LapBand

LapBand has become a very popular alternative for weight loss over the past couple of years. For many, this is their last chance to loose weight, after dieting and exercise have both not worked.
Journey Lite is a very helpful website that can be of assistance in finding out if this procedure is right for you. If you are considering weight loss surgery please check out their website with convenient locations such as lap-band los angeles.

Payday Loans

Is anyone in need of a little extra cash here at the holiday? If so, I know just the perfect thing for you: a pay day loan! Payday loans are a quick and easy way to bridge your cash needs between pay days. The money can now be direct deposited to and from your account. Payday loans can range from $100 to $1500 dollars and done require credit checks.

No Title Here

Tonight after work, I drove by the new house and they are ready to pour the driveway. Other good news, the Tuscan Lakes entrance sign is also going up! I keep forgetting my camera, but pictures will follow soon. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Christmas is almost here!

House update

Today they finally poured the slab! We are now one step closer to the finished product! I forgot my camera when I went so I will have to take a picture the next time I go.

We also got our house up for sale this past week. The realtor came Thursday night and it is now on the market! Hopefully it will sell soon so we can be ready to move in when the new house is ready!

Thanksgiving

David and I had a really good Thanksgiving this year. It was so nice to finally relax and eat some delicious food. We spent it with David's sister Lisa and her husband Brian's family. Lisa is a great cook and the food was excellent. Friday we came home and started cleaning out the garage, and later that night we went over to Pat and Robyn's to sing on their back porch by the fire. It was a blast! Tanner and Taylor were both in town and it was good to spend time with each of them. I can't believe how fast they are growing up. David and I both had an excellent Thanksgiving holiday, and I look forward to many more with so many things to be thankful for!

Pops

My dad was a born with a hip disease that has caused the cartilage in his hip to deteriorate over time. When he was younger, he would sleep in traction to help the deterioration, but over time it has gotten so bad that he now has bone grinding against bone. This has lead him to chronic hip pain and he has been searching for some relief. This is when I came across Freeze It Gel. It is a gel that can be applied to the area for sore muscles, muscular strains and arthritis. Freeze it comes in two easy application forms: roll on and in a tube. The tube is good for being able to massage the gel onto joints and being able to decide how think the application can be. The roll-on is convenient and easy to apply, making it easy to reach “hard” places.

I believe Freeze It would be very beneficial to my dad because he could apply it before doing activities, such as riding his Harley Davidson, doing yard work or anything active. His body is ready for a hip replacement but he is trying to hold out as long as possible. With the way modern medicine keeps improving he is hoping for a replacement that will last about twenty to twenty-five years and hopefully he would only have to have one in his life time. Also, the good thing about Freeze It is that it works on contact and is very soothing to the pain. It is made with aloe, vitamin E, ILEX (an herbal extract that helps enhance the effects of the pain reducers) and menthol. I will be going to the store tonight to get my dad some Freeze IT. I really think this is going to be the answer for him and his chronic hip pain!

House Update

Within the first week of building the house, I have been pretty impressed with how much has been accomplished. Despite the all the rain, they have made some good headway. The foundation has been built up, the plumbing has been installed, the beams have been dug and they have installed the post-tension cables. Now all we need is some concrete! David and I dove by this weekend and it looks like they should be pouring sometime this next week, weather permitting! I will post some pictures just as soon as I can find my camera cord. Hope everyone has a great week, Thanksgiving is on Thursday!

Mixin Away!

After visiting a friend for dinner Saturday night, I now know what I want for Christmas! She had the new Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer. It comes in a variety of colors and is very reasonably priced. Maybe I will get it early so I will be able to use it for all the holiday cooking. One of my favorite recipes is Apple Dump cake. It has been around the family for a long time and we have it at every holiday gathering. It reminds me of when I was a little girl and waiting for all my cousins to come over. Here is the recipe if you would like to try it.

Combine and mix the following ingredients in your new Hamilton Beach® Mixer:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 can apple pie filling
1tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla

Grease and flour a bunt pan and bake at 400 for 45-50 minutes. Enjoy!

This mixer is very user friendly: not too large and easy to handle. It has several attachments which can be used for different recipes. For cakes and items that are a liquid substance, there is a handy pour spout which helps eliminate the mess when pouring the batter.

