AlyCat's Claws

Black Friday

2009-12-07T12:56:00.000-08:00

So it's been a week and a half since Black Friday and i'm still hearing stories about that day. It's not something that I have ever participated in. People hanging off of an LCD TV in the electronics department, claiming it, hugging it like it's a child just so that no one else can have one. I can't picture myself every doing that. Fighting someone else for a toy or electronic. It just seems like a bad fight to be fighting. I'd much rather enjoying Christmas shopping by doing it online or doing my shopping throughout the year. You can still find good deals online all throughout the rest of the year. Black friday deals are not always as great as they seem anyway.

Modern Furniture

2009-12-05T14:39:00.000-08:00

There certainly is some interesting modern furniture out there. My favorite has always been those egg shaped chairs with the cushions in them. I think they are called Ball Chairs. They look very retro futuristic if that makes sense. It makes sense to me but at the same time sounds like an oxy moron. I guess what I mean is they look like what someone from the 70's would consider futuristic. Those Penton chairs are interesting. I think i'd rather have the Ball Chair. If your looking for a unique way to spice up a room, modern furniture is for sure the best way to do that.

Gift of Giving

2009-11-28T04:19:00.000-08:00

So this is pretty cool. When thinking of ideas for business gifts for your friends or relatives this year, why not get charity involved? You as the buyer of the gift card or certificate choose the amount of money, and the recipient of the gift card or certificate gets to pick the charity of their choice. That is the ultimate Christmas gift and what this time of year is all about. The Charities are not informed who has given them the donation, your privacy is protected and you get the warm and fuzzy feeling knowing you gave the gift of giving. I can't think of a better gift to give. What a great example of the holiday spirit.

Breakdown Insurance

2009-11-25T14:04:00.000-08:00

You know, if there is one thing you could learn from a horror movie or any movie about any sort of cross country driving experience, mechanical breakdown insurance is a must! How many times do these people's cars go off the road or break down? It's crazy. In a horror movie it's pretty predictable when these things are going to happen, but in real life it can happen at any time, anywhere. These things tend to happen at the worst possible times and when your broke. It's good to have insurance in these situations. When it rains, it pours so you need an umbrella.

Shoes

2009-11-24T23:50:00.000-08:00

I am in need of a new pair of shoes. A decent pair that is not going to fall apart. I saw a commercial for thoseMBT shoes. They look pretty neat, I like the pink ones. They call them the anti-shoe. They are supposed to help you walk with better posture and get rid of knee pain. Not to mention help you burn more calories and tone your body. There are similar shoes out on the market right now but I kind of like the looks of these ones,

Presents for Husbands

2009-11-24T23:46:00.000-08:00

I swear my husband is hard to buy for. He likes to pretend he isn't materialistic but yet at the same time, he wants the best of everything and is quite picky with the things that he wants. I'd consider getting him some golfing stuff for Christmas but I don't know much about Golfing and I don't want to waste money on something he won't use because it isn't what he wanted. Buyingauto accessories for his Dodge Ram is another option. I don't know much about all the mechanics of the car but cleaning kits and things like that are always good. Either way Christmas is coming on us fast again this year, it's crazy.

Owning a franchise

2009-10-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

After having worked in a number of retail places and seeing how the big boss man has to bend over backwards and touch his toes quite often to please certain customers, I have often wondered how stressful it would be to own afranchise. Some people really go for that sort of thing. I guess it could be considered a big business opportunity. If you can handle the stress it might be rewarding. It would be interesting to open up a subway or something some day.

Facial Cleansing

2009-10-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

You know, I always, always see the Pro-Active commercials on tv. I don't get pimples often but am always wanting to try it because people on tv say how great it makes your skin look and feel. However, then I go online and read some reviews and while alot of people say it works, many say that it makes your skin really, really dry and not as soft as they claim it does. So for a REAL acne treatment for those of us with skin that tends to get dry anyway, i'd keep searching and checking out websites that have reviews on REAL acne treatments. Never trust what you see on tv fully. You just never know.

Greatfull

2009-10-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

I can't say how greatfull I am enough for Tricare insurance. Some people say it isn't that great, but it's treated us very well. However, not everyone is in the Military and most people have a very hard time finding affordable health insurance plans. Having health insurance is a must these days. Especially with all the flu bugs going around. You can find some affordable plans online if you do some research. Try looking up Blue Cross North Carolina to see some great options. Before I met my husband I was working at a Hannaford in Maine and did NOT have any insurance. I went over two years without seeing a dentist because I just couldn't afford it.

