Surviving NJ

I know, it's not like anyone likes the dentist, but I have a deep dislike that's been in me since I was a child. Growing up I had a dentist who always yelled at me. I'd pass out whenever I got a shot of novacaine, then he'd call me a baby and yell at me. I'd ask to see my mother, and he'd yell at me. What a jerk!

If I had a dentist like that today, I'd be horrified, but I guess we accepted things a little differently back in the day. It wasn't until I was about 25 years old that I realized, hey, I'm an adult and can get a new dentist.

I went for awhile, then just plain avoided them. I didn't have problems, so I wasn't going...until one of my fillings came out.

Today, I had to go and get a filling replaced. No fun, yuck, and I have to go back one more next week to replace 2 more old fillings I had gotten as a young child. After 20+ years, I guess they can wear down.

The dentist was surprised how clean my teeth were, and the lack of placque after not seeing a dentist for so long. I swear by the Sonicare...and my doctor agreed...it's kept my teeth in great condition!  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 05:36 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

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For those who were looking for the pet names:

Gracie, Buster and Jack are my dogs, and Sebastian is my cat.

Jack was like a bundle of energy today. Don't get me wrong, he always has energy, he's a Jack Russell, but today, he had trouble settling. Luckily, he's finally found a cozy position and has snuggled in. I'm not sure why he was so antsy today, but no biggie. He's such a sweetheart.

Grace is a bona fide couch potato. Period...and she's more aloof than the cat. 

Sebastian thinks he's a dog sometimes. I swear he does.

Buster Boo, he's just the most tolerant little guy. Jack jumps on him all the time, because he wants to play, and Buster isn't interested most the time. They've worked out a pattern, but I just shake my head sometimes, because Jack can be relentless with Boo. Boo is a good sport, 99% of the time.

This is the jealous circle here...

Grace gets jealous of the cat. Boo gets jealous of Gracie. Jack gets jealous of everyone. He thinks he owns me. The cat gets jealous of Jack.

 So..I'll be petting the cat, and Gracie needs attention, which means Boo wants attention, which means Jack pounces on me, because I'm his. Now that Jack is there, the cat comes around, which brings Gracie...you see the pattern?

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When my boys were small, the house was littered with toys here and there. Soon, they were old enough to start picking up behind themselves. Graice loves toys....but she doesn't pick up after herself! We've tried to teach her, but it isn't happening...lazy dog.

If I try to pick up her toys and put them in a bucket, she doesn't like it at all! She'll go in one by one and pull them all out. She likes them spread all about, so she has easy access to them! We rotate out the worst ones when they go to the kennel. We take one to the kennel, and then say good-bye to it when we pick them up! Here's a little bit of what my family room floor looks like today.

Little Dog wants nothing to do with toys. He could care less! We have one more dog coming into the family in 2 weeks. We've bought two toys for him, and we'll see if he likes them. They have to be "Gracie" proof, but small enough for him. It was a tough search, but we found two perfect ones. Still...Boo (our beagle), not interested in toys.  

Here's more of Gracie's casualties left all over my floor!

This mallard duck is one of her favorites. She's partial to toys with fur, so she can lick and bathe them! LOL It's so cute...

Uh-oh, I see stuffing...time to sew up another one. She has three versions of this monkey. She loves him, and he's held up to 120 pounds of dog for quite awhile. Call in the medics...err..I better get a thread and needle.

I think the yellow duck has seen better days. I guess he gets sent to the kennel during vacation time. She's not much into cleaning up...that's my job! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:59 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I used to participate on a regular basis in Self Portrait Sunday. My friend Cass used to host it over on DigiCass.com. I think she does it over on MidlifeMusings.com now. I got away from doing it for awhile, and the blog I used to post it on, I put into hibernation. I decided to take a picture this morning and tell you what happened to me when I started doing Self Portrait Sunday before.

I'm very self critical, or I should say, I'm self critical about some things. I'll be honest, it used to be very hard for me to see a picture of myself that I liked. I either looked too fat, my face was too red, my hair looked bad, I had a double chin in it, and so forth. You get the idea...it was always something....and the thing is, I saw it more than others did.

When I started getting into the habit of seeing myself weekly in a picture, I found myself going from "I hate this picture" to "This one isn't so bad". You see, honestly, once I got used to seeing myself in a picture, it wasn't as traumatic to me. It sounds silly, but others started getting used to it also, and they were less critical over time. Instead of seeing things like, "I look bad today, but here it is", you'd see "This is me".

It's healing to be able to look at yourslf, and not be disappointed in what you see. I used to wear make-up daily, and working from home, I got used to seeing myself without it. In the beginning, it really bothered me; now it doesn't phase me in the least bit. 

We become more comfortable with ourselves when we can be okay with what we see in ourselves.

So....this is me, taken this morning May 18th. It could be better, it could be worse, but true enough, if you were at my house today, this is what I look like. You know what? I'm okay with that....and that's a nice thing.

If you haven't tried participating in Self-Portrait Sunday, give it a try. You may find it healing your inner critic as well.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 01:48 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Max will soon be coming to live with us. We are really excited about this addition to our family!

I just wanted to post his picture, so you could see why I'm all giddy and joyful today. :) 

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I had an exciting day today. I got to go meet a couple of dogs. I went to decide which dog would be the new addition to our family. I went through a rescue group that we got both of our other dogs through. I love this woman...she is so good with the dogs, and she does such an amazing job with them.

We'll be adding our family member next month. Because we'll be going away in early June, we made the decision to wait a little bit, rather than bring him into our home, and then turn around and kennel him, which would be confusing. Stay tuned to see his pic shortly! 

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This bookshelf sits between my two desks. I had an empty shelf I hadn't placed anything on yet, and the cat decided he would make it his own. After enough times climbing up there, I put some old fleece pajama pants down for him, and he's been in love. It's not an official cat condo, but it's another cozy space that he loves to curl up in.

He loves nooks and crannies, so while I saw an empty shelf that some books might go in, he claimed it as his own. I love looking over and seeing him sleeping there while I'm working on projects. He always looks so comfortable!  

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I had a mammogram today, and they found a lump in my right breast. I'm not in a total state of panic, as I have cystic breasts. I went through this about 5 years ago when they found a lump in my left breast. I was called back and they rechecked....and the next year, and the next year it happened again. It hasn't changed size or shape, and the left one has the all clear.

Today, they found a lump in my right breast. The left one is still where it is, no change, but the right one is new. She took extra films, and they'll have a better answer for me after the doctor sees the films.

I have mixed emotions on this. On one hand, I'm not overly nervous, because my brain thinks it's just a repeat of what happened with my left breast.

On the other hand, it's struck me and my heart is in my throat. How can you not be scared when they tell you they've found a lump in your breast. My grandmother lost both her breasts to breast cancer. I went shopping after I heard and spent a little too much. I didn't eat though, so that was a choice I made. My normal reactions to a very stressful situation: shop or eat. I didn't want to go off track, since I've been doing so well with clean eating. Trust me, Cold Stone Creamery was calling my name, but I turned to Fashion Bug instead.

Do I have a right to be nervous? Of course I do, but if I say it out loud, am I over reacting to something that hasn't happend? Have you been there?

Ironically, my sister is waiting on some test results this week as well. It's taken forever for her to get her results, and here it's my turn to wait.

Because I couldn't help myself, I went and looked at pictures of women who have gotten a mastectomy. It's on my mind....are my breasts safe for another year? What if they aren't? I'm not ready to part with them, or part of them. They're mine...don't take them away.

Mixed emotions. Like I said, not a total panic, but a quiet sadness that I have to sit and think about this for awhile. It brings me back to the first time I heard I had a lump in my left breast, and I was left wondering...soon. I'll have my answer soon. It will be okay. I know it will....I still feel sad...just sort of want to cry, but nothing to cry at right now.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:56 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

My sister is waiting on some important tests. Its' been WELL OVER a week now, and she still hasn't heard anything. They have to know how hard this wait is. She tried calling yesterday, but the office was closed for Good Friday. It's so frustrating waiting on a phone call, and you don't know what they're going to say.

Is it no news is good news, or it's just taking awhile to get the answers? Nobody knows at this point, so hopefully Monday or Tuesday we'll FINALLY get an answer. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:11 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Have I turned into a boring middle aged woman? Do I look like a typical lady you'd see in the market, and you'd peg me for one of those people...?

How did this happen? I mean, sure I know how it happens, but I tried to keep life interesting. I was the friend that had the great stories, because I lived them. I was the person who was charismatic and brought energy to a room.

I'm sitting here realizing I've hit midlife..is this my crisis?  

Is that it? I mean, I guess I'm okay being pegged as "nice", but am I plain now? Dear God, how did this hapen? Where did my pizazz go?  Where's my sass? *sigh*

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In my weight loss quest, I'm now going to my trainer 3x a week. One of the things I've noticed is that my body tends to like this new time better. I was going later in the afternoon, and switched to two earlier appointments, and kept one of my later ones. The earlier appointments, I'm more in the groove! This is good to know. When I rebook in the summer, I'll be keeping these earlier times.

I had to bring in my food journal today, and I've been eating clean for awhile now. I haven't gone off track at all during the challenge I'm part of. I get one cheat meal a week. Exercise at home is a little harder for me to get in though.

In this journey, I've really discovered some inner strength I didn't know I had. It's been a great experience for me.  

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That's right, my dog has that look in her eyes...you know the one.."I'm special, come stop what you're doing and pay attention to me." Or it could be.."feed me", because she always wants food. Anyway, here she is staring me down, and I'm trying to ignore her for a little bit, because I have some writing to do!

Sigh, she wins...2 minutes, 2 minutes, no more! 

Dog 1, Me 0

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I wish I could say I've been feeling more chatty, but truth be told, I've been focused this month! Dare I say it? Me....focused? Usually I flit about from one thing to another, not really sure where I want to be, or what I want to accomplish each day.

March has been a wind of change. 

I've actually accomplished so much, I'm left scratching my head. I'm not sure what's different. The other thing that's happened, is that I've lost my obsession about the slow changes in my body. I've upped my training to 3x a week, from 2x a week, and I'm finally at peace that it will take awhile for my bod to respond. I'm okay with it...things are happening.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:53 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I've mentioned a few times I'm working out. Man, it wears me out some days, but I know I'm doing things the healthy way. It's a slow tedious loss process, but it will help keep the weight off. I was able to fit in 2 of my leather belts from year's ago! Anyway, one of the things I did desperately before starting with my trainer was try so many different things, diet pills, fad diets and other failed attempts at losing weight.

I thank goodness for the internet, because you'll find a lot of non-biased reviews on things. That saved me a lot of money, but when you're at that point of desperation, you'll try about anything. What I didn't try was hard work, exercise and changing everything I put in my mouth. Imagine what happened when I did it the right way! I started to lose.

Anyway, if you want to read non-biased reviews, check out SyberVision.com where you can read reviews like this one on Akavar. Seriously, if there was a magic pill, don't you think it would be all over the news? When it's just in the back of some magazine, it tells you it's good marketing, and trying to trigger a response in you. It would be on every single news channel and Oprah and all the others if it was a secret answer in a pill.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:22 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

My thighs are hitting a high note way off key this morning! I got a good workout yesterday, and it's left me crumpled up this morning like a little old lady with no bone density. (think rubber chicken)

I've got chores to do today, things to accomplish, and I just don't see it happening. Okay, maybe later in the day I'll stop whining like the small child I am.

Either way, its the one and two days after that get you. Last night, it started to creep in, but today I'll be stretching in all sorts of funky angles to try to stretch out each and every aching muscle.

One step closer to summer, so I understand it's for a good cause. No need to scare small children on the beach like I have for the last 20 years. This year, I'm hoping to blend seamlessly! LOL 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:31 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I lost my father 5 years ago. I'm sitting here thinking about him, since February 21st marks the anniversary of his death. I'm not sure how I've functioned in life and lived this long without him here. He doesn't answer the phone when I call my Mom's house, and isn't here to laugh at life's silliness. Time heals a lot, and we manage to keep going.

I remarried the spring after he left us, and he wasn't at my wedding. He isn't in any of the photos that showcase our family.

I'll do something, and wonder how my father would react, but I can only guess how he would have reacted now. It's been five years...

I miss him. Time waits for no one.

My father was an avid outdoorsmen, a guy's guy and everyone liked him. He was a fun person to be around. 

I carry him in my heart and soul, in my memories and prayers. It's just so hard to believe that five years has passed.

Love you Daddy. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 02:21 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I'm really excited, because I was able to put on a shirt I've been looking to fit into. My goal by the end of February was to be able to wear one partiuclar shirt, and my Adidas coat. I've had that damn coat in my closet for 4 years. I can wear it comfortably now. :)

I actually had the same coat awhile back, but it got ruined, so I went onto eBay and found a replacement. The only problem was, I couldn't wear it yet. It was an XL and I was a XXL, and sometimes an XXXL!

When I tried on the shirt today, it fit nicely, and I went to the closet...slipped it on, zipped it up, and I can finally wear my coat without it looking funky! Woohoo...I've met this goal, and it's the middle of February.

Nice feeling :) 

Clean eating and regular exercise are paying off... 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:47 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I have a large project I'm working on, and today I have plans to accomplish a few things. It's 8:30 and I'm avoiding the actual start of this work! Yikes, I need to get on it, and just get it done. I have about 6 pages I'd like to get written today for a website, and I'm just not feeling it.

Hopefully, I'll get in the groove soon enough.

I'm a master staller, procrastinator, putter-offer...whatever you want to call it!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:36 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Connie over at Brain Foggles tagged me with a Crazy 8 MeMe. Here's my answers...

8 Things I’m Passionate About

1. I'm passionate about kindness. I strive for it in my daily life, and appreciate it in others.
2. I'm passionate about my family. Aren't we all?
3. I'm passionate about writing. I've had the writing bug since I was a young girl.
4. I'm passionate about traveling.
5. I'm passionate about Long Beach Island and Orlando.
6. I'm passionate about skin care.
7. I'm passionate about reading. Right now, by my chair I have a stack of books I'm reading.
8. I'm passionate about animals. I've been an animal lover my entire life.

8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die

1. Tour the United States...all of it.
2. Watch my children marry and have children, or find happiness.
3. Reach my goal weight.
4. Retire early.
5. Fulfill my personal goals.
6. Watch my sister's children marry, have children or find happiness.
7. Own a house at the beach.
8. Have inner peace.

8 Things I Say Often

1. Hon
2. Sorry to hear about your bad luck (sarcastic)
3. Cool beans
4. Get a grip on reality child! (to my son!)
5. Seriously?
6. Yikes!
7. Come on....(out of frustration)
8. Jackass (HA! when I'm pissed off!)

