Thursday, May 31, 2007

Give me a loan!

Just last week we went to our bank to apply for a home equity loan. We've done personal loans in the past and this time since we're trying to finance so much ($20,000) we didn't think we'd be able to get a good rate.

I just heard back from the bank the other day that we were approved for the loan! We've always had good credit so there wasn't much doubt.

You never can be too sure though. At one point when we went to apply for loans we had two incomes and a pretty decent amount of debt.

Now we only have one income and no debt.

So I guess it evens out in the wash.

I've found a great website that has not only information on financial areas but also has some pretty good articles too. There's one that talks about how court hearings for debt are at an all time high. The article contributes that to the economy and people taking out loans for more than they can afford and those loans becoming faulty.

I'm glad we've always been responsible when it comes to spending and paying back our debt. Of course, it hasn't always been that way!

But for the most part our debt has been caused by college and infertility expenses. However, I'm sure we have an occassional trip to the Indian Resturant that we've financed over years too!

Another great article on the website offers a forecast on mortgages and an economic outlook.

This post sponsored by: LoanWize.co.uk

Baby down?

Well, after Graem put up quite the fight I believe she's actually asleep --- IN HER CRIB!!!

That's right.

We've had the damn crib for over 2 1/2 years and never once has she fallen asleep in there.

I'm glad that we are finally using it.

Or else, she flew out of the crib, hit her head on the way down and is lying on the floor.

I'm going to go check on her.

Always lookin'

When I was the marketing director at a worldwide healthcare agency I was constantly looking for sales leads. When I started the job I was given a rolodex full of a whopping three business cards!

I realized then and there that I should go out and start peddling! Of course it would have been much easier had the company invested in a demographic study and purchased a list of hot leads that might be interested in our services.

Martin Worldwide helps companies find leads for their business. They use many different databases to come out with a lit of companies, organizations, and even households that might be interested in the services or products you are offering.

This would have saved the company a lot of time and money in the long run and I am sure it would have resulted in more sales!

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

YAH!!

Well, I was able to talk Margot into Indian food. God, I'm a lucky girl.

Have I mentioned how much I friggin love Indian food at Sangams?

OH MAMA!!

I hate insurance.

Okay, I say I hate it because I'm the one spending tons of money on insurance a month!

Of course, i realize that it's a necessary evil! We currently have health, life, home, and car insurance.

New York State has one of the highest requirements for insurances and so our premiums are through the roof. I know I shouldn't be complaining because I moved from Houston where our county was the highest in the United States...but still!

Ever since I can remember my parents went through State Farm Insurance so when I moved to Ithaca I found a State Farm representative and opened my own account. A few years later Margot's name got added and we are on the same account.

At one point we were paying some pretty competitive prices. However, I'm pretty sure over the years it keeps increasing. I'm not sure how that all works out because it should be going down since we're getting older, our driving records are stellar, and our cars are aging and becoming of less value!

ThriftyScot.co.uk is a great website that offers tons of information on just about every financial aspect! They have some great information about car insurance, banking and savings, credit cars, loans, and mortgages.

I also like the non-biased articles they have about debt and mortgages.

This post sponsored by: Thriftyscot.co.uk

I'm so tired.

Okay, those kids were rotten! It really only takes a couple to make the whole class not learn a thing. I felt like I was telling the same three kids to behave. What recourse does the sub have anyway?

God, I miss the days of when a teacher could spank kids on the ass.

Did that really happen, anyway?

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

The new age of long distance.

When we were in Mexico is was such a pain calling back to the states. Although, our cell phones both had bars I was warned earlier that the rates were outrageously expensive.

Now you can check out rebppp! Rebtel.com offers a great service to those of us that are looking to make long distance calls. They offer services to 36 countries and it's easy to sign up and start services.



Finally, an economic way to keep in touch with friends and loved ones who live outside of the United States.

This post sponsored by: Rebtel.com

Off to another slaughter...

Well, we had a great time in our new kiddie pool. Graem could not get enough. I'll have to get photos and video next time.

Now it's time to go to our softball game at 8:00pm. Gotta love getting your ass kicked each and every time!

Another loan

With us approaching our next infertility treatment we're looking for the best personal loans out there. We haven't had much luck, unfortunately, and so we'll more than likely have to go through the lengthy process of getting a second mortgage.

CreditLoan.com offers some great information on personal loans. They also have some great education information on how to get your personal finances back on track.

We figure the more educated we are about the process --- the better off we will be in the long run.

Of course, we'll see how this all turns out in the long run. Here's hoping that we get approved for the darn loan in the first place!

Just another hurdle to this hard process I guess...

This post sponsored by: CreditLoan.com

Grammy no nap.

Well it doesn't look like it's happening today. A nap that is.

Of course, I told her that if she doesn't get a nap she doesn't get to go swimming. Maybe she was just too excited to lie down.

Of course, I'm just hoping that she won't be a little devil for my softball game tonight.

Boating!

Years ago we used to go boating with our friends Mary and Elise. They have a Bayliner and it's a really nice boat that they keep right at the marina.

We were sad to hear that when they went to check on their boat that it had been vandalized. The control panels had been stolen and if they chose to replace them would run about $2,000.

To say the least we were all pretty upset and let down that someone could do this. Especially in our little town of Ithaca, New York!

I think in the future I might suggest that they think about looking into boat covers. It might be the cheapest way to protect their boat from vandals.

Not to mention if it's an extra layer of canvas protection from the damaging sun.

BoatCoversAdvice.com offers a wide selection of great boat covers at really reasonable prices. Plus, the website is easy to use, you can see all of the features of a boat cover, and you can order right online!

This post sponsored by: BoatCoversAdvice.com

Naptime.

I figure Graem can go to sleep a little bit later today because she slept in this morning. Of course, that scoots everything back a few hours!

Margot should be home by 5:30pm or so and I think we're just eating left overs. I also have to mow the yard tonight before our softball game.

Why didn't I have this??

At one point in my executive career I came to a crossroads of not knowing where and who to turn to for mentorship and advise. I was a young manager in a new industry and there's only so much that someone can self-teach themselves.

Had they ever had Executive Coaching available years ago when I needed it I would have been the first to sign up.

The Forte Institute is designed to help managers and executives improve interpersonal skills, build effective teams, and increase productivity. All of which a new manager can struggle with at times.

They also offer team building programs which I think is essential for any group of people that are working together to achieve a common goal.

When I go back into the work force one of my requests will be to have a mentor or receive professional executive coaching.

This post sponsored by: The Forte Institute

Back from the store!

Well, we went to K-Mart and WalMart and finally found the perfect kiddie pool for Graem. Of course, she had to have the yellow pool and what's worse is that I had to put the damn pool on top of the car and tie it down with rope.

Of course, it's now against Walmarts policy to help you with any of this.

So I had to bust balls to make sure that the pool didn't fall of the roof of the car while driving.

I had to pull over a few times and make minor adjustments. To my amazement though...we're home and we still have the swimming pool!

Our boating friends.

Our friends Mary and Elise own a really nice boat. Before Graem was born we used to go out all of the time

Damn, dell.

Well, I've been on the phone with Dell Computers for close to 30 minutes today. I hate to say this but I finally got some tech support from the United States. I got right to the point with this guy about how my computer sucks and how I've spent numerous hours on the phones with tech support.

Now they are saying that it's a software problem. Of course, I lied and said that it's a hardware problem because I've already reinstalled windows two times.

I just want my computer to be able to open more than one windows explorer window without crashing.

Am I asking too much??

Bollywood, baby!

We are really good friends with the owners of the Indian Restaurant Sangam. They actually own the resturant and a small store and resturant in the Ithaca commons. There they have a small selection of videos.

I'm going to have to pass on the newest Bollywood videos that I've come across! Aapkavideo.com offers some great videos with interests in: bollywood, music videos, cricket, places of interest and more!



Our friends are constantly looking to enrich their children's lives and provide them with the culture that they grew up with.

Now they can with AapkaVideo.com and their great Bollywood videos!

This post sponsored by: AapkaVideo.com

Feeling better.

After my emotional breakdown last night and going to bed at almost 3:00am I woke up this morning feeling much better.

Maybe it's that I just got the stored up emotions out of my system. Maybe it's that I'm just trying to move forward and feeling sad and recognizing my emotions is just part of the process.

Today's the day...

I've wanted to start dieting for a while. Each time I do an infertility cycle I gain about 10 pounds and then I rush to lose it before I go through another cycle.

I've never been a big calorie counter. The reality is I know what's good and bad for me and I realize that diet along with exercise is what will help me lose those unwanted pounds.

