tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36865657935215293372024-03-13T12:03:12.614-07:00My ThoughtsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232758928236638463noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-67422062647153713542011-07-14T13:09:00.001-07:002011-07-14T13:09:31.417-07:00I'm a Blog Giveaway Winner!This is a few days late, but along with some of the other things I've been winning lately, one that I am super excited about is <a href="http://www.beautybykrystal.com/2011/06/krystals-big-thank-you-giveaway.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BeautyByKrystal+%28Beauty+By+Krystal%29">Beauty by Krystal's Krystal's BIG Thank You Giveaway!</a> I was searching for information about a new makeup company I had discovered, e.l.f. (which I have posted about before), and found <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/BeautyByKrystal">her videos</a>. They're extremely helpful for someone like me who had never ordered anything from them before to see what the products actually look like and to get her opinion on them. So I decided to enter her giveaway. Well, I won first prize!!! I'm so, so, so excited to receive this.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p5aAhH1FRuQ/TgFke_qVowI/AAAAAAAABTc/JGhHYxYoAxE/s1600/PRIZE+%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p5aAhH1FRuQ/TgFke_qVowI/AAAAAAAABTc/JGhHYxYoAxE/s320/PRIZE+%25231.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1st PRIZE INCLUDES (items asterisked were received from PR):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ELF 141 Piece Master Makeup Collection</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ELF Blooming Eyeshadow Collection</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ELF Brightening Eye Color in Drama</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ELF Nail Polish in Clear</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Sexy Silhouette</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*Peacekeeper Cause-Metics "Perfect As Is" Lip Balm in Tinted Rose</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*Peacekeeper Cause-Metics Eco-Sheer Lip Gloss in Stillness</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*CND The Look - Perfectly Bare Nail Polish duo pack</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*CND Scentsations Hand & Body Lotion in Mango & Coconut</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*CND Scentsations Hand & Body Wash in Mango & Coconut</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*Cricket Technique Thermal #390 2" Tourmaline Ionic Brush</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">iViScents iSmell Soap in Sandcastle</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">iViScents Towel Treat in Chocolate Cupcake</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ULTA 4 Piece Lip Glossary Set</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ULTA Anti-Bacterial Hand Lotion in Pomegranate</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ULTA Anti-Bacterial Hand Soap in Pomegranate</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cherry Culture Lip Balm in Bubble Gum</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kitten & Vixen Liner Pencil Sharpener</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">VALUE: $180</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I haven't tried any of these products aside from the clear e.l.f. nail polish, so I'm so excited to get a chance to try out new things. Thank you so much for hosting the giveaway Krystal. Head on over to <a href="http://www.beautybykrystal.com/">her blog</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/BeautyByKrystal">youtube pages</a> and check her out! I'll post photos when I receive the items. </div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-89735594859542386422011-07-14T13:09:00.000-07:002011-07-14T13:09:16.877-07:00Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2!So my last post was about how I had won 3 contest/giveaways. Well, I have won more!<br />
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First, on Friday, July 8th, I won a Twitter contest through the <a href="http://sacbee.com/">Sacramento Bee</a> for a Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. It was a prize pack that included a t-shirt, 2 posters, and 2 tickets to a prescreening of the film this past Monday. To win, I had to be one of the first two people to respond correctly to this question: <br />
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"1st 2 ppl win #HarryPotter (1) Name of Harry's snowy owl, Hermione's cat, & Ron's rat? (2) INCLUDE @wbpictures & "win w/ @beebuzzpoints ""<br />
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I was the first to respond to the question with all the requirements, correct answers, with correct spelling!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DwbUguqti__vIV3MjtB8CWc8IHnSoFEtfatMZYvrmzXmVgsrF-xrbLsB8DX4rBffegyrvrXs8uBVc4b3-DaKXliza2T64SP3GKNDUmRN_3rk-z3RqmUXmeFfbFNFDhlyLAXMJ1bcPnXw/s1600/HP_WIN.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DwbUguqti__vIV3MjtB8CWc8IHnSoFEtfatMZYvrmzXmVgsrF-xrbLsB8DX4rBffegyrvrXs8uBVc4b3-DaKXliza2T64SP3GKNDUmRN_3rk-z3RqmUXmeFfbFNFDhlyLAXMJ1bcPnXw/s400/HP_WIN.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the screenshot they posted of their responses. I answered twice because the first time I didn't include "Win w/@beebuzzpoints"</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmfr1Z0WEj54zS7W6Z4T12tUsNSJf3L_2PJZQShYEK5RRiaPEv2oJYt_oDh_yi4UjB8wHoqLJxKvesjB2YXNSBxn1uFYDmIG1mpyoOpajK-2GcsKPEKDjLc6Bc9AfAKy3loSuVhcJpxEK/s1600/HP_TwitPic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmfr1Z0WEj54zS7W6Z4T12tUsNSJf3L_2PJZQShYEK5RRiaPEv2oJYt_oDh_yi4UjB8wHoqLJxKvesjB2YXNSBxn1uFYDmIG1mpyoOpajK-2GcsKPEKDjLc6Bc9AfAKy3loSuVhcJpxEK/s320/HP_TwitPic.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I couldn't believe it! I was sooooo excited!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqnYo_l5YrMk3ydp8CRvGSVR3hAG0MnEDkK0BNklkG7dnscj0Z-9NV_MDCwy0HntKs_mZgrGnOG9OGDa6wRMT5XjzrRXLYExjAw6r1WwaeL4ch6XmY5ZTgVZ6cexFRoV999Zfh2lzD4WB/s1600/HP_RT.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqnYo_l5YrMk3ydp8CRvGSVR3hAG0MnEDkK0BNklkG7dnscj0Z-9NV_MDCwy0HntKs_mZgrGnOG9OGDa6wRMT5XjzrRXLYExjAw6r1WwaeL4ch6XmY5ZTgVZ6cexFRoV999Zfh2lzD4WB/s320/HP_RT.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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So, Monday night after work my boyfriend and I went to the theater to pick up my prize pack, not thinking we would make it into the screening because people had started lining up before noon to see it, but when we got there the line wasn't nearly as long as we had thought it would be, so we figured we take a chance and wait to see if we could make it in the theater, AND WE DID!!! It was a 3D showing, but that was still okay with me! I thought the movie was amazing. It was very emotional and only 2 hours, but I can tell you that I can't wait to go again for the midnight premier tonight!!! I'm just as excited to see it again as if it was the first time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyvtH4dWfcmsiKzVseIGlPGyG7TCruCMaaW3oTHqISOayTmkUxYBntEbaVuduZhQXbKuOSGLa3w7AA_Z-Q-WbIIYsNFUaI6GbghBHm_REMbB5H3lJetR_mb6DL8KNnVLRWtE2UL1ed1xA/s400/HP_Shirt.jpg" width="400" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://instagr.am/p/Hg3TI/">My shirt</a></div>I really like this picture because the words look like they're floating and not really printed on the shirt.jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-79449180870039075602011-07-14T13:08:00.001-07:002011-07-14T13:08:58.043-07:00Extremely Good LuckI don’t mean to brag, but I have won 3 things since Saturday! I’m so excited! I've had some extremely good luck these past few days. My boyfriend s a little disgusted by this since he says he never wins anything, but this past Christmas at his work party he won an iHome, so I don't know what he's talking about, lol :)<br />