8 Books I’ve Read Recently

1. Women and Money, Suze Orman
2. The New Earth, Eckhert Tolle
3. I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, Tucker Max
4. A Dirty Job, Christopher Moore
5. Love & Respect
6. The Message (New Testament in Contemporary Language)
7. a naughty book (wink)
8. tons, and tons, and tons of magazines each month

8 Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over

1. Crazy, Gnarls Barkley
2. Stilletto, Billy Joel
3. Light as a Breeze, Billy Joel
4. Saturday Night's Allright for Fighting, Elton John
5. She's No Lady, She's My Wife, Lyle Lovett
6. Wide Open Spaces, Dixie Chicks
7. Nothin Better to Do, LeAnn Rimes
8. Big Girls Don't Cry, Fergie

8 Things That Attract Me to My Best Friend

1. Love (my husband is my best friend)
2. Kindness
3. Genuine
4. Honesty
5. Sense of humor
6. Compassion and empathy
7. Spontaneous
8. Good Listener and conversationalist

Thank you for including me, Deb 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:18 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I've been up to my eyeballs in projects this week. It's a good healthy busy, but I'm hitting a wall. I'm going to try to not work on any of my projects today at all to get a breather. I'm building a large website, along with two smaller ones. I've been obsessing over details, and pouring over keywords and information. My eyes feel blurry and worn this morning!

I get my cheat meal today, and I'm planning on having something good. I was going to have it yesterday, as Saturday is usually when I have my cheat meal, but timing was off, and we were out at the wrong time. I'll be enjoying a special lunch today, then my cheat is over until next week. It's okay, I'm realizing I like pretty much everything I'm eating now anyway, and my itch for a cheat isn't so much wanting a "bad" meal, but more of the emotional outlet of being able to plan for it. It helps you, so you stay clean during the week with food.

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Here's my latest picture update. I've been working with my trainer Danielle since September. I notice changes in my face, while it seems I'm losing weight slowly in my body at times, then all of a sudden, I'll notice things like a waist, or a curve in my ankle.

Here are some cool things that have bene happening...I stopped snoring! While I haven't had a significant amount of fat loss, though I'm losing inches, things are changing inside my body big time. As you gain weight, sometimes snoring is one of those things, and unfortunately, I got bad after I hit a certain weight. That's pretty much gone! Wow! My husband's thrilled about that one.

Here's a cool one for me, after I got home from my workout on Tuesday, as tired and worn out as I was, I grabbed a snow shovel and cleared the driveway, our walkway, and our back patio! I was okay! Then I did it again about 3 hours later! Hubby usually does that, but he wasn't home yet, so I thought, I would surprise him.

This is going to sound very silly, but just think about this. I can now reach and scratch my back easier! When you're heavy, sometimes those little tiny things are just not as easy to do. I'm more flexible, there's less of me, and I can actually scratch an itch on my back now! LOL

I don't get out of breath putting my shoes on, running up the stairs, or things of that nature.

I may lose slowly, but it will stay off, because for once in my life, I'm finally doing things the right way. My eating is totally under control, I've gotten rid of junk in my diet, and I exercise regularly now. It's become second nature, and I love that. I didn't think it would happen, but it has. I didn't say I love to exercise, but I do feel better AFTER I've done it! Ha, I'll never jump out of bed and go, woohooo, I get to exercise! I've made peace with it though, and don't mind that it's part of the process, so for me that's cool.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:55 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I start writing this post with a heavy heart. I didn't expect this to happen to me, well, not yet anyway. We were heading out last night, and for some reason the light caught my hand at just the right angle, and there it was....chicken skin. GASP! Chicken Skin (aka Keratosis Pilaris) was staring back at me.

What? Not yet, I moisturize, I use sun block, and well....I'm too young to have chicken skin right?

That's when the sad reality slapped me (okay, slugged the crap out of me) in the face. I'm into my 40's now, and it was bound to happen. I'll make peace with it shortly, but it's just a sad, sad day for my hands. The aging has started.  

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The dogs were on the sofa and moved the pillows off of it. That cat decided it make an excellent resting place. I left them there, because he's been sleeping there a lot the last couple of days!

The living room sofa is mostly the dogs. This is where my office is, and they sleep on it during the day to keep me company.  The cat can find any spot that looks comfortable and in moments, he's sleeping there.

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He keeps me company no matter how many hours I put in a day. Boo, Buggy, Buster, whatevever name comes out of my mouth at that moment, is my buddy.  The best part is he doesn't mind if I'm having a bad hair day, have PMS or am giddy with laughter over something trivial. :)

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:56 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

This is what my desk is looking like right now. I have some things I want to do, things I want to rewrite for a website, dates I need to remember, plug-ins I wanted to add to a few places, and the Advil is always in site!

What does your week look like?  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:46 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

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My trainer Danielle has been a blessing for me. Not only is she helping me with one-on-one training, she's also a dietitian, and I'm now up to eating clean 5 days a week. The turn around within me is amazing. I've still got a long way to go, but thanks to the help of Danielle over at Metamorphosis Studio, I'm able to see my future in a way I couldn't before.

I believe I found her in particular for a reason. I'm very overweight, and the thought of working out at a gym with other people wasn't something I looked forward to. I started looking at trainers, and the moment I walked in her studio and spoke with her, I knew we'd be a good match.

She makes me feel like I'm part of a team, and that means a lot to me. When I start to feel overwhelmed with the large task at hand, I remind myself, that while I haven't been able to do it alone all these years, she knows exactly what she's doing and it's time to trust her.

I've accomplished a lot so far, and I'm in in for the long haul. You're looking at a woman who has 100 pounds to lose. That's not pretty, but for the first time in my life, I'm not giving up, and I'm doing it the right way. I'm not looking for a quick fix, and I'm not looking for an easy way out.

I'm working hard, I'm working out, and I'm eating clean, healthy foods.

When I first thought about eating clean, meaning ridding myself of foods with preservatives and chemicals, and things I didn't recognize, it made me nervous. What if I couldn't find foods I didn't like? Man, it was all for nothing, because not only am I enjoying what I'm eating now, my tastes are changing, and I don't want to put the other stuff back in me.

I turn a box around to look at the ingredients, and if there's junk in it, I just think, yikes, I don't want that in me. I'm working so hard. I'm down 25+ inches, and I'll be measured again next week. I'm hoping it's more, but I'll take what I can get. I'm not giving up, because I'm finally realizing my future is there for me to reach out to it.

I'm excited and know that this time next year, I'll see myself as a healthier and thinner person. Amazing to me, as I've not seen myself as an adult at a healthy weight. I'm enjoying the transformation, and when I get further along on the journey, I'll post pics of the changes.

I started with Danielle in September, and it's been 4 months so far. I won't stop until I reach my goal, and she knows I'm in in for the long haul. I'm dedicated and am working to make the changes necessary.

If you're looking to make a fresh start, or get back into shape, she's really a neat person to work with. For more information, you can find her information here. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:19 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (4)

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?

LINKS (keep reading) and a great feeling, knowing you're helping a great cause.

I am trying to raise $1800 for breast cancer by participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I'll be walking 26 miles, and bringing more awareness to this disease.

Here is my official donation page through AvonFoundation.org. Under my picture, there is a pink button that says "SUPPORT ME".

In an effort to raise donations, I'm offering you an awesome deal.  

If you make a donation through my official donation page, I'll hook you up with link love. I have a network of 10 active blogs. Each is updated regularly, and is current. Please click on the pink button under my picture on the donation page that says "SUPPORT ME".

• $25 donation gets you a link on my sidebar here for the entire year of 2008
• $35 donation gets you a link on 3 of my blogs for the rest of 2008
  
• $50 donation gets you a link on 5 of my blogs for the rest of 2008
  
• $100 donation gets you a link on all 10 of my blogs for the rest of 2008

You must make a donation through the official donation page. They accept credit cards so it's  a quick and easy way to donate. Remember, you're making the donation through the AvonFoundation at my official fund raising page to sponsor my walk. You are not paying me individually.

Once you have made the donation, email me at: DebsMix (at) Gmail (dot) com, to let me know what you would like me to link to. I WILL NOT LINK TO GAMBLING, RX sites or ADULT SITES. Once I recieve an email from them showing that your donation was made, I will add your link.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?

I'm bringing awareness and helping raise money for breast cancer.

My grandmother lost both her breasts to breast cancer, and I've had my own scare in 2003, after they found a lump via mammogram. Thankfully for me it was benign. My grandmother was not as fortunate, and on two separate occassions went through breast cancer, each time having to sacrifice a breast.  I'm making a difference in my own small way.

If you'd like more information on Breast Cancer, I have a Breast Cancer Awareness page here.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 02:08 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

 I love playing with colors and pictures. I'm not a graphics girl, but I know what I like. I'm about to start building another website during the next week or so, and have been busy looking at great photos over at iStockPhoto.com. I love that place for professional images! Anyway,  last night, I got caught up looking at images so I could pull just the right ones I'll need when I build my site. I like to have all the pictures that I like selected, and then I go in, buy more credits and purchase them. Lookig through the pictures, I could feel the creative surge swirling through me. It's a slow process in the beginning for me, because I know I'll sit for hours tinkering and playing with things.

I'd like it to have a similar feel as another site I have, but offer totally different information. Once I get into the want or desire to get started, it's like a fever takes over me, and I have to keep going! I'll start to feel the drain about 3/4's of the way through. That's the point where I'm doing playing with the creative side, and working on adding content and more information.  

Either way, I'm ready to dig in and get started. I've penciled out an outline, ideas that I want to flow with, along with topics I'd like to cover, and looking at the amount of content I'd like to add.

My schedule has an interuption in the middle of the day today, as it's my first day back to my trainer, so I'm going to start it tomorrow! I can't wait to dig into the project and get going. It feeds my creative side.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 01:09 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

"So anyway...."

It's a chatty Monday in my brain today. The funny thing is, I don't feel like picking up the phone and chatting on the phone, so I'll just let my fingers do the talking today.

About a week ago, I'd mentioned that we were looking at keeping our vacation club, or possibly letting it go. We decided to keep it, and when I realized the large network we were a part of, I was open to all sorts of new options.

My problem came in when I actually tried to book reservations! I have now tried to book 22 different reservations, which are all full. That's crazy! I tried booking a bunch of them 6 months ahead, and a few more 8-10 months ahead. It doesn't look like it's going to work well through the extended network. Through our own company, I can find answers, but they aren't the answers I want right now.

For example, I can't get into the Keys in Florida, but I can get into Hawaii. Great, fabulous, but hello, airfare to Hawaii is astronomical! I can get into Vegas, but only a 1 bedroom, as opposed to a 3 bedroom in Orlando, based on the points.

I've been fiddling around with this thing for the last few days, and I'm pretty frustrated right now. I ended up having to purchase a separate vacation for summer, and now I have this pending. I'm not sure if I'm going to do something in the fall iwth my husband, or what I'm doing at this point.

It's paid for in full, so it's just waiting for me to book something. The problem is, what I want, and what I can get are two different things! Don't get me wrong, I can book Orlando again, but I've been there 4 times in the last 2 years. Love it, but was hoping to go a few other places. 

Maybe we'll toss Sedona back into the mix again, we'll see. We loved it out there, but we were really looking more towards the east coast so travel is a bit easier.

I guess time will tell. As for now, my son and I are booked to enjoy North Myrtle Beach in South Carolina this summer. Only I had to pay for that, because through the vacation club it was booked! Stupid thing.... 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 03:02 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

Did I ever mention here that I gave up butter? No really, I don't use butter anymore. I don't use it in my cooking, I don't add it to my vegetables, and I don't add it to my toast. It was a deal I made with my trainer. It was actually easier than I thought. I was concerned I wouldn't be able to do it, but once I stopped using it, I didn't feel the need or desire to start again. I do have to say, down the shore, while having steamers(steamed clams) or lobster, all bets are off. That is when I'll have butter. That's it.

Popcorn is another story. I love butter and salt on my popcorn, along with corn on the cob. It goes together like soup and crackers, ya know? Anyway, I struck a deal that I could have popcorn still, but in return I get four sprays of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter". That's it, no more, and not real butter, but it's a bargain I was willing to make on my quest to a better body. 

Popcorn is actually a safe treat I can eat. It's safe when it's not loaded up with butter, and eaten naturally. I'm grateful it's on my list of foods to eat, because it's filling and is great fun to eat while watching movies!

I've always loved those home theater popcorn machines, but I don't eat it often enough to justify it. I think they're cool though, and would a great additon to an entertainment room! If you've thought about getting one, check out StargateCinema.com for their huge selection of home theater seating, decor, and more. I love that they have the ability to search items by price. It makes gift selection a breeze!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 02:46 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

It feels like I'm sitting on a rock. The good news is now that rock is a round rock, and not pointy. This stupid hamstring pull has been no fun. 

On that note, I haven't taken any medication today. Yesterday, I held out until around 6pm. It's bothering me today, but I'm hoping to distract myself enough to not have to take anything. I'm only going to take the RX Ibuprofen at this point, but it's frustrating that this stupid rock won't move.

My brain says put a pillow under it so it feels softer. Duh! The feeling is inside my body, not outside of it. It doesn't really register, but it is what it is.

I head back to my trainer tomorrow, and I'll be glad to see her again. I want to get back into a routine, because being off a routine throws me off track. I'll be doing upper body training, and light treadmill work for my legs for now. I've got to take things slowly, and not rush myself. Thankfully, I'm working with someone who knows how to help me heal properly. That's a relief.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 02:35 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

 I took my pain medication a little bit ago, and I'm getting a bit spacey, so please excuse typos. I'm trying to write this before it's totally kicked in.

I woke up yesterday and tried to roll over in bed. I couldn't move my leg, the pain was so intense. I had no idea what was going on, it was 6am, I had to pee and I was having trouble moving my leg, so I could get out of bed. For a moment, I literally thought I'd dislocated my hip or something. Every itsy bitsy movement drove pain to my hip, then below my bottom. I finally maneuvered out of bed after much whimpering and hobbling, and made it to the bathroom. I realized my hip wasn't the problem, but what was?

I've done a number on it, and apparently I'll be a hurting puppy for awhile. We called the doctor because it hurts to sit, stand, walk, lie down, well, just about anything. After consulting with a doctor on the phone, since everyone's office was closed, they called in two medications for me with strict instructions that if they muscle relaxant and RX strength Advil didn't help with the pain in two hours, to go to the Emergency Room.

You guessed it, we ended up  at the Emergency Room. The meds had done nothing to alleviate my pain. On a scale of 1-10, I was at a 10. The doctor confirmed I pulled my hamstring, but I'll have to go to an orthopedic guy to find out if it's torn and if so, how much.

They gave me heavy pain meds, and it takes my pain from a 10 down to a 6, so I'm grateful. 

I'll keep you updated with my progress as time goes on. For now, I'm a hurting puppy, and so relieved the pain meds I was given helps bring me relief. I have a week's worth, and I'm hoping that by the end of the week it won't still be this painful! 

What did I do? I don't have a clue. I was fine when I went to bed, and when I woke up, I couldn't move! Thankfully my husband was here and has helped me.

