Random Anny .Com

Blockbuster should make a business out of going out of Business

2012-01-30T22:49:00.000-05:00

Two stores nearby are closing. One had today as their "first day of clearance" and MAN prices were all higher for USED stuff than new at Amazon!

The other is done February 19th and are trying their hardest to keep prices stupidly high. The only perk to that store is they are selling blockbuster by mail disks:

This was one of those cases where I went last week to check it out, decided disks without cases were lame but the internet convinced me otherwise. They were $2.99/1, 3/$6.00, 5/$7.50. As you can tell the blu-rays disks were the same price.

Buying meds with coupons

2012-01-27T01:06:00.000-05:00

I saw this linked on a deals site: http://www.internetdrugcoupons.com/

I didn't have insurance for about twenty years so I know how expensive some of that stuff can be. This is a huge list of links to coupons for various drugs. They also have a link to create your own discount drug card for free. I put one of these on file at Walgreens about five years ago and when I needed some meds last summer it was still active and saved me about 40%. I also used it after lasik to buy those expensive eye drops that kept me from going blind but I don't remember how much it saved that time.

While couponing has certainly taken off in the past few years most people remain cynical of using it for medication. If you don't have a drug prescription plan, what is the harm in printing this card and putting it on file the next time you go by? The worst thing they can say is they don't accept this plan and that seems to happen with "real" insurance plans all the time anyway (trust me, I worked in a doctor's office for a few months a while ago).

Silence for my Sony

2012-01-26T00:52:00.001-05:00

Even though I knew our time was over back in October I finally closed my Sony card a few minutes ago. First there were little rewards to cash out, then purchases yielded more rewards and I bought a Sony holiday gift but finally....

I just had to make the call and do it.

It was one of my easiest closings ever. I said the new rewards program was terrible, the customer service rep said she understood and it was done. It took longer to get to the prompts than to close the card.

---

I've been using a Discover More card as my primary card for a few months and am pleased with it. Over the holidays they were giving 10% back at Depot and Lowes so I saved a nice chunk of change on my Black Friday purchases. I applied the credit to my statement but had the option to cash them in for higher value at different stores or even transfer them to your bank account as cash.

Most stores have $25 gift cards for $20 in rewards or $50 for $45 (I agree, this is stupid math) but the travel options are pretty awesome. Sandals Resorts, Alamo Car Rental, Universal Orlando Resorts and others let you cash in $20 in rewards for $40 or $40 for $80. Carnival Cruise Lines lets you trade $40 for $80, $60 for $120, $100 for $200!

There wasn't a sign up bonus when I came on-board but I am still happy with my credit card decision. I still carry my MasterCard but no one has turned down the Discover yet :)

Kinda makes me interested in makeup

2012-01-25T12:14:00.025-05:00

Lady look like a dude

Remember a few weeks ago when everyone was talking about that woman who used makeup to make herself look just like Drake?

I didn't go look because Drake's music annoys me and if one more person tells me he was on a Canadian show I will deport THEM to Canada! If the most interesting thing a singer has done is be Canadian how good can he be?

She swapped ethnicities!

Anyway I saw this picture on facebook and it linked to the same girl's facebook page. How crazy is that? She went from being super normal, I saw her at the bus stop to JLo!

I didn't realize she'd done so many looks:

Her head is even as oversized as its supposed to be!

This is just awesome.

I wonder if Kanye would apologize to her?

"Transformers needs me" Pfffft!

She does video tutorials for a lot of her looks here: http://www.youtube.com/user/dope2111

In other news

2012-01-24T11:33:00.000-05:00

Why is the empty glass the only one with a napkin?

Does anyone who doesn't live on an HGTV sound stage light candles? I keep being tempted by these gorgeous labras and numis but the last time I burned a candle was in early December when I wanted to get a nice "I burn candles for fun" vibe going on my Christmas display.

(Side note: Waiting for a candle to burn to the perfect height is not fun and will not be repeated by me!)

Look at this clever idea for cord management from this month's Martha Stewart Living!

They suggest cutting holes into plywood for cords and fitting the piece into the back of a shelf - creating a faux wall. My only concern would be heat buildup in a small space as chargers are all about heat. This could be easily replicated using sturdy cardboard covered in cloth or wrapping paper.

----

I came into work at 9am this morning - extremely painful since its one of my favorite Snore Times. I forgot early office mornings are so non-productive! We chatted about Resident Evil, various ways of changing some routine stuff and tried to figure out where the paper we ordered was wrongly shipped to. Plus look - its 11:30am and I've already caught up on work and am now blogging!

