Thursday, July 31, 2014
Money-Saving Thursday #3: How to Lower the High Price of Gas
Grocery Fuel Programs
Because we all love to eat!
Join any of these programs by simply obtaining a membership card from the specific store brand.
BI-LO. I rank this fuel reward program #1. Bi-Lo is the best I've found to lower the high price of gas for three reasons:
- Weekly incentives to maximize your reward. Bi-Lo rewards .05 per gallon for buying certain foods. For example, this week, they offer rewards for buying lunchbox supplies for back to school. Save .03 to .05 off per gallon of gasoline when you purchase specific items. Deliciousness and savings too! Look for the red circular bubble in their weekly flyer to spot even more deals.
- Save .05 per gallon for every $50 spent at Bi-Lo. These seem to add up quickly!
- Bi-Lo fuelperks can be combined* with BP Driver Rewards to DECREASE your gas bill twice as fast. For every two times you buy 20 gallons of BP gas, receive .05 off per gallon. Think of it as double dipping since BI-LO and BP are partners in their gas reward programs. *Can't be combined at the pump. You must go in the store to use both rewards at the same time.
Don't have a BP rewards card? Sign up for one here or pick up one at your friendly neighborhood BP station.
TIP: Check with your local grocery store or favorite gas station to see if they partner with other gas reward programs. They may combine rewards too! And...you never know until you ask.
TIP: Check with your local grocery store or favorite gas station to see if they partner with other gas reward programs. They may combine rewards too! And...you never know until you ask.
These are other fuel reward programs I use regularly and highly recommend to lower the high price of gas:
Share your fuel tips in a comment. I'd love to know of more ways to save money! Check out other ways to save at Money-Saving Thursday.
Fun to save,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Will your anti-virus work when you need it?
| Shew! That's all I can say. I clicked an email yesterday infecting my computer with a virus that completely shut her down. Won't even boot up! I'd like to think I'm smarter than that. I know my way around a computer been using one for YEARS without a virus problem. This virus was smarter than me. Let me explain. We just got back from Florida. Sanibel has a toll road onto the island. Cash only. I had cards. They sent me through unpaid, took a picture of my tag and will send a bill. I thought I found one in my junk mail. The invoice from EZ Pass looked so legit. After all, I was expecting it, right? I clicked it. Yes, my anti-virus software said it was malicious but I clicked it anyway. BAM! Dead computer! So I had to borrow a computer to write my newsletter today. I'm hoping a rescue cd can fix my computer. Here's the thought for today. Our bodies have built-in protection to fight viruses. Plus, we can take all kinds of preventative measures to keep from getting sick. But we still do. We don't try to get sick. We don't do anything to catch a cold or any other type virus. I don't know anyone who starts their day looking for a virus to catch. In contrast, computers aren't built with virus protection. It is an add-on. If you don't want your computer to get sick, you buy it some protection. Does anti-virus software always keep our computers safe? No, not always! Especially when we click on things that are questionable or we know we shouldn't. Let's think of sin as a virus and Jesus as our anti-virus. Mark 2:17 says "When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." We don't have a built-in anti-virus for sin. We are all sinners. Jesus died so we can be virus-free through him. That doesn't mean we'll never sin, we will. But, if we consider sin the Holy Spirit warns us it is a malicious threat. We have the choice to sin or not. If we do sin, Jesus is ready to forgive us and cover our sin. He's our rescue cd. My computer can't be saved. You can! Please don't choose to take your chances without antivirus. Accept the add-on protection of Jesus to insure your cure from sin. You've heard about the "worm" virus, haven't you? It's a eternal killer. Mark 9:44 may speak of it talking about hell "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched". Protected, Tammy The Happy Handicap |
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Mom-ism Monday #12: On a Tuesday
- you've had this disease for a long time and just didn't know it
- how long have your fingers been clubbing? you know that is a sign of oxygen deprivation
- our lung patients have to take it easy so if you don't feel like coming...don't
- you should go to Emory. they do good with lung transplants there
- we had a patient get a lung at Emory. he was doing better than any other patient we'd seen. he got depressed and killed himself
WHAT, REALLY???
