It's been a pretty rough hurricane season for a few of my family members in the South.  They been dealing with some pretty horrible conditions and threats of others.  It's been a pretty stressful time for everyone and not to mention fairly expensive.

I can't begin to imagine the cost of boarding up homes and the millions of dollars spent on water restoration and other rebuilding efforts.  Of course, money is the last thing to think about when one has survived a rough hurricane season. My brother-in law lives in Texas and I knew he has had some very hard times in the past few weeks.  He actually spent a few days with some family in Kansas.  Lucky his family's home was alright and no major structural damage was done.

It has been one crazy hurricane season. The Houston Texans football team actually had to reschedule one of their games to a later part of the season. I believe that the the LSU college football game was rescheduled as well.  The wrath of these hurricanes has certainly been felt in all aspects of life.  Hopefully, everyone makes it through the rest of the season safely and securely. 

My son's have started to gain a good amount of interest in UFC.  Apparently, it combines tradition martial arts, boxing, and wrestling all in one.  It is a pretty intense sport from what I've see, so it makes me a bit nervous that they will want to start getting involved in some local competitions.  I don't think any type of fighting like this has taken any form in our local community, but if it does I'm sure my son's will be interested in it.

My sons are pretty dedicated viewers.  They spend most Wednesdays watching WEC, which is another type of MMA league.  They also have all of their friends over to watch the pay-per-views at our house. It's become some sort of a ritual every few months to get a bunch of food and have few little pseudo matches in our family room during intermissions. It has really become a big part of their lives.  They have actually asked my husband and I to buy all of their Christmas gifts from MMA Warehouse , which is the one of the biggest sponsors for mixed martial events.  It's funny how they know all of the fighters' statistics and biographies. 

MMA has take over my home.  My husband has even expressed some interest and has always become very attentive when the pay-per-view matches are on.  It's taking over my home!

It's time to take my new puppy to the vet.  I have an appointment with a local veterinarian scheduled for next Monday.  It should be a fairly smooth experience, because it's just a check up and a few puppy shots.  I don't think there should be any complications or side effects. 

I haven't taken a pet to the vet's in little over 10 years, since my 15 year old cat passed away.  It wasn't the best experience, so I don't have a great feeling about going to see the vet.  Taking my puppy to the vet is much like going dragging my sons to the vet.  I hate to see my children go through the pain and agony at the dentist, much like my puppy going through the anguish of a few shots.  I guess in the end it's a good thing to make sure they are healthy. During the visit, I will be asking about spaying and neutering practices.  I need to get my puppy neutered soon, so I'm trying to get as much information as possible on the procedure and costs associated with it.

All in all, it's not my favorite place to visit with my pets, but the veterinarian's office is a necessary evil.  Fortunately, our vet is a nice guy, so it makes it easier for me.

I've been looking into switching internet service providers, since mine current one has decided to be completely unreliable and charge me insane rates. I'm not seeing the reliability they have promised, nor the nice introductory rate that they offer to new customers. 

The customer service has been entirely too flakey and I haven't been able to see what I'm really paying for.  My DSL goes down around 5 or 6 times a week, which is too often for me.  There are other internet franchises that could provide better customer service and better pricing than they can. These franchises have to provide better customer service and reliability than my current one.  They don't do much for me, but I still pay the same reoccurring fee.  It's frusturating when companies raise your rates and charge you late fees when you don't hold up  your end of the bargain, but fail to give you a reduced rate or keep prices consant when they aren't reliable.

I've just realized that there are better franchises than I'm dealing with right now.  I don't want to mention the name of the company, because I feel that many people should experience it first hand.  I think that many people are probably completely satisfied with their customer service, but I've just had a bad experience altogether and I'm going to move on.

After about 3 months of hard work, I'm seeing some pretty good weight loss results.  I started about 15 pounds heavier and about 2 dress sizes bigger.  It has been a fairly tough experience, but it's good to see some results after a few months.  My personal trainer has been keeping me going, when I felt like giving up.  I owe a lot of my success to him and his support.

I go to the gym every day for an hour and do a lot of cardio training along with some light weight training.  I've been trying to incorporate some pilates into my routine, so I can get some extra flexibility from my training.  I dont' want to be stiff and uncordinated, because I'm add a lot of lean muscle to my frame. 

The dieting has been the toughest part of the 3 months.  I don't eat a lot of unhealthy foods, besides my one treat per week.  Today was my treat day, when I had vegetarian lasagna with my husband, otherwise it's low calorie and lots of vegetables.  I have found a little delight in my Kashi TLC bars.  I've been using some fat burning diet pills that have helped me burn some excess fat too.