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First, on Sunday, I found out that I won a <a href="http://www.beautybykrystal.com/2011/06/schick-quattro-for-women-dare-to-be.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BeautyByKrystal+%28Beauty+By+Krystal%29">Schick Giveaway</a> hosted by the lovely <a href="http://www.beautybykrystal.com/">Beauty By Krystal</a>. The prize was a Limited Edition Schick Quattro for Women Razor AND a Schick Quattro for Women Trimstyle, both featuring a NEW conditioning strip enriched with Acai Berry and Jojoba Complex designed for a comfortable and incredibly smooth shave you could skip a day or two. Hopefully they’ll arrive soon!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-65Py4xTHTfc/TeqLpuW5xkI/AAAAAAAABHA/J3C3Tg35jMA/s1600/giveaway+prize+ACAI+SYSTEM+with+KP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-65Py4xTHTfc/TeqLpuW5xkI/AAAAAAAABHA/J3C3Tg35jMA/s320/giveaway+prize+ACAI+SYSTEM+with+KP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Second, I received a notification this morning that I was one of 25K to win a NEW <a href="http://www.milanicosmetics.com/p-81-hd-advanced-lip-color.aspx">HD Advanced Lip Color from Milani</a>. I entered on their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Milani">facebook page</a> some time last week. I didn’t get to choose the color, but they said “We made every effort to match your preferred color and truly hope you enjoy your new makeup.” I can’t wait to see what they’ve matched for me!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.milanicosmetics.com/images/Product/large/81.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.milanicosmetics.com/images/Product/large/81.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Third, as I’ve mentioned before, I’m a member of a program called <a href="http://houseparty.com/">House Party</a>. You sign up and apply to host parties that are supplied by different groups and organizations. They held a “Twitter Party” earlier this morning, and I was the first to answer a particular question with the correct answer. The question in particular was “In what year did Congress recognize the Pledge of Allegiance?” Now I don’t want to mislead anyone into thinking that I knew this off the top of my head, because I didn’t, but I was able to successfully Google my way to the correct answer and respond within 15 seconds. That I am proud of :) My prize? I won a VIP Party Pass which allows me to host any party of my choosing so long as I match the criteria the company requires for their party demographic. So, if the company/organization wants families with children as their hosts, I wouldn’t be able to host since I do not have children of my own, etc. I don’t mind though. I’m hoping to host a party with really awesome loot. I love free stuff and I know my friends do as well!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXSknpRnIZNJyrrwxl55uxj1WLHZOE6UifFD50I_Ujj-r6b8diZo5wXjGelvoiEBPJktDACD2ogjsnsI6FJ06UOreMFRl5CsZQYXho8Qy_XDGz81e7pV8NVE0kEbOs0RbPdFsiHxzCSEi/s1600/Twitter_win.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXSknpRnIZNJyrrwxl55uxj1WLHZOE6UifFD50I_Ujj-r6b8diZo5wXjGelvoiEBPJktDACD2ogjsnsI6FJ06UOreMFRl5CsZQYXho8Qy_XDGz81e7pV8NVE0kEbOs0RbPdFsiHxzCSEi/s400/Twitter_win.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Now I've entered quite a few giveaways so far and I plan to keep on entering as many as I can. Here's to hoping I can bring home some sweet stuff!jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-67217978141391807352011-06-24T11:01:00.001-07:002011-06-24T11:01:43.245-07:00I won!Thank you to <a href="http://digiscrapdesigns-by-lorie.blogspot.com/">LorieM Designs</a>! I won a copy of her <a href="http://www.gottapixel.net/store/product.php?productid=29533&cat=0&page=2">Fun in the Sun kit</a>! I haven't received it yet, but I'm super excited to get it and use it! This will really help my digital scrapbooking project along! Thank you again! Stop by her blog and check out her designs. She has a lot of great things available.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwW4HnpRWnHVsV71Asu2cbr_brXlzkvA6Lwu781fgp7BYA4sNYnOO4iwQ1F-qIX_2_sdugbLspPqbSrPhowDfk5RZLhTHuZ2V4MQ_hmSvdD2ZwCf4E_bENjecloylpS9cKVbpDjFwBsoY/s400/LorieM_fits_ck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwW4HnpRWnHVsV71Asu2cbr_brXlzkvA6Lwu781fgp7BYA4sNYnOO4iwQ1F-qIX_2_sdugbLspPqbSrPhowDfk5RZLhTHuZ2V4MQ_hmSvdD2ZwCf4E_bENjecloylpS9cKVbpDjFwBsoY/s320/LorieM_fits_ck.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-75315725083803599152011-06-24T10:30:00.000-07:002011-06-24T11:53:38.933-07:00e.l.f.<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">I recently discovered <a href="http://www.eyeslipsface.com/">e.l.f.</a> (eyes-lips-face) makeup. They're a company that produces inexpensive cosmetics that are supposed to compete with the high end brands such as Urban Decay, Smashbox, MAC, etc. I didn't know anything about them until Groupon had a deal last week for $35 worth of makeup for $15. I decided to take a look at their website to see what they had, and I immediately wanted so many things! Their products range anywhere from $1 - $6 for individual items. They also have kits and packages you can purchase, that are more expensive, but I’ve noticed they’re not necessarily a better deal. They cost the same as buying the items individually, so if there’s something in the kit that you’re not very interested, search for the items and add them to your cart separately. Then you can still have all the items in the kit, but you at least have them in your choices of colors, styles, etc.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">So, after discovering e.l.f., I called my mom and asked if my parents had any plans for my upcoming birthday gift yet. She said no, so I asked for money to buy their makeup. My current makeup collection is several years old and makeup can go bad, and I had been hoping to update/overhaul it anyway, so it all worked out! After signing up for e.l.f.’s mailing list, I was sent a code for 50% off their <a href="http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio">Studio line</a> of products so I wanted to order before the code expired. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">I hear from a lot of different people on their message boards and fb page that their basic shipping was pretty terrible. It’s $6.95, you have to wait approximately 5 days for processing, then another 5+ days for the item to ship to you. I paid and extra $4.95 ($11.90 total) for the 3 day shipping, which was 1 day processing time, then 3 days to ship FedEx Priority. Unfortunately, they won’t deliver on weekends, so this extended my ship time, but I think it was worth the extra money not to have to wait 2 weeks for my order to arrive. My shipment came in yesterday and this, ladies, is what you can get for $100 (plus shipping) and 50% off the <a href="http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio">Studio line from e.l.f.</a>:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPoLt8R-TOSW3CKjMBLUdWQqLTpQX1_dtGJns5Na6Tal2-TSZDTkwK4TlAHhDn3GRMVWkQhrj2IPgaWWuMUq5TmBguiP-BiL7IGW6ar8sq1VvtybRcqvWtbv4idRRTq_jEO9rAe2fZwvps/s1600/IMG_0938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPoLt8R-TOSW3CKjMBLUdWQqLTpQX1_dtGJns5Na6Tal2-TSZDTkwK4TlAHhDn3GRMVWkQhrj2IPgaWWuMUq5TmBguiP-BiL7IGW6ar8sq1VvtybRcqvWtbv4idRRTq_jEO9rAe2fZwvps/s320/IMG_0938.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">My dear boyfriend went down our apartment complex's office to pick up the package for me and he was very surprised by the size of the order also. He was expecting a small box, but nope! This is everything:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