It is difficult for me to fight back the fear of pulmonary fibrosis. I can't imagine the fear that grips Steve with overwhelming doom and doubt. I chose to be a positive person. I believe in an Almighty God who wants us to live and not die. I wish I could pray away all the negative words, emotions and vibes for everyone, everywhere.
Psalm 118:16-18 King James Version (KJV)
16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.
18 The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.
Right now commit to think positive, love abundantly and serve your fellow man. Rid yourself of all those bitter words and feelings before you kill someone with them, seriously. Let your mom's words ring in your ears: IF YOU CAN'T SAY SOMETHING GOOD, SAY NOTHING AT ALL!
Lovingly,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
5 Divine Facts about Facebook
Can we really give Zuckerberg all the credit for creating social networking? I think not!
- Social networking began with one man and twelve disciples! Those twelve men shared with their friends. Some gave their message a like and others couldn't wait to comment.
- The coolest thing about being part of Jesus' network is he will never "unfriend" you or hide you from his newsfeed. With Jesus, we are always "Linked In"!
- The message of Jesus is so popular the thread has been going for over 2000 years. Oh, he got pinned a lot...with nails!
- His message over 50 characters is an absolute must retweet. If we don't, the blue bird will certainly tweet about him.
- I am particularly glad I'm part of the G+ network. I've got God + Jesus + the Holy Spirit.
Like this? Never miss another post by joining my site with Google+ or email in the right side bar. Let's get connected by clicking here.
Socially,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Acupuncture: Proven Treatment for 8 Common Disorders
This is not hearsay. I have received effective proven treatment for these 8 common disorders:
- Sinus Inflammation. I have lots of allergies. My sinus passages used to swell enough to block my nose breathing daily. Acupuncture alleviates sinus swelling and restores free breathing.
- Kidney Stone. Acupuncture helped me pass a 7 mm kidney stone, avoiding lithotripsy surgery for the fourth time was one of the best days of my life.
- Sciatica. I have experienced nerve pain on my left side for years caused by my birth defect. Acupuncture helped to completely resolve my sciatica. I would be remiss not to mention I also use chiropractic to complement acupuncture for this problem. However, I went to a chiropractor for years without total resolution.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Regular treatment controls my IBS symptoms of cramps, gas, pain and alternating diarrhea/constipation. Now I experience IBS flare-ups occasionally, maybe every 4 to 6 months. The duration of flare-ups have shortened considerably, 3 to 5 days opposed to 2 weeks.
- Anxiety. Acupuncture cured my anxiety! I tried meditation, herbs, exercise and lots of self-heal techniques without success. I was able to quit an anxiety drug I took for almost 2 years after receiving acupuncture.
- Vertigo. Completely cured of vertigo as shared above.
- Rotator Cuff Injury. The joyous birth of my first grandchild also birthed me a shoulder injury from holding her SO much! My fault totally. I'm happy to report my shoulder is completely healed and I'm still holding that precious baby girl.
- General Well Being. These days I go to acupuncture to maintain my general well-being. The treatments just make me feel good. No, I'm not some kind of needle fanatic that enjoys pain. I hate pain! I love acupuncture!
Trusting the needles,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Monday, July 21, 2014
Mom-ism Monday #12: Flattery or not?
Today's "ism" comes from my late father-in-law Claude. He was a looker at 86 years old when he passed away. He still had a head full of thick whitish gray hair and his face was that of a 50-year-old. I'm not sure how he hid the wear and tear of 86 years behind an almost wrinkle-less facade but he mastered it. Here's a picture of my in-laws in their younger years. Beautiful couple.
Claude was a quiet guy who enjoyed fishing. I remember him as friendly with a keen knowledge of life that he didn't readily share. I know I aggravated him asking so many questions. He intrigued me. I tried my best to uncover more about him than he wanted to tell. We lovingly call him "Pop".
His sense of humor was offhandedly funny. He used analogies to get his point across. One such analogy he made served him well. His five sons still use it today. The smart quip is being handed down into the third generation of his family.
When Claude wanted to refer to someone or something as big or large, he said....