However, now there's a new free calorie counter online. MyFitnessPal.com offers a website devoted to helping people los weight. They make calorie counting easy and fun. The website does all of the work and allows you to spend your extra time doing the things you need to do like exercise!

Who knows...maybe today will be the day that I sign up for that gym membership that I've been talking about doing for months!

This post sponsored by: MyFitnessPal.com

Monday, May 28, 2007

I can't stop...

crying and thinking of the baby that could have been when I miscarried. I just looked at the calendar and it was 5 months ago today. I wonder if on every anniversary of my child's death I will feel sad and upset?

I think constantly about how he would have looked similar to Grammy and would have been the same strong willed and intelligent kid that she is. Boy, those two would have been a dangerous match for each other.

I walk past where he is buried in our backyard and I can't believe how the plants around the magnolia tree are doing. They have always been pretty conservative vines and never really taken off. This year they are almost covering the whole surface area of the magnolia tree trunk.

I like to think that it's my baby that's giving them life. If he was just strong enough to actually come into this world and take a breath...

I must admit that the past few days I have been mourning the kid that never was.

Not only the one that we lost in December...but the one that Margot and me could have genetically been a part of. I realize that we tried and it didn't work.

But, I just feel that it's so unfair that we'll never be able to see the both of us in one child. That the chance was there and offered but now it's been taken away.

I know things change and situations change...but that doesn't change my feelings of being sad and feeling like once again I've the shitty end of the deal.

For someone to promise to help us out after all we've been through (4 years of infertility, a miscarriage) -- only to change his mind half way into it. This was the one thing that I held onto as I laid on our couch and lost the baby in the wee morning of that Thursday, December 28th.

I held onto the thought months later that Margot and I would finally have a child that looked like both of us. The idea of this was what got me through many painful months. I kept thinking "maybe this child was meant to be genetic to both of us" and that's why it hasn't worked yet.

I can't imagine my feelings are going to change much on this topic because I feel like it's just another great oppourtunity that has entered into my life only to be taken away.

WTF?

It's 11:30pm and I can't sleep. My mind keeps racing at all of the things that I have to do tomorrow. It seems like I've let all of the errands accumulate and now I have a list full of shit that needs to be done.

Since we've been sleeping in these past couple of days I think my sleeping might be off a little too.

It hurts.

This weekend we went to the farmer's market. I love going and we always see tons of people that we know.

We actually saw a lady and her son from tot spot. I see her and instantly we hug and start talking about how we missed each other all winter.

Then of course...I look down at her belly and she's pregnant. When I ask how far along she says September.

I really thought then and there that I was going to start crying but I didn't. She also said how she was disappointed to hear that they're having another boy.

A few minutes later we were dragged away by the kids and went our seperate ways.

I couldn't help but think...I should be pregnant and I would be just as round as her and be having a baby in August.

As we were walking the other way I looked at her baby bump and thought...

God, I wish it was me.

Darn forms.

I hate it when you go to a website and you're ready to buy something and then all of a sudden you realize that their website is broken and you can't make the purchase.

Then when you go to write their tech support you realize that the web form doesn't work either!

At that point I typically take my business elsewhere because it means that they haven't spent the time to work through the kinks and/or they don't get much business online!

Forms4free.com is there to help web designers put the perfect forms on their website. They are committed to making sure that the forms work so that you don't loose valuable business that could lead to a sale!

If you're an online business make sure that you have working links -- especially when someone goes to buy your product! It'd be sad if you put lots of time and money into making sure your website was up and running only to have one of the forms not work when someone is ready to contact you or purchase a product!

Our financial saga continues...

Well, I know you've read about how we've paid off all of our debt and even paid off our vacation before leaving on it!

It looks like we're going to be going back into debt again. Of course, this time there light at the end of a very long tunnel. We're doing the IVF Refund Program in hopes that we get pregnant. If we do, then we will have to pay off the $20,000. If not, then we get the $20,000 back.

We just went Friday to talk about a mortgage refinance. However, I think what we'll end up doing is get a second mortgage. Our local bank is offering to pay all of the closing costs on the loan and they have a great interest rate of %5.25. That's quite a bit lower than we could have received on our credit cards.

We really researched this before we decided to go forward. Financially, we figure that we can handle it and also we figure if I don't get pregnant over the next two years the worst feeling is being broke and with no baby.

At least we won't be broke this time.

Here's some information on how a home equity loan works. I never knew much about loans and so it was all new information to me.

We also read up on home equity loans and how to get a good one.

Rebuild.org offers information on every financial situation out there. They have great articles that offer insight and great information so that you can make an educated decision.

This post sponsored by: Rebuild.org

I feel bleah.

I still have my period and it's so heavy. I'm going through pads like crazy since I'm not suppose to use tampons. I don't know if it's because I went a good 40 days without having a period or maybe the surgery added something to it?

Thank God, I'm only going to have one more period after this!

*wishful thinking*

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt?

I've never been one for Jimmy Buffett. But I can say that I think it's part of a moral and social responsibility for all Americans to go to at least one Jimmy Buffett concert!

Jimmy Buffett Tickets can now be purchased online and you can even check out greatseats.com to see the venues and the awesome seats they have available.

I've always been one for having good seats for sporting events and concerts...so if I'm going to sit through a whole concert of Buffett...the seats better be damn good and the drinks better be rockin' too!

Do you know a good dealer?

I'm talking about a coin dealer, of course!

One thing that never loses it’s value is silver coins! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value.

Monex Deposit Company offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but Monex Deposit Company (MDC) is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

Wanna go to Orlando?

I have a feeling that we're going to go to Orlando within the next few years. Maybe it's the whole Minnie and Mickey thing. Or my daughter my instantly become obsessed with all of the Disney DVDs that I've started buying her and realize that there's a place where she can actually go to see all of these people!

I think a Link To Copy: Orlando vacation rental is going to be the way to go. Not only can we rent a house or a condo but we can have enough room to spread out.

Who knows over the next few years we might even decide to take a friends with L&L and their kids too!

Of course, then we'd have to find a babysitter so that the adults can go out in the evening and get away from the kids!!

Ugh. Period and cramps.

Today I have my period and it's absolutely brutal. I'm bleeding heavy and the cramps are way too much.

Thank God I was able to poop this morning or else I would have been a huge bitch today.

Lucky Margot.

Bad credit?

Yesterday we went to our bank to see if we could get the $20,000 loan for our upcoming infertility treatment. We were so happy that our credit scores are high and it looks like we're not going to have a problem with the new loan.

While we were in college we used to spend money like it was going out of style and I'm not sure we realized that we would even have to pay it back! At one point we were even considering bad credit debt consolidation because we couldn't keep up with the bills and getting each vendor paid on time.

Now CircleDebt.com is there to help. They offer information so that you can become knowledgeable about debt consolidation. They will send you monthly newsletter with financial information, and even loan quotes online!

Have you seen my poo?

Okay, this is quite detailed but I had my surgery Tuesday and I have yet to have a BM. Yesterday I took some stool softners but I feel like I've gone to one too many buffets and nothing is leaving!!

I hope I'm able to make something happen this afternoon because I love the food at the farmer's market!

Hmm...this could really save us money in the long run if I'm not able to eat!

Today.

Today we are planning on hitting the farmer's market and then our other plans our somewhat up in the air. We were talking about watching Shrek 3 at some point and then my friend, Diane, invited us over to go swimming in her pool.

Tonight we are going over to L&L's for dinner with them and Laura's parents.

Should be fun!

Friday, May 25, 2007

Orlando!

I have a feeling that our next family vacation will be to Disney! We were just talking today about how much Graem would love to see all of the characters and she'd love the rides and amusement parks!

She might be too much of a weanie to actually ride on the rides...but we can always try!

Hotels Orlando tend to be pretty expensive. That's why I'm glad we came across Orlando.com. The website offers all of the great information about entertainment, traveling and lodging that you when need when traveling to the Orlando area.

Then again, maybe we should do a Disney Vacation with just the adults!

I love the police!



Okay, not the police - as in the cops. Really...I got pulled over a few weeks ago while I was calling in someone else for speeding and nearly running me off the road. As I'm on the cell phone talking with the dispatcher I get pulled over for cell phone useage. Thank God I was able to let the dispatcher talk to the police to give him the information about the bad guy!

But I love THE POLICE as in the music group. Over the years they've been able to stay up front with their new songs and their old songs.

Every once in a while I hear one of their songs on the radio and it's like the song never went away!

The Police are actually going to kick off a new worldwide tour and I'd actually love to be part of the history making event! Along with that they will be hosting a new Police CD that has 28 of their classic tracks.