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<h1 style="color: black; font-family: Times, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 22px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal !important; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, 'Sans Serif'; font-size: 11px;">e.l.f. Studio Endless Eyes Pro Eyeshadow Palette – Limited Edition</span></h1></td></tr>
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<h1 style="color: black; font-family: Times, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 22px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal !important; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, 'Sans Serif'; font-size: 11px;">e.l.f. Essential Professional Complete Set of 12 Brushes</span></h1></td></tr>
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<h1 style="color: black; font-family: Times, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 22px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal !important; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, 'Sans Serif'; font-size: 11px;">e.l.f. Essential Nail Polish Sets (5 piece) in Hot</span></h1></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 20px;">I wasn’t able to order everything I needed to revamp my makeup collection, so I went back and placed a much smaller order to pick up a few more things. That should be here on Tuesday. I also lucked out because e.l.f. also has a special coupon code for their facebook fans on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/elfcosmetics">their fb page</a> that gives 52% off of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio">Studio line</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 20px;">. The code expires Monday, June 27th, so if you’re interested, hurry on over there!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">I’ve tried a few of the items and so far I’m in love! The foundation is fabulous. It doesn’t feel greasy or heavy on my skin. The <a href="http://www.eyeslipsface.com/elf/lips/gloss/super_glossy_lip_shine">e.l.f. Essential Super Glossy Lip Shine</a> in Pink Kiss (#2806) is great. It’s a bit sticky, but it smells and tastes great. I’m wearing my <a href="http://www.eyeslipsface.com/elf/eyes/eyeliner/waterproof_eyeliner_pen">e.l.f. Essential Waterproof Eyeliner Pen</a> in Plum (#7307) and I found that it was easy to apply and have had no problems with it. The <a href="http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/face/blush/studio_blush">e.l.f. Studio Blush</a> in Candid Coral (#83133) looks great with my complexion. I was iffy about this, thinking it would be too pink, but it’s not. I’m so excited for my other products to arrive! If there’s anything you would like me to review or take more photos of, just let me know!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Thank you <a href="http://teatimewithmelody.blogspot.com/">mom</a> and dad for helping me get all this! Great birthday present!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: large; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-61064575939955009362011-06-16T10:00:00.001-07:002011-06-17T10:19:17.540-07:00Free GlassesSo I managed to snag a pair of free glasses from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CoastalContacts.com?sk=app_213061378722654">Coastal Contacts</a> this morning! They had a coupon code available on their Facebook page that was available at 9am, that when entered, zeroed out your order for the first 10,000 people to use the code. It was great! They announced the giveaway yesterday, so I had time to get my prescription and search around for a pair that I liked before trying to rush this morning.<br />
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I picked out this pair<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://p0.flyerland.ca/images/products/5140000/5140612_image.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://p0.flyerland.ca/images/products/5140000/5140612_image.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm very excited. They're almost the complete opposite of the glasses I have now, so I'm excited to see how they look on me. AND, here's the best part, if I don't like them, I can return them free of charge as well. They even cover the shipping! The glasses will come with a cleaning kit and screwdriver also. Due to the expected volume of orders they will have, they glasses should arrive in about 10 days. Crossing my fingers they look great!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also, if you haven't yet, check out my other blog <a href="http://mrsjackieo.blogspot.com/">here</a>.</div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-14874189948244485612011-06-09T16:31:00.000-07:002011-06-09T16:31:14.816-07:00New Design...AgainSo, my adventures in the digital world have led to my newest blog layout. I used pieces of the <a href="http://persnicketyprints.com/digifreebies">Lavender & Chicks Kit</a> I downloaded and made the layout completely from scratch. I guess I can't say it's an original design since I used someone else's designs for the pieces, but the style is all mine. It took me quite a while to track down the right CSS code to make my margins fit correctly, and I won't tell you how many times I had to edit the size of my background photo (quite a few) to get it to be just right, but I DID IT!<br />
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I think what I'm most proud of is that I am self taught in all of this. I have never taken a class on html, css coding, digital photography/manipulation, and I have to use Microsoft PowerPoint to do all of my photo editing because I do not have Photoshop. Yes I do some website editing for work, but we use a program called Teamsite that has everything pre-templated for you, no real code editing involved. It's similar to Dreamweaver. BUT, now that I'm learning more and more, I can put this knowledge to use at work as well.<br />