I feel badly for people who normally come in that early but are just as productive as me with my normal noon start time. Its such a waste (albeit a paid waste).

Happy Chinese New Year / Blue Monday

2012-01-23T16:30:00.000-05:00

Sad blue dragon is sad

Today is Blue Monday, supposedly the most depressing day of the year.

"The date, a relatively new phenomenon, was determined by Dr. Cliff Arnall in 2005. He used a formula that factored in holiday debts, the hour of sundown, cold gray weather, the amount of time since Christmas had passed and despondence over failing to keep New Year's resolutions." Source

In slightly cheerier news, today is the chinese new year! This is a year of the dragon so red (MY FAVORITE COLOR) and water (MY FAVORITE ELEMENT) are going to be everywhere! Its a drizzly day and I will be going home soon to celebrate with chinese food.

Whether your day is half full or half empty - enjoy it!

Fandom: A Continuation

2012-01-22T01:31:00.013-05:00

I downloaded Dead Reckoning and am beyond impressed by the narration. The tv actress Sookie is ridiculously annoying but this lady has just the right amount of southern accent. Its been years since I listened to an audio book as a sequel to a print novel and was pleased by how many more details I picked up.

When I read I skim over the boring details but when I listen I catch them all.

I was super pleased to find Eric and Sookie's foretold separation are merely vamp convention; which will probably be resolved in the next book. I was less pleased to note a lot of story telling disparity. I think this writer planned a trilogy and anything beyond that is just being spun on the wind. When "long kept secrets" are revealed they often don't jive with timelines in other books.

I don't know if this is bad writing or the characters are lying to each other but its happened enough times for me to stop suspending disbelief.

Annoying but I keep reading. I figure her target audience are tweeners so I can't let my 33 year old self get overly critical :)

I was depressed but now I'm just a fangirl

2012-01-20T23:14:00.002-05:00

I stayed up until 4am reading Dead in the Family a few days ago and was SOOOOO depressed! This is what I get for looking forward to a darker hero. The book was ok - usual bubblegum vampire lore with a few twists.

BUT THEN!!!!!!!

AT THE ENDDDDD!!!!!!!!!

*****spoiler alert*****

When Sookie was about to stake Eric's maker he made some forgettable vampire quip then said she would never keep Eric either.

AND MAN

All that fangirl stuff that I thought died with Buffy just came swarming back in!

Its really tough being a fangirl of a book where the tv portrayal is so far off. On tv Sookie and Eric run around flirting but she is firmly in Team Boring Bill. In the books she is happily bonded to Eric and I am squeeing and fangirling around.

Of course the downside to any fangirlhood is foreshadowing and sadness. I am ok with Harris killing off everyone in the Sookie'lore but I don't want them to split up. Mock my inner tween all you want but I believe all their professions and really think the only way to end it is by killing Eric or vamping Sookie.

*woeful flail*

There are about 700 people ahead of me for Dead Reckoning so I may need to make time to get a library card and just pick it up the odl fashioned way. If their 'ship is over the bandaid may as well come off now.

Sookie + Eric = OTP

Postal Rates are going up Sunday

2012-01-18T19:14:00.001-05:00

New Rates:

Postage stamp - .45
Post Card - .32
Media Mail - 1lb - 2.47
First Class Package - 1oz - 1.95
Delivery Confirmation - .75 ( on 1st class/PP .85)

Surprisingly, if you have always printed labels at home this is a decrease for first class mail and media mail only goes up by 6 cents since delivery confirmation is free now!

Before:

4 oz package was $1.92 with delivery confirmation
5 oz package was $2.09 with delivery confirmation

Now:

4 oz package is $1.81 with free delivery confirmation
5 oz pacakge is $1.98 with free delivery confirmation

Paula Deen & Diabetes: Like finding out Santa has cholesterol problems

2012-01-17T17:37:00.001-05:00

Not Food!

So were you as shocked as I was to hear Paula Deen is diabetic? I swore her show off after watching her cook with LARD and kept expecting her to have a heart attack or high cholesterol but not diabetes.

Diabetes is a huge fear of mine cause my family has adult on-set diabetes on one side and a wicked sweet tooth on the other. The cards are stacked against me friends.

So I better make sure I don't cook with LARD.

Ugh - who cooks with lard? Not even the word sounds edible.

"Hey Sally want some lard with your rock?"

No thanks buddy. I'll just make some soap.

Romance is undead (and better that way!)