The emergency room doctor, who was great, said hamstrings are slow to heal.

Oh joy! (note the sarcasm)

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:41 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (4)

This is what we made yesterday! My son and I had a good time constructing the pieces to stand together, and then decorating. I can't take full credit, it was a kit which made the job much easier!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas, and are feeling relaxed now that it's passed. The stress and pressure are gone, and the New Year is almost upon us! That's why people party on New Year's Eve, so they can let out the rest of the steam from the build-up to Christmas!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:13 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

We've got pretty quiet plans today, nothing major. I told my son we could go to GameStop, since he has money burning a hole in his pocket. I'm looking at a list of things I want to accomplish this week, and I'm wondering how much of it will actually get done.

Besides the usual household chores like laundry and cleaning up, I'm also looking at some online chores, some books I wanted to be reading, some articles I'd set aside and more! It's funny when I'm making the list, I think I'll have plenty of time. Ha! If I can stay focused only on the list it's one thing....but then I turn on a computer game or something, and I've lost hours! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:22 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

This week is a week of maintenance for my websites. I have approximately 30 websites that I manage. I need to go in, check for detail work, re look at a few things, and tighten it all up. It's not a fun week I have ahead, but it's what I've got to do. At least my son will be here this week, so I'll take breaks to play games with him and other things.

My son's desk is right next to mine, so we'll chatter a bit while he plays World of Warcraft, and I work. He doesn't know it yet, but he got a new computer! He desparetly needed to be upgraded, so it's all set. We even loaded in some extra games and his WOW disks for him. He's good to go!

What will you be doing this week? 

I'm also looking at advertising right now. I've done advertising for my skin care book, but I'm looking at new ways to advertise my small business blog over at BizMarkTech.com. I've gotten some business cards to pass to the offline crowd, but I'm thinking of postcards of promotional pens as well. I know when I launched my skin care book, I mailed schools postcards with information and my web address. It's all new to me, and I like to learn as I go. It helps me enjoy the journey. I could pay someone to do it for me, but I love the actual learning experience!

What have you had good experience with offline, to advertise online sites? 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:56 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I was just trusted to make cookies. I'm in the process of doing this "clean eating" and I was trusted alone with cookie dough. I ate two, and cooked the rest. I'm not proud, and I hate how easily it was for me to go, "okay, just these two". Seriously, I'm doing well otherwise though. I know I set today aside as a small cheat day. I'll still watch, but I know today will be the hardest for me of all the days this week. I didn't have to start so poorly all ready though, did I?

I thought of my trainer the other night as I grabbed two Maalox Max tablets. I've been doing well, and I had a cheat day, which I'm allowed, but boy it didn't feel good. She told me I'd feel like crap, and I did.

I'm going to switch from 3 days on/1 day off in January. I'll be pressing myself to 5 days clean/2 days off. (Wed: out to dinner, and Saturday will be my cheat day). I'm inching my way to 6/1, but because I just started, I'm afraid to jump in with both feet.

Today I know to avoid the au gratin potatoes and stick with the vegetables. I know to avoid certain foods all together. I know to bring my own drinks along so I have something I enjoy. I'm learning a big piece of this is planning ahead. It's only been a week, but I'm in the mindset to really give it my all. I'll probably need the Maalox tonight. :( I'm going to try to avoid the bad stuff. It's going to be hard.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:41 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

With the stress of the holidays, make sure you have your life insurance quotes! Seriously, last night we were working on a pie, cake, today I have to make cookies and dip. I have to load up my car with gifts, drive an hour to pick up my son, then drive another hour to pick up my mom, load up the car with her stuff, then drive the 5 mins to my sisters! By the time I start, I'll be leaving around 12:30 and hope I make it at 3pm. Goodness gracious, it's going to be crazy. OOh, I'd better preheat the oven!

Seriously though, if you need a life insurance quote, check out WholesaleInsurance.net. They can get you the information that you need.  Remember, insurance isn't for you, it's for those you've left behind.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:28 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Just a reminder that I'll be walking in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer next year.  I'm raising to help the cause. I need to reach a goal of $1800. If you'd be able to donate $10 or $20, maybe more, every bit would help. It's for an excellent cause.

You can find my official page over at my Avon Walk for Breast Cancer page. Thank-you.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:38 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

My poor husband didn't know what hit him when he walked in the door. Turn down the lights baby, toss me some plus size lingerie and light some candles. Maybe it's the "clean eating" (no preservatives) kicking in, or maybe my hormones are fluctuating, but I was all over him.

Dinner was ready though, so we sat down and had dinner. Then we had to go out and pick up the Jeep, since it was just inspected. I guess next time, I should just leave dinner be, and take care of other things first!

Oh well, maybe later. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:30 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I went to the gym early today, and the lady who had an appointment before me had this amazing body. I noticed her back and shoulders, and I never really noticed things like that before. I mean, usually when you look at a person, you notice them straight on, maybe their profile, but the part of her back and shoulder that was exposed from her sleeveless shirt was gorgeous.

I guess because I'm working out now, I notice and appreciate the effort put in to sculpt something like that. For me, it's cool because I can feel solid muscle building underneath. I still have a lot of fat on the top of it, so it won't show yet, but I can feel it. I'm not ready for bodybuilding supplements or competition anytime soon, but I'm changing a little bit at a time.

When I see someone like that, it makes me smile and wonder if I'll get to that point. I like to believe that with enough time and effort, I'll see a back and shoulders like that too! Of course it will be a long journey, but I'm willing to take it.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:15 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I had one of those moments where you go "OH NO!" this afternoon. We had just gotten back to my sisters, and I went into her house, put my jacket and purse on her bar stools, and sat down to talk for a little bit. When I was getting ready to leave, I couldn't find my keys anywhere! Did I lock them in my car? I ran back out to my car, looked inside, and they weren't in there. They weren't in my purse either!

It turned out they were in my jacket pocket, and after a crazy search we found them! My heart did one of those "thump, stop" motions! I had to get going soon, had an hour drive in front of me, and still had to stop at a store. 

I always tend to stack my stuff on the bar stools, but didn't think to check my jacket at first. My sister's house has a custom made 6 seat bar in her family room. It's gorgeous, and really adds a unique element to the room. She also put in two high top tables with bar stools to match the stools at the bar. Either way, I was so happy to see my keys! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:00 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I've been buried in catalogs this season. I feel bad for our mail carrier, and am glad he gets a mail truck. He'd throw out his back carrying all those suckers this year! Do you know how many are tossed before looking at them? If you guessed about 90%, you'd be right!

Otherwise, the other change going on, is I'm on a 3 day course to eat clean and healthy. That means limiting the amount of preservatives in the food I'm eating. I've been given the ok to use cheerios in place of some of the other choices I have, along with eggs, and a 7 multi-grain bread that has 3 grams of fiber. Otherwise, it's "nature's food" and no boxed, canned, bagged or other goodies I'm used to.

Yesterday, I almost went into a full-fledged panic at the thought of certain foods not making the list of approved foods. My trainer reminds me, 80% of my battle is the food choices I make. I can work out, and build muscle, but until I get my eating in line, I won't get to my goal.

Change scares me sometimes, and in this case, it hit me like a fly hitting a windshield at 50mph.

Now? You want me to start now? Can't I have three days and three boxes of treats to think about it? Nope....I'm starting now.  The goal is to get into a pattern of clean eating all the time, but because I need to do things in babysteps, 3 days on, 1 day off is the deal we've made.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 03:26 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

I've successfully kicked my Diet Coke. I went through the mandatory 3 days headache, but now I'm drinking 4ounces cran-grape juice to 20 ounces of water. It's been approved by my trainer (yes, I'm measuring it!), and here I am less than a week later, off my long love and mistress Diet Coke.

We went to the movies yesterday, and I got a bottle of water ($3.75/rip-off) in place of my regular drink. It's just breaking those old habits and putting in the new ones. It would be so easy to slip, but I'm really trying to make the changes I need to see the difference. At this point, it can only be good changes! I'm not as bloated, and not as thirsty. Surprise, surprise, give your body what it needs, and it's happy. With soda, no matter how much I drank, I was still thirsty. It was drying me out!  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:51 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Our dogs and cat have a funny little pattern. They each have their own special places they like to sleep, but then they feel the need to sleep in the spots the others have chosen as well. It's almost like that theory that the grass is always greener on the other side. Apparently, this is true with animals as well, because sometimes one of the dogs will get up, and the other immediately goes to sleep in the space!

They all have favorite places though. Big dog sleeps at the top of the stairs, Little Dog sleeps on the corner of the leather sofa, and the cat thinks the dog bed is a cat bed, so he's claimed it as his own. Only, we have two identical dog beds, medium and large, and he's claimed them both! He moves back and forth between them, silly cat! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:23 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

We have a sofa in our garage that we just can't get rid of. My husband asked me to see if I could give it away. It's a big sectional, so there would be a truck involved. I mentioned CraigsList, and he grumbled something like he doesn't want some stranger coming to get it. Don't you know anyone?

Then I offered to go to FreeCycle.org which is community groups where you give stuff away, or find things you need, but you don't attach a cost to it. Great idea, but no, he didn't like that either. Let's see, he wants to snap my fingers and make it disappear? I laughed, I'm just going to have a junk removal guy come get the thing! It takes up the entire wall of one side of our garage, and has turned into a storage shelf. It's time to rid ourselves of that dang sofa.

We have four sofas. Yes, you read that right, four sofas. We changed out the furniture in our family room, we have a sofa in our living room, a large sectional, and we even have a full-size living room sofa out in our sunroom! Now we have another sofa that lives in our garage. If you need discount furniture, you can turn to a store like Boyles with a great selection, or you can come take my damn sectional away! 

I finally got him to agree I can call the removal guy! Geez, it only took the better part of 2 years. :\ 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:07 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

 We went out to dinner last night, and after we went to the grocery store. We're wandering up and down the aisles, picking up the staples that we need. My poor tummy starts grumbling, and I'm like, "Please God, not here!"

Like a good wife, I move ahead, or try to stay back and look at something, "No, go ahead, I'll catch up." Yeah, say those words and you're like a magnet to people.

I'm trying to hold it, ya know, I'm not in the habit of letting it go in public places, but I wasn't going to have an option shortly.

Finally, I'm able to find my own little section for a moment, and decided it was safe to pass some gas. Wouldn't you know it...around the corner comes some guy with his cart. I was mortified!

Not like I could blame someone else at that point. I should have beelined to the bathroom for privacy, but I thought I could get away with it....guess not!

PS- sorry buddy 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:07 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

So I'm at the gym yesterday, and I have to do this little sideways shuffle on the treadmill. It sound easy enough, but getting in pattern is funky and tough! I could do it on one side so much easier than the other. While doing the circuit, the next time I had to change the incline so it was steeper!

When I first started working out at the studio, I didn't follow the cardio circuit board, because a lot of the stuff was just a little more than I was ready for. Now I try to follow along, and modify things so that I can still do it. I find I've come a long way, and I keep trying. I'm not giving up. 

The one machine that I've come to dread, and that still hasn't changed is the elliptical machine. I know people love it, I on the other hand do not. If I must, I will get on it for 10 minutes, but it's my least favorite thing to do. It's very challenging to me, and frustrates me. If I'm going to get on it, I do it first thing to get it over with! 

When I first started, I would do three things, the elliptical, the treadmill and the bike. I've finally gotten to the point where I do other things, like adding in crunches, modified push-ups, lunges among other things. I'm happy I'm progressing, but I still have a long way to go. Of course that's just cardio time, strength-training time, my trainer gets to decide what I do. She always kicks my butt, but I just keep smiling the best I can. Okay, so sometimes I call her a name or something, but I always smile afterwards. ;) Right? Nah, she rocks...I'm lucky I've found such a great trainer to work with. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:00 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I like Diet Coke. Okay, that's a lie....I love Diet Coke.

I drink a lot of it, actually way too much. It's not a healthy thing, and it's pretty much what I drink morning until night. I've recently been adding in some juice, just so I get something else in me.

Last night, I agreed to give up Diet Coke. My trainer and I were talking, and it was painfully aware that I needed to make this change. I think so much of it is a mental hurdle, and we get attached to habits we have.

Right now the deal is I can have one a day. I easily have 6 a day, so one a day...well, it's my coffee.

I'm currently drinking water with a little juice mixed in, and you know what, I think I'll be okay.

Once I mourned my friend, and decided it's time to move on, time to make a change...well, it doesn't hurt quite so badly today.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:14 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I hate the cold. No really, I mean I hate it. I've got a few errands that I could get done today, since I don't have a reason not to, and I'm putting it off, because I hate being out in the cold. I know, it's not even "that bad" yet. I just hate it that much.

I wanted to pick up one or two things, and I'd love to get a pedicure, but the thought of the 3 minutes from the time I get in my car, to the time the temperature becomes normal to me, is miserable. Isn't that silly. I can work out with a trainer, be sore and sweaty for an hour, but 3 minutes in the cold has me putting it off like it's a flu.

I'd let my car warm up, but that's a big No-No in NJ now! Imagine, a ticket for "warming up your car for more than 3 minutes"...

Man, I hate the cold.  Guess, I have to "get over it" and just accept it's going to be cold for a few more months. Once I finally accept that fact, I function a little better.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:36 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

 What are your Christmas favorites? Growing up, you had one shot to see the Christmas specials. We didn't use VCR's yet, and they were always on the main channel at 8pm. The entire family would sit down and watch the specials together, and you waited all year to see them.

When it came to Christmas music, it was Johnny Mathis, John Denver, Barbara Streisand and Alvin and the Chipmunks at my house. I remember how worn out Alvin and the Chipmunks got! The album (it's okay youngsters, some others know what they are), had a deep gorge on one track, and I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but one song, we'd have to skip! Now Alvin and the Chipmunks is about to be released as a movie. I hope they don't forever ruin the chipmunks for me. Jason Lee of "My Name is Earl" is playing David, the guy. Computer animation obviously does the rest. 

Don't forget to be a kid again this Chrismtmas, and enjoy all those classics you grew up with! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:34 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

I had to take Little Dog to the vet today. I hate going to the vet's office. Don't get me wrong, I understand it's important, but it's never a fun concept at my house. See, the actual office isn't the issue, it's getting out of my house with one dog, and not two.

Little dog, all of 48 pounds (he was weighed today), and Big Dog (118 pounds) get very excited when you pick up their leashes. You can be as casual or up front about it as you'd like, but it turns to chaos in mere seconds. Big Dog jumps like crazy, because she's excited, and each time I pray she won't land on and squish Little Dog. 

By the time I get them both in the Jeep and tied down (we attach their leads to hooks we have set up on the tie-downs) so if they jump out of the car when I open the back, they aren't going anywhere but the length of their leash....anyway, but the time I get in the Jeep, I'm worn out! It works quite well, it's just a pain when they are like crazed little kids on too much sugar. 