Check out all of the songs on the newly released Police CD:

Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Fallout
2. Can't Stand Losing You
3. Next to You
4. Roxanne
5. Truth Hits Everybody
6. Hole in My Life
7. So Lonely
8. Message in a Bottle
9. Reggatta de Blanc
10. Bring on the Night
11. Walking on the Moon
12. Don't Stand So Close to Me
13. Driven to Tears
14. Canary in a Coalmine

Disc: 2
1. Do Do Do de da da Da
2. Voices Inside My Head
3. Invisible Sun
4. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
5. Spirits in the Material World
6. Demolition Man
7. Every Breath You Take
8. Synchronicity I
9. Wrapped Around Your Finger
10. Walking in Your Footsteps
11. Synchronicity II
12. King of Pain
13. Murder by Numbers
14. Tea in the Sahara

What could be better than going to one of the most famous bands ever to make rock history? God, I wish I could score some tickets to listen to these guys sing "Roxanne" live. My heart would melt!

This post sponsored by: ThePolice.com

SO DAMN HOT.

Okay, I'm complaining. I swore I'd never complain about it being too hot. But I have my period, the air conditioner is not plugged in and sweat is running down my back.

It's not a pretty picture to say the least and I'm so sweaty and bitchy.

Florida!

I love going to Florida and eating the delicious oranges! This year in particular they have had some amazing crops. However, they've been really expensive. Florida's agriculture provides for an $87 billion dollar industry and provides food for the entire globe!

Check out this video and you'll know why Florida farmers keep the world fed:



This post sponsored by: Florida Agriculture

Margot's surgery results.

Aside from a very sore and tired Margot the results from the colonoscopy were good. They found a 2mm polyp on her colon but the doctor isn't concerned at all. He said he will call us in the next week or so with results from the lab.

All in all, I'm glad she had the test done and I'm going to make sure that she keeps getting one done every five years.

The next step...

We are looking at putting Graem in Montessori School over the next few years. Since she has a late birthday it means that she might have to wait another year before she can actually enter into Kindergarten.

We've thought about going through an innovative tutor, however, we're just not sure there is a professional tutoring center in our area who specializes in young kids.

If we lived next to a Score Learning Center there would be no doubt that Graem would be enrolled in the first class that was eligible for her age group!

In the meantime, I am going to look at their website and see if they offer any workshops in nearby towns that we might be able to get her involved in.

This post sponsored by: Score Learning Centers

Exhausted.

Well, we just got back home after Margot's surgery. We went out to eat, to the bank, Aldi's, and picked Graem up.

I'm so damn tired. Plus it looks like AF is here in full force.

Fun.

Our smart kid.

Graem is extremely bright. Which means as parents we've got to do our job and make sure that she's constantly challenged by her surroundings and provided with every chance to get a top notch education.

In the next few years we might even look towards a summer program that is geared towards offering learning in a fun and educational environment.

Score Summer Programs have been around for years and not only are they noted for giving kids the tools they need to succeed.

Plus, you know they are good at what they do because they are part of the Kaplan family!

This post sponsored by: Score Learning Centers

This weekend.

We are suppose to have a nice sunny weekend coming up. Of course the past few days have been awesome! We've been wearing shorts every day and I just can't get enough of the heat.

Last night was the first night that we had our air conditioner turned on upstairs too.

I love an ice cold room!

I can't see!

Grammy's newest thing is pulling something over her eyes and then saying "I can't see". Of course, a few seconds later she pulls the hat over her head and says "I can see!"

The other day I walked into Graem's room and it was pitch black. I instantly said "I can't see". Last year we purchased some Blinds from Lowes and as usual they were on clearance. As I was trying to pull the blinds up yesterday the end broke off and I was holding a little tassle in my hand!

I probably should have looked at TerrysFabrics.co.uk if I really wanted some quality blinds for Graem's room! Not only do they have a great variety of blinds for the whole house --- but their prices are really reasonable.

This post sponsored by: TerrysFabrics.co.uk

I hope this goes alright...

We are sitting in the waiting room and waiting for Margot to get her colonoscopy. I thought it was for a scan of her insides but she said that if they find something that they'd go ahead and cut it out.

Now I'm a bit more nervous about all of this and I just hope that they aren't in there too long doing surgery. I also hope that the doctor comes out and says that everything is fine and he didn't find anything wrong.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Want to advertise on my blog?

I've had a few people over the past few months actually write me personally and ask if I wouldn't mind writing about their website for money. I didn't know how to actually set it up and so we had the exchange take place through Paypal.

I've also been picked by ReviewMe Advertisers to write about certain websites. What I just found out though is that they take a huge cut of the money that the advertiser pays. Which of course means --- I get less money!

Now, my favorite online blogging company - PayPerPost, has upped the ante! They now offer bloggers the chance to market their blogs seperate from other bloggers.

If an advertiser comes across my website they can request through PPP to have a review written directly by me! It's quite the honor to be chosen, of course, because it means that the advertiser beliefs you've got the skills to properly represent their product or service!

Of course, the perfect advertiser for this blog would probably be an infertility or IVF center or even a service or product that specialized in maternity care or children. It seems like most of my readers are people that are experiencing some type of infertility and currently seeking treatment or they are our family members who are following our progress!

The best thing about PayPerPost Direct is that they only charging advertisers a 10% charge for advertising directly on a particular site!

Stay tuned for ways to advertise on my website and get the word out!

Oh dear God.

So my friend just left who was looking for a sperm donor. At one point I thought I might just kill her. She kept changing her mind about the donor that she wanted and then she's trying to grasp certain ideas...but just doesn't get it.

Finally, I tried to make it as easy as I could for her without punching her out. I put a few donors in front of her and she finally narrowed it down to one.

Then of course she had to bitch about the price.

I hope I get holy points for being so patient.

I love Pingo!

A few months ago PayPerPost sent all of it's loyal bloggers a gift box full of goodies. Enclosed were a few Pingo calling cards!

Our cards were used up in a matter of days and we found them to be easy to add minutes to using our credit card. We have used the Pingo cards to make calls to the Philippines and most recently we used the cards when we travelled to Mexico.

They also offer a virtual International rechargeable phone calling card service!

When we called to find out how much long distance was through our cell phones from Mexico to the United states they were going to charge us close to 75 cents per minute. With Pingo United States to Mexico calling card rates were a small 12.2 cents per minute!

Every little bit helps --- especially when you're on vacation and you want to spend your money on great drinks and fun times! Pingo's is the world's prepaid calling card provider!



This post sponsored by: Pingo.com

A dream come true...

When I was younger I remember babysitting and watching "The Little Mermaid" with the kids. I remember thinking to myself when I have kids I want to watch this movie with them and sing the songs to them as we dance together.

I just did that with Graem.

I must say it was so amazing and magical. To think that I'm a mom and that I have a beautiful daughter who's happy, healthy, and smart!

She even said that "Little Werman is my favorite."

So you think you're a trickster?

Have you ever wanted to do any of those amazing tricks done on the television?

Have you ever wondered how they were able to make things float or disappear?

I've got the secret and it's called: Trickster!

MyTrickster.com offers a great place for magicians and tricksters a like to get new information about magic information. They have thousands of publications that have everything from "Doorway to Delusion" to "Ace Tricks".

You can even check out the trickster forums - where you can meet up with other magicians who share your passion for magic and the mysterious.

You are sure to find any trickster guide that you might be looking for on the website and if you have questions you can pop right on the forums and ask it to all of the experienced magicians out there.

What a great place for networking and community - all under one black hat of a website!

This post sponsored by: MyTrickster.net

Have I been run over?

I really can't believe how damn crampy and pathetic I still feel aftering having the surgery two days ago. I would have figure I would still be sore but this is ridiculous. I'm at the point where my limbs hurt all over and it's an obstacle just to get out of bed or off of the couch.

Yesterday I called the fertility center and postponed our start date. I think starting us up on the birth control pill this weekend with a retrieval date of July 4-5 would have been way too soon - even for me!

So we're going to wait another month, let my body heal, and then gear up for our first IVF cycle.

I'm excited about this!

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Do you need a little motivation?

Lately, with feeling sick I've been feeling anything but motivated! Sometimes I just need a good kick in the pants, other times I need something inspirational to get me back in gear.

Now there's a motivation software that might do just the trick. I've never been much into meditation -- partly because the whole time I'm suppose to be meditating I'm thinking about all of the stuff that has to be done and I become more anxious!

Maybe with the new motivation software offered through Motivator.ws I can wake up every morning ready to do tons of work, clean the house, and also spend great learning and fun time with Graem.