"If you were a catfish, you'd be a keeper!"
Anyone who knows how to fish understands what he means. The reason for catching catfish used to be to eat. You needed a pretty big catfish to filet without bones. Some states probably have regulations on the keeper size of a catfish.
A "keeper" catfish is a good thing!
This "ism" may be something you'd like to adopt to reference size instead of some of the less attractive words of today. I like to think of the term as kinda flattering or a positive negative!
Claude was a quiet guy who enjoyed fishing. I remember him as friendly with a keen knowledge of life that he didn't readily share. I know I aggravated him asking so many questions. He intrigued me. I tried my best to uncover more about him than he wanted to tell. We lovingly call him "Pop".
His sense of humor was offhandedly funny. He used analogies to get his point across. One such analogy he made served him well. His five sons still use it today. The smart quip is being handed down into the third generation of his family.
When Claude wanted to refer to someone or something as big or large, he said....
Anyone who knows how to fish understands what he means. The reason for catching catfish used to be to eat. You needed a pretty big catfish to filet without bones. Some states probably have regulations on the keeper size of a catfish.
A "keeper" catfish is a good thing!
This "ism" may be something you'd like to adopt to reference size instead of some of the less attractive words of today. I like to think of the term as kinda flattering or a positive negative!
Sunday, July 20, 2014
5 No-Nos that are Generally Accepted
What is a no-no? The word "No" defined by Webster is a negative response. So "no-no" is a double negative or twice as negative as one no. In other words, a no-no is a worse degree of no. In our society today, I'm not sure the no even means no anymore. It may mean yes or maybe or I'm not sure. But to me, it still means flat out no, never, ain't happening, you can't make me!
This morning I was thinking about a few things that I believe are "no-nos" that are generally accepted by the majority of the American population. I'm sharing them with you. Leave me a comment whether you agree or disagree with my 5 No-nos that are generally accepted:
- Dye your hair. Dyeing includes coloring, frosting or highlighting. My daughters and I have virgin hair. Eventually, we will have a natural highlight and color. Gray.
- Overeat. I have less discipline with this one. I hate the feeling of being overfull. Overeating poses all kinds of chronic disease threats.
- Buy on Credit. Several years of concentrated effort alleviated my frivolous credit habits. Yes, I still use credit cards but very carefully paying off the total amount due each month or using only with a strict repayment plan with little to no interest incurred.
- Think of yourself first. People are so self-serving these days. Thinking of others before yourself, I believe, is a parents number 1 job. I pray my husband and I have taught our children to put others first, themselves last.
- Electronic Devices for Kids. Our eldest child got a cell phone when she started driving for safety reasons. Her younger sister got one at the same time for communication purposes. Sydnee was Sloane's chauffeur for us. I think cell phones should be illegal for anyone under 16 years old. My thoughts on other electronic devices...I attended a Boys Choir Performance in May where I witnessed a 10 year-old boy play the same video game on an iPad continuously for two hours while his parents watched the performance. What was wrong with him watching the performance? Electronic devices should not be used as baby sitters.
Probably not acceptable,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Epparksford: Our Madeup Language - For Mature Audiences Only
As a baby, she did everything a little late. Cut her first tooth at 12 months, walked at 13 months and was always slightly under percentile on the growth chart.
Her first word was tractor at the age of 12 months. So unexpected! We were in the barn looking at her Pa's tractors. Her Dad said the word and she repeated it. From that moment, she tried to say every word her Dad and I said. She pronounced tractor perfectly. One word she couldn't pronounce was "hotdog". I'm almost ashamed I fed her hotdogs. They were healthier in 1989, right? The way she said hotdog was so cute and so funny we still use it today. Are you ready? Please don't take this the wrong way. She was 12 months old when she made up this word innocently. She named a hotdog....
COCKDOG!
Cockdogs are still one of her favorite foods today. You may never look at a hotdog the same way again. Every time me and her Dad says cockdog, we see a darling baby girl with kinky curly locks wobbling around in a diaper and small t-shirt. She pulls up on the refrigerator door, turns to us on her knees, points and says cockdog? asking if she can have one. We understood her precious language. Still do!