If you are interested in purchasing a mixer, you can log on to the Hamilton Beach website. There are also many other items that Hamilton beach offers besides the Eclectrics® Mixer that can come in handy while in the kitchen!

Rio Bella

Tonight after work, David and I drove by our new house, or shall I say lot. They have framed out where they will pour the concrete and there is a lot of dirt there to build up the slab. They have to do the plumbing next and then they will be able to pour. Hopefully by the end of the week we will have a slab. I have attached the picture from tonight, it is kind of dark (I don't like day light savings!!) but you can get an idea. Hopefully it won't be long until we have a house!

My Silver Tooth

I remember that long ride to see Granny and PawPaw in the back of "brownie" - our 1985 station wagon. I loved to sit in back, facing the wrong way and wave at the cars. Kenny and Phillip could sit in the middle and I had the back all to myself. Dad had pulled in the gas station to let us get a snack. I chose Now N Laters.



After about the third one, I bit down and thought there was something in my candy, little did I know, or expect to find, my silver tooth! Not only was I now missing my silver cap, I had a little "nub" tooth that was exposed and I was in a lot of pain. My brothers were making fun of my calling me peg tooth and I cried the whole way there. Back in the 80's, they didn't have the all the gadgets and tooth correction products that they have today. I would of loved to have Dentemp OS back them. Instead I had to wait till Monday morning to have my cap replaced. Not only does Dentemp allow the cap to be replaced, it provides pain relief, is easy to use with no mess and best of all you can eat on it within thirty minutes!

Today if I were to loose a filling, it is nice to know that they have temporary dental repair to save me from the pain and embarassment!

Casa de Marrie

Tomorrow is the big day that we have been waiting for! We are on the books for November 12 for the house to begin being built. David and I drove by earlier and they are ready to go. They have already framed out the slab and it is ready to be poured. The new home consultant said we will see the outside go up in no time, but when they get to the inside it will go a lot slower. I'm sure it won't help that thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner and the workers will be taking time off for the holidays. Pictures will be coming soon!

Shopping for a Cause

Christmas is right around the corner and many people have already started their Christmas shopping! Every year I like to make a list of who all I will be buying for. I want to make sure I give everyone a holiday gift that has a special meaning behind it.



This year I have done a lot of my shopping online. I recently came across the Alzheimer's Foundation of America eStore. Buy making your online purchase though the Alzheimer's eStore, a portion of the proceeds will got to benefit the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. What better way to shop online and help out the Alzheimer's foundation all at the same time.

While finding a cure for Alzheimer's is important; it is also very important for the proper care to be given to those currently suffering from the disorder. Sometimes it is difficult for people to make a cash donation, but with this opportunity everyone is able to help at no extra cost. What greater way to help give back, just by purchasing items online though the Alzheimer's Foundation eStore.

The care that is administered to Alzheimer's patients can be both very draining and costly. Patients with Alzheimer's often can't remember their loved ones. The cost of a living facility or a full time care giver can be very expensive. The Alzheimer's Foundation of America has developed Excellence In Care to help facilities set the nationwide standard of excellence for the care of patients who are suffering from Alzheimer's or another form of dementia.

So when you are sitting at home drinking your hot chocolate by the fire and shopping online, remember to shop through the Alzheimer's Foundation eStore. Your purchase can help make a difference in a way that you may never know.

For more information on Alzheimer’s, log on to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America website at http://www.alzfdn.org/

St. Croix

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Yet another week has come and gone. I am leaving for St. Croix in the morning and not looking forward to it! Everyone thinks its paradise. Don't get me wrong, its pretty but when you have to work the WHOLE time, it's not as enjoyable. Plus, it has nothing on Dominica! I will be making a quick trip, returning Wednesday night. I'm staying at a new place this time so hopefully it will be a little nicer. The last time I went back in May, my hotel room didn't have AC and I couldn't get another room because they were completely booked for the Hovensa turnaround. So I ended up staying with another girl from work. I need to get to bed, especially since I don't adjust well to time changes!

Weekend Review

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This weekend was super busy! Both of my brothers came in from college so it was good to see them! They are growing up so fast. I can remember helping my mom feed them and change their diapers and now they are in college starting their own lives! Man how the time flies!

This weekend was also Robyn's birthday! They had a get together over at their house and cooked hot dogs. They have been building a house since about March and it is almost finished! Everything has turned out so good and I know they are so ready to move in! We also worked around the house this weekend. We are trying to finish up last minute things so we can get it on the market. Hopefully it will be a quick sell. Let's all keep our fingers crossed!