Baths

2009-10-29T23:05:00.000-07:00

So I fully admit to taking to many baths. I rarely take showers. That's probably weird these days. I think it's because I was so used to, when my son was a baby, only being able to take very quick hop in/hop out showers. Now that he is older, I can take the time to take a nice hot bath. You know what I think is interesting? are those walk in bath tubs that they have for seniors. That is a pretty smart idea. It's so easy to slip and fall in a bathtub. These are easy to get into, and easy to get out of. Safety first.

When your computer crashes

2009-10-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

You know, there is for sure a down side to having all pictures be digital these days. Not only do I not have any to pass out to people to put on their walls or in their wallets, but I risk my computer crashing and losing years worth of pictures. I guess that is why so many people are making sure that they use an online backup in case they get a virus or their computer breaks down. It's almost like having insurance. I would hate to lose years worth of pictures. It's worth looking into, that's for sure.

Cigars

2009-10-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I can't stand the smell of cigars. My husband smokes cigarettes and is trying to quite. He always jokes that maybe he will take up smoking cigars instead. Some people really actually enjoy the smell. They say it's a sweet kind of smell. When I visited Holland back in 2001 I remember there being a ton of Cigar shops in Rotterdam. You could smell them just when you were walking by.

Hard Drives

2009-10-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

My future brother in law is quite the handy computer person to have around. He knows all about taking apart and putting together computer and working with hard drives and other internal computer stuff that I wouldn't know how to even begin to mess with. I bet he makes some major money some day. Or at least is able to fix all of our computers when stuff goes wrong! That is a skill that most people wish they had.

2009-10-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

If you think that Amazon books are to expensive and are looking to purchase books as gifts this year, you should check out a promotion that is going on at buy.com. You can currently get 10% off Amazon books. There is a huge selection of titles to choose from. You can even price match. Since I can't afford to get my sister in law that laptop she wants, maybe I will get her a couple of new books to read. She is quite the avid reader.

Laptops

2009-10-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

My sister in law really needs a laptop. I wish I had the money to get her one for Christmas but I don't. She's currently taking college courses through work and it's really hard to schedule the time to use computers and the internet at a library when you work during the hours they are open. It's amazing how it's become absolute necessity to have a computer and the internet these days. Our son's elementary school newsletter and any important announcements come through e-mail so if you don't have the internet or a computer, it must make it extremely difficult.

Personalized gifts

2009-10-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

So as Christmas fast approaches (I know, I know, Halloween hasn't even happened yet!) i'm on the look out for cool personalized photo gifts I can give to my parents. Did you know you can even put pictures onglass tiles these days? You can put them on anything. I am thinking of putting my son's picture on a gift to give to my parents since they hardly ever get to see him, us living so far away and all.

Blah

2009-10-24T17:20:00.001-07:00

I think the hardest thing for me when losing weight is for sure the eating. I am so all or nothing. I can't seem to balance to well. I wish I could find thebest appetite suppressant . I have no problems when it comes to working out. However, where I DO have a problem is not overeating after working out and canceling out the hard work. Ugh. I've been using a gowearfit device lately and that helps me see where I need to burn and what not but it still doesn't help me get my eating under control. If anything it helps me manipulate my calories by letting me eat way to much and seeing exactly how much I need to burn to get it off. Sometimes I am succesful at that and other times I find myself not being able to match the burn.

Laptops

2009-10-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

I swear, we have the worst luck with computers. Every laptop we have ever had has either just randomly stopped working or the hole that you stick the charger cord into has malfunctioned so it will no longer charge. My friends have laptops long enough to want to extend their laptop memory ,yet we usually end up just having to buy a complete new one. I guess we are hard on laptops somehow. Maybe we should stick to desktop computers.

Fitness gadgets and equipment

2009-10-15T18:37:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing that I don't need it's to spend an arm and a leg onfitness equipment. I've had exercise bikes, elliptical trainers, a gazelle, you name it. I am interested for awhile and then I get bored. So I suggest if your going to buy some workout equipment, buy it used if you can. You will save money and you won't be out alot of you don't end up using it. There are plenty of places that sell used fitness equipment these days because apparently I am not the only one who has the boredom problem. Lots of people order those treadmills or stair steppers or other fitness gadgets on tv, and while most of them DO work because they are strictly for exercise use and not a magic pill, people get bored before they can even use them long enough to see the results. Because of this, you can find pretty much any type of equipment that you could ever want at a used price and probably in almost NEW condition.

