4-13-10

So far I have submitted 2 bag designs
for Kroger's reusable bag contest.
Here's one of them:



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Got me a NEW cell phone today, woo hoo.
I have never owned a NEW one before
so this is a treat. Phone was free
after rebate so that was a plus.

We are on my mom's family plan.
So that is how we save money by
having 2 cells phones.
Only costs us $20 a month for both
to use. Nothing fancy that involves
text or web. Just basic pick up the
phone and talk. That's all we need it for.



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Found these coupons at Speedway tonight
so be on the look out for them.

$1.00 off 20 ounce Pepsi Max
2 for $2.22 use 2 coupons
makes it .44 cents for two 20 ounce bottles!!

AND

$1.00 off 2 Dr. Pepper or Cherry Dr. Pepper 20 ounce bottles
(diet or regular)
2 for $2.22
use 1 coupon
makes it $1.22 for two 20 ounce bottles!

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I know for the past couple of weeks allergies
have invaded my sinuses and just recently
got to Tony.

I found this article from NBC 4 about allergy
season this year which is one of the worst on record...
I've taken a few allergy/sinus tablets
that seem to help take the pressure
off.

COLUMBUS, Ohio—“Ah ahhh ahhhhh choo!“

It’s a chorus heard all over Central Ohio in the past couple of weeks.

The pollen is thick… and so is that nasty stuff keeping you from breathing through your nose. Your eyes are red. You’re tired all the time.

Welcome to the spring allergy season.

“We’ve found that this allergy season has been a lot worse this year than in previous years,“ says OSU Medical Center Allergist Dr. Princess Ogbogu. “Allergies are actually an abnormal immune reaction but it’s very common. Twenty percent of the population actually has allergies.“

Ogbogu says her patients have been suffering more than usual this year. She says the first line of defense is a good offense: get tested to find out what your allergies are.

“Once you know what you’re allergic to, you can do a better job of avoidance,“ she says.

And she promises that allergy testing doesn’t have to involve being poked with dozens of needles.

“Most of the allergy testing is done with plastic pricks,“ she says. “So I tell people it’s usually not very uncomfortable. The worst you get is itching if you’re allergic to something and we can handle that
quite easily.“

Ogbogu says pollen levels tend to be highest between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., so it’s best to stay indoors during those hours. She recommends using air conditioning whenever possible. And she says to be cautious about bringing the pollen into your home and bed.

“When you come inside, you should change your clothes and you should wash your hair.“

The abundance of pollen isn’t from showy flowers, it’s mostly from the bland, non-descript, deciduous trees.

“This oak is a prime culprit,“ says OSU Professor of Plant Ecology Peter Curtis. Standing under an oak tree just beginning to spout leaves, he plucks a small branch to point out the strands of tiny flowers that cover most of the tree. Those flowers are the male parts that produce the pollen that the trees use to reproduce.

“It has to produce lots of that pollen because wind just blows wherever it’s going to go. It doesn’t know where the next tree is,“ he says. The pollen is designed to float along on warm, dry breezes until it lands on the female parts of the next oak. We, literally, are just bystanders in the trees’ reproductive process.

“Your nose is in the way of all of that,“ Curtis says.

As for why the season has been so brutal, Curtis suggests it’s because the blossoms came so soon this year; a good two weeks early.

“A hundred years ago, you’d never see a spring this early,“ he says. It may not be the earliest allergy season on record, but it may be close. “This, actually, is one of a whole bunch of early springs that we’ve had dating back into the late-80’s and 90’s.“

Dr. Ogbogu even has a theory for the early onset.

“We see that as we have climate change, we see longer pollen seasons, a lot more pollen and people who used to be just minimally affected by allergies are actually having a lot of symptoms now,“ she notes.

To fight the symptoms, Ogbogu says many of the over-the-counter antihistamines are very effective.

4-12-10

Kroger is once again having a
design a reusable shopping bag contest.
Enter to win a $1,000 shopping card!
From April 8 to May 21.