One Year Older

This weekend was my birthday and I can't believe I am now 24 years old!
Saturday morning mom and I went to look at furniture, got manicures, and picked up my birthday cake from Baskin Robins - my favorite! That afternoon we went to look at more furniture and then went out to eat at Lupe Tortillas with everyone Satuday night. Mom paid for me to get my hair done, and David, Pat, Robyn and Kamri gave me gift certificates to the nail place. Looking forward to some relaxing pedicures. The most exciting part of my birthday was signing paper to build a new house! We signed papers Sunday and it should be ready sometime in March.


This year has gone by so fast, and so many good things have happened and so many things to be grateful for! We are truly blessed :)

Student Loan Consolidation

I just happen to be a semi-pro on this topic...student loan consolidation! During my four year stay at Abilene Christian university I racked up a pretty nice little bill. After graduation I began to look into consolidation for my federal and private loans.

If you have a large amount of loans, I would suggest consolidating them. Not only does it make it easier to keep track of the loans, it also allows you to lower your monthly payment.

NOLA Pics

Just a couple of pics from the weekend...

Home Loan

Here lately I have been very interested in the detail of a home loan; in particular, the interest rate. Since David and I are going to be putting the house on the market soon, I want to be familiar with the different lenders and the "incentives" they offer. I came across emortgage, a lender which has eliminated the majority of the paperwork. The information is created online and can then be used to fill in all of the different forms. It's about time this approach surfaced! If you are in the market for a new house and are needing a home loan, I suggest you check out emortgage first.

It's back!

Yet another Monopoly game is underway at McDonald's! Needless to say, I have eaten it twice today. I can remember eating there all the time in college just to get the game pieces. I have to admit, it's a little nerdy (and fattening) but I become so wrapped up in the game. I think it would be so fun jut to say I won something off the Monopoly game from McDonalds! So if you notice I've gained a few poundsin the weeks to come, keep quiet, I will be using my American Express gift card I win from McDonalds to have liposuction!

Extra money, anyone?

I recently started blogging after I heard I could make a little extra money. I always love to read people's blogs but I wasn't sure about expressing my thoughts and feelings over the internet, that seemed kind of vulnerable. But hey, I guess money talks. So Ralph helped me setup my blog back in June, and in September I was ready to start getting paid. I joined payperpost and have been blogging away ever since! I love telling my friends how I am making extra money to just right little advertisements and express my opinions.

With the money I earn, the first thing I want to do is go to New York. My mom and I have wanted to go for a long time, but we kept putting it off because there was always something else that the money could be put towards. Now that I am making money blogging, I can set aside that money and hopefully we can be going to New York soon! After New York, I plan on just saving it to put towards my student loans. Blah. But the sooner they are paid off, the happier I will be, not to mention my bank account!

Many thanks to Ralph for introducing me to blogging and thanks to PayPerPost for helping my earn some extra moula!

Weekend Review

We had a great time in New Orleans this past weekend. The game was great, well at least the first half! It was good to see Taylor, and we had a great time with hanging out with Mike and Ruth. We got back late last night and I can't believe that it's already Monday again! I will post some pictures as soon as I can get my camera charged.

Traveling Bargains

Throughout the next five years, I will be traveling quite a bit. As most of you know, my "little" brother is playing football for Tulane University in New Orleans. The free tickets are pretty hard to pass up, so we will be taking a lot of "mini vacations" to New Orleans. Me being the bargain hunter that I am, I like to shop for the best rates that I can possibly find on hotels. I can search for hours, just to make sure I can get the best quality hotel at the most reasonable price. During my search, I came across hotelreservations.com and they definitely have the best prices around, hands down! I was able to get a great deal on our hotel this weekend at the Wyndham. Not only do they offer great prices on hotels, but also on motels, resorts, vacation rentals, and not to mention their world wide vacation packages.