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Thanks for taking the time to listen to me gloat :)jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-21629680708480518942011-06-02T14:46:00.001-07:002011-06-09T16:33:47.339-07:00Digital ScrapbookingI've decided that I'm going to learn how to scrapbook digitally as well as by paper. I keep seeing all these cute desktop backgrounds and photo pages and I want to be able to create some of my own. Even though I don't have photoshop, I'm going to learn how to do it. So I've spent a great deal of time going to different places online and downloading any free packs I can find to start being creative! Wish me luck!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">******UPDATE******</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Success! At least I hope so :) This is my first creation using some of the digital art pieces I downloaded and PowerPoint 2010</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-85164045713325272622011-05-26T08:26:00.000-07:002011-05-26T08:26:41.920-07:00New DesignSo, I've taken some time and am learning more and more about css and html code, and was able to maneuver my way through to create this design on my blog. Granted, I acquired the background from another <a href="http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/">site</a>, but I was able to successfully manipulate the code, and the header to make it my own. This including downloading new fonts, using PowerPoint to edit my header photo, use code to edit the fonts of my post titles and sidebar titles, and much more. I didn't realize how time consuming it could be, but I have done it! I also started a <a href="http://mrsjackieo.blogspot.com/">new blog</a> first to test out my skills, but now I think I will keep both. Not sure how different they will be or if I will just switch over to the new one eventually, but for now, they both stay.<br />
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Yay for Thursday, because it's almost Friday, and almost a 3 day weekend! Can't wait! I'm exhausted.jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-19926393723881514622011-05-02T09:15:00.001-07:002011-05-23T14:48:23.691-07:00This is for George<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.betweentheneonandthesea.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/you-make-me-smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://www.betweentheneonandthesea.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/you-make-me-smile.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-59541900627415160372011-04-18T11:53:00.000-07:002011-05-26T08:27:23.978-07:00My New Desk Accessory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As you may or may not know, I work at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. My mom got me this <a href="http://instagr.am/p/DSs9T/">cool pen</a> that looks like a syringe for me desk. It even has red ink! Great prop. Thanks mom!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-18553575817258464982011-04-15T13:13:00.000-07:002011-04-15T13:14:32.523-07:00Finally back home<div class="MsoNormal">So our trip to Knoxville was a success! We were able to transfer all of George’s things to a location in Knoxville where they will be safe until we can manage to get them to California. It was a lot of work, and it was A LOT warmer than we had planned for on the days we moved, but we made it through!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We didn’t end up having much time or money to do a lot while out there, but we did manage to make it to the <a href="http://www.knoxville-zoo.org/">Knoxville Zoo</a>! That was a lot of fun. They had a few exhibits that I haven’t seen in other places, like their <a href="http://www.knoxville-zoo.org/animals-and-attractions/exhibits/the-boyd-family-red-panda-village.html">Red Panda Village</a> and <a href="http://www.knoxville-zoo.org/animals-and-attractions/exhibits/black-bear-falls.html">Black Bear Falls</a>. They had bald eagles, rhinos, gazelle, and more. Those little pandas were adorable! They were full of energy and never stopped moving (well except for the ONE that was asleep). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We didn't take many pictures because we didn’t do much, but I still had a good time! I’m very glad for the experience. I was very glad to be home. I missed my kitties and my own bed. Snickers and Spike were so happy to be home! They had been stressed out away from home, and it took Spike all of 10 minutes to realize he was home and he was back to his normal self. Snickers was even faster. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was right back to work the next day after getting home, so I'm glad it is already the weekend! In a few hours at least. I won't get to sleep in tomorrow though since I'm going to UC Davis's <a href="http://picnicday.ucdavis.edu/">97th Annual Picnic Day</a> with George and my mom. I'm very excited about this. I haven't been in a few years and George has never, so it'll be a fun experience. I'm excited to see what the <a href="http://campusrecreation.ucdavis.edu/cms/internal.aspx?uid=61629b23-ca07-49b7-ac3f-ea96027cc01f">Cal Aggie Marching Band-uh!</a> has in store for this year's performance. They choose a different theme every year to guide their song choice and performance. My freshman year at Davis, I believe Pirates of the Caribbean was the theme. Sadly I didn't get to participate due to illness, but I was still there to watch my fellow band-geeks perform and I'm glad to be going back this year. Hopefully we'll get to take lots of pictures!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Speaking of which, I used to hate pictures, but now I've come to find I love taking pictures if they're with people I love! I'm glad I've changed my mind about them. I want to have as many memories saved in photographic form as I possibly can :)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I'll try to update with pictures from the zoo as soon as I can. </div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-37580227200436717722011-03-31T10:47:00.000-07:002011-03-31T10:47:32.810-07:00Surprise!!!<div style="text-align: center;">I'm going to Tennessee next week! And only had a week's notice! This will be an adventure. I'm excited! George is leaving tomorrow and I'm meeting him on Tuesday. Maybe we'll go <a href="http://rubyfalls.com/">here</a> or <a href="http://www.seerockcity.com/">here</a> depending on how much money we have and what our schedules look like. Should be fun. Time for lots of pictures!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope it's this gorgeous when I'm there :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-41062433249112539042011-03-23T09:08:00.000-07:002011-03-23T09:08:03.399-07:00Fat HeadIt's an eye opening documentary that is available to watch instantly on Netflix. I recommend that if you care at all about what you eat, your health, and the TRUTH about food and what it does to your body, that you watch it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.fathead-movie.com/">http://www.fathead-movie.com/</a>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-39204891618408805042011-03-23T08:57:00.000-07:002011-06-03T08:54:07.449-07:00Saturday Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguWdI2Vx8ejABs5m7FMNXCHcZQnt78odWzlzcDvt4R1Uf6ehWsO3LNFW6G0YwAqWd94AP9H-fUowZ43qV6gHCdd0rNDYUMKj8YXiA6iXcHM-vSkGAmvFTjV8zMPYVPp-85z-tFdm8IsI/s1600/The_Capital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguWdI2Vx8ejABs5m7FMNXCHcZQnt78odWzlzcDvt4R1Uf6ehWsO3LNFW6G0YwAqWd94AP9H-fUowZ43qV6gHCdd0rNDYUMKj8YXiA6iXcHM-vSkGAmvFTjV8zMPYVPp-85z-tFdm8IsI/s400/The_Capital.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I took this Saturday night. That bright white light in the center distance is the California State <a href="http://instagram.com/p/CYmpH/">Capital building</a> in Sacramento.</div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-6674091806642828412011-03-21T08:13:00.000-07:002011-05-23T14:49:47.133-07:00My Snickers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqgDY6iFjJNxVkusrQDknShJTxRa8UKwxjP-q15ftaq2ffT520T2ckOPR-Lw4BQ_xPiSSZaP10JDGOILEHK2deC8sr6qSoclEfztNR_TBt6hUgUvgvNN8A-Oe5GHbjccjOmHhFA69Uz0/s1600/Snickerdoodle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqgDY6iFjJNxVkusrQDknShJTxRa8UKwxjP-q15ftaq2ffT520T2ckOPR-Lw4BQ_xPiSSZaP10JDGOILEHK2deC8sr6qSoclEfztNR_TBt6hUgUvgvNN8A-Oe5GHbjccjOmHhFA69Uz0/s400/Snickerdoodle.