January 15, 2009

Feeling secure at home

There’s snoring coming from the guest room down the hall tonight. That’s an unusual sound in my home (unless I snore myself, but I wouldn’t know whether I do or not.) It’s also a comforting sound that tells me I’m not alone. My cousin is here working on the house, helping me get it ready to sell. He’ll be here until the end of the month and, if all goes according to plan, I’ll be moving right about the time he leaves. It’s quite possible that I will never again be alone in this house, but once I buy my new home I’ll be going back to living on my own. I’m used to being alone in my own home. I’m very comfortable with that, but I’m also aware of my vulnerability. Sure, I’m a strong, competent woman and reasonably able to take care of myself under ordinary circumstances. I’m not sure, though, that I would be able to defend myself against an intruder. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you know that my dogs chased away a man who walked into my front door a while back. That’s a scary situation and one I’d rather not face again. ADT home security systems is a good solution. Even their most basic service includes burglary monitoring that will sound a siren and summon help right away if someone breaks in. Being stong and independent requires one to recognize their own limitations and to use the best possible tools to overcome them. ADT offers the tools and sevices to help minimize vulnerabilty in your own home. That’s a smart choice, whether you live alone or not.

[tags]ADT, alarm systems, burglary protection, burglary monitoring, home security systems, security systems[/tags]

December 30, 2008

Healthy snacks for growing kids

The kids at Valleyfield Junior School in Ontario want to make their world a better place. They were recognized last spring as a Green School for completing a hundred or more green projects. It makes me feel good all over to know that the current generation of school kids are already good citizens dedicated to the stewardship of our environment. They need a little help along the way, of course. The students at Valleyfield get healthy snacks every day at school instead of typical junk food snacks. It costs a little more, but it’s a good investment in the strong bodies and bright minds they’re developing as they grow. Like most schools, Valleyfield never has quite enough money for all of the programs they’d like to offer, but they know their Healthy Snack Program is important, so they’re holding a fundraiser to help support it. They’ve teamed up with our friends from Mabel’s Labels to help raise the money needed to keep the Healthy Snack Program going. When you use the links in this post to order your labels, your purchase will help fund the Valleyfield School Healthy Snack Program.

You were planning to be more organized in 2009 anyway, right? Mabel’s Labels are great for sorting and identifying all of your clutter as well as helping all of your stuff find its way home when it goes out roaming. They’ve come out with some mighty clever collections, too, like the Neat Freak Combo for the stuff you store and Curbside Labels for your recycle and rubbish bins. The fact is, there are Mabel’s Labels for every organizing and identifying task you can think of. We’ve talked about these colorful, durable and useful labels before, and each time you’ve told me which ones are your favorites. If you haven’t gotten yours yet, now is the time to order them. If you already have some Mabel’s Labels, then you know how helpful they are and you’ve probably been planning to buy some more. I hope you’ll do that today and that you’ll share the links with everyone you know. Your friends who aren’t connected can call Mabel’s Labels toll-free at 1-866-306-2235, but make sure you tell them to mention that they want their purchase to support the Valleyfield Fundraiser. You can end the old year by supporting some great kids and start the new one with some tools to help you get organized. Two birds/one stone - it’s all good! Go for it!

[tags]fundraisers, labels, Mabel’s Labels, school fundraisers, schools[/tags]

December 21, 2008

Auntie Skeet’s gift suggestions #2

Today let’s talk about gift shopping for the blogger in your life. All of your blogging friends are smart and savvy, of course, so they already own their own domain and have all the software they need. It wouldn’t do for someone else to select a template or custom design for them - blogging is too personal for that. Every blogger needs images, and your blogger already has a camera. More and more bloggers are making their own videos, though, so take a look at the Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD Video Camera. This thing is a mini wonder and perfect for a blogger to carry around everywhere so he or she can customize their own videos to enliven their posts. You may have noticed that I’ve never put a self-made video on my blog. That’s because technology terrifies me and I’ve always felt inadequate to the task. The Kodak Pocket HD Video Camera has made shooting video so simple that even I should be able to do it. There are no complicated dials or settings to figure out. Just turn it on, hit record and you’re in business! Please take note: if I’m the blogger on your gift list, I WANT ONE! It fits in a pocket and comes with rechargable battries and a charger, HD and AV cables, user’s guide, software - everything you need to start making your own videos right out of the box. As promised when I started my gift suggestion posts, it’s on sale for a nicely affordable $142.99 from Buy.com. This is a gift that your favorite blogger will love and will always be grateful to have gotten.