The big hype always seems to be over Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, etc. However, their prices never seem to be that great to me. I can always seem to find a cheaper price and a better deal on hotelreservations.com. So, if you are planning on getting away for the weekend, taking a week long vacation to the mountains, taking a cruise or going to the Caribbean for the summer, check out this website first. I guarantee, along with them, that you will be pleased with the services and prices that they offer. The reservation process is very easy and simple. You can either make your reservations over the world wide web or you can place a phone call. The reservation line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The next time I travel, and need to make Hotel Reservations, I will definitely be using hotelreservations.com

Extreme Makeover

It's that time again! the new season of Extreme Makeover Home Edition kicks off Sunday night at 6:00 on ABC. Everyone be sure and tune in, I love this show!

Danny Nicole

Here is my cousins new little baby. She has been the smallest baby of the family, weighing in at 8lbs, 1oz.

Convenient Christmas shopping for all!

I can't believe it is almost October, and the holidays are rapidly approaching! Christmas is my favorite time of year, and one of the things I love to do is go shopping on Black Friday - the Friday after Thanksgiving. I love the rush of getting a good deal, but the crowds and rude people are not my favorite. I mean, wheres the Christmas spirit people? I recently came across this website called black friday ads. You can still get the great deals, but without all the hassle!

My first stop is always Target! I don't know if it's just because it's less then a mile from my house, but I really do love Target. Every time I leave the store, I end up spending way too much money! I will go to get groceries and leave with 10 other items!

The good thing about black friday ads is that they offer e-mail alerts when new retailers have added their list, but best of all they allow you to make online purchases. So for those of you who are all about the deals, but don't like standing in line at 5 a.m., this is for you!

black friday ads is not only a consumer friendly website, they make your holiday shopping easy and stress free!

Oh, what a mess!

As I had mentioned earlier, the cabinet project is a little over my head! Last night David and I took turns sanding the cabinet frames - inside the kitchen! We have taped off the kitchen with plastic sheets but there is still dust and particles everywhere! David put a box fan in the window in hopes that it would send some of the dust out, not sure how much that helped. I will post some pictures of the cabinets when they are finished. Don't get too anxious, you may be waiting for a couple of weeks!

My traveling buddy...

This past summer on my way to Dominica, Ralph and I were talking. He began to tell me of a way he was making a little extra money and my eyes lit up. I am always up for a little extra money, I mean who's not? Once we got to Dominica, he actually helped me set up my blog and get it started. So for the past three months I have been letting with world know what's going on in my life, and hopefully I can make a little extra money too!

Not only do I look to Ralph as a mentor, but he is also a friend that I hold near and dear to my heart. Thanks Ralphy for introducing me to the blogging world! You can visit Ralph's blog at http://www.hotcornerhasbeen.blogspot.com/

NOLA

This coming weekend we are leaving for New Orleans to see the Tulane vs. LSU game. I am really excited because we are got a really good deal at the Wyndham, Taylor got us free tickets (the game is sold out and they were selling for ridiculous amounts of money!) Mike and Ruth are coming with us, and I get to see Taylor! The game is at 11 on Saturday, so we will still have the rest of the day to eat and hang out with Taylor! He doesn't want to admit it, but I think he is a little homesick! This is the first time in 18 years him and Tanner have been separated, not to mention they are n different states starting new chapters of their lives! I will post some pictures from our trip when we get back!

Kitchen Cabinets

I have recently taken on a project that might be over my head! I took off all of the doors on the kitchen cabinets and started sanding them yesterday while David was playing in a softball tournament. He wanted me to wait, but me being the impatient person that I am, decided to go ahead and take the bull by the horns. I am ready to move and want to get things done as quickly as possible so we can get the house up for sale. I have sanded the majority of the doors but I still have to sand the parts in the kitchen, not to mention still prime and paint! Hopefully I can get finished sooner than later, and move on the the next project, demolishing the hut in the back yard!

Allergies

Ever since David and I got married and I moved back to the Houston area I have had horrible allergies. After waiting two months for an appointment, I finally got into the McGovern allergy clinic last Thursday. I had been there when I was younger, and took allergy shots for a period of time. I thought I had "outgrown" the allergies but turns out they came back with a vengeance!

After several hours of testing over a two day period, I got the report of what exactly I was allergic to. He first asked if I was a farm girl, and I laughed and said no. He told me I was extremely allergic to guinea pigs, horses, rabbits and cows. Good thing I was never in Future Farmers of America! I am allergic to a lot of other things in the air/environment but I thought that was pretty funny. He gave me lots of medicine and I will be taking allergy shots for the next three years....yikes! I don't do needles very well, but mom said she would assist with the shots since she did it when I was younger. Hopefully I will get to feeling better soon, and sorry Al for always giving you a hard time about the allergy and sneezing attacks! I now know what it feels like!