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It gets harder and harder to want to leave
to go somewhere! People are rude, drive like
idiots, have no respect or manners, screw you
out of money and the list goes on and on.
It just seems like this whole world is going
downhill. What happened to "the good ole days"
Why do I have to be know as the meanie?
My attitude towards others is changing as I get
older. I just can't tolerate people not being
kind and considerate of others whether it being
in a grocery store or just walking down the street.
I very rarely put myself first!
I just don't understand how others have been raised
to act the way they do.
We get plenty of people who walk by our house
daily. Many I have never seen before.
Today a bunch of probably teenagers walked by
our Cadillac sitting out by the road.
What gives them the right to spit on it for
the hell of it. If I was the law I would have
washed their mouth out with a bar of soap then
handed them a bucket with water and a rag
to go with it and had them wash the whole damn car.
But now a days if you say something to someone
they pull a gun out and shoot you or come
back to cause problems. One year at another
location we had busted eggs all over the cars.
IT'S GETTING RIDICULOUS! Parents aren't allowed
to punish their children the way we were punished
and they get away with so much more crap.
Now this is the result of it.
Us children that grew up back then didn't die
from the punishment, it sunk in our thick
skulls that what we did was wrong.


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MAIL CALL

Today I got free formula.
Anytime I get those I donate to the church to
give to someone in need.

I also got a free pack of
Stride Mystery gum.
It's pretty good!
And lasts a long while!

And lastly a coupon for a free
bag of Sunchips.

The other day I received a free
catalina coupon for a free 7 pack
of Nescafe coffee. I got those
today while in Kroger.

I'm still not in the mood to do
any big shopping trips.
Taking it easy for awhile and
only buying what is absolutely
needed.

4-11-10

Got up early this morning and went
to the flea market. Didn't see nothing
of interest. I give it a couple more
weeks to see more vendors out their
at the Twin Drive Ins.

Afterwards we stopped in Pick N Pull junk
yard to see if they had any Tracker's
and they didn't. I hope that's a good
thing not finding them in the junk yard!
That means they are still out on the
road.
Will keep checking back as their
stock is different from one week to
the next.

Spent the afternoon cleaning up the yard
and hauling away crap sitting around.
Hoping to get the garden started soon
or at least get tilled and ready to go.
Need to get some kind of fencing to
put around it as we have rabbits.

Hey Kendra is that F150 up and running???
How much would you charge to pick
up a load of free mixed horse manure in Westerville???
Would like to get the dirt in the garden
up to par to be able to plant some decent
veggies this year.

Well time to kick back for a few
before the next go round around here.
Still have some laundry to finish up
and have to give Christopher a hair cut.
He's getting a little shaggy.


THE LEE HOUSE DURING WARMER WEATHER.
This is just a fraction of the kids that
hang out here. I swear the other day there
had to of been about 10 kids in our drive way
and none of them belonged to us, LOL!
When the basketball hoop is available in
the drive way kids come from blocks away to play.
I see it this way, at least they are staying
out of trouble!!!


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Free box or cup of Kraft Mac N Cheese
Cheesy Explosion

4-10-10

Took a load of donations over to the thrift store.
Feels good when I can haul this crap outta here.
On the way home we stopped behind the Big Lots
shopping center to find more boxes to bring home.
This REALLY irritated us!!
We got stopped by security that had nothing
better to do and was told we could not take
boxes! Now is that a crock of crap or what???!!!
It was obvious we weren't dumping anything
in a dumpster that was overflowing.
And the dumpster was marked cardboard.
So what the hell was the problem?
He could have stood there and watched
us take a few boxes and could have
saw we weren't there to cause trouble.
We were trying to do Mother Earth a favor
by recycling some boxes. But I guess
they would rather see them go to the
landfill. GRRRRR that just bugs the crap
outta me!!!

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Spent the day working on getting "The Buggy"
(that's my nickname for it) all cleaned up
and an oil change.
She will take some getting used to
as it is smaller than our Explorer.
The boys have to get a little closer
and show some brotherly love.
You gotta do what you gotta do to save
money even if it means getting a smaller
vehicle. Everyone will just have to cope!

Hey at least the spare tire isn't located
underneath the vehicle. Is that the stupidest
place to put one or what? The chances of getting
that bolt or wingnut holding it in place after
years of road debris and salt are slim to none.
Whatever happened to the good old fashioned
putting them inside the vehicle?
Oh well at least I can get to this one if need be!

And I have to add this funny lil note.
The kids keep thinking we are calling it a
Tractor instead of Tracker. LMAO

4-9-10

Here's our "new" buggy, a 2001 Chevy Tracker ZR2 4WD
Needed something better on gas with gas
price rising in the $3.00 range.
I've read anywhere from 18 to 30 mpg
depending if it's city or highway driving.
Bought it off a private owner.