Love is a language,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Love is a language,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Friday, July 18, 2014
Wiggy Wanda: A Kid-Friendly Way to Learn about Disease
Kathy Mashburn has a talent for writing children's books that deal with sensitive subjects. Her latest book, Wiggy Wanda gives mommies and daddies, grandparents and caregivers a sweet tool to talk about an emotional subject: cancer. Imagine trying to find the words to tell your precious child his/her mommie has cancer. Don't do it alone. Wiggy Wanda is here to help you.
Keri Fields is only seven years old when she learns the reason for her mother's sickness. She has seen firsthand how badly her mother feels when she is sick. Keri listens carefully as her mother tells her about a boo-boo called cancer that is causing her to be sick enough to throw up and tired enough to lie down often. To help explain the things that will happen while her mother is being treated by the doctor, Keri's parents present her with a very special gift. Keri quickly discovers this is no ordinary gift!
To further explain the challenges of cancer, the book has an optional Wiggy Wanda doll with her own wigs - curly, straight and pageboy!
Kathy is an exceptional mom and grandmother being the nucleus of her family since the passing of her dear husband several years ago. Read a review of her book A Birthday Clown for Archer here.
Order your copy of Wiggy Wanda here or from the Amazon box in the right sidebar. The book can also be purchased on Amazon. Get your precious Wiggy Wanda doll by clicking here to be redirected to Kathy's Online Shop.
Would Kathy's book been a godsend in a situation you've encountered? Leave me a comment to share how you see this book helping you and others.
Kudos to Kathy,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Money Saving Thursday #2: Eating FREE on Vacation
The trick to eating FREE on vacation is joining chain restaurants clubs and using coupons. Many restaurants have clubs but I'm sharing my favs. These restaurants continually prove to me they don't send junk mail! I receive valuable coupons and you can too! Coupons can be printed or conveniently shown to your server right on your smartphone for redemption. It's that simple! Below are a list of restaurants with FREE food.
Chili's Email Club Receive a free endless Chips and Salsa with registration. Requires the purchase of one adult entree. You will receive coupons from Chili's 1 to 2 times a week for FREE food options. Their Molten Cakes are to die for plus they have a $20 Dinner for Two that is awesome. Find a Chili's close to your vacation here.
Red Lobster Email Club. Get a free appetizer or dessert with the purchase of two adult entrees. Receive emails for special food events and discount coupons. Find a Red Lobster for your vacation here.
Arby's Get Deals. Receive a free roast beef sandwich with the purchase of a drink when you sign up. Arby's is always sending a free coupon for their latest taste crazes too! Find the nearest slicer here.
Long John Silver's Coupon Club. Get a free drink for signing up. LJS sends emails about current promotions and deals. For example, they have $1.99 Fish & Fries this week. This is my Dad's favorite place for fish. LJS gives Dad's a FREE meal on Father's Day. Score for Dad and me! Search locations here.
Longhorn Steakhouse eClub. Free appetizer with purchase of adult entree. Receive occasional coupons for free appetizer or dessert. Search for a Longhorn Steakhouse here.
Other perks of these restaurants and clubs:
- Serves FREE Water. Make FREE Lemonade by adding FREE sugar packets and FREE lemon to your FREE water.
- Sends FREE birthday coupons so it's sweeter if your vacationers celebrate birthdays in the same month!
- Join the clubs with multiple email addresses for more FREE stuff.
- Welcome customers to share food.
- No plate charge for sharing food.
- Allows customers to eat from the kids menu.
More tips:
- 50 or older? Always ask for a senior drink. They are usually FREE or reduced price.
- The Combination Meals (sandwich, fries & drink) are not always the best value. For example, you can get the same or comparable food individually from the value menu at Wendy's, Burger King and Arby's cheaper than ordering a combo.
- Dipping sauces. Save your extras on vacation or for vacation. Extra sauces are .25 each.
- Check your local newspaper for chain restaurant coupons like Steak n Shake and McDonald's. McDonald's has Buy One Get One FREE coupons a lot!