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://instagram.com/p/CXoq2/">Snickers</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-85045750061897791832011-01-25T11:56:00.000-08:002011-01-25T11:56:48.652-08:00Who needs to pay for a manicure...<div style="text-align: center;">...when you can do it yourself? :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO4dEh-qJAsLnbpIW2J_xIxMC9ZCPU3TRpmTiG9FX_0PaVYgARSpuB5BEzye2ne3BKgC5HLHT-KXlrEamFiB-7HAhAT4IPEVE6NN5RqX9rYe4Q2P_kYIKJLKKlXtoZWesMidW5N1Q6X0Y/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO4dEh-qJAsLnbpIW2J_xIxMC9ZCPU3TRpmTiG9FX_0PaVYgARSpuB5BEzye2ne3BKgC5HLHT-KXlrEamFiB-7HAhAT4IPEVE6NN5RqX9rYe4Q2P_kYIKJLKKlXtoZWesMidW5N1Q6X0Y/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-39589254194230182242011-01-21T10:57:00.000-08:002011-05-23T14:49:50.771-07:00Hollywood & Highland Mall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7anPMjV2SG3SLeGatE4p88AKCDg7U3Q1kq9OpIs4gE78CB2oTZSt_BO-Qd7BfreA8_2idpC8X8iXVr-d-gDNyszjhdDykcc4EsPEtqc7THSPXr99JESrfth4c2K23hOeauIO_Pp50Cc/s400/Hollywood+%2526+Highland.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://instagr.am/p/BHRxR/"><3</a><br />
<br />
******UPDATE******<br />
I love this picture, but every time I see it I want to fix my right eyebrow. I just thought I would point that out.</div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-90524100149311894712011-01-14T09:45:00.000-08:002011-01-14T11:08:05.791-08:00Post-Trip Update<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >So, the first thing I want to say is I had such a great time in Redondo Beach! George's family was wonderful and I loved the area. I was going to post pictures, but I haven't gotten around to transferring the pictures from the camera to the computer. Hopefully soon :)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >It wasn't much warmer there than it is here, only about 10 degrees difference. It was really odd seeing snow on the Grapevine though! I photographic evidence that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); ">is does snow in Southern California. I've been telling people for, well pre</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); ">tty much always, California has normal weather with four seasons, it's not always sunny and warm.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >George's family was awesome! They were loads of fun and took me in right away. Apparently George likes to talk about me because they had all heard so much about me, lol. I questioned him on this and his response was "I know this is pretty hard to believe, but I'm CRAZY about you, therefore I talk about you. A lot." Very sweet :) The first people I met were George's uncle and aunt Brett and Angela, then his other uncle and aunt Vic and Jiyoung, and their daughter Livia.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><img src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/public/0dGFkfOoV-TBYGlNFS4waFURAm_CWKJSMFOR4XDIMz2JIdf8VCsMwXAhR5Un76KCw21Zn8LZau6ptkLEFKGXWDJv9_44fLr0r5uKgY1dk7L0t-hFZws2VGvV" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 232px;" border="0" alt="" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The first stop on Friday once we were together was to In-N-Out. This was quite an adventure. According to Google maps, it was only 7.2 miles from our hotel and seemed pretty straight forward. But It took us almost 45 minutes to get there! We made one accidental turn and had to circle back around, but then we were GOOGLED! This is the term we have come up with to describe when Google maps takes you down a completely dodgy street and the wrong way to get somewhere. In this case we were taken down some back alley behind a trailer park to go down a road that literally did not exist to end up at the In-N-Out, when we could have just gone straight through the intersection in front of us and gotten there just fine. The In-N-Out pictured here is the actual one we went to, but it looks much nicer in this picture. There's really no where to sit inside, but it has a double drive through. I don't mean like McDonald's where they split and go back together. It literally has two separate drive-throughs you can use. That was pretty neat. OH! I forgot the most important part! The reason we went on this trek in the first place was because one of George's aunts had never been to California before and had never had In-N-Out, and his other Uncle hadn't had any since he and his family moved to Italy this past summer. I'm pretty sure everyone was hap</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >py with their food, at least I hope so after all it took to get there! Lol</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><img src="http://socal.catholic.org/images/local_ad/2010043449brewco.png" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 207px; height: 280px;" border="0" alt="" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >For dinner that night we went to the Manhattan Brewing Company, which is located right near the water. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); ">It was a neat little bar with gigantic appetizer portions, but not very friendly service. Our waitress seemed to want to be anywhere else but at our table. We can only assume that because we had a party of 8+ and an 18% gratuity was added to the check automatically, she knew she didn't have to work for it. Here I got to meet George's Uncle Kirk (the groom) and George's grandparent's, Jackie and Dave, or Grammie and Grandpie which is how they were introduced to me. I think if I lived in the area this is somewhere I would go back to, but not with so many people. It would be a fun hang out place.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The next day we went all over. We drove by Brett and Vic's house they grew up in in Venice Beach. Then drove over to the Santa Monica Pier. I had never been there, but it was really neat. There was an original Hot Dog on a Stick and we got the cheese on a stick (delicious!) and some of their lemonade. We saw the historic carousel and walked through the amusement park there. We also found a little place that served these GIANT slices of pizza. I wish we had gotten a picture of that. The sauce was a little sweet for me, but it was still a good deal. From there we headed off to the Getty Villa in Malibu. This is what the website says about it <span class="Apple-style-span" >"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; "><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">The Getty Villa</span> in Malibu is an educational center and museum dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria."</span></span> It was neat. It was designed as a replica of a traditional roman villa with gardens and everything. It wasn't our original plan though. We were supposed to go to Hollywood, but by the time we went to the Villa and got to Hollywood, it was time for us to go back and get ready for the rehearsal dinner.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><img src="http://www.kenswineguide.com/images_wine/La%20Crema%202007%20Monterey%20Chardonnay.gif" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 126px;" border="0" alt="" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The rehearsal dinner was at a very posh restaurant called Kincaids, right on the Redondo Beach pier. It was very nice. The menu was preset for our party with options for three courses. The wine was also provided. I had tossed baby greens with bleu cheese spring rolls, the a prime rib for the main course with mashed potatoes as the side, and for dessert a slice of key lime pie with a side of lime sorbet. There was no way I could eat it all, but I wanted to! It was delicious. Kirk had also provided the restaurants with sevral bottles of wine, which allowed me to try out different flavors. My favorite was the La Crema Chardonnay.