Little Dog had a little fatty cyst we wanted to get checked, and it looks okay. They took a sample just in case. Either way, man, oh man....by the time I'm home, phew! Little Dog isn't a fan of the vet, so he's trying to climb up on me or hide. We made it without too much OTHER incident. I am glad to be home!  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 05:13 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

I'm not a Martha Stewart graduate when it comes to decorating. For us, less is more, and we like simple things. Don't get me wrong, if I walk into my sister's house, it looks like one of those Christmas moments out of a magazine. She's gifted with that style, I on the other hand am not. With that said, you can see the three things we did...simple lights in the windows, a little greenery on our bookshelves and our tree. (The monkey at the top has meaning...hence no star or angel)

I think it's a little crooked, but didn't notice it until after I took the picture! I'm heading in to fix it shortly! Its' funny because I said to my husband, I didn't grow up putting candy canes on our tree growing up, but I think I was looking for an inexpensive option when I was picking up decorations. Last year, I bought the tree as a surprise! I didn't have much left over for the rest of the decorations. There are little red bells on it too. We could have bought more this year, but this works for us. I also grew up putting tinsel on the tree...I didn't start with garland until after I moved out. Hmmm, it's funny how little things change.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 03:23 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (3)

When I was a kid, one of the things I collected was stamps. It was incredible how many different types of stamps there were. Even things like perforation on each side inside of perforation on only one side could make the difference in the value of a stamp. I was given a kit when I was a child, and through the years, I had amassed quite a few stamps.

My son on the other hand collects coins. His father loves to do things like go metal detecting, and when they find a rare coin or treasure, it's exciting for them. I was able to share some old coins my father had collected when he was younger. Coin collecting is a great hobby to take up with your child. It's something you can discover together, and you're building a collection that's a wise investment as well. One type of coin to add to their collection is us gold coins. You can explain the value of gold and other precious metals, and work it around their collection as well.

We learn valuable lessons from time with our parents. When you teach your child, in a fun environment, they are going to absorb that information. Take my husband, his father taught him about investing in his teens. It's a valuable thing that's served him well. Most children have heard the expression, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket", and you can use this to help them understand that value comes from many places, and investing in different things like stocks and bonds, and precious metals, you'll diversify your portfolio. Make coin collecting a great quality time activity, and teach them about investing right along with it! Looking up the value of the coins you get is as much fun as picking them out.

Over at Monex.com it's easy to find the value of precious metals like platinum, silver and gold. At the top of their website, they have a scrolling bar that shows you not only the current price, but if it's currently up or down. It's a first great step in investing with your children. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:02 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

5am People! I was up at 5am...I just stayed in bed until 5:30, but then I couldn't take it anymore, I had to get up.

One of my absolute favorite reasons I love working at home is that I get to sleep in. I get to snuggle up under the covers all toasty warm and sleep while my husband gets up and heads out for his job outside of our house. I'm still dreaming away, and I'll eventually make it out to my desk and sit down in my office in my jammies. This is the way I like it. A yawn, a stretch, maybe hit my desk by 8:30, sometimes as late as 9! Gasp!

And today...5 am. *sigh*

I'm not a morning person. I never have been a morning person. I've tried to be, but it was quite clear to anyone around me, I'm no morning person!

I must get it from my mom....she likes to wake up around 11am to noon! LOL

I don't mind staying up late working, and all my work gets done because I'm efficient, but please, please don't let me start waking up this early...no trends here!

Little dog wanted to go out, and it was a snappy and cold 30-40 degrees out there! I had to stand waiting for him with the door open, because he decided to be in bark mode around 7am. I'm a good neighbor, so I froze my bottom off and made sure to stop that bark. Know what he was barking at? My neighbors were out raking their freaking leaves at 7am. They are really nice neighbors, I don't have any issues with them, but freaking 7am and raking leaves. What cloth are you made from man? 

So I'm grumbling at Little Dog, not the neighbor, because Little Dog feels it's his job to let the entire neighborhood know they are out raking leaves. My job...sssh, no bark....no bark....sighs.

Thinking a nap may be in order later... 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:06 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I've just signed up to walk the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer next year in NYC. I'll be walking 26 miles over the course of two days. My friend Colleen is also signed up, and I'll be joining her team. As part of my participation, I'll be raising $1800 to help the cause. That's quite a heady task, as I'm not sure how I'll be meeting that goal, but I guess the first step is mentioning it here and on my other blogs.

If you'd like to help me by making a donation, you can go fundraising page and help. I appreciate any tiny bit you can do. It's hard to ask people to donate money, but it goes to help a great cause.

My grandmother lost both her breasts, I can surely attempt to raise money and help a very worthwhile cause with research, so we can find a cure and raise more awareness. 

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I hate strangers coming into my home. Service calls are an anxious experience for me. I much prefer when my husband can be home for them, though it's not that big of a deal. I just hate the feeling I get inside. I was waiting on the cable guy today, and just dreading the entire "stranger in my home" feeling today.....until he pulled up.

Is it possible? Oh my gosh, what a hot cable guy! 

 Maybe my panic was a little over reactive, because I really don't mind this guy standing in my family room right now. (giggles)...isn't it sick how it just happens automatically? What the heck happened to my serious demeaner? Man, I hate how a little bit of testosterone, a big-beefy, good looking guy changes me in seconds. Will I ever grow up? Seriously?

Hey, at least my cable is fixed.  

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 Deb's November picture. Let's see how I change over the next few months...

I have a lot of jiggle in my walk. I have more than my fair of junk in the trunk. Over the last 20 years, I've managed to pack on quite a few pounds. I'm now in the process of working really hard to make changes.

I've been making better choices, and I'm working out regularly now. I was teasing my husband, because you can feel an obvious difference in my arms, so I was saying...what are you going to do when you can "bounce a quater off my arse?" HA!

Honestly, I'm grateful I have a trainer to help me get some of this weight off. I joke about my body changing, but let me be brutally honest here. I've not seen myself as a thin adult. I've been very overweight for the last 20 years, and I'm curious to see how my face and body will change.

I told my husband, it will be like being married to another woman next year!

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I'm floating in mediocrity because I've took on too many projects. The obvious thing for me would be to cut down on the number of tasks I have before me, and get back my gusto. I'm sitting a sea of half-done, half-thought out, half-finished ideas.

The problem comes in when my brain goes off in a zillion directions, but I can't quite keep up. I'll take on new projects left and right, and then I'm left with so many things, I really can't focus and give each my all.

Do I want a lot of medium level projects, or do I want a few great projects? You know...the answer changes a lot, so it's hard to figure it out. Sometimes I need lots of variety so I don't get bored, but on the other hand, I'd like to get back to doing things more full-throttle than "just getting by".  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:05 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

My husband always comes up with big words, or expressions I've never heard of. He thrives on it I think. It's become a little joke in our house, because he'll say something, and I'll look at him, demand a definition and if I still don't believe him, I make him pull out the dictionary. He was studious in school, what can I say. The man has a massive..(hey, this is a family friendly blog mostly)...massive vocabulary!

Just this morning, he had me looking up chuca cobra about this interesting mythical creature, and I made him tell me the name of it about 4 time. I had no idea what he was talking about, but sure enough there was an article. Do you like to learn knew things? Do you know what plasma cutting is? Look it up! Head to Kaliburn.net and find out for yourself exactly what plasma cutting is. I all ready know, but I'm not giving it away. Pssst, it has nothing to do with blood plasma.

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We were unloading the car tonight, and had to grab the dogfood, the dog biscuits, the dog flea medication....well, you get the idea! Yikes, it was all about shopping to restock the dog's stuff! That stuff adds up. The big bag of dog food we buy costs $40 alone. It lasts about 3-4 weeks, so at least that's not a weekly expense. We buy a massive size bag, so it will last a little longer.

We also caught a movie today. We saw "The Bee Movie", which we though was a nice family movie. We gave it a B+. I liked it MUCH more than the one I saw last week, "Across the Universe" which was well....different.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 06:26 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

This is me this week. I'm having insomnia issues again this week, and I'm finding I'm up until 1-3am! I'm usually in bed at 11pm, and asleep by 11:30 at the latest. Luckily I don't have to wake to an alarm, so I can sleep in some, but if I sleep later, it compounds the problem.

I only have insomnia issues about 3 times a year. I keep wondering if it's a pre-menopause thing. I hate to take anything to help me sleep, but I know if I hit a certain point, I just won't sleep. We picked up some Advil PM stuff the other day, and I've taken it twice. I'm really trying to avoid taking it anymore. The problem is, when it's rolling around 1:30 or 2am, I'm wishing I did take it.

I'm hoping to be back on my regular schedule soon enough. This insomnia stuff is getting old...way too fast! 

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Speaking of shirts, I just helped my trainer with her online store. I ordered two of the products when I was done, so we'll see how it all turns out. I'm hoping that the resolution looks good. I did their recommendation, but it could have gone a little higher. It's just that the image got too large. I hope it comes out clear and sharp when they get here.

What was cool for me, is I traded a free training session for help. She offered me the opportunity and I jumped at it. She's a great trainer, and I've loved working with her. I'm signed up for 8 more weeks, so a freebie tossed in there works for me.  

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I lost some weight over the last 8 weeks, and it was an incredible feeling to see the results of my hard work. I lost some inches too. While I'm elated, I realize the work isn't over yet. Just as I'm feeling as high as a kite at the fact of losing 20 whopping inches, I catch a profile of myself. My pulled back shoulders, proud of my accomplishment drooped as I saw that side view. I've come so far, and yet I have so far to go.

It's okay, I won't let it get me down for long. I feel good inside, and that's a nice feeling to have.

It's just amazing to me that a 3 second moment can dampen a natural high I was feeling all morning. It's okay, my Pooh Bear physique will slowly change, and as long as I keep working, I'll just be one second closer. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:35 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

..."but Mom it's money!"

I have two lottery tickets sitting on my table. They are both winners, maybe for the sum of $7.00. I could easily swap them in, but I keep forgetting! My son is beside himself that I have $7.00 of "free money" laying there, and I'm not turning it in. I'm deciding if it's more fun to torment him and leave them there....or actually turn them in for new ones.

As we get older, the value of money seems to change. Do you remember getting a $5.00 and you were over the moon? As a kid, money is something that is to be spent on someting fun. As an adult, money pays bills and does fun stuff. I guess the paying bills stuff changes the perspective some.

As a kid, I used to go through the real estate section of the newspaper and look for houses that weren't too expensive. I didn't have dreams of a mansion, just my own little cottage. I thought it wasn't bad, since the price was lower than others, and if I'd be able to afford that one day, it would be perfect.

My son once asked me about living in a shed. He could just pop a tv, a chair and a bed in there. It was a fun thought for him, and like a typical parent, I had to change that.  What about heat? Where will you go to the bathroom, get a shower, or eat dinner? I had fun playing with him, as he came up with clever solutions. Apparently, the shed would be in my backyard, he was just coming over to Mom's if he needed something! I got a kick out of this.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:03 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I love getting my nails done, and it's a simple pleasure really. I ended up having to cancel my appointment this week since I wasn't feeling well. The problem is, once I break the habit of having an appointment, I start to question if it's really necessary. Gee, if I go, it will cost XXX amount of dollars, and is it really necessary?

If I had kept the appointment, I wouldn't question it at all. I would just keep going, knowing that I had an appointment, and it was done. I guess now that summer is done, I could cut out the pedicures, but they are my favorite! I don't care about my fingernails as much as my toes, but while I'm there, it's just a few more dollars.

If I go back to booking regular appointments, I feel tied in and know I need the money. I don't think my husband's brain would do all this ping-pong action...he wouldn't drive himself crazy trying to decide what to do next. What would hubby do? hmmmmm..... 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 12:43 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

My dogs were sitting in the kitchen, since they know I put their food down while making dinner. Grace likes to remind me, "just in case" I forget?!! Yeah, not like that's going to happen when a moose is breathing on you waiting...

Anyway, I go and put the food down, and decided to sprinkle a tiny bit of shredded cheese on top for them for a treat. My girl just about did backflips, over a sprinkle of cheese. It really is the little things, isn't it. It was sweet to watch her buck up like a pony, and jump like a frog as I got it and started to put it on. She was like an excited child on her birthday!

She enjoyed that little simple pleasure today, and I enjoyed her reaction.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 05:27 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

 Peace.Love.Happiness

My son just called me a hippy. Ha, I got such a kick out of that. I was talking about a sculpture, and he goes, "You're such a hippy!"

Why? Because I like art? Ummm, not sure what his theory is, but he says I sound all soft and "spacey" talking about peace, love and art! LOL

Okay, I can live with that, but I got a kick out the perspective of a 13 year old. I've never been considered a "hippy" before, but okay, if that's how he sees me, that's fine.  

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How cool is that? I did a makeover at Makeover Solutions! It was so much fun. I got to choose from a bunch of different hairstyles, make up, hair color and more. We won't get into haircolor, since I had that mishap last week! Anyway, I found out that I just don't look good with long hair. It weighs me down, but I do love the medium layered bob. That's pretty much what I'm always working towards, only my hair has more wave in it, and curls in humidity! I'd love it to stay this smooth and straight! That's actually the color I was for about 20 years, and I've only gone darker this past year. What do you think? This goldie girl went more natural. Looking at it, I do like the gold, maybe it's time to go back to it again! I've worn bangs since I was young, so I like to stick with those.

What do you think?

Over at Makeover Solutions, it's so much fun to play. You can open a free account, and you have access to a bunch of great selections. You can also choose to upgrade, and then you go from about a hundred choices to thousands! I don't know about you, but I love doing these makeovers! It's so neat to try things before doing them, so I can see if they work for me. I always think I'll grow my hair longer, and then I see it and I know why I need it medium to shorter hairdo. What I loved about this program was you were able to adjust the settings around your eyes, lips and things, so that the makeover stuff actually lines up properly, and you get a realistic look. It was so easy to use. I did this in under 10 minutes! It's up in the gallery now!

Which picture do you prefer? This 40 year old chick could use some comments on what to do next!  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:57 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (4)

I've never been here before. I've never been in Ron Jon, and I've never been to a lot of the clothing stores on Long Beach Island. When you're a plus size shopper, a lot of times you aren't included in the merchandise a store sells, and you can only buy so many purses and shoes. I don't know if they carry plus size clothing, and they might, but I don't want to be embarrassed walking in only to find that my size isn't carried.

I said to my husband as we were leaving the island in late September, I'll have all new shopping experiences next year when I get all this weight off of me! Imagine that, going to the island for the last 20 years as a plus size person. Sure I was not plus sized when I was a kid, but for 20 years, I've avoided many of these stores for fear of not "fitting" and standing out like a sore thumb.

Next year, I'm looking forward to going into a bunch of "new to me" stores.  