- Pack individual Crystal Light or Koolaid packets to flavor FREE water.
- 55+? Look for restaurants that offer reduced senior pricing like IHOP, Outback Steakhouse (AARP members), Golden Corral, Arby's, Carrabba's Italian Grill (AARP members receive 20% off) and Applebee's.
- Save 25% at Papa Johns on pizza when ordering online. Use coupon code AARP25
- Take advantage of the kids menu whenever possible
- Pack some sandwich food and have a picnic at a rest area
Like these tips? Make sure you don't miss another Money Saving Thursday, join this site or sign up by email. Scroll down and look on the right side of the page to see how!
Getting hungry writing this,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Demystifying Speaking in Tongues
DISCLAIMER: Before I get into this topic I want you to understand about my attempt to explain speaking in tongues. This is my belief as I perceive it from God. You may disagree, agree or think about it. If you'd like to express your opinion or ask a question, simply reply to this email. I, in no way, want to take anything away or add anything to the Holy Scriptures.
I've read commentaries and opinions on speaking in tongues. I'm not sure exactly what happened in Acts when people spoke in tongues. I do know when I need an answer , I seek God for wisdom. Speaking in tongues tends to be made too mysterious by us. Things we don't understand becomes taboo or only for the highly spiritual. Hold on! You are about to read how God explained tongues to me.
Let's talk about music, golf and computers. Can you identify an 8th note or play a B flat scale? Do you know what penalty to take if you hit your golf ball out of bounds or how to calculate your handicap? Do you know how to ping a device or format a hard drive? You may be asking yourself what is an 8th note or, kind of laughing under your breath thinking I don't want a handicap, or wondering what kind of hammer you need to ping a device. If you're asking yourself these questions, you don't speak these languages. If you can do all these things, you know their tongues. I know all three of these languages better than most and not nearly as well as others. Every person, tribe, country, subject, job, denomination, etc. have their own language or tongue.
The Bible says in I Corinthians 14:6-7 "Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?" I love that last sentence because it's easily understood. If a pipe and harp want to communicate to be understood they must be speaking the same tongue or the same "key" as it is referred to by musicians. Two or more instruments that aren't in key or synchronized with one another makes an awful noise. Oftentimes the song being played cannot be recognized.
How does this relate to you and me as a Christian? We have to be careful distinguishing our "tongue" so people understand. Think about this. A visitor comes to your church who knows nothing of your service or your religion. Think about all the things they might hear during your service that may confuse them. Hymnal. Drink this, it is my blood of the New Testament. Sunday School. Gifts of the Spirit. Get the idea? Additionally, we, as Christians, have God's Spirit to guide us to understanding. An unbeliever does not have his indwelling enlightenment. They struggle to understand what we mean when we say "I was saved yesterday." Saved from what? "My friend was baptized." Why? "We took communion." Where did you take him? Christians have their own tongue.
I Corinthians 14:5 says "I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying." God wants us to proclaim his love, his forgiveness and future coming simply. Prophesy means to tell of future events. We should tell people of Christ's love and forgiveness in a way they can understand. Folks can understand if they commit sin they are responsible for it. People feel the guilt of their sins they just don't know The Remedy for them. We also need to be aware when we are talking around unbelievers. Our best topics to proclaim Jesus are probably not The Great White Throne Judgment, speaking in tongues or The Holy Ghost. These subjects would be an unknown tongue to most people.
Does this make sense? I don't think there is anything in God's storehouse that is unavailable to us, even speaking in tongues, if, we can comprehend the meaning. In short, if you don't have specific knowledge, you can't speak the tongue. You can certainly speak the Christian tongue with fellow Christians. They should know the language.
Sorting it out,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Monday, July 14, 2014
Mom-ism Monday #11 and a Super Six Flags Deal
My Mom was born in 1940. The year after the official end of The Great Depression. Her parents were farmers raising 10 kids (she was a twin) during hard times. They taught her to be frugal when it came to be economically sound right down to the penny. My lack of a monthly balanced checkbook is hard for her to comprehend.
