Stages

Contribution by Stevie Kirby

My kids are addicted to our direct tv cable, and I don’t know how to change that. At first I didn’t mind that they watched a lot of TV because it kept them out of my hair, but now it is starting to cause problems at school. My youngest is only seven, and he has already started lyingto me about homework assignments so that he can watch more TV. Now the teacher has to send me an email every day with a list of everything he needs to do so I can make sure he is telling me the truth. My oldest, who is 12 is also skimping on the schoolwork and getting lazier by the day. I am at my wit’s end with him because he is old enough to know better than this. I feel guilty because I created these monsters. My husband says I am too hard on myself and all kids go through these stages. I hope this is just a stage because I can’t deal with kids who don’t care about school and doing well. There is more to life than watching TV, and I am going to have to teach them that.

Spring Has Sprung!

After a short hiatus, I have returned and..... It's a new year and Spring has sprung early in the midwest. Complaining, I am not. I love it! Living in North Carolina has me kinda spoiled. I have become use to enjoying mild winters and light jacket days in the middle of January. The midwest is quite different. However, to my surprise, Mother Nature has joined my team this past winter season here in Ohio. I was not looking forward to my time here in Ohio over the winter season. I dreaded it. I was very anxious to get back 'home' to North Carolina. Who knew I had no need to be concerned(?). A rather pleasant winter is what we witnessed and now I am ready to enjoy my favorite season of all ...... SPRING!

A Kicked-Up Thanksgiving

I can't believe Thanksgiving is THIS week! *heavy sigh* Where did the time go? I haven't shopped and, more importantly, I have yet to firm up my menu. My brain is in overdrive so I need some help in order to kick my Thanksgiving up a notch...or two.



I'd like to try a fried turkey; however, I don't want to get into activities that require a  fire extinguisher. So, roasted bird it is. Other than that, I'm clueless. With two days remaining, I'm soliciting recipe ideas.


What's on your dinner & dessert menu?

Life On Wheels

Have you ever felt as if you could get more done if only....you had more time, had a 'no' filter over your mouth, could fly,..? Well, how about wheels? I took the plunge and lived a part of my life atop wheels and was surprised at how I still blended into my environment. Uh, at least I thought I did.

Heelys, the shoes with the wheels in the heels, aren't just for the young people. They sent me a pair to review and I've been walkin' and rollin' for the past couple of weeks and must say that I am getting the hang of it. Kinda. :)  My children are impressed with my wheelin' skills since I haven't fallen. Although my arms have been caught flailing about once in awhile, the rear-end floor connection has not been made. Yay me! My son thought he could out do me and, can we say, epic fail! Looks like we need to turn this into a family affair to see who can get their roll on the best. Of course it has to be me.

The shopping cart. My helpful friend.

My life on wheels is a work in progress. Don't tell the kids. I practice while I work (and when they're at school). As a corporate concierge, it's been an interesting experiment. Rolling through the supermarket, the mall, office buildings, and at my daughter's school. I'm continuing to train my feet and learning to 'let go' in order to get my real-deal roll on. Dare I say, I am enjoying the challenge. For someone who has adult issues with, successfully, skating on 4-wheels, I am impressing myself. The children's shoes have two (2) wheels per shoe and the adult version has only one (1) wheel per shoe. Heelys are comfortable and sturdy. Having the ability to take the wheels out as needed is a definite plus. 

Join the adult wheel experiment with me. I dare you. Heelys is throwing a Black Friday special!! Between Nov 25 - Nov 28, buy any pair of Heelys, get the second pair for $25. Or buy a Nano, and get a pair of shoes for $25, and get free ground shipping on all orders! Turn it into a family thing and get everyone rolling.

As I continue to improve my technique and work on my core in the process, don't give me the raised eyebrow when you see me with flailing arms rolling through the mall. Just approach, show me your wheels and we can roll together.



Learn to do the Heely
Shop for your Heelys



I received a pair of Heelys Skate Shoes  for review purposes only. All opinions are my own and are not swayed by the company.