2012-01-16T14:06:00.002-05:00

I am addicted to crack.

Just kidding! I love vampire stories. Its about perspective, y'all. Keep it.

So anyway - vampire stories! If this stuff had been readily available when I was a kid I would've NEVER KNOWN who Judy Blume was and forget about Ann M. Martin, Beverly Clearly and all those mythology book editors.

Cause when it comes to catastrophic romance and adventure god/human has nothing on vampire/human!

So I was SUPER amused to read A Girl You Should Date cause it extols the virtues of a book-savvy chick without pointing out what she should be reading. Its all about technicalities.

Apparently boyfriends aren't happy to receive midnight mms excerpts like these:

They also make sucky conversation partners when you NEED to discuss your conflicted crushy feelings over a fictional VAMPIRE who is soulless but possibly on his way to redemption through their love for a woman?

So yes, by all means date bookish types. Just don't assume their staying up late reading means they got any smarter last night. They may have done just the opposite ;)

-----

In completely unrelated news I went to bed at 4am last week reading Dead and Gone. The next is on its way from paperbackswap and I can't wait to find out how all the torture and (even more) death has affected Sookie. She said she doubted she would be able to be as bubbly and happy ever again and I kind of hope so. I wanted to push Books 1 and 2 Sookie down some stairs where she could stay dead! I still want to push tv Sookie.

Convert Staples rewards into Gift Cards!

2012-01-13T17:06:00.001-05:00

The Staples shopping experience.

GUYS! Prepare to have your minds BLOWN!*
So you know how Staples lets you recycle 10 ink cartridges (20 for us premiere folks) monthly for $2 each? Some of their rewards are also issued as store credit.

Well now you can use that store credit to buy gift cards to other places!!! I ordered Cheesecake Factory and Bed Bath and Beyond gift cards with my December rewards. After the (elated) fact I realized the optimum use for rewards was a Visa gift card. Future Anny will be so happy to order one next month!

Lately all of my cartridges have been coming from work because we are printing like mad but I still have a couple of hundred I purchased on eBay over a year ago. There's no shame in buying low and selling high :D

* Don't ever google images of "joy head explodes" at work. Its gory.

Maybe they can tell I call them Worst Buy?

2012-01-12T23:38:00.004-05:00

This week - bring in a real dvd (no bootlegs) to any Best Buy and trade it in for $5 off any blu-ray priced $9.99 and higher.

I traded in Kill Bill 1 and 2 on dvd for the exact same thing on blu-ray. The blu-rays are on sale for $9.99 this week so they came out to $5 each - cheaper than I've seen them at garage sales! Note: You don't need to trade in for the same movie; this just worked out for me.

Sadly this is the only deal I can tell you about because Best Buy was determined to keep me from shopping. I walked in chipper and ready to buy but left feeling as if someone had put me in a washer machine full of ipods WITH VIDEO!

The trade-in was straight forward but you have to trade them in at customer service (where they make sure the dvd hadn't been minted half an hour earlier).

While there I watched the main dvd menu for something Christmassy loop at least ten times. I could see some action thing happening by the repair center and another movie over by mobile devices. Beyond that I could hear Rihanna somewhere.

Then on my mad dash back to my sound controlled car the guard who watched me trade in my dvds and even stickered them on my way in took forever checking over my receipt! I know its how stores curb shoplifting and I was polite cause his job sucks but Man!

I am so glad Best Buy saves their best deals for the internet because I don't know if I could shop there again any time soon.

Free eBay listing tomorrow!

2012-01-11T21:25:00.002-05:00

Time to gear up ye olde templates unload some post-holiday stuff. I have some auctions ending tonight which I plan to relist in the am. Fifty monthly posts arrive quickly when you have as much stuff to get rid of as I do!

3 Reasons to worry about Martha Stewart

2012-01-10T22:23:00.001-05:00

1. Home Depot is discontinuing her paint. My store has it all 75% off and tintable.

2. Her show was dropped by Hallmark. I don't have cable so didn't even know she had a show.

3. Her new Staples line is uninspired. The designers took boring stand-bys and colored them in her trademark teal, brown and white then threw on the Martha label. Lets see how long this takes to hit clearance.

The mayor thinks he's a rapper

2012-01-09T23:06:00.001-05:00

Real mayors are seldom this happy

Back when Jeff Jones was elected I was living in a neighboring town and his antics cracked me up. Now I am a resident and its like having a puppy that isn't fully trained and has access to the city budget downtown.

Scary.