My husband Steve has a habit of leaving coins laying around. This bad habit makes my mom and dad shake their heads. My Dad was born in 1937 during The Great Depression. He knows and respects the value of money. When I took up Steve's bad habit of leaving coins in my console or neglecting to pick up stray coins in a parking lot, she always says "Tammy, pennies makes dollars!". I didn't agree much at first, but I'm catching on!
See Mom sitting on the hotel balcony during a beach trip in 2008. She looks like she doesn't have a care in the world. But I know, secretly, she's thinking "Pennies makes Dollars!". I repeat this phrase quite frequently to my kids. I'm not sure who coined it. It may have been Juanita!
Speaking of pennies making dollars, there is a wise phrase we all know "A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned". I love to save! Don't you? Are you planning a trip to Six Flags Over Any State? Do you have a "My Coke Rewards" account? If you don't you should! Those Coke lids are worth cool savings. I admit they are a little daunting inputting them into the mcr.com website but they do pay off.
At mcr.com, you enter codes from Coke lids for points and redeem the points for rewards. Great thing about the Six Flags discount is you don't need any lids at all. Simply go to mcr.com with a valid email address. Register for an account. Log in. Search the word Six Flags. The first reward that pops up is a 40% ticket discount for 0 points. You will receive an email that explains how to buy your discounted ticket. How awesome is that? That's a savings of $22 per ticket for simply registering. If you already have an account with a points balance, MCR also has an awesome FREE Six Flags ticket for 1000 points.
Pssstt! Keep saving those pennies. I don't know if you've heard but they make dollars!
Pennies are lucky,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
My husband Steve has a habit of leaving coins laying around. This bad habit makes my mom and dad shake their heads. My Dad was born in 1937 during The Great Depression. He knows and respects the value of money. When I took up Steve's bad habit of leaving coins in my console or neglecting to pick up stray coins in a parking lot, she always says "Tammy, pennies makes dollars!". I didn't agree much at first, but I'm catching on!
See Mom sitting on the hotel balcony during a beach trip in 2008. She looks like she doesn't have a care in the world. But I know, secretly, she's thinking "Pennies makes Dollars!". I repeat this phrase quite frequently to my kids. I'm not sure who coined it. It may have been Juanita!
At mcr.com, you enter codes from Coke lids for points and redeem the points for rewards. Great thing about the Six Flags discount is you don't need any lids at all. Simply go to mcr.com with a valid email address. Register for an account. Log in. Search the word Six Flags. The first reward that pops up is a 40% ticket discount for 0 points. You will receive an email that explains how to buy your discounted ticket. How awesome is that? That's a savings of $22 per ticket for simply registering. If you already have an account with a points balance, MCR also has an awesome FREE Six Flags ticket for 1000 points.
Pssstt! Keep saving those pennies. I don't know if you've heard but they make dollars!
Pennies are lucky,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Savings for Back to School and College
School Supplies are fun to buy! I always enjoyed going with my girls to get them. I loved getting a list from their teachers and buying every single item on it. Teachers did you know you can Create your School List on Amazon
to make purchasing school supplies easy for parents? It's not too late to create your list for open house. Don't wait until the school supplies get picked over. Order your child's today from Amazon.
Some reasons you should buy online from Amazon:
- Shopping from home (still just as fun) and jane or junior can help pick out their items while being educated on bargain shopping and computer skills. Can you say win/win?
- Saves money and gas
- No lines to stand in to get out the door
- No scanning required. Just push the enter button to checkout!
- Double the fun opening the supplies when they arrive at your door or mailbox
- Great deals
College Students can Shop Amazon for Used Textbooks - Save up to 90%
! A 90% saving could potentially save hundreds of $$$ to use for tuition, meals, lodging or other items you may need like Shop Amazon - Off to College
. I found buying used textbooks for my daughters during their bachelors and graduate programs was a HUGE value. After they used them, I sold them on Half.com, an eBay company.TIP: I loved used textbooks but never buy refurbished or reconditioned printer cartridges.
It gets better for college parents... Join Amazon Student FREE Two-Day Shipping for College Students
and ship to your college student for FREE!Back-to-school signals the end of summer. Don't think about the end of summer vacation, think about those beautiful new school supplies. Think about how excited your kids will be about school starting with those pristine new pencils, paper and erasers. I can smell the sweet eraser rubber now, can't you?