When you go to the website the signup button instantly appears that allows you to sign up for the newsletter and also $4,000 in self help freebies. Unfortunate for me...the popup covers the rest of the website so I can't even read what else they offer!

This post sponsored by: Motivator.ws

Ugh.

I feel horrible. I really do feel like I've been kicked in the gut but my whole body aches too. I also have a sore throat. Today I called and told the fertility center that we would be doing the refund program.

We were going to start the process up starting Saturday ... but it seemed like it was moving way too fast for both Margot and me. So we're going to wait til Margot's next period and start up. I think we'll probably have a late July or early August retrieval.

Hopefully, we'll be ready to go in no time.

Now we just have to get approved $20,000 for the loan!

Get your eyes fixed! Maybe.

Margot has talked a few times about getting Lasik Surgery. I'm still not convinced that they have worked out all of the Lasik Complications that were there from years ago.

ComplicatedEyes.org talks about Lasik Surgery and gives you information on the pros and cons.

The real reason why I don't want Margot to get the surgery is because I think she looks so cute in her funky glasses!

This post sponsored by: ComplicatedEyes.org

sperm.

Without going into too much detail we've had a bit of a sperm mishap. Our known sperm donor that we had been using backed out on us.

It really hurt my feelings because aside from my body only working half of the time and having the miscarriage in December - I felt like this was just another huge letdown.

I remember when the person promised to "be there til the end" and now I feel like he completely let us down. Not to mention he offered something very important without thinking of how it would effect us if he decided to back out - especially, after all we've been through.

Not sure how this is ever going to mend itself. There's no doubt I still care about this person and maybe it was just way taboo for us to even try it in the first place.

I mean there are tons of emotions involved not to mention the future of the child.

Anyway...I guess this was another route that wasn't meant to be.

Sucks.

Do I need an ego booster?

I think not.

I'm probably one of the most confident stay-at-home mothers that you will ever meet. Perhaps, I even border on being a narcissist?

One thing that I constantly struggle with is my weight! I feel like I've tried everything with the exception of subliminal CDs.

At this point I'm not willing to go back to taking weight loss medication since I'm trying to get pregnant and so I'm aiming for different ways to shed the pounds.

Aside from eating better and exercising more CDs that offer subliminal messages might actually do the trick!

You should actually check out this great website, http://www.subliminal-cds.com/, if you need help with areas of your life such as addictions, health matters, fears and phobias and tons of other topics.

They are also running a special now that gives you two free hypnosis sessions, a free book, free memory course, a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee and much more!!!

This post sponsored by: Subliminal-CDs.com

Today's plans

Today I'm just going to take it easy. When Graem wakes up Margot's going to have to come from work since both of our cars are at her office! She will have to pick us up and take us to her work.

From there I'll take Grammy to school and come back home and rest.

At noon our friend Diane is going to come over and I'm going to help her pick out a sperm donor. Her sperm situation turned out horrible over the past weekend and she's given up on men and turning to the sperm bank!

We figure if we order the boys together maybe we'll get a discount on shipping.

Surgery today and our newest plan.

Well today I went in for the Laproscopy and Hysterscopy surgery. The doctor also decided that while he was in there he was going to do ovary drilling.

To our surprise he said that everything was normal. I was quite shocked and almost disappointed at first. I thought for once we might be able to figure out what has caused me such a hard time trying to conceive.

We also talked to the business manager about the refund program that allows for 6 IVFs within 2 years and if they don't get you pregnant you get back the full $20,000.

She did point out that 2nd IVF with them would run us $4,500, 3rd $3,500, and then she said that the 4th one she'd give to us for free. I'm pretty sure it's because Margot turned on the tears.

I guess I just want the guarantee that this is going to work. Like live baby in my arms - 6 good tries - or my $20,000 back.

Now of course...we have to try to get the money!

We want a loan that has a low finance charge with no extra fees associated with it. Plus, we're thinking of a 5 year term so that we can have it paid off without it lingering 10 years out!

Loans.Co-OperativeBank.co.uk is quite the historic and brillant new way to bank! They offer loans to qualified clients but the best thing about their services is that they do not do business with offenders of human rights or companies that cause pollution.

I absolutely adore a company that is not only eco-friendly but also people friendly. Boy, those people in the United Kingdom really know what's going on.

Now if the Americans could just catch on!

This post sponsored by: Loans.Co-OperativeBank.co.uk

Why so early?

You ask! Well, it's 4:00am and I'm awake. I'm pretty excited about doing our up and coming infertility plan and I just can't sleep.

Not to mention, the surgery is taking a nasty toll on my stomach and I feel sick and like I've been kicked in the stomach!

Sunday, May 20, 2007

You got the right stuff?

When I was going to school I was constantly being recruited by some of the big companies out there. I interviewed with Citigroup, Price & Waterhouse, and many others.

I was invited to interview in Austin, Dallas, and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Most of the companies go through recruiters and so you work directly with their human resources department.

However, another way that was becoming increasingly popular was to hire an executive recruiting firm. This way they can outsource the recruiting aspect and have someone who specialize in an area find talented candidates. Recruiters from A.E. Feldman and Associates do just that. They find some of the greatest talent in the business and then market them to your company. Many candidates are tested and interviewed before they are actually shown to the company. This of course, saves everyone time and money in the long run.

A.E. Feldman and Associates specializes in: financial and risk management services, legal and legal support services, communications and technology, human resources consulting, and luxury products recruiting.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Go FISH!

I used to love the game Go Fish! I always got beat by my parents and I'm starting to think now that they might have been cheating together to beat me!

Now, I'm not currently in the market ... but I must say that I'd absolutely love to have a date with Mirelly Taylor! She's been in movies like: "Kiss Me Again", "Serving Sara", "Las Vegas", and "Numb3rs".

GoFish.com is running a special contest that would allow me to win a date with Mirelly! Of course, since I have shared this information with you -- it could just as easily be yourself sitting next to this babe and sipping on apple-tinis!

Seduce-a-celebrity will be available over the next 14 weeks through GoFish.com and you can check out some of the hilarious video submissions online now! The website was easy to use and you can watch the videos directly on their website.

Check out these awesome Free videos at GoFish.com!!!

I love Andrew Firestone from "The Bachelor" and he explains what GoFish.com is all about here:



Okay, people, I've given you all of the information to have a hot date and it's up to you to do the right thing! Would three be a crowd if you were to win the date? Mirelly's such a nice girl...I'm sure she wouldn't mind a third wheel along on your date!

Not to mention, I've totally hooked you up with some HILARIOUS videos!!!

I feel like hell.

Well, not only do I have a horrible earache but my back has been acting up too. I think it's probably the hotel beds and the long hours in the airplane. I just feel totally out of whack.

We were planning on going to New York City this weekend to visit Margot's family but I think we're going to hold off on that and save it for another weekend when we're rested up.

It's that time of year!

I'm talking about summer camp time! Each year a listing of summer camps appears in our local newspaper. Most of them deal with sports, art or science.

At this point we're really assuming that Graem's going to be pretty advanced and we want to give her every academic possiblity that we can. That's why we're looking at EScore.com! They offer some great summer camps for kids looking to get ahead.

Score! Educational Centers offer over 15 years of teaching kids how to study and become academically stellar! They are a member of the Kaplan family and thousands trust them to educate and provide essential skills in: Math, Reading, Spelling and Writing.

This poist sponsored by: Escore.com

Our next step...

I have no friggin' clue what our next step is going to be to try to get pregnant. We've decided that we're only going to use Margot's brother a few more times due to some issues that are coming up.

We've thought about looking into one of the outcome based programs. Basically, you pay a lot of money and if you don't get pregnant you get the money back. If you do...even if it's on the first try -- you don't get anything back.

It's like you're buying a baby.

Our poor animals!

We feel sorry for our animals because ever since the baby was born we seem to neglect them! By that...I mean they just don't get the love and attention that they used to.

We've learned to keep up with their routine maintenance and shots because if you don't -- you could end up spending an arm and a leg on vet bills!

We've considered pet health insurance over the past few months because as our pets get older at some point they're going to need more vet visits and care. Not to mention, the last time one of our cats got hurt it cost almost $2,000!!

PetCareInsurance.com offers just about everything you might want to know about pet insurance. They offer a great website and you can even sign up online!

This post sponsored by: PetCareInsurance.com

CD 33

Well, I took a test yesterday because I was 14dpo and it came back negative. So I'm pretty much assuming that I'm not pregnant. Of course, I'll go Tuesday for my laproscopy and hysterscopy. They'll do a pregnancy test there just to make sure something's not going on.