We’ve still got a few shopping days left ’til Christmas. Who’s left on your list? Who would you like me to help you shop for? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll help you find the perfect gift at a price that will fit your budget!

[tags]bargains, bloggers, Buy.com, camera, Christmas shopping, Christmas gifts, gift suggestions, Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD Video Camera, shoppingvideo camera[/tags]

December 19, 2008

Auntie Skeet’s gift suggestions

It’s less than a week ’til Christmas and you’ve still got those last few difficult folks to buy for, right? There are always one or two people who are nearly impossible to match up with the perfect gift. Never fear, Auntie Skeet is here to help solve the dilemma. Over the next few days I’ll make some gift suggestions that will help you finish up your shopping with a lot less stress. You’ve probably already spent too much much on gifts, so I’ll help with that, too - all of the items I suggest will be available on sale at prices that won’t bend your budget out of shape.

First up: the non -cook. We all know a few of those. Maybe it’s your bachelor brother or a dorm-living student. Some folks don’t like to cook, some don’t know how, some are too busy or just don’t want to be bothered, but they do all have to eat. Give them a gift that will help them get out the door each morning with a solid breakfast under their belts. Check out the Back to Basics Paula Deen Egg N’ Muffin Toaster. This is too cute! No more hurried dash to the drive-up window for the culinarily challenged! They’ll cook an egg and warm some breakfast meat while the muffin toasts, allowing them to construct their own healthy version of an egg muffin sandwich to start their day. At $34.99 after rebates and with free shipping, it’s an affordable and thoughtful gift your recipient will love. You can still get it in time for Christmas if you hurry, so get on over to Buy.com and get on it. They have bargains every day and a slew of great gift ideas, so cruise around the site after you order. Just don’t forget to check back here tomorrow to see what else Auntie Skeet can recommend to help you get through your last-minute holiday shopping!

[tags]bargains, Buy.com, Christmas shopping, Christmas gifts, gift suggestions, kitchenware, Paula Deen Egg N’ Muffin Toaster[/tags]

December 18, 2008

Holiday shopping

You’ve got about a week left. Have you finished your holiday shopping? I haven’t started mine yet, but I’ll be celebrating a late holiday with family after I get moved, so I’m don’t have the short deadline most of you are facing. I have an ever-growing list, though, and several of the items I know I’ll be getting will be coming from Buy.com. Based on my own comparison shopping, their everyday prices are consistently lower than any other source I’ve found. If you want to really save, check out their weekly deals and sale items. Several things that I was already planning on buying have shown up there lately with nicely discoutned prices. When my son was here visiting he saw my SwissGear Laptop Backpack and decided he just have to have one. It’s super-sturdy, with a padded laptop compartment and a lot of pockets for accessories and cables and whatever else is needed to take a computer on the go. The SwissGear laptop bags aren’t cheap - the makers of Swiss Army Knives don’t make cheap goods - but they are inexpensive this week at Buy.com. The list price is $79.99, but the after-rebate price at Buy.com is only $46.99 this week. That’s the kind of savings that allows you to either pocket a serious chunk of change or expand your shopping list a bit to include more stuff (my preferred method of dealing with excess cash. :D) Buy.com has savings that good on items in every department, so I’ll go back to the question I asked earlier: have you finished your holiday shopping? If not, do yourself a favor and check out Buy.com. Chances are pretty good that you’ll find something you were already planning to buy, and you’ll be impressed with the price. There’s still time to have gifts shipped in time for Christmas, but you’ll need to hurry because time is running out. Christmas is just a week away!

[tags]bargains, Buy.com, laptop backpack, laptop bags, online shopping, shopping[/tags]

December 16, 2008

Little problems

I’ve had a heck of a week. My losses from our winter storms were minimal - a couple of small items I’d left in the work area on the carport and a couple of work days - until yesterday. That was when I discovered that I had two roof leaks in my screened room. That wouldn’t be a big deal if I didn’t plan on selling the house, but you can’t market a house with a leaking roof without taking a loss, so it’s got to be fixed. I also knocked my office phone off of the desk while stumbling around in the dark during a power outage and it didn’t survive. I’m using my standby corded phone, but it’s a real pain in the butt. I usually multi-task when I’m on the phone, but this one ties me to my desk, so I can’t fold laundry or sweep floors while I’m talking. It also doesn’t have caller ID or any other digital display - it’s strictly Dark Ages. I was going to keep using it until after I move, but it’s making me crazy, so now I’m shopping for a good phone on sale for a price that won’t make me sweat. Buy.com has one I really like. It’s a Uniden Dual-Handset Cordless Phone With Digital Answering System. I’ve had Uniden phones before and really like them. The answering system might come in handy after I move. I use voice mail through my current phone service, but I don’t know what kind of service package I’ll have with my new provider, so having a built-in answering system could come in very handy. The Uniden’s I’ve had in the past were reliable workhorses with sharp, clear sound delivery. Buy.com’s price is only $34.99 after rebates, a significant savings on the list price of $99.99. Their everyday prices are always good, of course, but the weekly specials (like this phone) are the reason I keep coming back to them. My local electronics outlets can’t beat their prices and the shipping is free, so the price quoted is the price I’ll pay. It’s a great place to shop for almost everything, but I’ve been especially impressed with their discount prices on electronics. If you’ve still got some Christmas shopping to do you should check them out. Whatever you’re wanting to buy, they probably have it and it’s a good bet they’ll save you money.