All in all, the training is going very well and I'm seeing some great results.  It's been tough, but I'm going to keep it up.  It's becoming a great lifestyle. 

I just tried these new Kashi TLC bars and I love them.  They are probably one of my new favorite healthy treats.  I figured I'd give them a try to see if they were any good and sure enough they have quickly become on my favorites.  I have tried a few flavors in the past couple of days and my ultimate favorite is the Cherry Dark Chocolate.

The great thing about these TLC bars is the good amount of healthy protein and fiber in them.  As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've been trying to increase the amount of fiber in my diet.  Fiber is an essential colon cleanser in any person's diet, because it helps keep your gastrointestinal tract free from debris.  There is a good amount of protein in these little bars and only about 150 calories, I think.

If you haven't tried these little TLC bars, then you definitely should.  They are a tasty way to add some healthy goodness to your diet, while avoid a substantial amount of calories.  I usually have one in the morning with breakfast and another one after lunch time. 

After spending a nice morning and lunch time with my husband, I plan to spend the afternoon tidying up.  I don't mind do a little house cleaning every now and then.  It's good to take care of the various little chores that are needed to keep a home clean and clutter free.

The downstairs will be getting a complete vacuuming and our windows will be getting a streak free clean.  It has been awhile since I've done a good thorough cleaning of the entire downstairs. I plan on getting the entire downstairs cleaned up before I have to pick my sons up from their after school activities.

I plan on cleaning my children's rooms and our two bathrooms tomorrow morning.  I don't have much planned for tomorrow, so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle to get it done.  It's good to do a good Fall cleaning, just like a Spring cleaning.  I like doing a thorough cleaning of my home at the end of the Summer and another really good one at the end of the Winter.

It will be nice to get some cleaning done without anyone to interrupt, so hopefully all goes well and I have the downstairs cleaned before 6 o'clock.

My husband and I decided to spend the morning doing some shopping and having lunch together. We planned this little excursion last after he was home from work. It was nice to just spend the day together and enjoy the fall weather.

We went to our favorite coffee shop for a cappuccino and then headed off to the local mall to find some bargains. My children were desperately in need of new jackets and some warm socks for the cooler weather, so we spent some time in different stores. We found some pretty good deals on kid's attire, which was refreshing from the usual outrageous prices.

After we did a little shopping, we went to our favorite little Italian restaurant and had lunch. I always get the vegetarian lasagna and it as usual it was delicious. It's always nice to walk in the door and the waitress knows your face. We spend a great deal of time eating there, but we haven't been able to stop in lately. It was nice to spend some quiet time in the restaurant for lunch.

All in all, it was a great day with my husband. We actually got some much needed shopping done, while spending with one another and dining in one of our favorite restaurants.

My younger brother and his family came to visit for the day and his little ones who are 5 and 6 completely torn my house apart.  I don't mind picking up after them, but I'm a little concerned about the amount of chocolate pudding that is on my semi-new sofas.  The two went berserk in my life and had a pudding fight that left it looking like the remnants of a disastrous Port-o-Pottie accident.  My brother was infuriated with them and immediately sent them to the bathroom to clean up, while he helped me clean up the mess.

Most of the damage was taken care of with some carpet cleaner and a few paper towels, but the furniture will need to be cleaned with a steamer.  I will probably just do an entire house cleaning , since I have to rent a steam cleaner. I need to clean some of my carpets anyway. 

Although it was a disaster when it happened, it was probably a good reminder that I needed to clean my house. I'll probably spend the weekend doing some steam cleaning, since my husband is taking the kids to a soccer tournament and camping. It should be a good amount of time to get the entire house steamed cleaned.

My town is anything but a growing metropolis, in fact it's more like a small town with various local businesses.  I find that I actually enjoy these types of shops and storefronts.  I know nearly everyone by their first name, because I grew up with many of these people.  It's great to know that the person's integrity is at stake with the product they sell.  It means that they wouldn't sell you some junk just to make a quick buck. It's just nice to know that I'm getting something more than a product, because I get unrivaled customer service from the business owners.

The other hot point about living in my area is that I'm only 20 minutes from a decent about of franchises and other big name stores.  I can get everything I need from the stores, which is a big plus.  The selection is much better from these stores and the clerks tend to have a better understanding of the different products.   I generally do more of my bigger purchases from these stores, because the prices are much better and I'm sure to get exactly what I want. 