I should have known when we were in Mexico and swimming with dolphins --- we got the one dolphin that was 5 months pregnant.

Go figure, if it's not pregnant 13 year olds that I teach --- it's the damn dolphins.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Take care of your customers...

or someone else will!

I learned that lesson years ago and it's the truth!

When I started my business I bought the program AIM! I had worked as a Marketing Intern years ago for a research lab and they used it for their clients. The software was somewhat expensive and honestly didn't have many features. The only reason why I purchased it was that I was familiar with it and knew that it wouldn't take me long to learn.

Now crm is offered at it's best with AIMPromote! Aim offers on-demand lead management software. The great thing about the software is that it's easy to use and you can focus on building your customer database and closing sales - instead of having to learn a confusing and difficult software program.

Right now, AIMPromote.com is offering a free 14 day trial period! Check it out for 14 days and if you like it - keep it!

Now that's good customer service and they must be so confident that you'll like it -- it's got to be worth it!

This post sponsored by: AIMPromote.com

AUGH.

I just got off the phone with Graem's pediatrician office. Come to find out the medication that she's suppose to get from the doctor's office has to be preauthorized and her insurance takes 10 damn days.

Basically, they want you to sample the medication, make sure that she's going to get better on it, and then they will approve it.

Why in the hell do we pay $250/month for this shitty insurance when it doesn't even cover an allergy med that will help with her wheezing and asthma?

That's not a matter that you screw around with.

Drug Rehab

Just a few years ago we had to work with a family member who was trying to overcome an addiction to alcohol and drugs. We saw the writing on the walls and as easy as it would have been for us all to ignore the signs...we cared too much.

We were able to seek help from professional social workers and they were able to guide us through the proper steps and interventions to approach our loved one.

The first phase was denial and finally after being admitted and tested - we realized that our loved one, in fact, was an addict.

We had no idea what drug rehab to go to and really had to trust that the social worker knew which one would be best for our loved one.

At Stone Hawk the staff are all trained to deal with drug and alcohol addiction. The staff also knows what addiction is like because they've all had similar situations. They have gone through the program and are there to offer support and a care environment for their patients.

This post sponsored by: www.narcononstonehawk.com

Well that's a bad idea.

We were thinking that we might do a hotel tonight in Syracuse, leave the car there and take the airport shuttle to the airport.

Bad idea. I called around and the cheapest I could get a room for and keep the car parked was $145 and that's including tax.

The one cheap hotel next to the airport said that they don't have any more space for Park and Ride.

Bitches.

I *heart* PPP!

What more can I say than I *heart* PayPerPost!

Margot got I got hooked about 8 months ago. She started blogging back in August and I used to give her such a hard time for writing posts and making a couple of bucks here and there.

Then I heard that her brother had made a thousand dollars and I was hooked!

Many companies are turning to blog advertising for marketing their products and services - which means that it's a huge industry for both bloggers and blog-for-money companies! Not to mention, the exposure that the advertisers receive is priceless!

Margot has two websites and I have two websites and we figured the other day that if we keep blogging the way that we're going -- we will make close to $20,000 this year from blogging alone!

Tomorrow we're leaving for our all-inclusive, five star vacation, to Cancun, Mexico and we'd like to thank PayPerPost.com for financing the trip!

Cheers, PPP!

ONE MORE DAY!

In less than 24 hours my ass is going to be parked on the beach getting trashed. I know it's not a pretty picture...but I will not tell a lie!

I'm so excited about leaving and going to a nice sunny place with a beach! Good thing Ithaca brought on the rain today cause for a minute there I thought I was going to miss out on beautiful springy weather up here!

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

HELP!

I absolutely hate my new computer. Our old computer died when Grammy decided that it would be funny to pour a whole bottle of water over the laptop! To say the least it did not boot up after the incident.

We ended up buying a new Dell Laptop. It was suppose to be faster and have more memory. The downfall....it has Windows Vista.

After hours on the phone with Dell support I've come to the reality that Vista sucks and I just need to move on.

Which of course means that I'm in the market for Windows XP.

For anyone that's shopped for PC Software you'll know that it doesn't come cheap.

I'm constantly looking for bargains and it doesn't matter if I'm buying a $9.99 DVD or a $2,000 Sony HD Television - I want to get the best deal.

That's why when I came across BuyPCSoft.com I had to share the news! They offer software cheaper than most of the vendors out there. They also offer all of the great brands like: Adobe, Autodesk, Corel, Filemaker, and Microsoft.

I was happy to see that when I looked for Windows XP Home they have it for only $134.95. That's about $40 cheaper than I was going to pay at our local office supply.

This post sponsored by: BuyPCSoft.com

One more day!!

Well, our Cancun vacation is right around the corner and I absolutely can't friggin' wait.

Of course tomorrow is going to be the day of hell. I have so much to do and it seems like the clock is tickin'!

Thank God, I don't have to work tomorrow.

I don't know how we ever used to go anywhere back when I used to work!

Tee-mobile!

We're very close to making the change to another cell phone provider. I haven't done all of my homework yet because we don't renew til February.

I figure I might as well not waste valuable time because the deals, plans, and phones will be different by the time we're ready to switch over.

One thing I can say is that T-Mobile cell phones are HOT!

They offer the Motorola V3.

I just spotted one of the Dolce and Gabbana phones the other day and didn't realize what their gold RAZR was until I asked the person. Talk about a bling phone!

Then there's one of my favorite - the Blackberry Pearl! I was totally drooling over it until my brother-in-law told me it didn't have a full keypad and the letters were two per button.

I just don't think my fat fingers could handle that.

The plans at T-Mobile are AWESOME. So much better than Sprint, Verizon, and Cingular. In fact, if they offered good service here I'd be the first to sign up.

Who knows...maybe by the time we're ready to get a new plan they will be offering the iPhone buy one, get one free!

Wishful thinking, I know.

This post sponsored by: Wirefly.com

Wendy'ed out.

Tonight we went to the mall for dinner. It was a nice way for all three of us to eat under $10. I think that's about all I can say for our meal.

Wendy's always makes me feel like hell afterwards. Even after I eat one of their taco salads.

Make the wise choice.

My parents used to always go to a financial advisor. Each year the advisor would tell them to invest their money in a certain fund and each year they'd lose all of their money!

They've finally changed investment bankers!

Maybe they should check out Venture Alliance Partners. They are a relatively new firm that has already proven themselves in the equity market. They have seasoned professionals that are ready to work in your best interest.

This post sponsored by: Venture Alliance Partners

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Way to go Hayfield!!

People are talking about Hayfield Dental Care and I like what they're saying! Most recently one of their clients wrote about chipping a tooth and seeking their care. She talked about how responsive they were to their needs and how they handled the situation with professionalism and ease.

That's certainly not a story that you hear everyday! In fact, most of the time it's just the opposite!!

Dr. Brown has preformed thousands of procedures including crowns, root canals, and surgical procedures. So I'm sure he could probably handle my simple cleaning and x-ray every 6 months!

Something that's very important to me and speaks volumes of Dr. Brown as a dentist is that he has ZERO complaints with the Virginia Board of Dentistry. That's absolutely amazing!

Another great thing about Hayfield Dental Care is that they are accepting new patients and also open to emergency situations.

Give them a call and remember that you only have one set of adult teeth - so take care of them!

heheheh

Today when I was putting Grammy down for nap I was lying next to her. She always sings a little bit and then goes to bed. She kept saying "HI MAMA." Finally, I opened my eyes and said "Hi, precious." She replied, "I'm not precious, I'm Graem."

How cute is that?

Another night...

of eating out! I love eating out. Obviously.

I think we might go to the BBQ place located just down the street. They have a little bit of everything and I absolutely love that they have Sam Adams Cherry Wheat on tap. I make sure to get a pint every time we go there.

Get ready for Mother's Day!

Graem hasn't done too bad over the past couple of years when it comes to Mothers Day Gifts. She tends to get us nice cards and then takes us out for Thai Cuisine Sunday Dim Sum.

This year, however, she might send flowers from DotFlowers! They have great bouquets and also offer gift baskets too. Their flowers are always fresh and tend to come from a local florist.

What would be a better gift than to walk into our hotel in Cancun and see a great big gift basket our bouquet of flowers - marked "Happy Mother's Day!"

Their website is so easy to order from that she can even place an order by herself!

The girl's got taste is all I can say. Thank God, she got that from me!

Maybe it's Margot's turn?

With Mother's Day approaching I've been trying to figure out the perfect gift to get Margot. Of course, we're going to be in Cancun at an all inclusive, five star resort, and sipping on margaritas...but I'm sure there's a nice gift I can get her too!

