame.

    He takes the sin inside you - remembering it no more.  When there is true repentance - He opens up the door.

    He'll lead you and He'll guide you - His love will never end.  Your broken-ness , your sorrow - and heart...He starts to mend!

    Saturday, August 4, 2012

    Beautiful Cosmos Flowers By My Driveway

    Here are some beautiful cosmos flowers by my driveway.  We have an old post there and the flowers grow around it.  The seeds fall down after they dry up and they keep growing up every year.  There are little birds called finches that love to perch on the flowers and eat the seeds.  They are so cute with a lot of yellow color and I'd love to get a picture of them some time.  I always have so many cosmos that I pull some of them out because they hang over the sidewalk.   

    The first time I planted these flowers was from a package of flower seeds.  I might have had a couple of packages when I first planted the seeds many years ago.  They are very colorful and grow like weeds around my place.  Only they much prettier than weeds. 

    Friday, August 3, 2012

    Getting A Song Stuck In Your Head

    Did you ever get a song stuck in your head that you keep thinking about?  Well, I've seen a commercial on television quite a lot lately and they sing "Roll Out The Barrels". It was advertising a polka festival.  Can you guess what song I have stuck in my head?  Yes, it's Roll Out The Barrels.   I've been thinking of the tune quite a bit during the day.   Does this happen do anyone else?  I'm sure it does.  Sometimes you hear a song on the radio and you get it stuck in your head also.  You keep thinking of the same tune every once in a while.

    I think I'm going to start listening some other songs!  Roll Out The Barrels is getting of old and I don't even like polkas much.


    Wednesday, August 1, 2012

    It's August 1st - Where Has The Summer Gone?

    I can't believe that it's August 1st already.   There are back to school supplies in stores and kids are thinking about going back to school.  The school in our town starts the end of August already.

    When I was little it was kind of depressing thinking about going back to school.  It meant the summer was over.  There was no more sleeping in and getting up to go outside and play.  It wasn't all play though.  My family owned a farm and my siblings and I had to work in the summer hoeing fields of sugar beets and navy beans.  It made us appreciate what work was all about and didn't hurt us at all.  My dad always said we had to get the work done first then we could have fun, like going to the fair.

    August usually flies by fast, like the rest of the summer does.  It does seem like the years go by faster than they used to.  My birthday is August 7th and it seems like I just had a birthday.  I won't tell how old I am going to be though! 

    I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the summer!