I’d tell you about the rest of my week and why my fridge is sitting in the middle of the kitchen blocking me from using the stove, but it’s two in the morning and I’m burning out, so I think I’ll save that for another day. Hope your week is going well, though!

[tags]Buy.com, electronics, phones, shopping, Uniden phones[/tags]

December 6, 2008

Are you shopping the holiday sales?

So how’s your Christmas shopping going? I know that Jennifer has finished hers, but I’m betting that the rest of you are somewhere between her and me in the race to completion. I haven’t started. I’m not planning on doing much shopping this year anyway - it’s so hard to manage shopping, packaging and mailing everything in the midst of fixing up the house and trying to move - but it’s a certainty that I won’t be patronizing any merchants who don’t offer some pretty great sale prices to get my attention. I’ve decided to propose to my son and his girlfriend that we have a Christmas celebration when they come to visit me in my new home (they’re saying either February or April.) I think they’re having a tought time financially right now, so I think my proposal will appeal to them. I’m hoping to send a box of Kona coffee, macadamia nuts and other local foods to my cousin so she can hand them around to whichever relatives show up for the family gathering on Christmas day. I would like to get some small gifts for my sister, brother, nephews and great nieces, though. The little girls won’t be a problem - kids are so easy to shop for - and the others will be getting mostly “token gifts” from me instead of the big multi-gift packages they’ve come to expect. The nephews, their wives and my brother will probably get local tee shirts or other souvernier-ish items, but I can’t think of anything along those lines for Sis. She’s just not the tee shirt or silk lei kind of person. I found this Liz Taylor film set I think I’ll probably send her. It’s the Elizabeth Taylor Signature Collection, which includes National Velvet (one of Sis’s favorite movies,) Father of the Bride, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Butterfield 8. Our mom was a big Liz Taylor fan, so we watched all of these when we were growing up and I think Sis will really love having them all available to watch whenever she wants. It’s availabe from Buy.com for only $22.39, which is not a lot more than I’ll be spending on those tee shirts, so I think I can swing that. I really should quit going to Buy.com. Every time I stop in I see a great price on something else I’d like to get someone for Christmas, but I’m trying hard to hold out on spending until I get settled into my new home. That’ll still work out well for me, because their prices are always lower than anywhere else. Maybe I should put everyone on hold and just have a Christmas in February (or April or whenever I get settled) for all of them instead of a housewarming. Heaven knows I don’t need more stuff for myself, so a reverse housewarming where the guests get gifts (instead of the host) actually sound like a good idea!

[tags]bargains, buy.com, Christmas shopping, family, holiday shopping[/tags]

November 24, 2008

Stretching my Christmas budget

Work on the house is going well, but it is taking a lot longer than I anticipated. That’s a real problem because I don’t have much income right now and won’t have until I get settled into my new home. I’m not spending money on much of anything other than necessities lately, but Christmas is looming just around the corner. Nope, I haven’t done any real shopping yet. I’m determined not to let a limited budget turn the holiday into a stressful time, though. I’ve made a list of the gifts I’d like to give and am shopping around, doing price comparisons to that I can get the most bang for my bucks. I’m hoping I’ll be able to find sale prices on everything I’m planning to buy. Buy.com has some great bargains and I got some of my gift-giving ideas from their site, then checked other sites to see if I could find better prices. So far that hasn’t happened. Buy.com has the lowest prices on each of the items I’ve checked. Their price on the gift I’ve picked for my brother is half the price I’ve found for it through any other site.