Do you love online shopping? If you are on the hunt for the best prices around, sign online today! If you need home décor furniture, wedding rings, vacuums or bedroom furniture, the biggest selection at the most affordable prices is online! No matter what you are shopping for, we are sure to have it! Sign online for all your shopping needs today!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:18 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

When I woke up yesterday, I can't explain it, I just felt like my tummy was a little smaller. It's not a lot smaller, but something looked or felt different. Is it in my head? I got on the scale, and while nothing changed there, I swore when I looked in the mirror, something tiny seemed different.

I go out to the kitchen and give my husband a hug, and he says, "I think you're getting smaller."

I got all excited and went, "Really? I thought so too...how can you tell?"

His arms wrap further around me. SMILES REAL BIG :) I'm getting smaller! It's a long journey, but I'll take whatever I can get right now. Woohoo.....I made some progress.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:11 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

This is a back, and do you see the big sideways triangles? They are your lats, and mine are killing me! My trainer worked me hard the other day, and I'm feeling it like crazy. Advil isn't helping, I'm trying to stretch, but it's hard for me to get a good stretch on those muscles! Anyway, I'm sitting here looking at a card I picked up when I got a massage down the shore. That's what I need now, a great massage!

When I was down LBI, I tried a new place called the "Island Wellness Center" and my therapist was Greg Porzio. He was great, and I got a really nice massage there. He works part-time in LBI, and part time in Lavalette. Make sure you ask for him if you're looking for a good massage. The "Island Wellness Center" is in the Spray Beach area of LBI at 26th St & LB Blvd. I'd definitely return.

Anyway, here I am at home, worked out on Thursday and two days later, I'm feeling it. It's funny, because she says that when I'm in better shape, I won't get that ache so strong, and I'll miss it. Miss it???? hahahahahah, that's funny

I'm working on it, but it's going to be a year long journey. I have a lot to lose, and a lot of body that's been neglected for one or twenty too many years. ;)

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:49 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

My hair is typically blonde/light brown. Once and awhile I like to experiment, and for some reason, I had it in my head that maybe I should try red. After all, the red would make my blue eyes stand out. Yeah....Ummm, not good. I even played online with colors after uploading my picture, and found one I liked. In real life, not so good.

This is me taken in September....my regular self....now let's see what I did to myself! 

This is what happened first:

uh oh...orange...so then I did this to darken it...

ah man...this is intense. It was like a bright strawberry wine and FREAKED ME OUT!

You can see by the top picture, the Color Oops stuff I got? Okay, well, it worked fabulous...20 minutes later, this is me!

I think a colon cleanse would have been easier to deal with than seeing my hair THAT red! Man, did I smile when I saw the outcome! I was SO RELIEVED! I'll be passing by the red haircolor from now on!  That happy light ash brown with blonde highlights is working JUST fine for me. I'm done experimenting for awhile!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:58 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (3)

On Saturday they were open, on Sunday they were closed with a sign that said Last Week, Thx. A lot of places were closing up for the season, and will reopen once again come spring. This little ice cream place in Peahala Park, which is in the middle of LBI holds fond memories for me.

I grew up taking family vacations in Beach Haven, right down the road from the Acme. It was 95th Street, and Skipper Dipper sits on 94th or 93rd. I can't rememeber exactly how many streets over it was. I can remember when it opened though.

I've been going to LBI and learned to walk down there. That puts me visiting this great island for 40 years now! I was a kid, and across the street from there, next to the movie theater, there was a little miniature golf place, where the water tower stands now. I know, because we used to walk down and play golf and maybe see a movie at night. Then a magical thing happened one year, and the ice cream place opened. We had another fun place to walk to at night. I'm sure the pharmacist was happy to know that. Where the Acme stands, there used to be a little drugstore attached to it, and phone booths at the section of concrete between the two. Do you remember the pharmacy? We used to walk down and get comic books and candy bars as children. We walked down to that pharmacy every day, if not more than that. The little post office closed too, but the hotel across from the Acme is still there. It has new owners, and they took the pool out, but mostly things stay similar.

Every time I pass the Skipper Dipper, it brings me back to my childhood. It reminds me of a time when kids could walk and get an ice cream cone without parents panicking their kids were outside for a few minutes without being watched like a hawk. It reminds me of a different feeling of safe, and it reminds me of many summer nights growing up and visiting Long Beach Island. I'm glad it's still there.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:40 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I'm scrambling to play catch up. I go out tomorrow to see my mom and sister for lunch, then pick up my son tomorrow night. It seems like after a trip, you're always a step behind for a few days. I'm hoping if I stay up late tonight, I'll be all caught up on my little various things I need to accomplish.

My workout is my break today. I have to go to the studio shortly, and "pump iron". I giggle when I say that, because I'm so out of shape! I'm working on getting in better shape. I just say working out, or strength training, but I'll smile at my husband and say, "I'm pumping iron now," just to get a reaction out of him! LOL I like to see if he keeps a straight face.

I'm actually proud I'm sticking with things, and when my appointments run out in November, I'm going to rebook 8 more weeks. I need to. I need to get healthy once and for all, and I think I'm finally on the right path. 

I'd guess I'd better go for now, I have to head out in a few minutes. Wish me no embarrassment, enough energy to get those weights up enough times, and the ability to stay on the elliptical trainers in the beginning, longer than I was on last time. I need to increase it by a minute each time. It's what challenges me more than anything else. I have to conquer it! 

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The new Jesse James movie comes out this weekend. We'll probably go if it rains while we're at the shore. We usually try to have a movie in mind for a fall back plan. We like to not make other plans than that though. We'll take it as it comes, and do what we feel like as the days go on. I'm ready for 5 days of just me and my husband, no work, no computers, just time.

I don't know about you, but daily distractions eat up so much of our days. It would seem that when we're home, we're more willing to "just do that one mroe thing". No laptop, no alarm clocks, no plans, and hopefully no rain! It looks like the weather should be gorgeous. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:17 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

My husband is one of those guys that walked out of a 1960's television show. Think the niceness of Mr. C on Happy Days. Think Mr Brady or someone who was kind, everyone liked, and a very clean cut guy. The man has cursed about 4 times in the last 7 years. I could easily do that in a day! LOL

Anyway, the reason I'm telling you this is because of something funny I was reminded of  last night. My husband had a motorcycle. This of course was before I met him, because as soon as I got my license to ride a motorcycle, he deemed them dangerous, and didn't want me riding!

So we're talking, and I asked him what happened to his leather jacket he used to ride with. It's not just about "gear" to look a certain way, it's about safety! Thats' when he laughed and said, he used to wear his little old man blue jacket, and garden gloves.

Yes, my tough guy, all 6'2" of him, rode his bike with loud pipes, while wearing garden gloves. I about split my side laughing, but you know what....that's what makes him so special! He's just the sweetest guy. :)  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:30 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I thought I'd show you what I was enjoying today. I was out in the sun room looking at the beautiful and lush green trees. Isn't it odd how sometimes you can look right through something, and yet other times, you can really appreciate the beauty of it. These are the same trees that are there all the time, but today, their beauty just captured me. Maybe it was the soft breeze, or maybe it was how the sun played between the leaves...either way, I found it fabulous.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 03:59 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

I'm happy to report my eye is back to normal. The skin is the tiniest bit irritated around it, but that's a cakewalk! It's not like I'm going to be on a Hannah Montana tour.

It's just me, the dogs and hubby hanging around these parts this week. I got my license renewed today, and I have to say, they really improved on the process. It was unbelievable, I was in and out in under 15 minutes! I was thorough impressed, because last time it took me a good hour. They've streamlined the process, and it's very smooth and quick now. It was actually painless, until I saw my picture!

Either way, I'm happy to say, life is back to normal on the ranch of my world.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 03:54 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

This is what I woke up with today. My eyelid is swollen, droopy, and puffy. It's getting worse as the morning goes on, and getting more noticeable. Great...I'm supposed to go out walking today, then go to see my mom and sister, then go to pick up my son. Not that this will slow me down too much, but I'm not thrilled about everyone seeing me with funky eye. :\ 

Here's what it normally looks like. This was taken last week. You can barely see my eyelid usually! The fun part is that it's only one eye, so I look lopsided. 

These are the days that you see people you haven't seen in about 20 years...and every old boyfriend you've ever had. LOL

Cheers! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:19 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

I noticed the pair of shorts I put on this morning to go walking were getting a little beat up. I was thinking I could run over to the store and pick up a pair on sale, since it's the end of the season. That way I'll have them next summer. I've been the same size for ages.

Now that I'm working out though, I may be smaller. Is it possible to think these same shorts may be too big for me next year? I've commited to not only walking, which I started doing in mid-June, and am still doing 4x a week. I also signed up with a personal trainer, and am going to commit to about 6 months of training for now. I signed up for 2 months, and will keep paying for a full 6 months. My husband is okay with it, since I'm in a push to get healthy.

What if I do actually lose weight and end up in a smaller size? What will I do with all that excess material of my big clothes? I could recycle a shirt into a tablecloth, or turn my jeans into a sail on a boat! Imagine the possibilities. I could clothe the homeless with my no longer fitting clothes, or I could lay a pair of jeans or pants, side by side, and create a trail to California! Okay, I'm getting carried away, I certainly only have enough clothes to get me to Pennsylvania!  

Here's to smaller body next year. I'm working on it! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:40 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

This is how my picture should look when I get my new driver's license. That's me.  I don't claim to be anything other than what I am....just me.

What will happen when I get my driver's license picture taken this week? I'll be freakishly different, it won't look like me, my eyes will be red, my hair will be sticking up, and my face will look about 300 pounds heavier.

Wouldn't you think after all these years, they could manage to take pictures that don't scare everyone when they see them. Hey, I know what I look like, and I don't look like my last driver's license picture. Luckily, it hides away in my wallet. I haven't been pulled over in ages, but imagine the horror of the officer...."Woman, what happened to you in this picture?"

Yeah, I know...just write me the ticket and give me my license back. :\

Actually, FYI....I haven't gotten a ticket in more than 20 years. Of course, now that I've opened my mouth....ya, you know what happens.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:29 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Can I get another dog? No.

Can I get a pool? No.

Can I get a hot tub? No.

What can I get? Anything else you want. Okay, because there's this nice Lexus I saw the other day.

That's how many of our conversations go in this house!

I'm an animal fan, and I'd love to add a third dog to our house. I only want a small dog, she won't take up a lot of space, but will fit into our menagerie just fine. He doesn't want another dog. It's not that I don't have the means to go and buy the dog, but it's compromise. We have 2.

We drove by a place on 22 that has hot tubs the other day, and I've been asking for a pool or hot tub for ages. You won't use it he says. How does he know? I grew up swimming, and I love hot tubs. I'd use it. He doesn't want to be the one to clean it! I know the real answer.

Either way, they are the three things I can't have. Why is it the things you can't have, are the things you want more than the rest? Ha!

It's okay, I live a nice life. I'll survive, you don't have to cry for me. Of course, if you see that Lexus in my driveway one day in the future, you'll know why. I couldn't get the dog I saw.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:19 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

We went walking on a trail yesterday. It was such a nice path. There's a large trail up my way, where they took an old railroad track and turned it into a walking and bike riding path. It goes through a wooded path, and there are no cars on it. It runs for a couple miles, so it's an excellent place to go with your kids on bikes, or take a jog with your dog. (Hey! I made a rhyme)

Anyway, we were surprised how many cars were parked there yesterday, and we expected the trail to be crowded, but people are spaced out. You get it to yourself a good part of the time, and an occassional bike or walker will pass by. It's a great trail.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:46 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

I'm wearing less jewelry this week. I had to take my earrings out once and for all. My ears have been pierced since I was 12, and I don't ever have problems with them. I've had the same earrings in for 4 years running, diamonds my husband got me for a wedding gift. I take them out and clean them, put them back in and life is good. They are good posts, not cheap metal. For some odd reason, the last few months, my left ear has been bothering me. I keep having to pull the earring out for a day or two, pop it back in, and it's fine. Another month later, same thing.....so I decided I just don't want to be bothered. I'm not a big jewelry person, but the pieces I do wear are usually nice. I'm actually going to let the space close. What a cool feeling, reaching up and not having anything in my ear. Sounds funny, doesn't it? I've worn earrings for most of my life now, adn I decided I'm not going to anymore. Hey, if I change my mind, I'll pop something in, or get them re pierced, but I'm taking my earlobes back, and putting the earrings aside. It's an exciting life I live.

It's okay to be jealous.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:42 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

I've done it, yes sir, I've gone and done it. I hired a personal trainer for a short spell to help me get focused on getting my health in order. I don't know what else to do, where to turn, or how to help myself at this point.

I walk about 4x a week, sometimes 5 or 6 depending on my schedule. I walk almost 3 miles, and I walk up and down hills, not on flat surfaces. I walk, walk, sweat, walk and keep walking, even when I don't want to. It's going on 3 months next week, and in the process I have gained a few pounds, and even an inch in my hips. WHAT? Shouldn't I have lost a few pounds and lost an inch in my hips?

I'm frustrated and I don't want to give up. I'm tired of being overweight, and I'm tired of trying this and that. I need guidance, so I finally went out and found some guidance. I start tomorrow. I'm hoping that by having some one on one sessions to get me started on a cardio and strength training program, I can find my body and get it back again. I don't recognize myself some days when I look in the mirror, and that's just not okay.

I want to look like the Deb I know I can be again....so I start my journey tomorrow. Wish me strength, luck and patience...oh and I'll keep walking too. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:23 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

I don't generally get teary when school starts each year. In fact, I probably haven't teared up since my kids were very small and heading off to school. This year though, I felt this odd sadness that school starts tomorrow. Take in mind my boys live with their father, so summertime means a different schedule, and it means I get more time.

I really enjoyed summer this year and the "no schedule" and just lazy days together. Anyway, as we were packing up our luggage, and heading back to drop 'em back off tonight, I felt sort of sad. Summer's over, and it's back to regular weekends.

Time waits for no one.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:38 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

I just took this picture about 20 minutes ago. My girl keeps me company during the day. Betwen Little Dog (Buster Boo) and Big Dog (Gracie), I've got excellent company. Grace used to be a bigger ham, but lately, she's not grinning so much for the camera. It's okay, she's gorgeous whether she smiles or not.

Okay, I'm done writing for awhile here. I'll catch up with everyone over the weekend. Have a great Labor Day, and I hope you get to spend time with your family and loved ones.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:51 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (4)

So, my son keeps hinting, and not with subtle grace for Hawaii next vacation. He wants me to pay. How nice of him. Anyway, he's been itching to go back after his last visit there. I tried to explain to him, going to Hawaii isn't like going to the Jersey shore. There's a little bit of a difference in price.  I'm 40, and I haven't been to Hawaii yet. He's 13, and he's been there and wants to go a second time! I told him when he turned 18, he could save his money and he could go as often as he wanted. I even offered to find him Hawaii Vacation Rentals.