First he tried to get overtime pay in the aftermath of last year's flooding. Check out what our former mayor said about that :

“This is exactly what we don’t need. We don’t need any shenanigans. This is what gives the impression that FEMA is a gravy train. I can’t believe that some clerk at City Hall in Paterson couldn’t discern who is a first responder and who is not. The job of mayor is 24/7. You don’t get overtime.” - U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., a Democrat from Paterson

Then Jones travelled to DC in the storm aftermath and managed to say something that wasn't censored by his lackluster speech writers. Unfortunately what he said was regarding his having to return the overtime pay:

“it kind of explains, at least to me, why those who lay claim to terrorism in these United States feel that they can.”

Terrorism is so ten years ago dude.

THEN!!!

He went down to Atlantic City for a conference and brought along TWENTY-THREE officials with him!!! Only rappers need possees like that! The worst part is that his dumbassery (he got a suite, everyone else got standard rooms) is that he didn't get this ridiculous expenditure approved beforehand and the state may cut other funding cause well...our city isn't showing itself of being financially capable.

Jones is ... simple minded and can't form coherent sentences. He frequently misuses words longer than two syllables and probably lacks the attention span needed to read a blog post. Sadly, he probably does need 23 people around to keep him functioning on a semi-adult level.

States charging tax for digital downloads

2012-01-08T20:40:00.000-05:00

I am always interested by e-commerce. Here is a list of states charging tax on digital downloads:

Alabama
Arizona
Colorado
District of Columbia
Connecticut
Hawaii
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Mississippi
Nebraska
New Jersey (BOO!)
New Mexico
North Carolina
South Dakota
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Source: http://taxes.about.com/od/statetaxes/a/sales-tax-for-digital-downloads.htm

So far on-line stores only have to charge tax in states where they have a physical presence. This is why most of us can shop tax-free at Amazon.

Where the college kids at!? Sidenote: I miss the interrobang

2012-01-07T00:05:00.002-05:00

Donate a $1 to St. Jude hospital and get a free keytag. Show this keytag each time you go into Wendys in 2012 to snag a free small frosty.

Rumor has it this isn't nationwide but they ran it in my area last year so you may find it in yours too. The 2012 version has the year on it so don't try any of your fancy "contribute a dollar for 2 years" schemes buddy!

Who's idea was it anyway?

2012-01-06T22:57:00.000-05:00

You ever say "Hey I like that thing in that picture" then go "WAIT! I have a thing like that thing!"

Ever save a picture in your Houzz, look at it a few hundred times, then buy a thing like that thing and go "WAIT DO I REALLY LIKE THAT THING OR DID I ADVERTISE MYSELF OUT!?"

These are the thoughts I have when I go through my houzz *lol* My house if full of cuteness and practicality directly lifted from their site and while I don't mind taking the creativity credit sometimes I wonder what my place would look like if I didn't have the internet.

Chances are it would still be full of chrome and glass and dark furniture and mirrors but chances are it wouldn't be cohesive at all.

Hoard clutter like a pro!

2012-01-05T23:04:00.000-05:00

Back in the day I was a HUGE fan of Clean House. The first time they had a "Messiest Home in America" episode the home owner had serious hoarding issues and was nasty to everyone. Not even the cutting floor could remove all the 'tude.

In the end she refused to get rid of so much stuff that instead of getting an awesome rumpus room in the basement, the crew installed heavy duty shelving and hundreds of Rubbermaid bins full of the crap* she wouldn't let go of. It was like a Home Depot in training. I couldn't find a picture but trust me - at $10ish a pop there was alot of plastic invested in that basement.

Thanks to Office Depot and Staples average folks like us can get free containers for only the price of tax! This week Staples has 2 containers free after rewards and some stores have containers "Buy 2, get 1 free" for a trifecta of storage.
Office Depot is giving away ELEVEN different containers, 2 per day, per customer this week. If you maximixed about a thousand bucks you could end up with over 150 plastic containers! Also, Office Depot is giving away moving boxes this week so if you know someone with an itchy foot point them yonder.

Being a deal finder for so many years inevitably leads to regret. I remember buying orange tubs after Halloween at Target for 75% off years ago and later on using my ECBS to buy more at CVS. If I'd known office supply stores routinely give this stuff away in January I could have gotten loads more (matching) stuff for way less.

* When the show came back a year later to see how the family was doing the lady accused people on the show of stealing a set of silverware and something else. Even though she had a master list of what was in the tubs she hadn't gone looking too far because the tv show folks found her missing stuff. Clutter creates all kinds of angst.

