Revenge – The show I didn't want to like

2011/09/30 By 3 Comments

I LOVE Emily VanCamp.  I am a HUGE Brothers&Sisters fan, and while the storyline with her and Justin was a bit odd, I loved it!  So, when I saw the teasers for Revenge, I wasn’t sold.  First, it sounded like a completely cheesy plot line that would be incapable of holding the viewers’ attention for more than the first episode, maybe two.  Let’s just say there’s a reason that I’m sitting at this computer right now instead of sleeping so I can go to work at ABC tomorrow morning!

A couple of nights ago, we got Hulu Plus because I miss my network shows, our antenna isn’t reliable and we ditched cable.  Did I mention we made this decision the week before season premieres?  Yeah, now our smartest move ever!  So, after catching up on Castle and SVU (don’t even get me started on that one) I decided Revenge would be a good show to turn on while I fell asleep.  Yes, I know you shouldn’t sleep with the TV on, but when you get used to it because your husband has to have it on (and so did your dad and your grandpa, so it’s kind of been a way of life forever) you pick up the habit.

Once again, I was wrong. It was NOT a good show to fall asleep to.  The story line kept my interest and left me wanting the next episode.  Seriously, I almost wish I hadn’t started watching so early in the season, this would be an awesome show to hunker down with on a snowy weekend.  And yes, I’m starting to prepare mentally for that inevitability, I do live in WI.

It’s fun to try to decipher who is good and who is evil.  There’s something satisfying in seeing Emily Thorne seek and get revenge on the people who royally screwed her life. I’m even intrigued by how things are going to work out with Nolan, the technogeek her dad invested with before he died, Jack, who as near as I can tell now owns the dog that was a birthday present to Emily back when she was Amanda, right before all hell broke loose, and does her friend Ashley have any clue of her real identity?

Oh, and I just now, as I put the picture into the post got the title imagery!  Yep, this is what happens when you watch TV late at night, you don’t always catch on right away!

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Do Labels Define or Describe?

2011/09/29 By 4 Comments

Lately, I have seen a lot of talk (yep, only in the 21st century do we see talk…) about labels and stereotypes.  Something has been bothering me about the tone of many of these conversations, but I couldn’t put my finger on it until recently. First, I have to go back and tell a story that I’m sure I’ve told a million times before…

Just over six years ago, I was a new mom and wife.  My dad and step-mom were getting married that weekend and we met both sides of the family for dinner in a small town in southern Wisconsin.  When we were getting ready to leave, one of my step-mom’s sister called out goodbye to my Hubs and then said “Bye Mack’s mom!”  I was angry.  In that moment of post-partum depression and a constant state of sleep deprivation, I felt labeled. I felt as though I was suddenly unworthy of a name because I was now a wife and a mother.  The 15 mile drive home was not pleasant for Hubs, as he was forced to listen to me scream and cry about how I have a name and I’m still my own person. No matter how much he tried to reassure me that there was nothing more than an aunt sharing her sister’s excitement at having a new granddaughter behind the comment, I refused to listen.

Unfortunately, for many of the six years since then, I have felt the need to fight for my own identity, to prove to the world that I am a mom and wife, but I am also a sister, a daughter, a friend and a woman. Recently, I realized that yes, I am labeled, I carry all of these labels with me every day.  But there isn’t a single one of them that define who I am.  They are all pieces of the puzzle that create a whole person.

We all label one another.  In some ways, it’s how we remember people we meet.  There has to be some sort of association there, otherwise it would be nearly impossible to remember as many people as we will meet and form any sort of relationship in a lifetime.

Filed Under: Hanging onto Sanity

Piggly Wiggly Deals 9/28-10/4

2011/09/29 By Leave a Comment

One thing I love about Piggly Wiggly is that the stores are (for the most part) independently owned.  That means that when I shop there, I’m supporting a local businessman and his family.  I used to hate shopping there because it was “too expensive” but that was before I learned to shop the sales!  This week, there are some good deals.  What I’m posting are the items that interest me.  You may find other coupon sites that would recommend waiting for a lower price, but these are good prices based on what I have seen in my area.  These prices are also good for when you’re starting out and may not be able to wait for the “rock bottom” prices to fill your cupboards!

Meat Deals

80% Ground Beef – $1.99/# when you buy a 10 pound tube.

 

Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast – 1.69/#. According to Krazy Coupon Lady, this is a 6 month stock-up price!

 

Lunchables – 0.99  

Baking Goods

Sugar – 1.89/ 4# bag
Hershey’s Baking Chips – .99  If you find the floor display, there is a coupon pad for a FREE Hershey’s syrup when you buy 4 baking chips.  Since the sale is limit 2, you can buy 2 different flavors of chips to take advantage of the sale.
All-Purpose Flour – 1.69/ 5# bag Slightly above the 3 month stock-up price, but not bad by any means!

Dairy

Land O Lakes Butter – 2.99/# One thing I like on this one is that the 8 1/4 cup stick packaages are included!
Eggs – 0.99/dozen or FREE when you redeem Pig Points
FC Block Cheese – 1.25/8oz

Once I hit the store today, I will be back to add more and to add some coupon info!