I guess both points of the businesses in my area are helpful.  I can get reliability and customer service in one hand and then get some great prices and a better selection from the bigger stores.

There isn't much that my maid service doesn't take care of around my house, but it's time to starting putting our pool equipment away.  We need to winterize the pool and get ready for the cooler weather, so that should be a good portion of my weekend.

My husband generally takes care of the pool and the various rafts.  There isn't much to do.  It just takes a while to get all of the chemicals and cover set.  It should take my husband and sons about two hours to completely winterize the pool and then about another half hour to deflate all of the different pool toys.

I will be making space for all the pool accessories in the basement.  My husband is very meticulous when it comes to storing his pool gear, so it needs it's special place.  I will spend most of my afternoon cleaning and organizing the basement for the pool equipment.  I haven't cleaned the basement in about a year, so it should be an interesing disaster down there.

It's good to see the changing of the seasons, but it sure isn't funny cleaning up from all of the summer fun.  It's good that our family members all pitch in and make the job easier. 

Since I've started my new workout and diet plan, I have started drinking a substantially larger amount of water.  I've always has a difficult time staying hydrated during a workout program, but my new trainer has given me a few tips that help me out a great deal.  They are fairly simple ways to make sure that I get the adequate amount of water in my system throughout the day.

One tip that my personal trainer mentioned was drinking a glass of water as soon as I wake up in the morning.  This helps my body get a little hydrated after a good night's sleep.  He said to drink another glass of water when I take my vitamins and diet pills .  That's two glasses of water that I otherwise wouldn't have consumed in my normal day. 

Another great tip is to keep a water bottle at my desk and one in the refridgerator.  This means that I always have a spare bottle of water, so I don't have to waste time filling up a bottle if I'm in a hurry.  He said to always take a bottle of water, when I run errands or various other simple tasks.

I recommend thes little tips to help you get more hyrdrated, especially if you're trying a new workout routine.  I feel much better now that I have a good amount of water in my system.  I have much more energy and feel ready to take on anything the day throws at me. 

After being diagnosed with a horrific black mold problem, we're finally all cleaned up.  It was some extensive work that took over a week to get cleaned up.  Black mold can be seriously harmful to the inhabitants and pets of a home, so it was a very serious problem. 

Fortunately, we actually know a few family friends who specialize in black mold removal , so they were able to take care of it immediately at a discounted price. They spent their weekend cleaning our vents and walls along with my husbands help. My husband and I were only responsible for the cleaning materials and supplies, which was quite a relief because black mold removal can sometimes be an unexpected expense.

After the mold was cleaned, we signed up for a free home inspection plan that takes place yearly.  We figured it would be  a great way to ensure that we don't have any future black mold problems.  It's nice to know that we have a safe home that is free from environmental hazards, because there are plenty of hazards that are out of our control that we need to worry about.  It's nice to know that there are good people in our lives that will help us out in our time of need and we will be sure to help them out whenever they are in need as well.  

The weather is started to change and people's attire will along with it.  The fall is always a great time to see the newest fashions.  Clothing in the Autumn is more complex and layered, which is why it is my favorite.  You can usually put together an entire look for the day and not have one part of the outfit look the same.

I'm a huge fan of wearing comfortable socks and during the summer socks are somewhat of a sin.  Everyone swears by their sandals and little flats, so socks are thrown out for until the weather gets cooler. I love knee high socks with warm fleece material. I always put my socks in the dryer in the morning, so they're extra warm when I put them on.

Another one of my favorites is light jackets.  I think they really do a great job at tying an entire outfit together.  The perfect jacket can really do it all.  At the end of last, I bought three jackets for the price of one, so I'm really looking forward to wearing a couple of those with my Fall wardrobe. 

All in all, Autumn is a great time to try some new styles out and wear some of your old favorites that were a little too warm for the summertime. 

My older son just turned 16 in the beginning of August, so he's getting to the age where he will start dating girls.  I knew this day was coming, but I never really expected it come as quick as it did.  He has been friends with girls and gone to the movies with them, but now he's actually talking about being serious with a girl.  It definitely scares me, because I don't want him to grow and I don't want him to get his heart broken.  In the end, I know it's just a part of growing up, but It's not the easiest thing to see.

It's a protective instinct of being mother that makes me nervous about  him dating a girl.  My husband and I have talked to him about all of the "coming of age" details, so I'm not horrible concerned with that aspect.  He has a good head on his shoulders and the girl he is dating is a very nice girl.  We are actually good friends on the family, so it's not a bad choice on his part.  