Actually, I was over at Gebhart Properties, and honestly, if I could get msyelf on a plane, I'd go to Hawaii. I'm just not good at flying right now. I really would love to see the water in Hawaii. It's supposed to be crystal clear, and I'm sure it would be an amazing site for someone who has never seen water like that. Maybe I'll get there eventually. I keep going back to GebhartProperties.com and looking at their rentals, but when it comes down to it, it's the flight stopping me.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:44 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I got a bottle of Gloves in a Bottle in the mail after requesting to sample it.  I'd heard good things about it in the past, and was finally able to try it. It's waterproof and bonds to the skin, so it comes off with your natural exfoliation.

About five minutes after putting it on my left foot (I put nothing on my right to see if I noticed a difference), I was amazed at how the bottom of my foot felt. It didn't feel tight anymore, which is usually does, because they are dry. It didn't feel like regular lotion though, it had a different feel to it, it was more ovbious that my foot felt better. The only way I can describe it is my foot felt "comfortable". Does that make sense? I'm used to the dry feeling, and when I put lotion on, it feels better, but it feels like lotion. There's dimethicone in this, so there's a silicon base that's going to help lock that moisture in. It's weird how fast I noticed the difference, but I did. I honestly didn't expect it to be much different than other lotions I use. I was wrong. I liket this stuff, and will continue using it.

GlovesInABottle.com 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:29 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Little dog is sleeping by my feet, and it's so cute. He's snoring softly and his little Buddha belly is going up and down. Sometimes I look at him, and he looks so little. Othertimes he looks big. I guess it's based on what he's next to. He's a beagle and weighs between 40-45 pounds. He's not a "little" little dog, but to me he's little, because Big Dog is 120 pounds.

Just sometimes he looks like a little baby sleeping there. So cute!!! Awwww 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:03 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

We decided to go out for dinner tonight. We went to one of our regular places, and were there earlier than we usually go. It was empty! It was funny to see the differnce one hour makes.

Tomorrow I pick up my son, and he enjoys his last "free" weekend. School starts back up for him next week! He's not thrilled about it, but it will be fine once he gets into the pattern of it again. He's not a big fan of school, but I'm a big believer that schedules help you in general. It doesn't have to be a rigid schedule, but when you go to sleep the same time, wake up around the same time, your body does better.  

I think we may see "Balls of Fury" this weekend. It's going to either be very stupid, or so funny because it's stupid. I'm hoping for the second!  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 06:19 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

What's the chance?

I got an email today from my aunt asking for information about the shore around the weekend we're going. My sister is booked that weekend too at a different place. (total coincidence!) My mom has been talking about going to the shore in September too...

We were going to go for a quiet weekend, and it may end up being 4 couples all going the same time! LOL What's the chance....

I had to work around kennel arrangements, and made my arrangements based on fitting the dogs at the kennel. My sister had to work around her son's work schedule and her husband's. My aunt is working her daughter going back to college. Just timing I guess! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:02 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Now that the school season is back, my Esthetician Student book is starting to sell again. Summer was a little slow, but I'm hoping for a pick up now! My book Skin Care Student Q and A can be found over at SkinCareStudent.com.

You can also see my Squidoo lens on Esthetician information at Squidoo.com/esthetician

I've actually built a couple of lenses on skin care, mineral make-up and others. You can check them all out!

What are you waiting for? Spread the word!!!! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:47 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I cleaned my files out this weekend. I decided I was going to go through my picture files on my computer and see exactly what I had on my computer! I had a lot of clip art I've collected over time. I dumped a lot of it. Once I've used it, I rarely reuse most of it. Some I kept, since they were more like icons. I have a lot of pictures of my dogs, and lots of pictures of the beach.

The funny thing is instead of having a regular labeling system, I have beach ones labled BH, WW, LBI, beach and stuff like that. I need to get better organized! I need to pick one name and stick with it!

The dogs I have all their nicknames, their regular names, dog, dogz, dogs and others! What am I thinking when I upload those things???  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 06:55 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

The ever fashion-forward Buster goes with glow-in-the-dark green contacts for the new school year. What will you be wearing on your first day?  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:16 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:55 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Hey! I just took this side-by-side picture earlier this afternoon for a Squidoo lens on natural mineral make-up! I thought I'd post it up here in case you've wondered about mineral make-up. I have Rosacea, and one of the things I love is how it covers up the red so easily. If you want to know more about mineral make up, check out my Squidoo lens here. (Natural Mineral Make Up) On a side note, growing my hair out into a bob....

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:00 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (4)

All together now, awwwwww! Is this not the cutest little puppy? This is a Miniature Schnauzer. Over at Moonlight Kennels, they raise and sell Miniature Schnauzers, Yorkshire Terriers, and teacup Yorkies. This sweet baby is one of the Schnauzer puppies for sale. I have pleaded and begged in the past to add another dog to our family, but my husband says two dogs and a cat are enough. Hmmmph! I don't think so, there's always more love to go around! This has to be one of the sweetest little puppies I've seen! Oh honey, how about just one more?

If you're looking to add another member to your family, consider puppies at Moonlight Kennels. They offer guarantees, information on their site, testimonials and more. They even offer free neutering on request. Go to their "What's Included" page for more details on what all is included when you purchase a puppy from their kennels.

There's a little salt and pepper boy over there I'm just in love with! He's one of Mosha's. Too sweet!  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 03:54 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 02:51 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

My brain has been in overdrive! I've got so many projects on my plate, but I like the variety. Anyway, I was reading some stuff and saw that I had been tagged for a meme by my friend Nellie.  I got the chance to meet  Nellie in person  this year, and she's  as sweet as can be.  Anyway, as part of the meme, I'm supposed to use my middle name, and using each letter, describe something about me. I have a nice short middle name, so it shouldn't be too tough!

A- animated

N- no patience

N- neurotic :P

E- excitable

Ah, and you thought I was just this normal, sweet girl! LOL I'm a little bit crazy, a little bit sensible...a little bit warm, and a little bit distant. I'm a little bit this and a lot of Gemini! ;)

I'm supposed to tag others, but I'm also a little bit of a rebel and decided not to. Dont' worry, I'll sleep just fine.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:10 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

My son is a big Weird Al Ynakovic fan. Coincidentally, my husband was on Ticketmaster looking for other things, and came across this. It turns out he was going to be in Wildwood, the same day we got there. He was over at the Wildwoods Convention Center. I couldn't pass it up, since I knew my son would love it.

I wasn't sure what to expect, since I'm not a big fan. I have to admit, it was fun, entertaining, and made for a great family vent. It was a neat show, with lots of costume changes, video clips and the sort. Nicely done Weird Al! We had a blast. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 03:18 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

Did I mention I got a little bit of sun? Actually, the funny thing is I had sunblock on all over, including my face. Only my face reacted this badly! What was interesting, is I got this weird little red spot directly under my nose. Nothing but a red circle. Not sure why it was only that one tiny spot. It was in the crease below my nose, and it went away in 2 days, but my son noticed it too, and went, "Mom, what's that?" It wasn't a blemish, it was just a plain red spot, no dimension or anything. It came and went by itself, but it looked funny while it was there. The pic is a little blurry, but I did the best I could.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 05:31 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

A Taste of Clinton was today. It was a Chamber of Commerce sponsored event I think. Then there was the Seafood Fest which benefits the Anderson House. You could also find the Oxford Music Festival in Oxford, NJ today. Lots of fun, food and music going on....and we went to NONE of them!

They all got great weather, but we ended up going for a nice drive with the windows down, stopped for lunch at one of our favorite places, and hit the grocery store. We're going to take the dogs out for a drive later. They love going for drives on occassion, big dog more than little dog. We got a new calming pill from a pet meds place, to see if it helps him. He wants to enjoy it, but sometimes gets nervous. Once he relaxes he's better. At least he doesn't get sick in the car anymore! Regardless of all that, he's always excited to jump in the back of the truck for a ride! Big dog on the other hand LOVES car rides, and just luxuriates in them. She's slap happy, her tongue hanging out, her tail wagging and she's going back and forth, side to side between the windows to take in all the sites and sounds!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 05:13 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:55 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I have a massive project in front of me today, and since I wasn't feel well all week, I've been able to stall. I had a legitimate reason! Now I don't. I woke up, and I'm feeling pretty much like myself again, so I started going through my list of things to do. The dishes are done, the floors are vacuumed, one of my templates was changed, I took care of some links I needed to take care of, and I even learned something small, I've been wanting to.

MMMhhmmm, so now I'm looking at my list of things to do, and it's narrowed down. There's no getting around it, I'll have to tackle it sooner or later. Sooner would be better than later, but I have no desire to start. I know once I start it will easily be a 2 hour project. I feel like a little kid dawdling, just waiting for my mom to remind me I have to do my chore.

It will be okay, I'm a good staller. I can trick myself into doing other things to waste my time!

Okay, so maybe I'll go tackle the stupid project and just get it over with. I'll be glad when it's done! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 01:11 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Starting to feel like myself again, but the last few days I've been a little "off". Hoping I'm coming around the bend! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:06 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

No big smile in this week's portrait, but it's okay, I wasn't in a bad mood. I do this Self-Portrait Sunday series on one of my other blogs, but realized I just had that big Flashback Friday thing, and well....here I am today, since you saw me over the years.

This is me. No I don't tan evenly, and my hair is lighter and golder in person, but otherwise, it's as good as it gets! LOL

Have a great day, we have some plans to head out shortly.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:36 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I'm finally losing some weight, and I'm documenting the changes so I can post them on my fridge, and watch as my size goes down.

This is at a party at Joe Pop's down in LBI. We had a big ole party all weekend and it was a blast!

You can see my weight here. I remember seeing this picture when it came in, and was horrified, because it showed. I didn't pose in a way that "hid" it, ya know? Anyway, this is my hair when I dabbled with some red colors. I've been a blonde 99% of my life, so this was a little different.

That's my flashback for now. I'll dig up some pics on the computer another day.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:30 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

Next we have a picture from Senior Week in Wildwood. I hooked back up with my high school sweetheart, trampling the heart of my current boyfriend. Ah, yes, teenage love. I turned 18 this week. I had just got caught out in the rain. Normally I straightened my hair!

Here's one that same week, before the rain! Remember Polaroid cameras?

Here's my Jeep that I loved. This was the first year Jeeps had regular car dashboards. It had a grey interior.

Lastly, here's my Halloween costume while dining with my parents...of course at the party with friends, the jacket came off, fishnets went on in place of the pants and heels! LOL Oh, I thought I was rocking.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:01 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

I'm having a hard time focusing this morning. I should be working on a couple of projects and I'm stalling. I'll get to them, they'll get done...don't worry. Even if I'm stalling, I'm one of those people that will make sure what needs to be done is done before I call it a day...even if it takes me all night! LOL

Anyway, I've decided in my distraction to do a flash back Friday this week. I've got some pictures coming up shortly to share with you. I've got the first group of 5 coming soon enough. You can see me 20 some years ago! These are all pics from about 16-19! It's fun seeing how I've changed, though not so fun seeing the weight I've gained now! LOL 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:51 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I grew up using a gas grill, but after someone close to me got hurt badly by a malfunction, I said I would go back to using a charcoal grill. I love gas grills, so I mourned the loss of easy ignition. A simple turn of the knob, a flick of a flame and there was my lit fire.

My husband has been doing most of the cooking on our charcoal grill, but tonight, I made an attempt at lighting a fire, while he was still at work. Yes, it seemed simple enough, stack the little coal brickettes, put the little gel pack in and light it....mmmm, hmmm....and then there's me.

I didn't stack them in a little pyramid enough, they were too spread out. I got about 3 bricks with a little gray ash. Hmmph. Be that way...I stomped in to get the stupid lighter again. I go to move something, and brilliant woman that I am, assume the black brick is not hot...WRONG, burnt my finger. :( You're kidding me right? I've been cooking on a grill since I was about 12 years old...yes, a gas grill. It's not the cooking process, it's the darn lighting process. I messed up.

I finally got it going, but not before my foolish pride was stomped on by ole Mr. Charcoal. I hung my head in shame....beaten by some little chunks of coal. It took me awhile, but I got it going, and the barbecue chicken was heavenly. :) Tada...I'm a a survivor. Did you expect anything less?  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:28 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Would you recognize depression in your teenagers today, or would you think it's "just a phase"? The stress that meets teenagers today can be intense. Let's face it, things have changed. I went through some similar things, but today the demand to keep up is intense, and gets expensive and time consuming. What about if your kid changed schools? Both of my sons are were in public school for the first time in years, and both had to make all new friends last year. There were ups and downs, but overall, it was easier for one of my sons to adjust than the other. It's a difficult thing to see our kids struggle, and not be sure what the answer is, since you can't be there with them in school.

There's a new program called "Kick Out Stress" that deals with depression, anxiety and stress in teens. It's a hard time to go through, and sometimes something like low self-esteem can cause them so much turmoil. This program works at improving teen self esteem.

For a limited time, you can get the "Kick Out Stress" program at a deeply discounted price. It normally sells for close to $150. Right now, it's available for under $90. Dont' let anymore time pass, without knowing answers, help your child move forward and put these issues behind them. This post was brought to you by KickOutStress.com. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 12:43 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

It looks like I'll be taking on another book project. A friend has asked to work with me, and co-author a book. I sat and thought about it for awhile, and it's a book that has real possibilities. I'm going to talk with my friend in more detail next week.

New projects excite me, and I love the getting started phase. I also love when I get towards the end, because you know it's getting close to completion. It's the middle part where you really have to push yourself.

I've worked with this person before on a different type of project and we work well together, so it should be a good experience. I'll tell you more when we're a bit more into the project.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:47 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I've been around dogs my entire life. To me a house isn't a home without a canine friend! We currently have two dogs living with us, and they are family. Growing up, one of my favorite books to read was a little dog breed book. This little blue book got so much use over the years, the binding was worn! It turns out that book came in handy, because years later, whenever we're watching dog shows I can quickly identify almost every breed within seconds. My husband and I love Animal Planet and always love to watch the different dog shows. His cousin's wife handles dogs in some of the shows!

One thing you always notice if you're a dog lover is the beautiful coats on the show dogs. The grooming on these dogs are exquisite. I love when my dogs are freshly groomed, and brushed out.  One of my dogs literally sheds in clumps! She's a beast when it comes to shedding, where my beagle is just a standard shedder.

If you're looking for grooming products and show quality products, you can find all the top brand name products at ShowDogStore.com like NaturVet, Pure-Paw, Bio-Groom and  Resco Leads. They have a huge assortment of products to choose from including rakes, dog grooming clippers, combs, dryers, collars, grooming products to treats! DogShowStore.com is your one stop shop for all your dog grooming needs! This post has been brought to you by DogShowStore.com.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:54 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I've got my headset and mic, and now I've got to dabble and play with Audacity. I've got it on my system, along with LAME to be able to export MP3's. I feel like I'm behind the game when it comes to these things.