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><img src="http://www.herecomestheguide.com/images/area_images/LaVentaInn5.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" border="0" alt="" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Sunday we went to breakfast with the family, then went back to the hotel so I could get ready and G<span class="Apple-style-span">eorge could watch the playoffs :) </span>I wanted to straighten my hair (which is a very long process) so this gave me the extra time I needed to get it done. The wedding was held at the La Venta Inn in Palos Verdes, CA. It was BEAUTIFUL! They did such a fantastic job in such a short time frame. This is a photo of the indoor dance area. They had the fireplace going all night. It was gorgeous.</span></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; ">Monday George and I finally got to go explore Hollywood! We went to the Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Kodak Theater, Hollywood and Highland, the Walk of Fame, the mall that's right there and more. It was a lot of fun! They were setting up for the premier of the Green Hornet at the Chinese theatre. They had long rolls of green carpet with a white hornet on them and all kinds of stuff. I'm convinced one of the large trucks outside had the actual car in it, but I didn't get to see it myself. After we were done there, we headed out of town for some of our favorite food, Taco Bell!!!, and then were on our way home. All in all I say it was a great trip.</span> </span></p>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-62473587532932705222011-01-05T11:43:00.001-08:002011-01-20T11:32:57.027-08:00LA<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/00/13/7d/95/all-over-la.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/00/13/7d/95/all-over-la.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 403px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 550px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Okay, so this morning I realized that I totally forgot to make arrangements for our two cats while we're gone this weekend! They would have been alone for 4 days! How terrible of me! I can't believe I forgot. I was so caught up in trying to make sure everything else was ready that I overlooked them. Luckily my best friend Shelley has my back and will be able to look in on them every day while we're gone.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">I realized everything we still need to do! I feel rushed already and we still have two days to get it done. Lol. But that's what I do. I worry and stress about things like this, when I know that everything usually gets taken care of without any problems. I can't help it. We're going to have to do a lot tonight and tomorrow night, which is unfortunate because for me it's not so bad, but for George, it's so much worse. He has to work at either 2am or 4am, and does physical labor for 8 hours. Then by the time I get home from work, he's so tired, which I completely understand. I really want to put the Christmas tree away before we go, but I don't know if we'll be able to. So much to do!!! </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Pick up George's suit from the cleaners</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Pick up cat food</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Get George a haircut</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Buy groceries</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Clean up the apartment</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Put tree away (*crossing mt fingers*)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Scrub the bathroom</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Start packing</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Clean the rest of the apartment, lol</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Laundry</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Too much! </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">It'll all get done though, it has to. Then LA here we come! :)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images2.layoutsparks.com/1/194754/hollywood-sign-pink-flowers.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://images2.layoutsparks.com/1/194754/hollywood-sign-pink-flowers.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 450px;" /></a></div><div><br />
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</div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-77000357084365733252011-01-03T09:08:00.000-08:002011-01-03T11:38:29.413-08:00Yay for 2011<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black">Oh man... That's how I feel right now. I did not sleep well at all last night, which isn't making my first day back at work a good one in any way. I had four glorious days of sleep and not they're gone. It makes me sad. Luckily I only have a 4 day week this week and next to help ease me back into things. And as it turns out, Monday the 17th is also a work holiday, so make that three 4-day weeks in a row! Score! <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black">I had a wonderful Christmas with family and a great New Year's with my Love. I was thankful for the extra time to spend with close loved ones. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black">Not a whole lot is going on right now. This weekend I will be traveling to Los Angeles for George's uncle's wedding. It will be the first time I get to meet any of his family aside from his brother, whom we tend to see nearly every Sunday. He's very excited, as am I, but I'm also nervous. I mean, who wouldn't be?! Meeting your significant other's whole extended family (basically) for the first time at an important life event for one of them! We have lots to do. We found a dress for me yesterday, now we have to take it and his suit in to be cleaned, make a trip to the grocery store to get food to have for the drive there and back. I’m thinking stuff for sandwiches, chips, grapes, things that are easy to eat and not messy. Oh, and CHEAP! Lol.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black">I think the trip will be a lot of fun. George’s aunt has never been to California, so they want to go do some sightseeing stuff in LA, which is fine with me because even though I’m a California native, I too have never been to Hollywood or done any of those things, so it will definitely be an adventure! I’m hoping to take TONS of pictures :)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black">I’ve started rereading the Harry Potter series again. I’ve lost count of how many times I have read the first 5, but I haven’t re-read the 7<sup>th</sup> for sure. I think I’ve re-read the 6<sup>th</sup> book once, but I’m excited to read them all in concordance now that the story is complete. I also hope to have it done before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2 is released in July.