I guess all my husband and I can do is hope that everything works out with him and his new girlfriend.  If it doesn't we'll just have to be ready to give him some love advice and tell him that everything will be alright.  As nervous as I am, I feel like I've been waiting for this my entire life. 

With both of my sons' sports seasons in full swing now, I've found it especially necessary that they are eating healthy and avoiding unhealthy food alternatives.  Their young bodies need all the nourishment and strength possible to get through the season without injuries or wearing down. I've started packing them highly nutritious lunches and snacks, so they get a good amount of energy during their long days.  They consume about 3000 calories a day during the peak of their seaons to ensure they are getting a good amount of food in their system.

Along with the sports diet, I have started buying empsom salts to help the boys relax after a long day of school and practice. Empsom salt has many natural cures for the body.  It is a natural colon cleanser and it is great at relieving muscle aches and pains. I would recommend it to anyone who has chrnoic pain. 

I guess making sure that my children get enough nourishment and they aren't in pain is me just being a mom, but I want to make sure they grow up to be tall and strong. Sometimes they complain about me making sure they finish their veggies, but all in all they know I'm just looking out for them. 

My family and I got back from our trip to Phoenix late last night.  As I mentioned in a previous post, we went out to help my cousin move into her new home.   The trip nearly across country was a bit time consuming and a little mundane, but the move itself wasn't that bad.

The unpacking and helping my cousin settle in went very smoothly.  The Phoenix maid service cleaned the house entirely and throughly.  This helped a great deal, since there wasn't much tidying up to do before we put stuff away.  The only mess that my cousin had to deal with was the empty boxes and the little bit of bubble wrap she used for some of her dishes and delicate antiques.

We spent most of our time just setting up the various different rooms and planning out, which of her two sons was getting the bigger room.  After much debating, the older one opted for the smaller room.  Shopping for new items and decorations was left to my cousin and I.  We spent all day Sunday becoming acquainted with Phoenix and the various shops.  It's such a beautiful city and is completely different than East coast cities.

All in all it was a great trip full of many new experiences and one sad farawell until the Holidays.  I'm glad to be home, but I wish my cousin was still my neighbor. 

With the weather turning colder in the next few weeks, I have decided to take advantage of the warm weather this weekend. I actually enjoy the cooler weather, but it's not too conducive to doing outdoor activities.  I plan on taking our new puppy to the park and playing with him.

My sons both have sports in the morning, so I'm that my family will be able to get to the park around 1 pm on Saturday.  My sons are insistent on teaching the puppy how to play fetch.  That is about the extent of them taking care of a puppy , but at least they spend time with him. 

Buster, our puppy, has quickly made himself a part of the family.  He does everything with my husband and sons around the house.  He spends most of the days with me.  We go for a walk in the morning and he takes a quick nap while I watch the morning news. He's a such a great friend.

We're hoping for some decent weather this weekend, so we can get some time to let the puppy run around.  It's a good idea that we all get some fresh air before the fall days get shorter and colder.

In my previous post I mentioned that my cousin was moving into a new home and it made me think to share her home buying experiences.  She was shown a few housing markets the nation, because she wasn't sure were she was going to be moving.  She wanted to get a good idea of the housing markets in the areas she could be relocating to.

She started looking in Ohio and the Carolinas.  These housing markets were really different, but both offered custom built homes and existing homes.   She talked to various builders that offered different types of homes.  She was set on Schumacher homes if she moved to the Carolinas or Ohio, but she ended up be sent to Phoenix due to her employer's wishes.

The housing market in Phoenix was superb, because there was such a great mix of homes available.  There were many great pre-existing homes, so my cousin didn't have to think of building.  She is very particular, so I'm sure she will be wishing that she considering building in Phoenix.

All in all, it was quite an experience to see the different housing markets and the differences in custom built homes and pre-existing homes for sale. In my honest opinion, it would be much more affordable and fitting to think about building if it at all possible, because you can get exactly what you want for your budget. 

As long as I can remember my cousin and I have been like sisters.  We were inseparable through most of life and now she is moving into a new home in Phoenix.  This is going to be a big change for both my children and hers, since they live right next to us.

My cousin and I are driving out to Phoenix with the children, while my husband and cousin's husband drive the U-Haul out.  The trip will take some time, but we will get to see some different parts of the country.  We plan on stopping along the way to see some sites and take a break from driving. 