I don't know how we did it as it's very rare,
but this was a one owner vehicle!
Original cost new was a lil over $25,000!! OUCH!!
That's what the title says.
I would NEVER pay a new car price!!

If you are mechanically inclined finding
a vehicle that may need a little TLC
could save you lots off the purchase price.
Just be sure to do your research as some
vehicles cost more than others to repair.

4-8-10

HATFIELD CAR SALES SUCK SUCK AND DOUBLE SUCK!

This evening we called about a car from Hatfield
that we found on autotrader.com.
The salesman said the car had been sold BUT
they had a BUNCH of other cars in that same price
range.
We drove clear across town to supposedly check
out this selection of cars. They had ONE CAR!!!
I was pissed and couldn't get out of our truck
fast enough to give the salesman a piece of my mind
when he told my husband that was all that had around
that price. Hubby told me later on he didn't know
I could get so mean and hateful. I said when someone
lies to me and we wasted gas thinking someone was
honest with us then hell yeah my mean streak is
coming out!! I'm seriously thinking about writing
Hatfield and telling them how we were treated!
Hatfield is a big car dealership and if they want
repeat customers this is no way to do it.
I flat out told the car salesman that I was pissed
we drove all that way because the salesman on the
phone told us he had BUNCHES of cars. I said
you all are so misleading and I WON'T BE BACK
OR RECOMMEND THIS PLACE TO ANYONE!! He says well we
have other cars about $500 to $1000 more. NO HE DIDN'T!
The cheapest other car was $1500 more. After I told him
off I stormed over to our truck ready to leave.
Tony made the comment the salesman looked like
a puppy dog with his tail between his legs walking
back into the dealership. DAMN SKIPPY!!!
I can't stand car salesmen and I can't believe this
big dealership would do something like this
to lure you in!!

4-7-10

For anyone interested in giving square foot
gardening a try I saw that Lowes
sells raised garden beds.

They come in
4'L x 4'W x 9"H $69.00
AND
4'L x 6'W x 9"H $79.00

Made of rot resistant cedar.
Slide and lock brackets make assembly
quick and easy.

Square foot gardening is being able to plant
many things in a small space.

So let's look at the dimensions above.
for a 4 x 4 bed you get 16 squares of planting
and a 4 x 6 bed you get 24 squares of planting.

Depending on the mature size of the plant
you can plant anywhere from 1, 4, 9 or 16
seeds per square foot!

I'm sure you could make your own square
foot garden cheaper without buying a kit.
Be sure to buy untreated boards though.

Here's a pretty simple guide of how
to build your own from Frugal Dad.

I'm getting excited with garden season
coming up as if you couldn't tell, lol.

I've always wanted to try the square foot gardening
technique. Last year I went with a hanging
garden and while it did produce fruits
and vegetables it was too hard to keep
watered constantly.

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My money saving tip for today...

My mom came for a visit today and told me
they were getting Direct TV. My jaw about hit the
floor! She said it was so they could cut back
and save money. My first reaction was ohhhh
you aren't gonna like it and it won't be saving
you money at all. Actually you could be paying
more!! She originally had Wow advanced phone
and basic cable.

Direct TV also wants a 2 year
contract so they can suck you in at an excellent
price for the first year then double it the next!!

So for 2 years contract would cost
$34 a month for first year
then $68 a month for second year.
They you would have to add an unlimited
long distance phone plan by another
company that costs $55.
So now we're looking at
$89 a month for direct tv and a phone
for first year
$123 a month for second year


They currently pay $92 a month
for advance phone and basic cable bundle.
There is no savings by switching
to Direct TV and I am soooo
glad they were able to get out of
ordering it!!!


With a wow bundle you get unlimited long distance,
with an independant phone service it could
cost you upwards of $55 for a plan with
unlimited long distance.
Luckily for my parents they were able to
call and cancel their order for Direct TV.

My advice to help them try to cut back with
their cable and phone was this...

1. Call your cable company and tell them
you are unhappy with their prices for basic
cable and phone. Tell them you are considering
switching providers and see what they say.
Sometimes they will lower your bill to keep
you as a customer!!