The Farley Family

This blog was brought to my attention, and I want to ask you to pray for this sweet family. Below is the link to their blog:

www.conorbootheandgirls.blogspot.com

FYI: You might want to grab a box of kleenex before you click the link.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my moms birthday! I would tell you how old she is, but she might want to kill me! We actually celebrated her birthday last weekend in New Orleans, but since David couldn't be there, we were going to celebrate it last night. I took mom shopping yesterday and picked up her cake from Jenny's Bakery on the way home. David had been BBQ-ing all afternoon and we were going to have chicken and ribs for dinner. Too bad the ribs were so fatty that you couldn't eat them! So change of plans, and we went to eat at Mely's and then came back to the house for cake and ice cream! It was a really fun weekend and I hope you had a good birthday mom!

Okay, so as you can see I haven't posted in a very long time! This past weekend we went to New Orleans to see Taylors first college football game. We had a really good time, but the weekend just wasn't long enough! I felt like as soon as we got there it was time to turn around. Below are a couple of pictures from our weekend.






Dog update: LSBR suggested we adopt a female. So of course Stella was my first choice. However, Stella was surrendered with another dog named Rocco and they were thinking of keeping them together unless the circumstances were right. So I talked with Stella and Rocco's foster mom and we set up a time for Diesel and Stella to meet. When we got to her house, they hit it off immediately and I was super excited. She felt comfortable letting us adopt Stella without Rocco and now Stella is the newest member of the Marrie family! , Rocco was just adopted on Sunday, so now they both have permanent homes! here are some pictures of the two...they get a little wild sometimes!







I hope everyone has a Happy friday and wonderful weekend! Happy Birthday Mom!

No Time

I feel like I never have time for anything anymore! The days seem to fly by and Monday morning I find myself asking where the weekend went? This weekend was nonstop and I feel like I didn't even accomplish that much. However, I did get all of my laundry done and I am now caught up! Friday night, I helped my mom decorate some things upstairs. My parents are thinking about putting their house on the market since there are only two of them now! Saturday we went shopping, ran errrands and took a nap! Sunday we got to meet the dogs from Lone Star Boxer Rescue and Diesel had a good time. I was afraid that he might be one of those dogs that doesn't get along well with others, but he did really well. Thats all for now...

Update

Last night the volunteer from LSBR came over to do our interview. She loved Diesel and thought it was a great idea for him to have a friend. She didn't stay very long, but we had a good visit. After we finished eating dinner, Debbie called to discuss which boxer we might be interested in. She suggested a female, so I told her my favorite was Stella. The only problem is that Stella was surrendered with another dog named Rocco and they want to keep them together. So we will see...We are going to meet all of the dogs on Sunday and I can't wait! In the mean time, we are looking for a crate. She suggested us getting one so our new family member could feel secure while she is adjusting to her new lifestyle. It is not lunch time and I'm off to find a crate!

New Addition

For a while now, David and I been putting some thought into adopting another dog. I had heard about Lone Star Boxer Rescue out of Houston and we had been looking at the dogs available for adoption. Well, last week I filled out the application and tomorrow night a representative from LSBR is coming to do our "in home" interview. Hopefully, our fence won't be a problem. We have a picket fence, which you know isn't very tall. However, the dog we adopt will be an inside dog along with Diesel. Below are some pictures of three possibilities:

...Stella...




...Bogey...


...Nelson...

Wish us luck! Hopefully Diesel will have a new friend soon!

Dyson, Dyson Dyson

So I'm going to do a little raving about my newest purchase! I recently splurged and bought a Dyson Animal vacuum cleaner. I haven't had very good luck with vacuums in the past because they all start to smell like dog. I can't have a vacuum cleaner that smells like dog, much less I don't want my house to smell like dog! I finally convinced David that it was worth the money because we kept having to replace the cheap-o vacuums. This vacuum cleaner is AMAZING! It has the best suction you have ever seen, it has great attachments and the canister is the best part,with the click of a button the bottom opens up and releases everything in side! Not to mention, it hasn't even smelled doggy yet! I love it and I am forever a Dyson customer!

Pictures

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Here are some pictures of my trip from Dominica, a.k.a. paradise!