Author: Ally

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Flowers

I am the coupon queen. I love to find deals for all of the stuff I buy. One of the latest deals I have found is for flowers – just in time for Valentines Day. I love flowers and I love sending them to my mom and sister. I like to send flowers at random times of the year just to make them smile. It is very nice to receive flowers for no other reason then for someone to say I love you and appreciate you.

I am going to grow a bunch of flowers this spring out in the front of the house. I have already made a diagram of the flower beds I want to put in. I am trying to choose which flowers and colors would look the best and grow in at different times so there are always blooms in the yard. I am thinking that I want to do one section in red, white and blue flowers that will all bloom in time for the Fourth of July. That would look amazing.

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Portable percussion

I’ve always loved the sound of percussion instruments. If I had been given the opportunity to learn how to play the drums, as a kid, I would have jumped at the chance! But no, that was not in the cards for me. I have to admit that I have been tempted to buy an inexpensive drum set to play with, here at home, though. I think it would be a lot of fun, and if small in size, it would not take up a lot of valuable space. Plus, maybe one of the grandkids would like to learn to play. They sure don’t get much chance to try out different instruments in these public schools.

I think everyone should have a chance to try out the different instruments and see if they like one of them. Music is important in our lives and kids need to learn how to play instruments and sing. I wish I could have played on a drum set when I was young. My parents made me learn how to play the piano. Hated it. But at least I learned a little bit about music. It’s just that the piano is not my thing. I’ve always been about the beat. I wish my parents had recognized that.

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I just got the call

I had just left the hospital just a half hour ago from visiting Papa Charlie and the hospital called me. Papa Charlie is gone. What do I tell the children?  I can’t let them see that I’m upset because that will only make it harder on them. Papa Charlie had just become a member of our family and now he’s gone. How can that be?

He was an angel for us when we needed one. He was a grandpa to my children when they needed one. He was a kind man and I will miss him terribly. I know the children will too. So I guess I need to get myself together and let the children know that Papa Charlie isn’t suffering anymore. He’s at peace now in heaven with his family and Jesus. Hopefully that will make them feel a little less sad for losing someone that had become so dear to them.

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Left Handed Challenges

When I was young, I remember my mother trying to encourage me to write with my right hand. This was hard for her to do, since she was left-handed, and I wanted to be just like her! I actually have become ambidextrous, which is great, but I have developed a true empathy for “lefties” in a “right-hander’s world.” Taking notes, for example is a challenge because the notebook’s binder is on the left side, which becomes an obstruction to writing!

When Charlie told me about how he was trying to find a left handed guitar store to be able to buy a guitar for his son Jake, I offered to try to help him find one. Thank goodness for the Internet! Googling “left handed guitars” under their “shopping” tab brought up several places to check out.

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Christmas Blues

I get them every year, those darn Christmas blues, but this year it seems worse than others.  I want so much for my children and I don’t just mean ‘stuff’.  I want a real home.  I want a real family life.  I want a real chance to be a better Mom than I have been.

Why is it that this time of year I go through this?  I guess it’s because we look into the eyes of these innocent children and see the wonder of life and Christmas glowing in them. Then we go look in the mirror and see the disenchantment in our own eyes knowing that the world is not a box of cherries. I don’t know about you but I long for that love and innocence again and want it to stay in my children’s eyes.

I know that a time will come when they don’t believe in Santa anymore or the magic of Christmas but I just don’t want them to look through the eyes of disenchantment at me ever.  I want them to always see the wonder of a world of possibilities for them.

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Thanksgiving Feast

This year I am doing all the cooking and have a small gathering of family for dinner on Thanksgiving. We sometimes get the whole fan-dam-ily together, but this year many of the brothers and sisters made plans to be elsewhere. So I am hosting for the ones in the area. No matter if the crowd is large or small, it will be a nice day for loved ones to share a feast. And if I am cooking they know it will be delicious.

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Been a busy week

Surprise after dinner. Dinner was nice last night. The kids pigged out on pizza and pasta and I did too but I did eat some salad just for good measure. Charlie of course paid for everything even though I came prepared to pay for our dinner.