We've had Cingular, Verizon, and Sprint as cell phone providers. Right now we have a contract with Verizon which is due to end in February of next year. I've been looking at the different plans available and I'm really not sure which one is going to be the best for us.

They really are just about the same with the exception of the web stuff and phones.

Maybe I'll hook up with the newest Cingular Wireless promotion: a free RAZR cell phone!

Of course, she'd have to get another color than baby pink because that's the one that I have!

We've talked about waiting til the iPhone comes out but the reality is...we don't use the mp3 much and I might just want to go with a Blackberry. We were talking this weekend with Margot's brother and he's the guru on technology and in particular cell phones.

I think I probably want to get us phones that have the full keyboard. God knows I'm horrible at the texting with just a cell phone and my eyesight isn't what it used to be.

I think I've just got to wait it out and the phone that I want will be a freebie in no time!

When I'm ready...I'm going to check out Wirefly.com. They have a great website where you can compare plans and even see what free offers they have on phones!

This post sponsored by: Wirefly.com

That was fun!

We spent this afternoon outside enjoying the great weather. It actually got pretty hot out and we ended up coming inside for Grammy's nap.

I'm not sure how athletic Graem is going to be. I tried to teach her how to catch the ball today with her glove and she not only wanted to put the glove on her right hand and throw with her left hand (lefthanded)... but she insisted on holding the glove and not placing it on her delicate fingers. Hmmm...

She did a great job at throwing while I showed her how to hit.

To read or not to read...

When Grace was 4 and we lived in Dallas she would come to close to reading and you could tell she just needed a little extra help. She would pick up a book and act like she was reading.

We hired reading tutors to come to the house but it she had a really hard time connecting with these people because each time it was a different person.

We ended up taking her to a Score! Educational Center in Plano and they were amazing. They offered wonderful tutors who really knew what they were doing.

When she entered into Kindergarten she was one step ahead of her schoolmates. She not only knew her letters but she was able to start with the 1st grade readers!

This post sponsored by: EScore.com

Enjoying this beautiful day!

We're sitting out in the front yard and the weather couldn't be more perfect! The sun is shining and it's actually hot but with a nice breeze. We played baseball earlier and Grammy has quite the pitching arm!

We had a great picnic lunch complete with sandwiches and apples.

Who knows we might even nap out here this afternoon.

Are you an alien?

I'm not talking about an alien from mars...but an illegal alien.

Margot's dad has been trying for years to become an US citizen. He has hired attorney upon attorney to do the paperwork for him to gain citizenship and for one reason or another things have not proceeded forward.

Now he can apply for US Citizenship Online! It's really never been easier.

USCitizenship.info gives all of the information he would need to fill out the application and it's easy and fast. There are endless reasons why he would want to become a citizen at this point.

To think that he's spent thousands of dollars to get something done that he can do online.

I'm glad they've finally made this an easy process. Afterall, after 30 something years you'd think there wouldn't be many hoops at all to jump through!

This post sponsored by: USCitizenship.info

Yikes!

I just posted a few blog postings and all of a sudden our main website was down. Yikes...boy, was Margot going to be pissed. Now all of a sudden it seems like things are up and running again.

Whew...I was sweating some major bullets!

New places and faces?

It seems like I'm constantly seeing the same infertility clinics in the news and on the boards. When I do a search on infertility clinics I end up getting all of the clinics that pay tons to the search engines or do extra advertising.

At this point I want to go with a successful clinic that doesn't spend millions each year on advertising and trying to get business!

I came across a new website called masterseek and it seems like the perfect business search engine that might be able to point me to the perfect clinic.

You can actually search national listings too!

I like the website because it's easy to use and you can search by business name or by category. The listings are free and you can search the basic profiles, see the management involved, and even view the website.

I wish everything was this easy!

Shrinky Dink appointment.

Well, I went for my much needed shrink appointment and it was nice to talk to her about what's been going on - going to the Philippines, sperm donor issues, not getting pregnant, family.

She thinks that I should just let the sperm donor thing go. Margot's brother has already agreed to do the inseminations over the next two months. I just need to go along with it without thinking or reading into anything else. Much less, worry about it all.

She thinks my anxiety is somewhat justified considering all that we've been through and all of the planning that we have to do for each cycle. One thing that she mentioned was getting Margot more involved with all of this - including the decision making for the upcoming sperm donor when/if we do IVF.

So last night we chose the sperm donor. We thought were were going to go with the Architect but after buying his $70 profile we realized that he was a smoker. Not only is that distgusting ... but it can really disturb the sperm and cause them to be bad.

So we found this guy who seems really nice, he's 6'2", Chinese, and a teacher! The bad part is he's not a known donor. I really think it's cultural for these Chinese donors to want to remain anonymous. I mean it is a big step to donate and then not know what's going to happen in 18 years when 20 of your off spring come knocking on your door!

I love a good...

pay-for-blogging website. Most of the pay-for-blogging companies that I've been a part of have become way too complicated and you end up spending most of your time trying to figure out all of the rules etc.

I was given Bloggerwave by someone who visited our website and left a comment!

This must be a bloggers best kept secret because I love the setup they offer and the website is so easy to use! Not to mention, this morning I logged on and was instantly eligible for some great opps!

That's pretty damn cool.

Monday, May 07, 2007

From bad to worse.

So today I've felt pretty shitty. The whole sperm thing has gotten to me and made me anxious, upset, and sad.

Then I went to look at the sperm donor online that I thought we liked and he's a smoker with no pregnancies. Great.

I go to my shrink appointment, walk through the door, and Margot tells me that her friend calls. Her friend and her husband have been TTC for a while now. Well, she tells me that they're pregnant with twins.

I seriously feel like every one is pregnant except me. I'm so sick and tired of this happening month after month. I feel like it's never going to be my turn.

These past few months are a very futile attempt and I don't understand why just once I can't luck out and strike it lucky.

I hate my life today.

Our cell phones.

Margot has a cell phone that is ancient and I'm not even sure they offer accessories for it!

I have the pink Motorola RAZR and I've been quite disappointed with it's performance and the features. I actually ended up getting the blue tooth headset and I was pretty disappointed because it wasn't that clear and people could barely hear me talking.

I think at this point I might look and see what other cell phone accessory they offer for the phone. Maybe they offer a better headset than the one that I tried over a year ago.

WireFly.com offers a wide variety of accessories for almost every cell phone out there.

Of course, at some point soon we're going to want to get new phones when we update our plan in December! Who knows maybe Santa will put some new iPhones, Blackberrys, or Treos in our stocking this year!!

This post is sponsored by: Wirefly.com

Shrinky Dink.

Well, thank God...the shrink just called to see if I needed an appointment. It's like she was reading my mind.

She's a pretty good therapist as therapists go. She helps me sort through all of the shit in my life and it's been really nice to talk to someone about family and the miscarriage stuff that I've gone through.

So I ended up making an appt for 5:30 today. She's always curious to hear about what's going on with us in the infertility department.

At this point I have to draw a chart with what we're doing and what we've done.

I love Q-pons!

I'm a huge fan of coupons. In fact, just the other day I was about to buy some diapers at Target for a friend and didn't have my coupons and so I didn't bother!

Lately, we've been buying items online and I'm the first to find online coupons codes to use. In fact just the other day when we bought our computer we used the Dell coupons offered!

Now, don't get me started on the computer that constantly breaks and is a piece of junk!! But at least I got a good deal on it!

CouponChief.com offers coupons for tons of vendors and you're guaranteed to find some of the best coupons that aren't expired!!

Take it from the frugal mama -- this place rocks! Hmm...I wonder if there are any coupons for entertainment in Cancun, Mexico!!

This post sponsored by: CouponChief.com

Why does this have to be so damn hard.

So we've been going back and forth trying to figure out what our next step is going to be as far as TTC. Now we're faced with the situation that Den's new gf is having a hard time with him donating sperm.

Fuck.

As if all of this isn't frustrating enough for us. I feel like we finally found light at the end of the tunnel and the perfect solution was going to be using him as a donor. Not only would the kid look just like Margot...but it's the only way for us to have a biological kid together.

Now, Den feels like he's in the middle and trying to please both us and his girlfriend. It totally sucks.

From a girlfriend prospective I think I'd probaby feel like his gf. However, I'd also realize early into the relationship that some things are negotiable and some things aren't. Either a take it or leave it. Obviously, this far she's decided that it isn't a big deal...

So, I think what we're going to do two more months. One clomid round and one injectibles round. Then, we're going to move on to IVF and use donor sperm.