Extreme Home Makeover

2009-10-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

I just saw this episode of Extreme Home Makeover where they used stainless steel tiles that had some really cool butterfly designs embossed in them. I don't know how they do these things. I do think they go a little to far with all these crazy giant tvs in everyroom, but when they do something really beautiful and unique it's nice to see how they use their design creativity. I wouldn't mind having something like that in my kitchen instead of the plan white wall that has to be wiped down when I burn something, which just so happens to be often because I'm not that great of a cook. Anyway, stainless steel tiles rock in my book.

Totally Jealous

2009-10-15T18:18:00.001-07:00

I can't complain to much, because the housing we were placed in this time around isn't to bad. Actually compared to the housing at our last base, this one is top notch. However, it is still small. I really wish that we had gotten into the brand new housing that has the shiny marble countertops and the stone sinks. You know, it's funny. When we had wall to wall carpet in our other housings, I couldn't stand it and wished we had hard floors so that we wouldn't have to worry about stains. Now that we have hard gigantic tile flooring we find that that isn't the best either. It's very hard to clean. It gets so dirty so fast. I guess i'm not easy to please! We just found out we are here in Guam for two more years. I guess I better start to like it!

General Hospital

2009-10-15T18:08:00.000-07:00

I recently started really getting into General Hospital. I was always a Days Of Our Lives fan until I missed about a year of watching it and realized that I didn't miss a whole heck of a lot. Not to mention they have ruined most of the charactors. Ugh. Anyway, moving on. I had never watched the show before but was intrigued by the Luke and Laura storyline as I had heard that the actress who plays Laura had gone back to the show a few years ago for a brief stint. I remember reading that she had to lose some weight before getting back on tv and that she used the Medifast diet. I don't know if I could personally stick to that plan but it's certainly worked for her and quite a few other people. She looks great. I hope they bring her character back now that Jonathan Jackson is coming back (though briefly I hear) to play Lucky Spencer.

A Little Help

2009-10-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I have tried a fewdiet supplements myself. Metabolife, Calogel and Therma Lean. I never took them long enough to see if they really worked. I kept forgetting. I couldn't commit long enough to see any real results. Some supplements are dangerous but there are a few that if taken properly really can help you with energy. What I tend to do, before I buy anything (not just supplements, anything and everything) is look at consumer reviews of the product to see how other people have felt while taking them. Whether the pills actually work and what side effects can happen can normally be found in the pages of the consumer reviews. ALWAYS research before you buy and be careful what you put into your body.

What it all boils down to.

2009-10-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

It makes me sad that I just turned 29, and when I started this blog I was 27. In my bio off to the side of the page it says something like stay at home mom trying to lose weight and get healthy. Since I have started the blog I have gone up and down, up and down, up and down. One would THINK that in the last almost three years I could have dropped a significant amount of weight, but ohh no, not me. I get stuck with that all or nothing attitude and make it more complicated. Let's break it down. Healthy diet, exercise, weight loss supplements, water, ALL work. However, they only work as long as you stick to them. It's progress over time, not immediate gratification. I can do awesome with staying within my calories or points for three days and then absolutely blow it in like two with two day long binges. It's not exactly healthy. My husband and I have decided we really want to have another baby before my son turns 7 (he turned 5 this past June). I want to try and at least get down to 180-200 before I get pregnant. I am 247 right now. So I need to stop making things so complicated and just DO it. Eat less, move more.

Riding Horses

2009-10-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

You know, I remember riding a horse once or twice as a kid. My father's cousin (not sure what that makes him to me..great cousin? part cousin? whatever) is married to a woman who takes care of horses for a living and gives lessons. I remember going down to the stables with her to feed carrots to the horses. She always had on these tight breeches and she was in fine shape so she could get away with that. Looking at myself these days, i'd have to get into pretty fine shape myself before I could pull off pants like that! I'd like to try riding a horse again some day. I think everyone has a fleeting fancy of wanting to own their very own pretty and perfect horse. That is until they are asked to help muck out a stable one day and remember that even pretty and perfect horses poop. Anyway, getting back on the fitting into breeches topic, I really wish there was a WeightWatcher's meeting out here in Guam. A reader asked me if we had one and unfortunatly we do not. I can do WW online but I have to say, for me personaly it hasn't been as motivational as when I first attended meetings. However, if i'm ever to be succesful, i'll have to get over that.