We played a lot of card games as a family when I was a kid, and we always turned to our well-thumbed paperback copy of Hoyle’s Card Games to learn the gameplay and to settle disputes. I still have a copy and turn to it frequently, having established that as a habit at an early age. My brother lost everything in Hurricane Katrina and I doubt that he’s still got a copy of Hoyle’s, so I think Hoyle’s Card Games software is a gift he’ll appreciate this year. I could usually beat him when we were kids, but he’s probably a more challenging opponent these days. I know we’ll be getting together for games from time to time once I’m living near him again, so sending him the software will be his warning that he’ll need to be in top form by the time I arrive. The Buy.com price is only $9.99 after rebates, so I’ll be able to throw in a deck of cards and rack of chips, too. Now I just need to decide what to get for my sister and my son and my son’s girlfriend and my nieces and …

[tags]Buy.com, Christmas shopping, Hoyle’s Card Games, shopping[/tags]

November 3, 2008

Reuniting with family

I’m really getting excited about the prospect of living near family again soon. Aunts and cousins that I talk to every few weeks will become a real-life part of my world again. I’ll be getting to know some of my relatives for the first time - my nephews wives and cousins spouses, their kids - most especially the kids who have been born since I moved away. I’ve been daydreaming a lot lately about the reunions we’ll have. I’m hoping to have an open house soon after I get settled in, so we can all have an opportunity to gather at one time. I’ll be carrying some local treats with me that I’ll share with my guests that day. Certainly some Kona coffee and macadamia nuts for the adults, but I haven’t decided yet what to get for my two great-nieces. I’ve already given the older one some Hawaii paper dolls and other little local toys, and I sent aloha-print baby clothes to the baby shower before Lily was born. I think I’d like to get both of them some aloha-print dresses to give them when we first meet. Whatever I decide on, you’ll undoubtedly see it here. I’ll be taking lots of pictures to share with you, as always. I’d like to get a camcorder before I move, too, so I can start showing you videos of my family and especially of my two nieces. I really like this Samsung High Definition Digital Camcorder that comes with all the right features for only $299 (after rebate) from Buy.com. I’ve mentioned them before so you’ve probably already checked them out and know about their great weekly deals and sale prices. The camcorder is less than half-price when you buy from them. At that price I can no longer excuse myslef from having one by saying that they’re too expensive. All of the electronics I’ve looked into at Buy.com are sweetly priced, as are their games and videos and everything else they carry. I don’t know yet what I’ll need for my new home, but if I need extra furniture or if I buy a place that doesn’t already have appliances to replace the ones I’m leaving, I know where to shop for them. You should check out Buy.com the next time you need to make a major purchase for your own home, as well as for all the little things we all need and want. You did bookmark them already, right? You will be going there first when you start Christmas shopping, too, I suppose? Yeah, I thought so. Just don’t get so hung up on shopping that you forget to come back and see me. I’m really looking forward to sharing some videoes of my nieces with you soon!

[tags]buy.com, camcorder, family, family reunions, online shopping, shopping[/tags]

October 19, 2008

Shopping for my move

I’m trying to be frugal with my money as I prepare to move to Texas. I’ve talked myself out of plate lunches a few times lately and bypassed a cute outfit for my niece last time I went shopping. Money will be pretty tight until the house sells, so when I do need to buy something I’m making it a habit to look for a good sale before committing myself to a purchase. Buy.com is a great place to do that. They stock brand name electronics, fahionable apparel, baby goods (very tempting to me!) and all kinds of goodies for the home. I’m taking most of my furtniture with me when I go, but you can bet I’ll be checking Buy.com for anything I need to replace. They’ve come out the winner on every item I’ve done price comparisons on lately, and that’s just on their regular listings. Their sale items are priced even better.

There’s one item that’s a bit of a luxury for someone on a budget, but that I might break down and buy anyway. It’s the Nextar X4-T GPS In-Car Navigation System. If you’ve ever driven in the Dallas area you won’t have to ask why I’m considering this. Dallas has the most confusing street, highway and freeway system of any city I’ve ever been in. I almost have panic attacks just thinking about all the driving I’ll have to do on those nightmare roads as I search for a new home and set up my new business. The Nextar GPS seems like a reasonable investment to help keep me sane. When I enter a sough-after location into it, a voice prompt and map will help me find it. It plays MP3s too, but since I’ve never had an MP3 system I guess that’s just an added extra that I might not use. What I can use is the price. The Nextar GPS is a weekly deal and priced at just $109. That’s way cheaper than what I spent on the GPS system I bought my son a while back. I’m anticipating a lot of expenses connected to my move, so the savings will be greatly appreciated.

[tags]Buy.com, GPS system, Nextar, online shopping, shopping[/tags]