Looking forward to buying Lisette some,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Our Crazy Made-up Language - Epparksford!
I love my family! We have so much fun together. One of the things we do is make up words. They may come from a mispronunciation, a twisted tongue and sometimes, we think the word just sounds better said another way. Does you family do this? Truthfully, these words stick! We replace the English version with our funny family language word. My Dad probably says the funniest ones. Can you name the fruits and veggies in this picture?
.JPG "zucchini")
Here's another one. My driving drives my husband crazy. His misophonia drives me crazy. On our 12 hour ride to Florida, I begged him to go to sleep, take a nerve pill or something. Luckily, he chose the little bitty pill. He was fast asleep in no time. Finally, peace for Sydnee and me. Sydnee was driving. Steve, fast asleep, raised up and said "Syd, if you'll stop, I'll pump the gas." We looked puzzled at each other in the rearview mirror. We had a full tank from the gas he just pumped. He woke a little later and asked for a water. He got strangled. After he got his throat cleared, he said "Wow, for a minute there I thought I might need the Heimlich remover! We laughed and laughed. No more maneuvers in our life-saving bag. We do the Heimlich REMOVER because it works, not just as a CPR tool but as a word that makes sense!
What words have your family made up? Leave me a comment and share it with us!
Defining life,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Friday, July 11, 2014
3 Things a Realtor Should Do for a Renter before Invading their Residence
We're on vacation, ya (insert Swedish accent here)? We are renting Anabelle on Sanibel for 28 days. It's a beaut to say the least, on the market for $1.6 mil.
Now, before you jump to conclusions about how much it costs to rent this house for 28 days, let me tell you. It's cheaper to rent this home for 28 days than to rent a comparable home for a week in Destin, Grayton Beach or any of the panhandle locations in Florida.
Yes, it's oceanfront. You are looking at the front of the house. The view out of every window on the back of the house looks like this. OMG!
This afternoon I was playing in the ocean and noticed my hubby waving me in to the shore. He was on my phone sitting under the prettiest umbrella on the beach.
.JPG "beach umbrella")
I expected to hear one of my girls say "What chew doing mom?". Instead, I heard a realtor asked if he could show the house we're staying in tomorrow from 12:30 to 1:00 pm. He advised me that we don't have to leave the house, you can stay while we're showing. Awkward.
What would you have done? Leave me a comment and tell me if I did right or wrong.
Still scratching my head,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Yes, it's oceanfront. You are looking at the front of the house. The view out of every window on the back of the house looks like this. OMG!
I expected to hear one of my girls say "What chew doing mom?". Instead, I heard a realtor asked if he could show the house we're staying in tomorrow from 12:30 to 1:00 pm. He advised me that we don't have to leave the house, you can stay while we're showing. Awkward.
YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT?
"It's your choice, of course" he said. Flabbergasted I said "Can you explain the situation? Can they see it another time?" He continued calm as a cucumber "They are flying in to see a couple of houses. This house is the one they REALLY want to see. At least that's what I understand." His voice sure was sweet.
Was this in my contract? Did I miss it? No one told me when I rented this house it was for sale. I'd used this company before without a glitch. I immediately sounded like my mom saying "Do we get a discount if we let you show it or some kind of concession?" He said sounding insulted "Not that I know of." REALLYY? REALLY? I asked if they'd be sending cleaning people and he said no. The viewers understand it is occupied. Do you understand it's occupied?
Because I am sooooo nice, I agreed. I also spent the afternoon cleaning the place more than I would have if it wasn't being shown. Argh! Why am I the way I am? Anyways, if any realtors choose to read this blog, I want them to know 3 things a realtor should do for a renter before invading their residence to show a home:
- buy a free lunch for the renters you are ousting, or
- offer a small refund for the time ousted (maybe the cost of dinner), or
- at least give the renter more than a 20 hour notice please.
What would you have done? Leave me a comment and tell me if I did right or wrong.
Still scratching my head,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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