Oh the surprise, well he had some really neat costumes for the kids. My little angel is going to be Tinker Bell while my oldest is Captain Jack Sparrow and my little hand full, well he’s a little stinker so he’s going as a skunk!! I loved the costumes and so did the kids. I know Charlie paid a small fortune for the costumes because they weren’t the cheap kind you get at most department stores. There were more like the costumes you get from a costume store. The kids are going to have a blast Halloween night. Oh yeah,

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Things that Should be Kept in a Fireproof Safe

While there are many efforts that you can take in order to protect your home from fire, there is always a chance that a fire can break out, no matter what preventative methods you have taken. Just look at the recent wildfires in California. Countless people have lost their homes and the valuables that were inside to these fires, and it was completely beyond their control.

While you may not be able to completely protect your home from fire, you can protect some of your valuables. If you live in or around Portland, safes Portland Oregon are the best way to secure your most precious items from fire.

While you may wish that you could put the contents of your entire home into a fireproof safe, unfortunately, you can’t; but what items should you put in a fireproof safe? Keep on reading to find out.

Essential Items to Keep in a Fireproof Safe

What items are a must to keep in a fireproof safe? Here’s a look at some of the things that you are definitely going to want to keep in this protective piece of equipment.

Insurance policies. You are definitely going to want to keep all of your current insurance policies in a fireproof safe. This includes any and all home insurance policies, as well as life insurance policies. These are extremely valuable and should they be damaged, it can be difficult to get new ones.

Birth certificates. You are also going to want to keep all birth certificates in a fireproof safe. This includes yours, your spouses and the birth certificates of your children. If these are damaged, you will never be able to get an original again.

Social security cards. Along with birth certificates, you should also keep social security cards in a fireproof safe. Should they be damaged in a fire, they can also be difficult to replace.

Passports. A passport is a valuable piece of identification, and it is also a memento that many people like to hold onto. Keep it protected from fire by keeping it in a fireproof safe.

Important legal documents. If you have any important documents, such as documents that illustrate power of attorney, living wills, health care proxies, you are going to want to store them in your fireproof safe.

Keep these valuable items protected from fire by storing them in a fireproof safe.

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Some friend he is

Would you believe a friend of mine suggest I sign up for one of those online dating services?  I now question what kind of friend he is.  But then he started telling me that he met his wife online.  I couldn’t believe it.  I thought they met through a friend.  She’s a really sweet person and they both sat me down and told me that now they do better at screening who signs up for them.  You know, I might give it a try.  Maybe, maybe not.

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Autumn fashion

Autumn is here and the fashion world is abuzz with all the new fashion houses showing off their new lines of clothing. We women are now in the clothing frenzy time of year after having bought the children their school clothes, now it is our turn. Finding good fashions when you are pregnant can be disheartening sometimes, but not to worry, even the maternity lines are much better then they used to be.

Comfort is the most important part of fashion when you are pregnant. Whatever you buy for your maternity clothes should be able to be worn for your entire pregnancy and also be very comfortable at the same time. You body is going through a lot of uncomfortable changes as you grow larger and restrictive clothing will make you feel as if you are being smothered. Nor will it do any good for your temperament when your hormones are already going crazy on you.

If your budget is already strained, there are several things you can do for maternity clothes to start, like

  • Raiding your husband or significant others wardrobe. Large t-shirts and such will help you immensely in the interim.
  • Borrow from friends and family that have just gone through their pregnancies. There are a lot of them if you sit and think about it a few minutes.
  • Go to thrift stores for your pants and skirts. You can buy a larger selection for less money.
  • You can actually lease maternity clothes. After all, you only need them for a little while until you lose that weight, so why not.

Some items are a little more difficult to manage, but there are companies that specialize in them. For instance, you can buy ruPreggers.com maternity tights online and have them delivered right to your door. Utilize as much of your own accessories as possible. No you can’t wear that belt with an outfit like you used to, but you can use a large scarf instead.

As you shop for your maternity clothes with the new fall fashions in mind, remember that all trends come back eventually and if there is something that you miss this time around, well you can always get it later. Don’t stress out over it. Look for the new maternity fashions instead and see what is trending there and you will definitely be happier for it.

Keep in mind, that after you give birth, you may not fit in those maternity clothes any longer, but still be unable to wear your normal clothes right away. Make sure you have a couple of outfits that are in between sizes so that you aren’t at a loss for something to wear. Believe it or not, sweats or something like it are the best thing to have after the baby comes. You will be very busy and very tired, so looking good is the last thing that will be on your mind. Comfort and ease of access will be the only thing you care about at that point.