I haven't blogged much in the last week... I have been working my "real job" a little more than usual. Yesterday it was finally my day off and I was thinking I'd get all kinds of stuff done here. Until work called in desperation. So I ended up going in and having the craziest day ever! Right in the middle of the day, and in the middle of an epidural placement, tornado sirens start going off! I look out the window and see ominous looking clouds, some partially descended to the ground. Great. When this happens we are required to take all of the patients into the hall. Needless to say, that wasn't going to happen with a foot-long needle sticking out of my patient's back! But the tornado passed without event and things continued on... business as usual.
Until I got home. I was afraid I might have some shingles blown off the roof or maybe the fence would be broken like before, but that was all fine. However, my lawn furniture set was scattered all over the entire yard and the cushions and umbrella were nowhere to be found! I drove around the neighbourhood trying to find them, to no avail... too weird. So now I have got to buy some new Outdoor Chair Cushions and a matching umbrella before summer gets started! You've got to have a functional patio set for summer, right?! I didn't have one the year before and every morning I wished I did so that I could sit out and enjoy the weather.
Thank God for the internet! I found this site, that does has all - outdoor furniture cushions, chair cushions, bench pads, seat pads, chaise lounge cushions and umbrellas. They will even customizes the cushions to whatever size, shape and fabric you like! There's an umbrella, similar to what I had, which you can also customize by chosing the fabric you want. Very cool.
On the subject of spring gardening, if you're in need of work boots, here's a site that can help. "Work Boots USA" carries a wide variety of mens' and womens' safety toe boots ranging from military / government boots to practical hiking boots and stylish oxford shoes. They're all conveniently available for purchase online.
Kettering University, located in Flint, Michigan, USA is busy building a reputation as a leader in co-op programs. This university is unique because of their focus and value on hands-on training. Kettering places their students in companies beginning in their freshman year. They then rotate the students between school and their co-op job, alternating every 3 months, in order to gain necessary practical experience right from the start. This type of practice provides the students with valuable networking opportunities as well as possible employment contacts upon graduation. Of these co-op programs, the engineering co-op programs are ranking the highest. Both the US News and World Report have ranked Kettering University as "the #1 University in the nation for Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering" in its annual "America's Best Colleges Guide for 2008". This is actually the 8th year in a row that this University has ranked as the highest in it's category. If you are interested in industrial engineering and are wanting hands-on training, this might be something you would want to investigate. There is financial aid, as well as scholarships available to those who qualify. Much of the paperwork be done online, including instructions on how to get the admission process started.
If you're anything like me, searching through the "yellow pages" is pretty much extinct. Nowadays, everything is online. If you are looking for a trusted business directory, check this out: I've just come across this comprehensive search engine called Atlist.org that contains categories from Internet to Insurance, from the Arts to Automotive. Or say, since tax time is coming up, you want to search for Tax Return Prepation help... a quick search under Finance gives you a list of multiple businesses in your area! It even allows customers to review and rate the business. Kinda cool! I've used this sort of thing for travel a lot, and have found it to be extremely helpful.
I spent some time this afternoon listening to the internet broadcast of Oprah's class with Ekhart Tolle, regarding his book "A New Earth." I haven't actually read the book, but after listening to the piece, I really would like to! Did anyone else watch this or read the book? I'd been talking with my sister, recently about finding your purpose, and this seems to be right along the same lines... how do you find your life's purpose? What I've gotten out of the first class is to first be at peace with what is - with the present moment. I've noticed many times - that moments of quietness are what give birth to something new.
This is something I think I'm going to have to read more about... I did find some information that makes Ekhart Tolle's work practical, called "The Sedona Method." It is basically a tool for becoming part of the peaceful revolution in consciousness and value that is sweeping the planet, just recently inspired by Oprah's Book Club. "The Sedona Method" points out how our focus - what continuously and repetitively occupies and mind and thoughts - is on our own ego but if we learn to let that all go we can actually be released from our self-imposed prisons and in fact help generate a new earth! If this is something that you may be interested in, they offer a free DVD and CD (and you know how I loooove free)!
It's my parents' 39th wedding anniversary today! Can you imagine?! I feel very fortunate to have parents who stayed together in a world where marriage seems to be more and more a temporary affair.
It's Saturday night and we're sure fuddy-duddies here, we ordered pizza and are going to curl up on the couch and watch TV! Haha! We haven't gone out in forever! I think the last time was New Years 2007 - not 2008! We had gone to Cowboy's Red River here in Dallas with my best buddy, Melody and her boyfriend. There was a country concert going on, but the singer had gained about 80 pounds from his promo pictures and we couldn't stop laughing about that. We always have a hilarious time when we go out with her. She doesn't have filter in any way shape or form (don't worry! I tell her this too! haha!) so she's up there dancing and talking to everybody in the club like she's known them for years!
As you can see we certainly had fun this time, too - maybe too much! Haha! I think I'd too much Coors Light - my good ol' faithful! LOL! Speaking of - there's this real quick little mobile survey going around that could win you $300. The odds of winning are worth your trouble - 1500 to 1, so it's worth the text - just text the word beer to 247365. Just remember: SURVEY BEGINS SATURDAY, MARCH 1 and CLOSES AT MIDNIGHT, FRIDAY, MARCH 14th. STANDARD MESSAGING RATES WILL APPLY FROM YOUR MOBILE CARRIER.