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For Christmas, I was surprised with the red Wii I’ve been on and on about since they announced it! I was so excited and it was completely unexpected! My older brother got it for me, and said I have to share it with George, which I am very happy to do, lol :) We now have 6 games for the system! Two came with the system itself, two I already had, and two we acquired from trading in some other games. I’ve been having a lot of fun with it. One of my favorite games is Mario Kart Racing. I’m really good at it! I really like that the Wii is all about interaction. George and I can play all sorts of games together, which I like. Yes we’re playing video games, but we get some good quality bonding time in while doing so. He beats me at Wii tennis every game. Lol. But that’s okay :)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Okay, enough of my scattered rantings. I know there’s not much flow to this post, but I wanted to get this all out there. Hope you enjoy!</p>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-65745254988840736532010-12-06T10:23:00.001-08:002010-12-06T15:09:45.078-08:00Just an update on different areas of life<div style="text-align: center;">I have a new job. I've been here for just over a month and am really liking it. I'm still working for UC Davis, but now I'm at the Medical Center in Sacramento instead of the main campus. I'm doing a lot of the same tasks plus more. I work with doctors and fellow staffers on a daily basis, which I think is cool. My division is located right next to the auditorium so I often get free food from events, which I see as a total score, and my new co-workers are all very nice so far. There are a few down sides though. The evening commute is terrible and torturous. Staff parking is located 8 blocks from my building, so I get to walk that twice a day in this miserable weather. And once again I am the youngest person I have met in my building - by at least 6 years. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I was hoping to have some new co-workers I could become good friends with and I just don't see that happening with such a big disconnect in ages, but I'm not going to be closed minded. I have a Christmas party on Friday and George and I can feel people out then, outside of work.</div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"><a href="http://www.conkerrcancer.org/images/logos/UC%20Davis%20Medical%20Center.jpg"><img src="http://www.conkerrcancer.org/images/logos/UC%20Davis%20Medical%20Center.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 65px; " /></a></span></p><div><br /></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black">I have gained back some of the weight I managed to lose, so I'm on a mission to lose it again, plus a ton more. George has promised to help me accomplish this goal, which I am very appreciative about. :) We start tonight! I’m starting off light, with maybe a brisk walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes and then some weights, and over time will work my way to longer, more in depth workouts. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"><a href="http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2008/01/21/minnie-mouse-workout.jpg"><img src="http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2008/01/21/minnie-mouse-workout.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 203px; " /></a></span></p><div><br /></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black">We are still working on our couponing. We’ve managed to do pretty well lately. We’re shopping a lot more at Safeway instead of Bel Air. With Safeway’s new Just for U program, I’m able to load e-coupons onto my Safeway card and use those on top of the paper manufacturer coupons, and they collect information on things you usually buy and give you special deals based on the data. For example, we were able to get boxes of Pasta Roni for $0.89/each, when normally they were $1.60. That’s nearly half off! I was able to get orange juice much cheaper than usually, and many more things. So far I am very impressed with their new system. We still went to Bel Air for things like produce and some meats because they have a much better selection in those areas. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://theobsessiveshopper.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/i-love-saving-money-copy.jpg"><img src="http://theobsessiveshopper.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/i-love-saving-money-copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px; " /></a></p><div>2010 is almost over! I can’t believe how quickly this year has gone by. I admit at times it felt like it could not go by fast enough, where I wanted nothing more than for time to speed up and leave all of what was happening behind, and of course those times seemed to draaaaag on endlessly. I'm excited to ring in the new year! I just don't know how I'll go about it this year. Maybe someone will have a fabulous party that George and I can attend :)</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://brandperfumes.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/best-wishes-new-year.gif?w=346&h=375"><img src="http://brandperfumes.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/best-wishes-new-year.gif?w=346&h=375" border="0" alt="" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 346px; height: 375px; " /></a></div><div><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black">I, for one, am very glad to be where I am. I’m short on money, but I’m</span> never short on love, happiness, and family, and I am thankful for that. Thank you to everyone that has helped me through this year. I am forever grateful to you.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.profile-comments.com/images/thank-you/images/thank-you99.gif"><img src="http://www.profile-comments.com/images/thank-you/images/thank-you99.gif" border="0" alt="" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 388px; height: 378px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-49813483944576892202010-09-08T10:05:00.000-07:002010-09-08T10:32:54.347-07:00Coupon-ing Part 2I may be no good at this. In fact, my first attempt I think I can classify as a failure. Last Wednesday when the Safeway ad came out, there seemed to be some great deals, and there were. They had 12 packs of Pepsi buy 2 get 3 free, plus <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">CRV</span> in California, and some other great prices. So I went through my coupon collection and some online databases to see what I could find. I managed to snag some craft cheese for only $0.69/each which was great, I bought 10 cases of soda just to stock up on the great price, which gave me a savings of $37.74 on the soda alone. But I'm horrible when I shop alone. I walk through the aisles and pick things up here and there that I don't need, which usually aren't on that big of a sale, and those add up so quickly! For instance, I bought a package of fresh bagels, and they only lasted me 4 days before they had mold on them. I had only eaten two of the six. And I paid full price for them. In the end, according to my receipt, I paid $95.75 and saved $84.83, 48%, BUT Safeway marks up their groceries so much I'm not sure if it was really that great of a deal. I was hoping to not spend more than $50. I overshot that goal by a ways.<div><br /></div><div>I don't know how these people do it! So much self control! I guess it also helps that most of these women live in two income homes and can afford to stock up on things when a great sale comes along. I only get paid once a month, and after paying all my bills, I'm left with barely $300 to cover groceries, toiletries, and anything else I want/need for the next 30 days or so. And when I go grocery shopping and spend $95 on the first, I'm not left with much. I need to find these really great deals where people walk away with free stuff, but I can't seem to find them!