I'm going to attempt to do a few clips on one of my blogs. I've looked at things like podcasting on BlogTalkRadio, TalkShoe, GabCast and the sort, and I just can't decide how I want to do this. It would be easy to just call in on the telephone, talk and post it to my blog, but what have I learned?

I decided that while I could do it the easy way, I would get more out of the experience if I did it, edited it, and uploaded it myself. I'm one of those people who love to put a puzzle together. The outcome doesn't excite me as much as building the puzzle and making sure the pieces fit. I love to learn, so it will be a good experience.

I'm also one who gets frustrated easily when I have trouble teaching myself if it doesn't go smoothy! If I end up throwing my headset across the room, I'll be calling in on my phone through one of the other services! LOL  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:39 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

We did a little rearranging. The shelf and second desk were in the dining room. We changed things up a bit so I'd have more space. I'm still in the process of cleaning and moving stuff, so it's not done yet. This is what it was....

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:06 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

Earlier I was talking about wedding pictures, and things...I snapped a picture of these pictures from 1985. Yes, even I was affflicted with big hair disease. Next to my friends, I was tame, and this was only for the prom. I usually threw a baseball hat on so my hair wouldn't be to fluffy...but my sister hairsprayed me up, and it was going nowhere!  

Here I am, 20 years later, and about a zillion pounds heavier...but alas, it's me. :)

I'm a simple kind of girl, and big hair isn't working for me these days! LOL 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:33 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

Some friends and I were just talking about how we've changed over the years, and the looking at my wedding pictures between my first and second wedding, very weird to see how much I've changed. Of course I was 22 the first time I married, and 36 the second time so time had passed. I have a friend who is looking to get married in a few months, and she's been looking at destination weddings. She is torn between Florida and the islands. The thing is, no matter where she chooses she'll have a great time. She should check out SuperClubs.com where they have all inclusive resorts, and adult only resorts which can be very romantic. At SuperClubs.com they have a large selection of resorts to choose from and everything you could want!

When I got married the second time, we did it at a large beach house, and I loved that it was non-traditional. It was more relaxed, and I think everyone enjoyed it more. If you're looking for a destination wedding, check out SuperClubs.com. Can you say fabulous?  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:16 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I've been cleaning out my "office space" (aka/spare piece of living room) this week and sorting through papers and thing I've tucked aside. I'm looking at getting a new desk for my living room. I think I posted a picture of my desk before on here, but let me dig it up again...one minute...okay, here it is, and well, as you can see, it's not really set up for someone who works from home! It's more of a playful area, which is what it started out to be. One desk for me, one desk for my son, and stacks of stuff. I'm ready for a more grown-up work area, and once I get everything cleaned out, I'm getting a nice big desk, and getting better organized.

I was over at BestPricedFurniture.com and saw some of their Bush furniture, and they have some great desks there.  I know I want one with a hutch, but I want a wider desk base as well. The problem comes in that I want it wider, but I want to have room for my son's desk as well. We like that they are side-by-side. It's just time to make a difference, and I'm ready. I'm really loving a few of the choices they have there, I'm just not ready yet! Time to finish getting cleaned up and organized.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:42 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

Yes folks, I have the ultimate sleeping machine. You thought my dogs slept a lot, well, the cat puts the dog's sleeping record to shame. He is...the Ultimate Sleeping Machine! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:47 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I head out this afternoon, because this week it's kid time at my house, and I get to go pick up my son. I'm one of those families, where my kids spend part of the summer at my house, and part of the summer at their father's house. 

I never dreamed I'd be one of "those" families. I was the kind of person who got married and thought if you worked at your problems, they would get better, and you'd live happily ever after as a family. Yeah, fast forward and that's not quite how it played out. Anyway, so my summer is dotted every other week with kid activies, and then a quiet household the following week. It's kind of weird for the back and forth, but time with kids is precious, and kids grow so fast. Before you know it, they become independent...

As for me, happily remarried, we've been together for a total of 7 years now, and it's been a wonderful thing to meet my husband. He's truly a blessing in my life. Now we'll be just a little bit bigger family this week.

I think we're going to see "Transformers" this week, we'll be getting some pampering, and probably some mini-golf one day if it isn't too hot. We did the beach just a bit ago, so this week will be pretty mellow.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:37 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Are you one of those people who always knew where you would retire? I thought I was, but my dream of retiring at Long Beach Island is pretty much a distant memory. The prices have skyrocketed and now I'm left trying to figure out where I want to spend my golden years. I know a lot of families go south or west when they want to retire, because the dry air helps things like arthritis, and other issues.

My aunt moved out west and she's been thrilled. She actually planned on moving to North Carolina, but went out west and fell in love. I visited her home, and I've got to tell you, it left quite an impression on me. One of my favorite places out west was Sedona. She lives in Southern Arizona. 

Another place a lot of people are retiring to is Las Vegas. Families are picking up and moving at an incredible rate, and their growth is explosive! Las Vegas real estate is hot right now. Whether you're looking for investment property, or looking to move and gain quick equity in your home, this is one place where they can barely keep up with the demand! I'll tell you, things are quiet in New Jersey real estate right now, but Las Vegas is always hopping.

We're looking at going to Vegas in 2008 for a visit, and I'll be curious to get some real estate books. I'd like to compare things like homes in the suburban neighborhoods with things like high rise condos in Las Vegas. I mean, seriously, have you checked some of these places out? I'm a suburban girl now, but I might be able to get used to living in a Las Vegas luxury loft!  I wish my dream of retiring in Long Beach Island wasn't squashed, but hey, I'm adaptable and I'm willing to look at other places of interest, and Vegas may be one. If so many people are heading out there, there must be something awesome attracting them! I can't wait to see for myself when we vacation out there.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:22 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

$70 is what it would cost me for a day at Hurricane Harbor for two people. That doesn't include a locker, food or other extras. It does include a full day of fun on a lazy river, whoosing down giant water slides, a wave pool and other splash zones.

Sometimes I want to detach the price of a day at the park, but how can you? How has it gotten to be that to take two people to an amusement park, it costs close to $100. Actually, if I opted for Great Adventure the amusement park, it will cost me $100.

They'll toss in the safari most times, but the parking will cost you another $10. How is parking not free. It's not like people are going to come in and park and walk the few miles to go somewhere else. It's that they CAN charge you to park, so they do. Think about it, everywhere it charging you to park these days...easy money, eh?

I will say that there are a lot of promos going on right now, buy 1 get 1 free with a Coke can Monday through Friday, or get $20 off with a special McDonald's cup. At least their throwing me a bone, eh? I'd like to head on over to Six Flags this week, but I'm still debating it. We just got back from the shore. Though I may do the late night, out of the sun deal at 1/2 price. Maybe I can work out something after all. Either way, I should have bought the season pass, then I'd be done with it...thinking about the money part.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:26 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Last night, I was sitting in my rocking chair and my feet were really bothering me. Here I was saying, "Man, I could really use a foot massage" and sitting next to my chair, about a foot away (no pun intended!) was my foot massager.  Isn't that funny how you can have something, and totally forget you have it, or you don't even really pay attention to it, even though it's right next to you?

The bottoms of my feet have been a little tender, but especially the outside of my left foot about 2 inches below my pinky toe. I popped my feet on this baby last night and felt so much better. You click it on once to make the little balls move around, and click it twice for the infrared heat part. It's jsut slightly warm, not hot. My piggies felt so much better. I plopped that thing smack in front of my chair so I have to basically trip over it tonight to sit down so I can use it again.

It was actually a gift last June when I got home from Disney! My husband knew I'd be doing a LOT of walking with my son and mom, so he was thoughtful and picked this up for me. Since I started walking for exercise and I'm going up and down hills, at the end of the day, this is a nice treat to remember I have!

Guess what I'll be using tonight... 

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It's time for me to say so long for today. I'm off to figure out what to have for dinner. I think we have a couple of steaks, but I'm not sure what I'm going to make with it. Hmmm, on the grill, or in the broiler...decisions, decisions.

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I was talking with some friends about poetry I used to write, and I dug through some drawers and found some of it. It's weird to go back and read things that I wrote years ago, and then remember the feelings attached to them. 

I rarely take pen to paper anymore, since I'm on my computer, and adore Word so much. Whether it's on my blogs, or in a document online, I express myself typing these days! 

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I wrote this while at the shore last week and just transferred it over...(I was writing on my small Jordana, and loved having it with me!) I didn't bring my laptop so I wouldn't get hooked into being on the computer.

Down at LBI, we are enjoying time along iwth my sister and her family who is at another home about 15 minutes from here. She's staying in the Harvey Cedars area, we're down closer to the Spray Beach and Beach Haven Gardens area. We drove down to their area on Sunday and sat on the beach with them. They were sprawled out on blankets and chairs in a group of 7, normally 4, but enjoying some time with friends who have come along for a day or two.

My son, hubby and I took on the cold ocean and played in the waves for over an hour. My son stayed in a second hour! It was cold to get in, but once you were in, we had fun jumping the waves and playing.

We cooked up some BBQ chicken for dinner. Oh, that reminds me, the BBQ place (rack shack or something of that nature) changed owners and is now the Mason Jar. We'll keep them in mind for the future. 

Next we headed off to Fantasy Island, the arcade (we did it 2x this week) for some playtime. A sweet treat and a nice long drive topped off our night. We drove down to Barnegat and right near the light house is a Dairy Queen. We grabbed some blizzards and back we went to the other side of the island. It was one of those nights perfect for driving with the windows down.  

I was writing this Monday morning (last week), and my husband had just left for a walk, when 10 minutes later it started to rain! We ended up having good weather for the most part, though the first half of Monday was a little soggy. The sky cleared later that day, and we went to see the movie Evan Almighty.

Lastly, we met my sister and her family for dinner Monday night for a tasty dinner at Spray Beach Hotel's restaurant. We dined on steak, seafood, pasta and salad. Excellent meal, really enjoyed the fresh mozzerella  with the Brusietta (spelling?).

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4 Bedrooms/1 Bathroom

We got to the shore (LBI/Long Beach Island) last Saturday afternoon, and after unloading the cars we sat around for a little bit cooling off. We then went and examined our new residence for the week. A quick trip to the market and to pick up dinner and we were set to settle in for the evening. The weather was perfect for sitting on the deck, so we ate dinner out there.

We rented a beach house on a corner, about a half block's distance to the shore. We were the third house from the beach. It was a great corner for people watching, and it was fun watching people bike, job and walk by. We watched teenaged maled pride as a group of boys celebrated around their cars...which proved amusing to these adults. Simple a mellow relaxing evening, enjoying the night air.

I finished the evening with a little bit of reading and my day was complete. If only the bed was a wee bit larger, and a little more comfortable! When you are tired enough, I guess it doesn't matter!

A little dark, but here's the big ole double bed we squooshed up on. All overweight me, and 6'2" hubby! I'm used to a California King at home, so this felt a little small! We still had a great time.

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We had a full day today. We went up to the P-burg Mall and got my husband some new Dockers for work. We walked around the mall for some exercise, then hopped in the car and headed to lunch. We ended up stopping for pizza, then took the back way towards our home town. Next we headed up to our favorite farm stand and picked up some corn. It's a little early in the season still, but we're going to try it. After a nice drive with the windows down, it was time for the grocery store where we stocked up on a few more things.  Today was in the 70's and gorgeous with low humidity. Why can't all days be so great? I love the fresh air blowing with the windows down. It was a nice Sunday afternoon...

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:34 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

It took a beating in the reviews, though one magazine gave it a must see...Evan Almighty got a big thumbs up from my family. We were 12, 40 and 41, and we all really enjoyed the movie. It was a fun movie with a nice message, and plenty of laughs. If you're looking for a nice family film, this is a great choice for everyone.

Three Thumbs Up from this family! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:36 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I'm looking at a little bear on my desk and it's reminding me of Fantasy Island. Fantasy Island reminds me of the old television show, when I think of just the name, but these days Fantasy Island is an arcade and entertainment area for kids in Long Beach Island, NJ.

My son loves going there, and gets caught up in winning tickets for prizes. This year he had over 25,000 tickets when it was time to turn them in. He picked out a few things for himself, then he wanted me to pick out something, and he chose something for his grandmother too. I have a few little stone critters on my desk. Last year he got me a stone bear that sits on my desk, and this year I got a second one from the same line. I smile when I see those bears, because there's been a change. It used to be about only him, but now he's at the age where he thinks about others. I personally enjoy watching him choose things he wants, but that he thinks of other people and wants to do something for them is a rewarding thing to see your child do.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:06 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

My skin took a beating this week as I took on a fun sunburn on Sunday while playing in the ocean. Yes, I was wearing SPF 30, but I guess with the reflection from the water, my face and chest felt the need to remind me I was out in the sun...After the healing process, my skin was left feeling a little rough, so I made a quick fix exfoliant, since I didn't bring any with me. What did I do? I took a little lotion with olive oil and a tiny bit of salt and sloughed off that tired old, dry skin. I was left with a smooth complexion and felt much better!

Here I am, one week later and peeling like crazy!  

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It's okay to be jealous. You'll be at work, I'll be sitting on the beach. Go ahead, get it out of your system....I'll be back soon enough, and then it will be your turn to vacation. But as it stands, it's my turn, and I'm heading out tomorrow morning. Enjoy the week, miss me a little, and I'll see you when I get back. Heading to the beach, and I'm so ready to dig my toes in the sand and play in the ocean!

I'll see you next week! Beach time in New Jersey :)

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Yes, that's right, I'm a supinator. That's not quite as exciting as say, Superman, Spiderman, or heck even Speed Racer, but it's a fact of my life. I tend to roll out my feet and lean on the outsides of my feet. When I walk, I roll outwards as well. It's not obvious or something that one would notice immediately, but I had to face the facts.

I switched walking shoes today, and what a difference! I then had to drive my dogs to the kennel, and while I was in the car, I was falling into that habit I have of rolling my feet to the sides and resting on the outside of my foot. Only this time, my shoe wouldn't let me! It was holding me in a neutral position, a regular gait support, and I couldn't easily roll out my feet. Do you know how frustrating it was to me, that I had to keep my feet up straight! It's better for me, and it's getting used to doing it, but it's one of those things I just didn't have to think of for awhile. When I used to run, it became apparent as well, because you feel it when you don't have the right support for your gait.

Now, my legs are feeling all funky, because walking up and down those hills, now a different part behind my ankle is getting used to the feel! Oh, this is the part of my leg that was supposed to be sore last week. LOL 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:47 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I head to the beach tomorrow, and I'll be kicking back in the sand, splashing in the water, dodging some waves, and having some fun with my family. We're taking a week to have some fun in the sun, laughter and good times. I may or may not check in tonight or tomorrow before leaving, but I wanted to explain the gap in posting next week! 