I ♥ Java

Hello. My name is Jacq. and I love coffee. There. I said it. Java and I are besties. Java is my morning hello and afternoon atagirl. It didn't start out this way. Tea used to be my bestie until I met Java. I went from a light and subtle sip to a slightly bolder one. Even after locking elbows with my new hot drink a few years ago, I still consider myself a newbie. Settling in on a standard brand, flavor, and the perfect ration of coffee to water (based on the strength) is a work in process. There are soooo many choices and I have sipped on some not so tasty brew in my effort to taste and sample a wide variety of coffees.

Typically, I like a medium strength/intensity with cream and sugar. Yesterday, while browsing the supermarket, the coffee aisle beckoned me. Is it just me? Even if I don't need any more coffee I still like to go down that aisle....just to see. Scope out my next experiment. Well, this time, I settled on Starbucks Verona. A dark cocoa, roasty sweet, bold blend. It is quite apparent that I am not a Starbucks fan. At least not at this point. I'm trying to like it. Maybe tomorrow will be that day. Especially since I have quite a bit left. Everybody likes Starbucks, right? Well, in the interim, I found a new site that tickles my coffee fancy, www.roaste.com.

User-generated reviews, and intuitive search and recommendation features offer consumers an unparalleled ease of selection. Fresh coffee is shipped directly from our micro-roasters, making ROASTe the next evolutionary step in the world of gourmet coffee consumption at home.


It's going to take me a minute to sample the grand variety they have in their virtual store. Coffee in the mail. MMmm....

Use coupon code for $5 off your first coffee purchase - BLOGME5 

Let me know which one(s) you try!

A Temporary Setup

Okay. Since I will be in Ohio for a little while longer than expected, looks like I need to start considering a plan to set up a temporary, but comfortable, living situation. My parent’s house has been quite comfortable. Don’t get me wrong. My childhood bedroom has its same charm. Sometimes I don’t have to cook (YAY!). Oh yeah, and it’s free. However, I need some elbow room….translation, personal space. Not to mention, shackin’ with the parents, with the grandkids, is a less than desirable situation for me. I digress.

The last time I searched for a sofa, it took FOREVER. I wanted the perfect one. For this project, I need to keep in mind that this is a temporary situation and I do not want to spend a lot of money. I need this setup to look and feel great AND make my wallet smile. I’m talkin’ a big toothy smile. So, being the online shopper that I am, I’ve started with www.become.com. Why click all over the place when I can go to one place and do the research? There's actually alot of stuff there. But focus I must. I looked up cheap sectional sofas, cheetah bedding for my little tomboy, and a bed desk, for starters. {{{heavy sigh}}} So much to do for something that will be temporary. But what the heck!? It’s a great excuse to shop! And it's all part of the journey.

The Dating Game Begins

It's really October! I've been so absorbed with getting the kids situated with 'regular' school and settling into my new non-homeschooled daily schedule that I am losing track of time. Last month marked year three of being divorced. Whoa! Where did the time go? I am so behind on my journey to 'sample the waters' that I need to get on the Fast Track plan. Let's see, three years divorced and probably as many, if not less, actual dates in that time period. My journey to the Jacqpot in the dating category is barely moving at a walker's pace. Sheesh.

Where do I begin? I haven't the slightest idea. I've been out of the game for quite some time and I'm a bit intimidated at the mere thought of it all. Perhaps I should make some goals for the next few months in order to prepare myself. Maybe not. Jumping right in may be the answer. Hmmm....I need to know where to jump first. So, there begins the journey...scoping out the where. Where are the eligible bachelors(?) Do people still set their friends and family up on blind dates with so and so's cousin's neighbor? I wish I had some of those friends. {{{heavy sigh}}} Social media? Internet dating? Oh my.

Okay. First things first. For the next few weeks, I'm going to make a point of visiting a location, attending an event, or someplace with people just to observe. Slow and steady usually wins the race. Let's see how long before this snail lands a date. This part of the journey will certainly be interesting. :)