Rechargeable Flashlight

Jeffrey is always looking at knives, pens, and flashlights. I am sure there are some other things he always feels he needs more of, but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. So, when I saw this 5.11 Tactical Flashlight from LA Policegear, I immediately thought of him. He doesn't have anything remotely this cool.

It's rechargeable, and doesn't use batteries. It's supposed to recharge in 90 seconds and last a full hour at standard brightness. You know how every time you need the flashlight the batteries seem to be dead? Not with this baby.

Real Friends

I saw this in the Sunday paper:

Between Friends by Sandra Bell-Lundy

I've never actually had Google ads on my blog, but I figure it can apply to paid posts and links, too.

Blogging is fun. It's a good way to state your opinion about any and everything. It's a good way to meet new friends. It's even better when you can make a little money while doing it, right? And, if your friends aren't going to click...

Stylish Glasses for Less

My eyes have been more tired than usual the last several days. I think I am going to have to stop putting it off and finally get new eyeglasses. I know, I keep saying that. I just don't actually make an appointment to get my eyes checked, and there always seems to be something going on, so I don't get to it. Also, I really don't want to spend the money to get a new pair of glasses. Why do they have to be so expensive?

The truth is that eyeglasses don't have to be so expensive. Not when you order from Zenni Optical. They sell their own manufactured frames straight to the consumer, so there's no middle man and no extra cost. They have a huge selection of stylish frames, and prices start at just $8 a pair. I think I like this pair:

Not bad for $8, huh? You can also add upgrades like anti-glare coating and sunglass tint for additional fees. Even choosing a more expensive frame and adding some extras, the final cost is quite a bit cheaper than you'd find anywhere else.

There's plenty of information on the Zenni Optical site to help you choose the right frame and what all the different measurements mean. That's really helpful, because if you're like me, you've always had someone do all that for you - and paid for it, too. I just need to figure out which shape is best for my face. At these prices, I can order several pair and try some new styles. No matter how many pair you order, shipping is only $4.95.

I think anyone who needs eyeglasses, doesn't want to spend a lot of money, but still wants to look stylish, could benefit from checking out Zenni Optical.

Jazz Band Saved Me $68 $0

Image via WikipediaCory came home a week or so ago all excited because the Chicago field trip this year is a trip to see the musical Wicked. The cost of the trip? $68 - but that covers everything, transportation, tickets to the musical, and dinner, so not so bad, I guess.

A few days later Cory came home all disappointed, because there was a jazz band concert scheduled the same evening as the trip. For the trip they're leaving school at 1:30 and not getting back until midnight, and going on the trip would mean missing the jazz band concert - not an option. The band teacher said no, and the teacher coordinating the trip said no. And I said, "I love jazz band! It just saved me $68, and the saxophones sit in the front row."

Yesterday Cory found out that some other jazz band members had already signed up and paid for the Wicked field trip. I guess they didn't check first? Since they'd already paid for the field trip, the band director decided that he could move the concert to another evening. So he did, and Cory gets to go see Wicked after all.

He's excited, and I got to write a $68 check this morning to go along with his permission slip.

The Real Perspective

I stole this from Jaye over at Just a Mom

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10 top predictions no matter who wins the election!!

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still enjoy the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing to the glory of God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.

AND - GOD APPROVES THIS MESSAGE!

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I Voted

I Voted Sticker
Originally uploaded by trevormells.

But I didn't get a sticker - so I'm posting a virtual sticker.

No sticker means no free coffee from Starbucks, no free donut from Krispy Kreme, and no free beer. Oh, I wasn't near a Starbucks or a Krispy Kreme this afternoon, so I guess I wouldn't have gotten free coffee or donuts anyway.

I did vote, and now I'm glad the whole campaign process is over - no more campaign ads - no more random phone calls. That'll be nice. And we get a new president. I hope the best man for the job got elected.

Do You Send Holiday Cards?

I don't participate in all the big holidays it seems the rest of the world does. I don't keep Christmas - I know you're all aghast, but I do have my reasons, and it's not all about being cheap and being lazy. Still, I do wonder, how does anyone afford Christmas? And how do you get everything done that needs to be done? I get stressed out just thinking about it - imagine if I had to actually do it.

That being said, I think that if I was going to send Holiday Cards, I would give VistaPrint a try. They make it easy to design your own cards, with several different styles and designs available. You can even add your own photos and text. In my mind, that's the whole point. I may not send holiday cards, but I do enjoy getting them from old friends, especially the ones with family photos. It's a good way to let everyone know how the kids have grown, or make them jealous because you took that exotic vacation. It is a good way to keep in touch, even if it is only once a year.

What I like about VistaPrint is that you can design and order your cards, all from the comfort of your own computer, and they offer great prices, even on small quantities. Right now those prices are even cheaper, because the cards are on sale. Order now and save 50%. If you're thinking about designing your own cards this year, now is the time to do it.

Besides cards, VistaPrint also has a great selection of other products, like business cards, calendars, invitations, and sticky notes. They're all easy to design and order, and your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Heads or Tails - Guard

This week's theme/prompt is:
HEADS - Guard

Beth's freshman year, she was part of the Color Guard for the band. She had to learn to twirl flags and look pretty. I didn't really get any good pictures of her out on the field. These pictures are from the indoor concert at the end of the season.

There she is in the front:

I did get her to stand still for a picture after:

I thought it looked like lots of fun, but Beth decided she didn't like it, and that was the only year she did Color Guard. In fact, that was the only year she was involved in any extra-curricular activity in high school. I hope she doesn't look back later wish she had participated more.

Heads or Tails is a fun weekly meme hosted by Skittles.

Win a Digital Photo Frame

Drew @ The BenSpark is running a contest this month. 1st prize is an Edge Tech Digital Photo Frame and a 1GB media card. 2nd prize is a USB watch and 3rd prize a 2GB SD card. The contest runs throughout the month of November and is brought to you by Drew and his friends at Edge Tech Corp.

Here's a video in which Drew shows exactly how the frame works:




Doesn't that look great? I have lots of photo albums - pictures from the time Jeffrey and I got married, right up until the time I got a digital camera. And then the albums stopped. All the pictures are on the computer, backed up to CD or DVD, but rarely ever printed out and displayed anywhere. A frame like this would be the perfect way to display those digital pictures. I'm pretty sure I'd choose the slideshow option 90% of the time, because there are a lot of pictures to display!

Anyway, visit Drew's blog to find out how you can win a digital photo frame. I know I'd love to win it!

Camera Critters (#30)

I went searching in my archives to find a critter to post this week.  I found these from one of our visits to Old World Wisconsin.  We watched this man and woman yoke these two oxen and then use them to move some logs.

This one did not want anything to do with it.  I guess he was plenty happy where he was before, lying around in the field, taking it easy.

Finally, they got the two of them yoked together.

and put them to work.

The people had to do plenty of work themselves, getting the log onto the sled so the oxen could pull it.

Eventually, they got that log moved

and took a break

They probably moved some more logs, but we figured we had spent enough time with them, so we moved on to see what other interesting things we could find.

Camera Critters is a fun weekend meme hosted by Misty Dawn.Visit the Camera Critters headquarters and join in.