Sunday, October 31, 2010

Trick or Treat

Tonight was the first time we took Aidan out for trick-or-treating. It was about 7:15 when I saw and heard lots of commotion going on outside and remembered that kids were going door to door at about this time. So I pulled Golf aside and asked what he thought about taking Aidan out for the first time in his life. He agreed with me, so off we went.

This was Golf's first time out with trick-or-treaters, too. Being from Thailand and coming to America as an adult, he never got this experience as a kid, and so of course, he wouldn't know that we should take Aidan out without my prompting him to. So it was a fun night for both guys.

Aidan's five now, and yes he could have gone in earlier years, but I simply didn't want him having access to so much candy! I thought this year is a good year to start and the neighborhood we live in is safe. In just a few blocks he got lots of candy - enough to last him for months with the way Mama is going to regulate his treat intake. LOL!

He wore his Ultraman costume that Golf bought him in Thailand two years ago. It's getting way too small for him, but Aidan just doesn't want to give it up yet, he loves it so much.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

CONTEST - Win the Toy Story 3 BluRay/DVD Combo

I'm sure I'm like all of you and am really excited about the release of Toy Story 3 out on Blu-Ray and DVD on November 2nd.

Well, you have an opportunity to win a copy!

From now until November 2, come to The Leaping Lamp and write your own favorite Pixar movie review for a chance to win.

Write a review for one movie or write a review for each Pixar film to increase your odds of winning.

Details and entry form at The Leaping Lamp Contest Page.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Finally Fall

Here in the Bay Area we get Indian Summers, which means the warm weather extends late into the year. On the other hand, in June we're downright cold and this year was cold all through September. Just when I thought we weren't going to get a summer, we got a last of the year heatwave.

Now it's mid October and we've got our first rainy day. I finished my power walk just in time! To balance out my exercise, I baked some Trader Joe's Guilt-Free brownies! LOL! Still lots of calories, but it uses yogurt instead of butter. The apartment smells wonderful.

Golf is a dear and takes Aidan to his Thai school every Sunday so I will have time to be at home and get some work done. Today I'm working on creating a Google search box for my Stroller Envy site.

Late last month I created another Squidoo Lens for people who are searching for the best Toy Story 3 Toys for Christmas this year. You don't want to end up buying a piece of junk that falls apart or breaks within a few days or hours of playtime. This list is for toys that have high user ratings. While some selections are not cheap there is a range of prices for those on a budget too. So go and check it out!

I'm getting excited that November 2 is coming soon. That's when we get our Toy Story 3 DVD! You can pre-order yours now and get it on November 2 also. I'll be able to finish my Toy Story 3 pages on The Leaping Lamp, which we're all anxiously awaiting, not to mention the fabulous included short film, Day & Night.

Been busy at working outside the home too, helping with the annual California English Language Development Test (CELDT) going from school to school. We're on our last school and should be done by the end of October. Then I'll be able to put my full force back into Stroller Envy.

Lately I've really been getting into Dave Ramsey. Mom and Dad taught me not to ever charge more on my credit card that I could pay off at the end of the month. Somehow that always stuck in my head and I never got way into debt. The worst we ever got was a few thousand dollars, which is nothing compared to the tens of thousands of dollars in debt many people dig themselves into. Not to mention the student loans! Holy mackerel - some get right up there in the $100k range!

So I heard Dave Ramsey on a local radio station and was hooked. He's preaching to the choir in the case of this family! We just need to create more income. We have hardly any debt and no car payments. I'm working my tail off to get our income up and be my own boss at the same time. The only thing that's off-putting is the Christian slant. But on the other hand, it's not pushed and any scripture he quotes can be applied to any spiritual tradition. I make it a point to stay focused on the forest not the tree. (Does that make sense?)

Til next time - hopefully soon!