Heck I pay $30 more on my cable bill
and receive digital cable, advance phone,
internet and dvr. I would think
they could give them a cheaper rate
for some basic things and for being
an excellent customer with no
late payments!!

2. If you haven't been with another cable
company for awhile give them a call.
You would be considered a new customer
and get new customer rates!!

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Got the Suburban Newspaper today and am
looking forward to the first yard sales of the year!!
Wooo Hooo. I love church sales the most
and see one going on this weekend.

I think I will add a garage sale section on
my blog for my friends in Columbus
that might be looking for some good deals.
I'll post what sales I am able to find.
Most will be from North, Northwest and
Northeast Columbus area only though,
maybe add in some Gahanna and Westerville
from time to time.

CHURCH SALE

Friday April 9th 9-5
Saturday April 10th 9-12am $2.00 a brown bag Sat. only

Maize Manor United Methodist Church
3901 Maize Rd.

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Tree Of Life Christian Schools
Community Garage Sale
Sat. April 10th 8-3
935 Northridge Road
Cols,Oh 43224

These sales are just down
the road from the church sale above.

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Huge Multi Family Garage Sale
Sat. April 10th 9-2
67 East Pacemont
Clintonville 43202
4 blocks south of EN Broadway
East of High St.

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Saturday April 19
9am - 4pm
5967 DARBY LANE COLUMBUS, OHIO 43229
(161 & Karl Road)

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I am still working on my Spring cleaning.

I find that these little tips helps get
me through it...

1. Take small breaks.

2. It's easier to throw out or donate
things rather than finding a place to store
them.

3. I find it easier to get rid of things
knowing I am donating those items rather
than letting them go to waste by throwing
them out.

4. Less things in your home means less
clean up!

5. A less cluttered home is less stressful
and more relaxing!

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I have a question. Please help me figure this out.

If you purchase a sofa and get the warranty
and have it treated, how do you know if they
actually treated the couch with Scotchguard
or whatever it is they use???

Value City screwed me around with the purchase
of my sofa and now I want to know if it
actually got the treatment on it.
I don't know how to tell or what to look
for. So how does one know if they've been
screwed out of money or not.

How do I know they just didn't pull the couch
out of the showroom and put on a truck
and bring to my house????

Christopher slopped a little juice on a cushion
and before I could get a rag it soaked up
into the couch. Shouldn't scotch guard
make the liquid sit on top of the fabric
long enough to grab a rag.

I did do a test spot with drops of water and
it seemed to sit on top for a few seconds.
But when Christopher spilled his juice it
sure didn't give me enough time to grab
a rag before soaking in.

Oh well with microfiber it seems to clean up
well once dried so maybe I shouldn't worry too
much.

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Still car shopping. Don't rush it that's for
sure or you'll be unhappy.
I recommend you research any and all cars
you are interested in. It has helped me
tremendously when looking at cars and making
decisions. If I like a car I will go home
and think it over. I won't make a decision
on the spot! Car salesmen don't like it
but who gives a hoot! If I go back to purchase
something and it was sold, oh well, it wasn't
meant to be. There are millions of cars
in this world.

I recommend this site when researching cars
as it gives reviews from everyday people
like me and you.

CAR SURVEY

So far Toyotas and Hondas seem to be the best.
Ok that doesn't include the ones they recalled
with a sticky gas pedal.

Here are some cars I have researched.
I will add to the list as I research
certain cars. That way I along with
others can always use this list in the future.
Maybe some years are better than others
I don't have time to research all years.
I don't recommend buying a car the first
year it came out on the market. It will
be known for all kinds of bugs the
manufacture hasn't been able to work out yet.



NOT Good...

Chevy Malibu
Geo
Kia- many have replaced it's engines!
Dodge Caravan- transmissions & misc.
Ford Escort
Ford Taurus
Volkswagon Jetta
Pontiac Grand Am
Hyundai

Ford Expedition- electric problems, can't work on
yourself, costly repairs, fuse and GM box goes bad.

2000 Pontiac Montanna- manifold gaskets, electrical problems

So So cars...

Neon
Stratus
Volvo
Explorer- I love mine, but there seems to
be lots out there with transmission problems.
Choose wisely.

Good...


BMW
Toyota
Honda
Mitsubishi
Nissan
Chevy Corsica
Chevy Suburban