In with the new, keep on with the old

2012-01-05T00:17:00.005-05:00

Its weird that I took such a long, unplanned beak from blogging. I always have plenty to chatter about and things did happen but I just didn't feel like sitting down to write about it.

I guess its something I do more of now - letting my feelings dictate my actions for that day. Recently I got into the True Blood books and spent way too long under a fluffy blanket reading about dreamy Eric (unlike tv Eric, who is a tool). As soon as I finished the books I set them off on eBay and requested the next from paperbackswap.

Speaking of eBay - check out my feedback. Roughly 25% of everything I sold last year was in the last month and I am still steadily decluttering! Office Depot has a 20% off any shipping or packing material order over $20 this week. (Bottom of page 1 in the circular) All shipping comes with free tracking and up to $100 insurance.

I decorated with (arguably) too many lights and enjoyed having company over the holidays but didn't aside time to mail out cards.

Wells Fargo changed the terms on the Way2Save accounts so only the first $500 gets 3% interest. After that its only .01% interest.

Discover is my new card of choice and I am loving the cashback options.

Staples is always giving away stuff (plus a $5 off $25 coupon this week) although Office Depot is getting in on the action too. I got free plastic tubs at both stores to replace some cardboard from my move and store all my holiday decorations.

I am healthy, happy and in love. My resolution for 2012 is to continue along this path because whatever I've done has brought me here and its a pretty nice place to be :)

50% off Domino's Today!

2011-12-08T00:01:00.002-05:00

Guess I know what I will be having for dinner today!

https://www.facebook.com/Dominos?sk=app_275356119183039

Oh Discordia

2011-12-04T23:14:00.000-05:00

I've been listening to The Dark Tower since June and finally caught up tonight. I finished the seventh book in the series and the ending is...poignant and painful and completely unexpected. I won't spoil it beyond that.

Stephen King has announced a new book within the verse of the old; set to come out next year but tonight that is little consolation.

Oh Discordia

Sometimes I think UPS hates Staples

2011-11-29T23:04:00.002-05:00

Check out the two Staples boxes I found on my doorstep after work today. Box on the left had software inside and:

Staples will be sending out a courier Thursday morning to exchange the broken software. I could have done it in-store but this Quickbooks edition is only found on-line, said the phone rep.

Both boxes shipped on the same day from the same distribution center and were ordered minutes apart. Odd thing is - stuff like this only happens to my Staples orders. Remember the keyboard snafu? I should have probably returned it because the number keys always stick. Then there was the time they got bleach all over the porch.

I hate you Christmas Palm Tree!

2011-11-28T21:48:00.000-05:00

I spent an hour today at the Lowes in North Bergen NJ picking up an on-line order. There were four customer service registers open, one was devoted entirely to returns. Two were locked up with individual customers the entire time I was there. One slowly accepted internet order pickups.

This Lowes has their Christmas tree display up next to the customer service desk and this holiday palm in Jersey struck me as cheesy but funny at first glance. The longer I stayed in line listening to everyone complain and watching the line not move the uglier the tree got.

By the time I got out of there I wanted to knock it down.

Honestly, my pickup at the Paterson NJ Lowes on Black Friday took about ten minutes. I love teenagers but they do not belong at customer service desks from November through February. It just makes adults angry.

on the value of Work and an Expirement

2011-11-27T12:50:00.001-05:00

I've been thinking about time and work a lot lately.

My dad stayed with me for a week back in October and he is a farmer. He tried to be considerate of my sleeping patterns but soon I was up at 8am and eating breakfast. By midnight I was exhausted.

Soon after that my boss started asking me to come in at 10 (instead of my usual noon) for a big deadline. The extra ten hours a week made quite a difference in my paycheck so I started working even later hours too. At the peak of my insanity (read financial success) I went in at 10am and left at 9:30pm.

It was time to go back to the basics and figure out what I want.

My favorite way of starting the day is by reading in bed for an hour or so. I stay in bed with a magazine, book or even blogs and just read around for a while. Then I get up for my teeth and shower maintenance and sometimes grab breakfast. If its the weekend I probably shop, if its a weekday I work.

If I had unlimited financial resources that is still what I would do every day.

When I start a few days in a row without that early morning lolling I am thrown off balance. I get irritable and even worse - feel justified in my irritability. By Friday I don't care about anything at work and when I get home I make snappy, lackluster meals and get ready for bed so I can do it again.

How could money ever make up for that peace of mind?