<br /><br />I'm also learning that unless you live near an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Albertson's</span> (and if you live anywhere in northern California you DON'T) you can't really do much. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Albertson's</span> seems to be the only grocery store that doubles coupons, gives "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">catalina's</span>" which are like register rewards, or store credit for your next purchase, they also round coupons up to $1. So these people can go to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Albertson's</span> with a coupon that's only listed as $1 off a particular item that's on sale for $2, and the store doubles the coupon's value to $2 off, they get that item free! I can't find any stores in my area that double coupons or round the value up. I don't live near any supermarkets that are generally cheaper such as Win Co nor is there a Dollar Tree that sells groceries anywhere near me. I would have to drive 30 miles to get to one, and then the cost of gas to make the trip outweighs any savings I may gain at said store. </div><div><br /></div><div>ALTHOUGH, I think I did have one success over the weekend. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">CVS</span> was having a sale on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">L'Oreal</span> Color <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Vive</span> shampoo, 2/$5. I also had two $1/1 coupons, which brought the total down to $3 for both, or $1.50/each for a bottle of shampoo that is normally $4.99. Over 50% savings. I currently do not have a working printer at home or else I would have printed 2 more coupons and gotten 2 more bottles to stock up. I thought it was a very good price.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have also begun to sign up for free samples and coupons everywhere I can. Proctor & Gamble's website is offering many free samples that you can choose from and they will ship them directly to you. It takes up to 6 weeks, but hey, they're free! And why pay to try a product you may not like when you don't have to.</div><div><br /></div><div>There's a great website you can join for free that is a database for tons and tons of coupons. It's <a href="hotcouponworld.com">Hot Coupon World</a> and there you can search by brand name, key word, what type of coupon - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">ie</span> printable, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">peelie</span>, etc - I have found that very helpful. I've been looking at store ads and if I see something that's on a really good sale already, I try to find a coupon for that product to get it for as little out of pocket as possible. I'm still in the beginning stages, but I'm not giving up. I need to start saving and I know any money I can save will help.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-32112167078230688872010-08-25T11:28:00.001-07:002010-08-25T12:14:10.663-07:00New Goal - Be a Coupon AficionadoSo, I'm going to try and start to use coupons to get these crazy and outrageous deals I keep hearing people get. One woman managed to get 10 boxed of name brand cereal and actually had the store pay her back 9 cents! I've decided I need to get on this because paying $125-$200/mo for groceries is absurd. So far, I've found one blog that I think is very helpful, but since I'm just starting out, I'm not privy to all these good deals. The blog is <a href="http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fabulessly</span> Frugal</a> and they have all the great tips and lists on what sales to go for and what coupon combinations to use and more. Granted it's based out of Idaho, so not everything applies to me, but if spending a little time each day going over their material is going to help me save anything, I'm thinking it could be worth it. So far this is what I've learned:<div><br /></div><div>1. For online coupons - check websites like <a href="http://coupons.com/">coupons.com</a> on the first of each month to see all the new coupons that have been added. You can only print certain coupons up to 2 times, and they could expire at any time, so I'm thinking I may print out all FOOD/GROCERY related coupons twice and save them for when stores like Bel Air have good deals. ALSO, on the first of the next month, the coupons will either be replaced with new coupons, or they will roll-over and you will be able to print them out 2 more times.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Sunday Papers - I'm currently looking for a deal for the local Sacramento Bee so I can subscribe to either the F/S/Sun. paper only or just the Sunday paper to receive the coupon inserts that can only be found there. Many times stores will let you combine these manufacturer coupons for even better savings.</div><div><br /></div><div>3. SAVE ALL COUPONS! Don't use them right away for an item that is full price. Apparently everything goes on sale once in a while, and if you have that coupon still, you'll manage to snag even better savings. </div><div><br /></div><div>4. Get organized. Some places say once you print your online coupons, don't cut them out. Get a binder with the clear page protectors and put everything from that week or month in one page protector. Make a list of all the coupons in that section (organized whichever way is best for you to find them the fastest/easiest - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ie</span> alphabetically by brand, by category, etc). Or, clip the coupons and get an accordion organizer and group them in a similar fashion.</div><div><br /></div><div>5. Stay on top of the deals. Retail stores such as Target and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Wal</span>-Mart put out their specials and adds every Sunday. BUT grocery stores start their new specials and adds every Wednesday, so be aware. </div><div><br /></div><div>Since I've just recently started looking into this (I'm mean very recent, as in Monday, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">lol</span>) and it's toward the end of the month, I don't have very many coupons saved up and many will expire in the next week. So my plan is to try and collect as many as I can so I have them when the good deals and sales present themselves. I'm also going to try and only buy groceries when I absolutely need to. IE eat everything in my cupboards until they are bare and I need to buy more. No more impulse buys or trips to the store for just one or two things. The cost of the gas used for that trip to the store is not worth the item(s) in questions. UNLESS it is something perishable such as milk, or dairy in general, etc.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm hoping I can stick with this. I'm not sure yet, but I'm going to try. My goal is never to buy anything for full price unless absolutely necessary.</div>jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3686565793521529337.post-23992602782997620712010-06-22T11:43:00.001-07:002010-06-22T11:44:09.447-07:00YepI still hate Apple and iTunes. They screw me over once again. Thank you very much.jaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03599352839524975068noreply@blogger.com0