The next week will be filled with unpacking and cleaning the new home.  Fortunately for us my cousin decided to hire a Phoenix maid service to help with the cleaning.  They should take care of the bigger problems, while we can focus on just getting everything situated in it's new resting place.

The unpacking should only take around a day or two and we will be flying back on next Tuesday.  It should be an interesting trip for all, but it's going to be sad leaving my cousing in Phoenix.  I guess my family be making lots of trips to Arizona in the future.

My husband and I have both been diagnosed with high cholesterol, which comes as a bit of surprise, because we both eat somewhat healthy.  We have both been on a pretty decent diet, since we decided to lose some weight. 

We've been trying to incorporate more fiber into our diet, which most of you know is kind of like a natural colon cleanser .  My husband's family is  high risk for cancer, so we're trying to increase our consumption of fiber.  Along with the fiber we are trying to eliminate red meats and other "no-no's" for people with high cholesterol.  It has been quite difficult, because my husband refuses to give up butter.  Butter happens to be one of the worst condiments for a person with high cholesterol, so it's been quite a battle. We're both committed to making a change for the better and are actively reading up on helpful dieting tips.

My husband and I feel that this surprise is a good way to realize that not ever aspect of a healthy lifestyle is under your control.  We can merely do things to alleviate some hereditary health problems, so we're giving it our best shot. 

Many people do not look at a business's reputation or history before they do business with one, although they will spend countless hours researching a eBay seller's reputation.  It doesn't make any sense to me.  Before I make a big purchase I always spend a few hours researching the best prices and the reputation of the business.  There is countless franchise information out there that should be utilized when making an educated buying decision.

If there is something wrong with the product or service that you paid for, then you would definitely need the business to remedy thet situation.  The business should have a good track record to win my business.  I don't want to be stuck with a faulty product or an unperformed service.  In a buyer's decision making process it is essential to be an informed consumer.  Being an informed consumer is the best way to get the most of out your money.  I won't settle for anything less than perfection when it comes to me spending a large portion of my income on a product or service and neither should you.

Lately, I've been working out extra hard, because my personal trainer is leaving soon.  I want to get the most out of my workouts, while he is still around.  I'm not sure how long it will take me to find a new trainer, so I feel like I should get as much in as I possibly can in the next few weeks. 

During this time I've been seeing a great amount of weight loss.  I've lost almost 10 pounds in the last few weeks.  It's nice to see the results of my hardwork.  I've been taking some supplements and diet pills to help along the way, so I'm sure that they have something to do with my results as well.  Hopefully, these result continue after my current trainer leaves.

I'm still contemplating whether I'm going to state at my current gym and find a new trainer here.  I guess if the results keep coming, then I will have no choice but to stay here.  I don't want to lose all of the progress I have made in the past month or so. All in all, my current workout regiment and the extra supplements that I'm taking are showing great effects.  I've actually gone down two jean sizes in the past 2 months.  With results like this, who would want to leave their current gym?

After years of owning our old farmhouse, we've found that we have a horrible black mold problem.  Apparently, the mold has been there for nearly a decade and it's unbelievable that no one in my family has gotten sick. 

We had an inspector come into check out our home for our new homeowner's insurance policy and he found a large amount of mold.  My husband and I were completely stunned by his findings and really had no idea that there was a such a big health issue with black mold. The inspector said it was something that would need to be taken care of in a timely fashion, so my husband made a phone call to a black mold removal company and they should have all of it removed by the end of next week.  From my assumptions, it must be a pretty formidable job to take on.  For what the job entails it doesn't seem to be a very pricey operation.

All in all, I guess the whole thing was such an eye opening situation that it was good to know before anyone became ill or worse. I'm going to recommend that everyone in my family get their home checked for black mold and you should do the same, if you haven't done so already. 

My younger son's birthday is tomorrow and we let him decided where he wants to go.  He decided on an amusement park in a nearby town.  We're allowing him and our other son each to bring a friend a long, so it should make for an enjoyable afternoon filled with roller coasters and laughs.

As an extra part of his birthday gift we are buying a new iPod touch, which will be his first real mp3 player.  He has had a couple of cheap ones that don't have much of a display on them, so we figured that he deserved a better one now that he is getting a little older.   We're going to throw in a couple of little mp3 player accessories like a rubberized case and a pair of nice earphones. 

We take birthdays very seriously in our family, so hopefully this will be a fun time for all.  The weather looks like it will be suitable for a fun day and we always have a great day whenever we go to the amusement park.  I'm just struggling to figure out how I'm going to fit all 13 of his candles on his birthday cake...