As I mentionned in a previous post, I've just booked myself for a visit "home" to visit my family back in Canada. One of the main reasons for the visit is to crash my sister's 30th surprise birthday party. Haaaaa! Can you imagine the fun?! She's one of those people who gives and gives and gives and never thinks of taking in return. So I am very excited to surprise her.
Today I was cruising the internet, trying to find some gift ideas and menu items for her party. I ended up browsing birthday cards. I often find myself doing this - I think because it gives me inspiration for my scrapbooking - styles, colors, layouts, elements and even sayings. I also think that sending and receiving greeting cards is becoming a lost form of expression. Don't you think that there is something just a little more meaningful to a card than to an email, don't you think? Just an example, but the other night, when I was going to bed, I found a card tucked under my pillow. It was from my sweet, sweet boyfriend! It was obviously very carefully chosen to express exactly what he was feeling. It was so unexpectedly romantic and random... I went to sleep with a smile on my face, thinking I had the best man in the world! Haha!
This particular site was kind of cool because the cards are customizable! You can order a ton of them, if you want... birthday cards, holiday cards, thank-you cards... I like simple and easy, and this site was just that - I chose the card I wanted. The next page you do any customization you want and presto! it's done! One quick step and you checkout.
I don't know if it's just my frugal nature coming out, or the fact that I grew up as the eldest daughter of 15 children, but I love good deals! Did anyone watch Oprah yesterday - the show about the "freegans"? Yikes! These folks actually dig through garbage bins for food and other consummables. This completely freaks me out now, but as kid it was a different story! One of our favorite passtimes as kids was to go "Garage-Sale-ing" with my Dad every Saturday morning... or "bin-diving" with my crazy brothers. We'd find bicycles, computers, chairs... all kinds of treasures. As I grew older, I went grocery shopping with my Dad every week and learned how to spend less.
Now that I've moved away from my family, I am still always watching for the best deals. My biggest focus this year (and actually one of my New Years resolutions) is to not only keep the credit card in check, but to eliminate credit card debt completely. One way to tackle this issue is to try to be proactive, researching and finding the best credit card deals available... being aware of beneficial balance transfers, great interest rates, etc. It is also helpful to have a card that provides the convenience of 100% online banking. I love being able to do the majority of my transactions online in my home. This way I can keep a close eye on all of my transactions and know when I need to adjust my spending accordingly.
Whoo-Hoo! I'm going to visit my family in Canada! I usually get to visit them about once or twice a year, and I try to make it in the summer. However! It is my little sister, Melody's 30th birthday in March and I'm going to surprise her. (Unless, of course, she finds her way over here and reads this - Yeah, right! Haha!) This is her during our recent trip together to Cancun, Mexico - she's going to kill me!Did anybody watch that movie "Bucket List?" I haven't yet - I've just seen the previews, but I have a Bucket List - a huge list of things to do before I kick the bucket. I was so excited to be able to do a couple of them while in Cancun. One was snorkelling and one was seeing the Mayan Ruins. So cool. I still have to see the Egyptian Pyramids, go on an African Safari, a trip to Alaska (that must include seeing a bald eagle and a killer whale) and I want to take a flight to Australia. Australia has always seemed so faraway and exotic to me, from the moment I first saw the Sydney Opera House in a picture. Can you believe I've never seen a kangaroo except in an zoo?! The natural wonders of Australia seem to go on forever... I mean who wouldn't want to dive in the Great Barrier Reef? Ok... so I'm getting carried away... Can you tell travel is another passion of mine?!Our Layout Contest at My Digital Addiction is over! The winners will be announced on February 29th on Xandra Martin's Blog. Best of luck to everyone who participated!
When I started "My Digital Addiction" a few months ago, I really wanted to be able to offer the Digital Scrapbooking community a place to interact, learn and above all, find quality "freebies." I was well aware that my hosting and bandwith costs would be significant, but I was thinking (mostly hoping!) that advertising placed on the site would cover the costs. Unfortunately for the time being, they are not. No biggie - I realize we're just starting out... We're growing drastically each month, so I am maintaining hope! In the meantime I am always trying to find ways to cover the costs.
The other day, while blog-hopping, I came across another Digital Scrapbooker's Blog who not only scrapped for hire but blogged for hire. What a great idea for a SAHM! Or, even better... what a great idea for ME!!! Maybe this could be a tool in keeping my site alive! Haha! So, I've signed up with Pay Per Post.
Pay Per Post is company that brings together Bloggers and Advertisers, to their mutual benefit. You can get involved in this opportunity as well, by doing blog reviews of my posts, if you like! This does not mean that this blog is going to suddenly be taken over by annoying advertising! It is important to me that all those of you who actually read my blog, continue to to do so! I use my blog as a communication and gateway to My Digital Addiction, and this will not change. All sponsored posts will be carefully integrated into my blog to cause as little disturbance as possible.Thank-you to everyone for your continued support of My Digital Addiction!
Blogger template adapted from 'Fundamental' by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008 using "Addicted to Love" Digital Scrapbooking Kit by Joanna Cinnamon at My Digital Addiction.