I hate all of this and wish it could just be easier.

Daycare.

Graem goes to daycare at one of the local daycare centers. She only goes Wednesday and Friday and in the next few months she'll be moving over to the main center from the center at the Assisted Living place.

We really love the place that she's out but they are constantly looking for good workers. They have very high turnover and I'm sure it's due to the low wages that child care givers make.

DayCareBear.ca is a website that connects daycare centers and individuals looking for daycare with prospective childcare workers.

What a great idea considering there's such a huge shortage in this area.

This post sponsored by: DayCareBear.ca

Blood - CD 22

Well, I'm on CD 22 today and I'm thinking about going for bloodwork today to see if I ovulated or not. Basically it will tell me if I am in the phase or past it?

I think I'm also going to continue to pee on a stick. Those sticks are so confusing because not once have I gotten two exact blue lines or had the test line stronger.

AUGH.

Yesterday I swore I looked at the stick until the line started getting darker. Then I'd have to look away just to get perspective!

Saturday, May 05, 2007

You have a dreamy nose.

I've always hated my nose. It's round and fat. I know it's hereditary and I'm just praying that my offspring doesn't get it.

During Easter when we went to New York to visit Margot's dad who is a Plastic Surgeon he commented on how I should get a nose job. Gee, thanks.

But rhinoplasty might be in my not-so-distant future. Now there's a place where I can go on Rodeo Drive and have surgery done in a luxurious and salon setting.



The doctors at RodeoDriveRhinoplasty have years of experience and work their hardest to make sure that you look your best. You walk into a beautiful setting where they treat you like a queen - then you leave the beautiful setting where you look like a queen!

Not to mention after your procedure is successful you can head out shopping or better yet you can go for a massage, spa, or get a new hairstyle.

If it's a new image that you want ... you'll get one with Rodeo Drive Rhinoplasty! Maybe this is the thing that I need to get myself into shape and looking hot again! Then again, maybe I'll start on the 50 pounds or so that I need to lose.

This post sponsored by: Rodeo Drive Rhinoplasty

Exhausted.

So I know this is a weekend but I'm so damn exhausted. I waited up late for Dennis to get in last night and then I didn't sleep good at all.

Today we went to the farmer's market and then to the outlet mall. We bought tons of stuff and ended up walking about 2 miles!

Now it's dinner time and we're all stuffed because we ate snacks at one of the stores at the outlet mall.

We are family!

My family never purchased encyclopedias when we were kids. They were way to expensive and we really didn't have much space in our house for them!

Now you can check online for information that's listed in encyclopedias! They have everything from Interstate Bakeries articles to American Beef Packers.

This post sponsored by: http://www.encyclocentral.com

O'd Yesterday.

In all of my chaos with subbing I forgot to update and write that I think I got a pretty good surge yesterday. Of course I had to do the ovulation predictor kit while I was on break during subbing!

So last night Den came in and we ended up doing the insemination at 1:00 in the morning. We were all exhausted but timing is everything.

Hopefully, that was the surge and we're getting the timing down this time.

Friday, May 04, 2007

Just if we had...

a garage! We've been thinking about adding onto our house for sometime. We'd want to do a nice garage and upstairs do a nice family room that connects to the rest of the house.

Of course we're all about utilizing our space and using garage storage!

Check out CarGuyGarage.com for all of the greatest storage ideas and over 1,000 different products and accessories to help you keep the cleanest garage in town!

This post sponsored by: CarGuyGarage.com

Take me away!

We're starting to get excited about our vacation in a week. In fact, this time next week we'll be on a plane to Cancun, Mexico! I have a feeling that we might get one more great beachy vacation before Grammy will start requesting fun and kiddy vacations!

Universal Studios Tickets and Disney Tickets have always been pretty expensive. That's why I'm glad I stumbled across OrlandoFunTicket.com.

They have great offers on tickets and entertainment in the Orlando area. It's also a great place to see what type of things are available without actually being in Florida.

God knows it's hard enough planning a vacation for two adults and one child from New York!

Thursday, May 03, 2007

AccuWeather.com

I love a good challenge and now there's finally a way to enter the accuweather video challenge!

You can do a real video forecast for accuweather and you could win $5,000 cold, hard cash!

AccuWeather allows you to a place to receive free nature information, blogging, web and social networking. By using the network you can connect with others who have your same interests. It is a friendly environment for people who are looking for customization, easy installation, and seamless integration.

I can appreciate that it comes in both English and Spanish. That way when we go to Mexico over the next few days we can get the information translated into Spanish.

Don't forget to submit your video for a chance to win the big bucks and remember who told you about the offer when you get your big, fat, check in the mail!

Sicker than a dog.

Last night I came down with the scoots. Then at 1:30am I started vomiting. I couldn't even keep down gatorade or water. Last night I wasn't able to sleep.

Today I was miserable. I'm so cramp and my head and eyes just ache.

I thought it was the Borders sandwich I had purchased but Grammy's daycare called today and said that there are three parents and three kids that had the exact same thing!

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

No, really...you need the feedback.

When I was Executive Director at a health care agency we constantly reviewed employees. We believed in providing quality feedback would help them become better and in turn know what they were doing wrong and right.

Now there's a new way for reviews to be done. 360 degree feedback allows employees to do an appraisal on their boss.

It's really a good idea. A manager can only cater to their employees if they know what the needs are.

Check out this press release:

Selecting and recruiting the right people for your business is important but what really matters is how well people perform once they are in the job and whether they become a positive asset to your business.
“Getting the right person to work for you is only the start of the story.” Says Richard Oppenheimer, Director of Appraisal360. “It’s easy to select someone who ticks all the right boxes on paper, but what really matters is how they interact with other members of staff, customers and suppliers once they are in the job.”
These so called soft skills are often overlooked by employers who focus hard on qualifications and CV’s. And although these hard factors are important, research shows that actual success is far more dependent on people’s Emotional Intelligence than anything else.
“Emotional Intelligence at work is all about how people conduct themselves and work together.” says Richard, “We look at aspects such as self motivation, how people manage their emotions, how they relate to other people, self awareness and their ability to coach and support others.”
Of course, the only real way to assess these things objectively is to ask other people – and that’s where the problems start. “Sometimes it can be difficult to get objective feedback for whatever reason, and so the employee doesn’t really have anywhere to start from.” Which is why Appraisal360 have introduced a new online tool which uses 360 degree feedback.
“The advantage of the Appraisal360 system,” says Richard, “is that it allows us to gather feedback confidentially from colleagues, associates, customers or indeed anyone who knows that person well.” The employee then gets a detailed report which forms a cornerstone of their training and development plan.
“We’ve found that using a 360 degree feedback system like Appraisal360 often makes a dramatic difference to the way teams of people work together. It can be immensely liberating for the individual to have an accurate appraisal of how other people perceive them – and they often gain a lot of confidence because they find that people see in them qualities that they hadn’t realised.”
Most of us can think of someone who doesn’t seem to be aware of the impact that they have on other people – but the difficulty is always finding a way of fixing the problem in an objective way that leads to a positive outcome. People are more likely to accept the messages they get from 360 degree feedback than they are from one to one discussions with the boss, which they can see as one sided or uninformed. “It’s very difficult to hide from something if everybody is saying the same thing.” says Richard Oppenheimer, Director of Appraisal360. “We generally gather feedback from six other people as well as the person themselves to compile our reports. And because it’s all done online by an outside company people can be confident that they can be honest in what they say and it won’t be taken personally.”
Some employers decide to roll out 360 degree feedback right across their workforce – with dramatic effects in many cases. Things tend to run much more smoothly when there is an open supportive culture where you work and many employers now routinely include regular 360 degree feedback as part of their staff training, development and appraisal programme.
“Most major companies have been using 360 degree feedback for some time now,” says Richard, “and now you can too. The service that we offer together with Appraisal360 is quick, easy and cost effective. And it’s designed for employers who really want to see their people succeed and grow.”



This post sponsored by: Appraisal360.co.uk

It's a spaghetti night!

It's been a while since we've had pasta. I've sworn off white rice after eating that for 8 days in the Philippines. So tonight we're eating some yummy spaghetti with frozen meatballs and sauce.

I couldn't be happier!

Fix your eyes.

Margot's brother had Lasik surgery about 8 years ago when it was brand new. It worked really good for a while and then his vision required him to wear glasses again.

Medical advances these days allows for a more precise and better surgery. USAEyes.org offers information on the newest studies and also gives you information so that you can consider if Lasik is the right solution for you.