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I'm so excited! I'm going to have a personal painting done of this actual picture. Isn't that cool? What I'll be doing is sending this picture to CanvasOnDemand.com and in return, I'll get a painting of this gorgeous shot! I can't wait to see the results and have it framed. I took this picture of a local spot, and just love the coloring in it. I'll end up turning a photo enlargement into a piece of art! When it's all said and done, I'll have a 16x20 painting of a picture I took!

What you can do is take a picture, and turn it into a work of art. Whether you want a picture of your child, a wedding picture, a landscape or maybe your pet, you can have it turned into a personalized piece of artwork!

I love that they have a customer showcase that lets you see what others have chosen. It's a great example of their work.  You can choose the size you'd like the picture on, and the thickness ofthe canvas as well. If you click on the pricing, you can see the frames that are offered in different styles. 

They also offer different techniques to choose from, such as brush stroke and sepia. With so many choices, you'll have a one of a kind piece of artwork from your very own picture! They can even retouch work or change backgrounds! Get the picture you want, the way you want it.  

When I get the painting back, I'm going to take a picture of it and share the results with you so we can see the outcome! I can't wait!  

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They treat me like a dog....is something different in my house! Yes, they've claimed the leather sofa as their dog bed. It's a tough life, eh? 

Actually, they are good company when I'm sitting at my desk. It's a dog's life, but that's not so bad in this household! 

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I’m getting stiff and old. Man, I used to do gymnastics when I was young for a short while, and I was limber as anything. I’m not sure what happened to the days of bending over without getting a crick in your back! Maybe it’s time for me to take up Yoga and do more stretching so I can get some flexibility back. Readers’s Digest once said the key to youth are flexibility and lubrication…

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:06 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Did you ever lie in bed at night looking at the ceiling and think you see something moving. Suddenly, you think some small mark on the wall that’s been there for months is a bug and it’s moving? Okay, if you’re a guy, probably not, but if you’re a girl, you may have. When you are tired, your mind plays tricks on you, and you think it’s moving! Is that a bug? Honey, will you check that…is it a bug? It’s a mark on the wall…Are you sure? Yes…Can you get up on the bed and look closer…? LOL Okay, how many other women have had that conversation….and it turns out to just be some smudge or mark!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:52 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

The dogs dragged in some dirt and mud today. I just got home, and apparently a storm rolled through this area. It was just enough to get their feet all wet, create small pockets of mud, and not let you notice. You think you’re letting them in and they’re fine…not so, ugh, I had muddy prints on the carpet! :\ I had to clean them up. Luckily, we keep plenty of carpet cleaner on hand.

It sounds like another storm may be rolling through shortly. I lost my internet connection earlier and was writing in WORD for a little bit. I hope I don't lose it again! :( 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:00 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

We were looking at flowers today at the store, and my nephew was saying that he wanted to pick them out this year for my sister’s house. I asked him if he’d taken up an interest in gardening, but he said no. His reasoning was that the flowers they picked out the last few years were dinky and dark. He wanted to see bright, bigger flowers. I didn’t really think teenagers noticed that sort of stuff. It was pretty neat!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:53 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I confess, my husband kept me company while I folded the laundry. We're about 70% done, and I have to switch over one more load! Woohoo...we had some stuff that had piled up, so it's good to get it out of the way, even if I do have to fold a mountain at the end of it all.

It's an exciting life I lead, eh?

Tomorrow, I'm going to be out for a good part of the day, so I'll be chatty a little more tonight while in between getting some chores done. Tomorrow morning, we'll see if I'm chatty. One can never tell. I'll have nothing to say all day, then I'll have 20 posts the next! LOL It must be the Gemini in me.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:38 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

That's right, you caught me. I have a pile of laundry to fold, and I just don't feel like it. Of course if it was someone else's chore to be done, I'd be asking them to do it all ready! Seems a little hypocrital. I guess I have to face the pile of laundry eventually. In fact, I have more laundry to switch over to the dryer. Man, oh man...how old do you have to be to stop thinking of things like this as a chore? I mean....does it ever get any better?

What chore do you hate to do? What chore don't you mind doing?

I don't mind doing things like vacuuming, or putting out the trash. I hate doing laundry and dishes. What about you?  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:57 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Here's a piece of my living room. The sofa is actually a large sectional that winds all the way around against the bay window. My back sits to the sofa, as my desk is on the opposite wall. Anyway, I was thinking of painting the walls in the living room this summer, and I'm thinking a nice warm taupe or beige. Not a flat, creamy one, but a nice warm tone. The sofa is a a deep blue leather sofa. What do you think for the color choice for the wall? I'm tired of having a white wall in here. It's just a big pain to move big furniture! I just want it to have a little more personality. Can you tell we're animal lovers here? LOL I have stuffed bears and giraffes placed around that have been colected over time. That's what you see hanging over the to of the entertainment center...a large bear. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:04 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I got my hair cut, I colored it, and got a pedicure. I'm all set for June! Actually, I'm all set for dinner! I have a date with my husband tonight. Wednesday nights we go out for dinner and go grocery shopping together. :) Can't wait to hang out with my date. We always have so much fun together. 

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I still haven't decided how I want to upgrade my son's room yet. We want to bring it from a younger boys room to a teenager's room. I have some ideas, but I haven't implemented them yet, because I'm still deciding if that's the way I'll go or not.

While we're at it, we may also look into some bedroom furniture for our master bedroom. Ours is a little outdated, and I'm not sure if I want to just do a refinish on it and change the hardware, or look for a new set. It's good quality wood, so I haven't decided yet. When it comes to home furniture, one of the first places I look at is HomeAndLiving.com because they have a great selectiont to sort through.  Maybe I'll head over there now and see what I can find for our bedroom.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:27 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Little dog enjoys the weather.

Blue Skies Ahead

Lush greenery spreads proudly...

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That's right, X marks the spot!

I actually ended up with a scar on my arm from my poison ivy this time. I'm hoping over time it fades, but it looks like this time, I ended up with a long reminder of this fun ivy month of May!

I'm finding as I get older, things that used to mark my skin would fade and go away quickly, but anymore, cuts, problems, marks, whatever decide to stick around for awhile now! If I have anymore, you're going to mistake me for an atlas pretty soon!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:38 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

A lone thread of web is blowing on a light breeze…I only know it’s there because the sun shines and reflects off of it gently. Little dog is laying in the grass, taking in the sounds of the birds, while big dog sits on the patio and sniffs the air. My feet are propped up on a recliner in the sunroom, and I cant believe how perfect the temperature is...not too warm, not too cool, just a perfect feeling on my skin.

 The birds are vocal today and are calling out to one another. Their conversation lost in translation to me, but soothing none the less.

 I’m looking for something to do, and then I stop and realize the gift I have in this quiet spring day. I’m no longer looking for something to do...the pleasure is mine to just sit and enjoy.

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My phone is sitting here blinking. It means there's a message, and I know it's not important. It came in from an 800 #. I rarely answer my phone during the day. I'll pick it up for family, but not much else. During the day I enjoy the quiet, and if it's important enough, someone will leave a message. My friends know to send me an email if they want me...or IM me or something, but the phone, well, it will mostly just ring, and I won't pick it up.

I used to hate when the phone rang, and hubby wouldn't pick it up. What if it's something important? It isn't...that's what caller ID is for. Now, I'm one of those people too...I hate to pick up the phone. Now I have one of those blinky lights that I'll have to listen to just so I can erase it....don't call me, I'll call you.

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I bought a little journal at the store the other day. It's nothing fancy, just a pad of paper 5x7, with a great cover that had me thinking creative thoughts. I've been fascinated with paper, pads, pens and the such since I was younger. It was one of the first times I realized I didn't just like to write, I love to write.

I thought everyone got that reaction when they got new pens or paper, wanting to pull them out and start drafting a project of words together. Weaving words didn't even have to make sense, I just wanted to write them out.

These days I type most of my words, though I still love a fresh pad to start writing on. The other day though, as I stood in the aisle of the store, I saw this little pad looking up at me, and I had to touch it, pick it up, and flip through it. There was magic in this small book, and I wanted it. I didn't know why, or have a particular use for it, but it stirred up that magic in me yet again, like when I was younger and found a perfect little journal.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 01:48 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

"In the MotherHood" is something you may want to check out. It's over at InTheMotherHood.com. They are having women right funny stories based on experiences a a mom. The top 10 stories, as voted by moms who read them will be turned inot  "Webisodes" that will star Leah Remini (of King of Queens fame).

 If you have a great story, send it in! I saw this mentioned in Good Housekeeping magazine and wanted to mention it here, since I know so many moms!

 InTheMotherHood.com 

What are you waiting for? Head on over! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:22 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Due to my rash and stuff, I can't get my pedicure tomorrow. The ivy and allergic reaction has moved down my leg, so for two weeks in a row, I've had to cancel. I feel badly about that. I also was supposed to go in and help give a manicure and pedicure on Thursday, but with a rash all over my arm, I don't want to be touching people. I'm sure they don't want it either!

I'm trying something new now. I decided to try the Aloe with Lidocaine and see if it leaves me more comfortable today. I'm not really sure what to use anymore, and since I'm holding off on getting a cortisone shot for now, I decided to try this today.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 02:39 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

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Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:42 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I was just sitting outside watching a bird dance between fence posts and enjoyed seeing glass blades bending in the wind. I was sitting thinking about whether I needed something my mind has been turning to.

I work from home, so most of the time, I'm at my desk and working at my computer. This is a great convenience to be at home working, but the one thing it does is ties me to a desk a good part of the day.

What if I had a laptop that I could bring with me into another room? Maybe take it with me when I travel so I could continue to work when I had spare time. Then I started to realize, do I really want to have that capability. I'm at my desk sometimes 10 hours a day, and do I want those moments on the sun room ruined with a laptop on my experience. I'd miss seeing the bird dance, and I'd miss watching the grass blow in the breeze, because I'd be working on my computer.

Let's talk about travel...if I have it with me, I'd sure be able to connect at the hotel, but then I'd miss the quiet I enjoy which I set aside for thinking, or reading, or taking a long bubble bath. When it comes down to it, if I have the laptop, most likely, I will work or do things in those moments where right now I treasure that quiet time.

I had to then think about why I want the flexibility of a laptop and what it represents to me. What exactly does it represent to me? I think there's a piece of me that associates it with "business men" and "success", so if I have a laptop to go along with my desktop, it must mean that I have achieved a level of success to need both. Maybe it's my mental imagery that pushes me need and desire to get one. I've been close to buying one before, but came to the same conclusion. I really don't need one, and honestly, sometimes I desperately need a break from my computer.

When I went on a 12 day vacation, I thought I'd be lost without it, but you know what, email waits, work waits, and message boards are still there when you get back, and the time not focused on a computer meant it was focused elsewhere and I enjoyed my trip more thoroughly.

My biggest want and need is word processing capabilities, because I love to write, and when I'm away from my desk, I want the ability to jot those thoughts down quickly and easily, and quite frankly, typing gets it done SO much faster than handwriting for me. I'd then have to copy it over to the computer at a later date. I did pick up a small toy that helps me with those word processing abilities, so why would I need yet another ability? What is it that the laptop means? Why do I need it?

I'm such a retail therapy person and I've gotten pretty much anything I've wanted over the years, but this is that one thing that I've said no to over and over and over again. I've stopped myself so many times, why do I give in this time. So now it becomes, am I denying myself because it's the one thing I've been able to say no to for so long, or am I saying no because quite frankly I don't need it. Overthinking things....doesn't do you any favors ;)

Then I started thinking about my cell phone and realizing that there are times that I resent that thing. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I have it in case of an emergency, but when you are taking time for yourself, suddenly you are now "reachable". Everyone knows you have it, so why not. How many people are more accessable to their bosses as well with their online capabilities at home, cell phones and laptops at hotels when traveling. We've become reachable 24 hours a day, and instead of being more productive and happy that we got more done, we end up more stressed wondering how to get away from it all....

There's a fine balance between having the tech gadgets and toys because you want them, to them driving you nuts, because you can't get away from them. Any thoughts on this topic?

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:11 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms, Grandmoms and Godmothers.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:54 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

This is on my other blogs as well, but I wanted to add my girl's picture here. I like this one, so when I scan through my blog at a later date, it will make me smile!  Grace looks black because she's shedding some of her tan undercoat! The girl NEVER seems to stop shedding! My beagle Boo is a little more discreet about shedding. He tricks you into thinking he's not much of a shedder, but most dogs are! I know, I know, all you poodle owners, no need to tell me you don't have that issue! Either way...that's my girl! We're two girls, living with a bunch of guys.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:25 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

I'm not very good at "not itching". Sure, you can tell me not to scratch, and I know not too, but what if you do it in your sleep? *sigh* I woke up and it's spread down my right leg. My entire back calf is covered in my lovely ivy or oak or sumac, or whatever it is. :\ The one on my arm, the one that started it is finally starting to to clear up, but good gosh, how it won't leave a scar, I've no idea. Skin is pretty amazing stuff as it continually heals itself....

Pass the cortizone...I'm itchy again! Ahhhhhh 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:48 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

You can judge me, just don't tell me you're judging me! Why is it that as soon as you know someone is watching you, you start to wonder if it's good enough? I go about my business, I do my thing, but the minute I know someone is looking over my shoulder, I start to go into self-doubt, almost like a response that I can't control.

Do you do that too? If you're doing something on your computer, do you hate when somebody is standing over your shoulder reading it. What if you're in your email? See, there's a piece of us that we want to ourselves, or we want to know that what we are doing is good enough. When I write, I want to know what I've written is working. When I read, I don't want you to stand behind me and read it as well! How do you feel about these things? 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:34 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

I hate PMS.

I really hate how it makes me hungry even after I've just eaten.

I hate how it makes me bloated, even when I feel I'm all ready as bloated as I can get.

I hate how I want certain foods, and how I don't keep them in my house.

I hate knowing the cause of the feeling, but it doesn't make it go away!

I hate knowing that the feeling will stick around for a few days too.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 03:09 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

What I look like without being windblown and driving 1500 miles, and not having to deal with Carolina humidity! LOL I have all those fun pictures posted, but I wanted a tiny piece of my dignity back! hahahahahah

This was taken last Sunday at home in climate control! Hahahaha, so I'm a little bit vain, you'll get over it.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:01 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

I expect a pretty quiet week this week, which suits me just fine. I'm ready for a quiet week. I'm looking forward to reading out in the sun room. I'm looking forward to quiet mornings, and I'm looking forward to quiet evenings.

We put a "rope light" up in the sunroom to put off just a slight glow, and it looks great. We put it at the top of the room, where the sunroom meets the house. It's a little glow, so it doesn't stand out, but your eyes adjust, and I could almost read! It's enough light that you aren't a shining beacon in the night, but you can see with a soft glow in the room. I really enjoyed seeing it. My husband put it up this weekend.

My only plans this wek is an appointment this morning, we usually do dinner out Wednesday night now, and then on Friday my weekend starts, but that's all good stuff! I'm driving down south a little ways to visit with some friends. That's something to grin about!  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:17 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)