 

 

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Kindle Fire – The affordable tablet?

2011/09/29 By 1 Comment

I woke up this morning, the first morning in a week that I’ve had network television, to the buzz about the Kindle Fire, Amazon’s entry into the battle of the tablets.  So far, it seems that none have been able to truly stand up to the iPad in terms of popularity and functionality, but this one sounds like it has promise!

Areas where Kindle Fire “loses” to iPad2

  • Smaller screen – at 7″ it’s not as big as the iPad2.  Sure, a bigger screen would be nice, but if it’s meant to be portable, I’d almost rather have the smaller, more compact screen.  And it’s still bigger than the other Kindle models.
  • Wifi-only streaming – Well, in the spirit of trying to live a more frugal life, paying for a 3G plan for a tablet isn’t really in the budget, so I’m not too concerned about this.  Also, having 3G would require a completely separate plan since it’s only available for AT&T and Verizon.
  • Camera – Well, I’m not sure about you, but I don’t see the convenience in holding up a tablet to take a picture when I can just use my phone or, I don’t know, maybe my camera!!  Again, not a big deal in my mind.

Areas where Kindle Fire “beats” iPad2

  • Weight – again, we’re talking about a portable device, so weight is an issue.  The Kindle Fire is about 7 ounces lighter than the iPad2.  That may not seem like much, but ask anyone who has held a baby and they will tell you that, over time, that’s a HUGE difference!
  • Price – Seriously, the Kindle Fire is less than half of the iPad2 starting price! Personally, I don’t see enough of a difference to warrant the price gap between the two.
  • Content – For me, it’ll be nice to be able to use the movies and music I already have on my Amazon account.  And because I’m a Swagbucks fiend, I could keep up with the no-cash policy I have implemented for a long time when it comes to digital content!
While there’s a little over a month to wait before the Fire comes out, this is one purchase that I plan to start saving up for!  Who knows, maybe someone can put a little birdie in Hubs’ ear to let him know that my birthday isn’t long after the release!
Filed Under: Happy Homemaker

Save Money on Christmas with Swagbucks

2011/09/29 By Leave a Comment

If you’re looking from your calendar to your wallet and have no clue where the money is going to come from for Christmas, you need to do yourself a favor and sign up for Swagbucks! When I first signed up, it sounded too good to be true, that I could get “paid” just for searching on the web, but it really is that easy and it really does work!

This year, I’ve been searching away and then redeeming my Swagbucks for Amazon and Paypal gift cards which I plan to use for Christmas gifts.  Between the cards and special deals, I’m hoping to stay under $100 for the entire family, and that’s including all of the nieces, nephews, grandparents, etc!

 

Filed Under: Happy Homemaker

New Raisinets Coupon

2011/09/28 By Leave a Comment

 Click here to print the new $1/2 Raisinets coupon!

Filed Under: Happy Homemaker

Little Debbie Coupon

2011/09/28 By Leave a Comment

What’s better than Little Debbie?  How about Little Debbie with a coupon! Right now they have a .55/1 coupon on their Facebook page and a tempting picture of their chocolate chip brownies, YUM!!!

Thanks to Wisconsin Coupon Clippers for this one!

Filed Under: Happy Homemaker

It's a HUGE Coupon Weekend!

2011/09/28 By Leave a Comment

According to my sources at We Use Coupons, we’re looking at a HUGE coupon weekend this week!  This weekend is Procter & Gamble weekend, my favorite week of the month, plus there are the Smart Source and Red Plum inserts as well as Playskool and Komen.  Check out the great what’s in the inserts here.

If you buy your inserts and you’re trying to save money, this is definitely a week to head to the store to get your papers rather than buying online!  Just make sure the papers have the inserts before you leave the store.  Trust me, nothing kills a great coupon weekend like getting home and having 10 useless papers with no inserts!

Filed Under: Happy Homemaker

Toluna Opinion Panel

2011/09/28 By Leave a Comment

Toluna is completely different than most survey panels out there! With Toluna, not only can you take part in surveys, you can also create your own survey and polls for others to take part in!  And they have a $4500 monthly drawing, which you earn entries for by completing qualified surveys.  Even if you never take part in a survey, you get an entry just for signing up.  What would YOU do if you won $4500??

 

Filed Under: Happy Homemaker

End of September Coupon Reminder

2011/09/28 By Leave a Comment

It’s almost the end of the month and that means it’s time to give your printer a workout!  Many of the coupons that are currently on coupons.com will be going away in a few days but the deals may be great long after they’re gone. When I first started couponing, I had NO sense of the value of printable coupons.  Now, I’m paying for that because there are coupons I never printed that would make my out-of-pocket bill much lower.

If you’re just starting to coupon, learn from my mistake and head over to print your coupons before they are gone!  Even if you don’t use the coupons for a month or two, you will thank me before Christmas!  LOL

Filed Under: Happy Homemaker
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