This post sponsored by: USAEyes.org

Coffee for breakfast. Coffee for lunch.

Well, I have had two cups of coffee and boy do I feel like a wild child. I love my Java and it works wonders for my diet. It gives me tons of energy and it's also a diaretic! Woo Woo! Let the games begin.

Of course, I feel somewhat sorry for the poor Indian guy on the other end of the phone line when I was bitching out Dell a few minutes ago.

Darn computer.

I just got off the phone with Dell after spending hours complaining about my new computer's performance. Basically, I've had to turn off all anti-virus software installed because Vista is using way too much memory and the computer keeps crashing.

Today I came across great free Antivirus downloads that will actually provide me with some security so that I don't bug out the computer.

FreeAntiVirusInfo.com offers information and free downloads that are helpful to anyone who has a computer! The best thing about them is that the programs don't take up tons of memory like our current anti-virus.

Now, if we could just get the computer to work again and be able to open more than one screen at a time!

This post sponsored by: FreeAntiVirusInfo.com

Not holding my breath.

Well, I have no idea if I'm ever going to ovulate. I guess I'll continue to pee on sticks for the next few days. Margot's brother is coming to stay with us this weekend and so at least if I surge then he'll be there and I won't have to travel on a whims notice.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Steel Buildings.

I've never really known much about steel buildings but after reading up on them I think I have a much better understanding of the different types that are offered along with the different brands.

SteelBuildings.Ws offers a website soley devoted to steel buildings. You'll learn everything about the different types of steel buildings and the demographics that they cater to.

This post sponsored by: SteelBuildings.Ws

Margot working late.

I told Margot she can work late today. She's stressing out over all of the deadlines and I think it's better for her to put a few extra hours in here and there because it makes her feel like she's in control of the situation.

Plus, Graem appears to be napping pretty good --- I'm guessing she might not wake up til around 6 or so.

Hopefully, she won't be too wired this evening and will be able to go to bed!

Tires.

I just wrote in an earlier post about how I needed to get new tires for the 2006 Toyota Matrix. I was so shocked that they didn't even last 20,000! I've started looking for a discount tire place that will hook this poor sister up.

We used to go to TireRack.com but their prices have gone through the roof - plus, they now charge for shipping.

I'm going to check out discounttire.ws this time. I'm not going to make the mistake so many people do - buying tires at Sears or the local mechanic!

This post sponsored by: DiscountTire.Ws

Damn cars.

I am so sick of putting money into our cars. Yesterday I took the Honda in for an oil change and tire rotation - $32.00. Today, I took the Toyota Matrix in for the same thing. I was told that we need all four tires replaced. Of course, they quoted me close to $450 to get new tires, rotation and balance.

What a waste of money.

Why don't we have better public transit in upstate New York?

And I was excited about my PR3!



This morning when Margot woke me up and told me our page rank had gone up to three I just about cried. I've been working pretty hard on our websites for the past few years to build traffic and provide our readers with some good noteworthy information.

Now I've come across a bid link directory that's going to help my page rank increase even more! BigWebLinks.com is a web directory where the little guy can be on top! Simply bid on a spot on their directory and you can be listed anywhere.

Talk about links - - - BigWebLinks.com is a big PAGE RANK of 7. *drool*

This post sponsored by: BigWebLinks.com

Rain?

The weather outside is so indecisive today. I swore it was going to rain but it hasn't rained a drop yet. It's starting to get cold again and I'll be damned if it doesn't snow.

If that's the case I'm packing up and moving to California.

For Pete's sake...it's MAY!

Maui Condos

I've always dreamed of going to Maui. The pictures I have seen are breathtaking. We went to the Carribbean a few years ago - but I still have my eyes set on Maui!

Maui condos have always been pretty expensive when I've looked online. But I found a great place that offers some beautiful places for really reasonable rates. HawaiianBeachRentals.com is a great website where you can plan your next Hawaiian Vacation! They offer pictures and profiles of the different condos, houses, and apartments they have available.

This is the perfect idea for families like ours - that have kids. Hotels don't work that great because they're always noisy and not enough room to spread out. Renting a condo allows you the flexibility to cook at home and hang out in a home-like environment.

Just take a look at what I'm talking about:



KAUAI, HI--(MARKET WIRE)--Feb 19, 2007 -- Recommendations by the 9/11 Commission have led to a new law that requires US citizens returning to the country by air to show a passport. As of 2006, only a quarter of the American public actually held a passport. Hawaiian Beach Rentals recently conducted an informal survey that projected a marked increase in domestic travel as a result of the new passport legislation.

In accordance with the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, the passport requirement is a part of the states' and Homeland Security's Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Charles Koehl of Hawaiian Beach Rentals states, "Our staff recently conducted an informal survey of our customers. In light of the new passport regulations, more than half the customers questioned intend to make domestic travel arrangements as opposed to scheduling international travel. In fact, one of our customers who's spent her life traveling the south pacific told us that as long as her favorite Kauai condo is available, there's really no need to leave the US."

As early as January 1, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security expects to have similar passport requirements that apply to sea travel. Traveling to domestic destinations such as an all-inclusive Kauai vacation package will allow tourists to plan exotic, luxurious, and hassle-free vacations by air or sea without having to obtain a passport.

Mr. Koehl further says, "American travelers now find it easier to come to Hawaii than other international destinations, but still want a customized experience that only local people can help coordinate. Hawaiian Beach Rentals offers accommodations such as Kauai vacation rental homes, condos and hotels, as well as airfare and car rentals to customers wanting to travel to Hawaii. Our services include up to date local information about Hawaii and the ability for customers to quickly and easily pay for their vacation online via a secure payment process." Additional information and incredible color photos of domestic travel destinations in Hawaii are available online at Hawaiian Beach Rentals.

This post sponsored by: http://www.hawaiianbeachrentals.com

Baby down.

Today was quite the battle with little Grammy. She wouldn't go to bed for anything. Finally, after taking away all toys and holding her down - she was gone within 10 seconds.

Now if she'll just sleep for a few good hours - we'll be set!

Looking for birding binoculars?

We are live within 20 minutes of Cornell's Lab of Ornithology. Last summer I used to take Graem to the bird lab and on the bird trails. They are perfectly groomed, have great information and resting spots and the perfect place to find tons of different species of birds.

Maybe this summer I'll even get some birding binoculars. That way I don't have to squint to see the birds. Many times the birds are so high up that you really can't even see them with the naked eye.

The binoculars at Dicks Sporting Good or even the Lab of Ornithology are really expensive. That's why I'm going to look at EagleOptics.com. They have just about every type of binocular you could ever think of.

Plus they offer free financing on orders over $200 and a great staff who really knows their product.

Don't leave home with without a good pair of binoculars!

This post sponsored by: EagleOptics.com

No O for me.

Right when I thought I had it figured out and I might be ovulating. Nupe. I got my bloodwork back today and it shows that I'm still in the follicular phase. Of course, I keep peeing on those damn sticks and getting two lines.

But one is definately still darker than the other.

Shit.

Just checking something out...


Web Page Rank Icon



Does this work or what?

Oh yeah, baby. Page Rank of 3. Read'm and weep.

Maybe we'll get our own place afterall.

With our upcoming vacation approaching we're starting to think that we might want to purchase a nice vacation home. What better place to look than at North Cyprus Property. Our United States dollars go a long way in that country and you can get a dream home for mere pennies.

What a great place to relax and get away from the day to day hassles. WellEstates.com can make your dream house come true at a fraction of the cost that you'd spend on something local.

Get a home away from home!

This post sponsored by: Wellestates.com

God Bless America.

So, I have no idea what my day holds. I'm going to try and see if I can get bloodwork done at the hospital to see if I'm about to ovulate or if I've already had the big O.

This shit is so frustrating. At one point I think I'm going to sit out a cycle and I'm alright with that...then I'm tempted to pee on the damn stick.

Of course, it comes out two darkish lines so I get excited that I might be ovulating. So I pee on another 3 sticks - lines not as dark.

So I don't know if I missed it or maybe I just didn't do the other three at the right time of day with a full bladder.

I seriously have no idea how people do the whole trying and pee on sticks thing for a year at a time. I've done it for two months now and I'm ready to throw those damn sticks away.

I got the Clear Plan Infertility Monitor and I can't start that til I get my period. Then from there it will track my fertility and keep a history. The good thing is that it will use past data to analyze when you might be getting your ovulation surge.

Why does this have to be so damn confusing? I wish I had a fountain of sperm in the backyard that I could just go to every night, fill my bucket up and return home.

Okay, that was distgusting.

I swear I'll never think about that again. Back to lesbian thoughts.
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