Starting Monday I won't be paid as a freelancer anymore. Taxes will be taken out of my paycheck and direct deposit will start happening. I've been thinking of how to handle the direct deposit.

I am planning to direct depositing into my stagnant bank account. One of this bank's branches used to be a block between a CVS and a Rite Aid near where I used to live so I would deposit cash weekly. I haven't deposited since I moved because its out of my way.

The other bank account is at Wells Fargo; which annoys me but I keep because its branches are convenient. I've been buying gift cards like mad (at least $1000 last month) to capitalize on rewards so I have about $300 there right now. I have about $2500 in pending checks (plus all my rebatables).

I think I will have all of my work money deposited at the bank I never visit and see how long I can live off of the Wells Fargo account. In preparation I have been pre-paying as many bills as possible and estimate my monthly consumption to be less than $500. Other money (regular freelancing, eBay, rebating) will still go into Wells Fargo but I want to see how long I can live without a "real" paycheck.

Black Friday Nutsoid

2011-11-26T12:26:00.001-05:00

See that line outside of MicroCenter? That was at 3:30 in the afternoon yesterday. I was in the adjacent Lowes picking up my ladder. The Lowes folks said MicroCenter was making people line up to go in store all day. If I showed up at one of my stores at 3:30 and saw a line to get inside I would just go home...or to Lowes next door.

This year I am thankful for something quieter

2011-11-24T20:55:00.002-05:00

My plan this morning was to wake up late, take a long shower, have waffles and then hit up drugstores for freebies.

The best laid plans go awry as I realized tomorrow's $19 Black Friday ladder was already on lowes.com. I started going through my list of things to buy and sure enough - my $60 ceiling fan at Home Depot was already there too. Next was all the free software at Staples...yep there too. After all that virtual shopping I stopped by Kohl.com for some Christmas shopping, a pair of earrings and heated mattress pad.

So if you were planning to get up early tonight make sure you check out the stores on-line. Here are some great coupons I used to sweeten my deals:

10% off at Lowes.Com: 471185980200658
$5 off $50 at homedepot.com: HDTHANKS
20% off at kohls.com: CON20HH4

After my virtual shopping and dinner with my beloved it was drugstore time. I ran into a trio of women at CVS carrying around that list photographed above. They'd been planning this for 3 weeks and went to a 24 hour CVS last night. The ring leader told me she'd been unemployed for some time and had been couponning 26 weeks and already saved $5,200. That was enough to pay 50% of her husband's new car.

I don't know why but I always play dumb around other couponners. I've been doing this for years so I get how much fun it is to explain deals. I don't try to convert them to my way of shopping or warn them of burning out. I just provide an interested audience.

And sometimes ask to take pictures of their shopping lists ;)

So behind...but hydrated!

2011-11-21T15:37:00.000-05:00

This is all stuff I bought on the 12th but have been too busy to sit and post.

I accidentally went to a garage sale after responding to a craigslist ad for $5 tv seasons. I got the rest of the Smallvilles, Dead Like Me, Tru Calling and some stuff to SwapADvd. Then cause the guys were having a garage sale I picked up a $1 utensil holder (cause I need 2 these days) and a $30 Keurig with some coffee cups and holder.

That weekend I celebrated my 33rd birthday with a "Wheeee Anny is 33" cake. I had a great time with people I hadn't seen in ages :)

Then last week it was all about work. I was at work for 11 1/2 hours on Friday; an all-time work record for me (when not working at home). I've always had a pretty good work ethic but lately I love being at work. Perhaps its just a sense of impending closure but I may as well ride it out for as long as it lasts.

I am looking forward to these 4 days off to sleep and clean and sleep some more. I'm tired and miss being at home :)

Last Weekend's Bounty

2011-11-11T15:31:00.000-05:00

I bought all of this stuff last Saturday but have been too busy to post it!

Church Rummage Sale

New with tags Nine West trench with lacey undersleeves - $3
Glass jar for more candy - .50
Glass vase for my green bedroom - $1
Peeps bucket cause my cousin mocked my lack of Easter decoration - .50

2 Bachelor/ Divorcees Neighbors

Brass oval frame - .50
Grey chunky frame - .10
Glass vase - $1
Serving platter - $3 (comes apart for storage but the top stick is broken off boo)

Girl Scout's Garage Sale - Fill a bag for $5

2 Dora, 1 Garden book for my niece
Wedding day book with dvd movie
Lost Lamb book with dvd
Green Partylite Candle holder
Wii Golf Club
Shrek 2 soundtrack
Crystal mini vase/votive holder
Glass Christmas tree shaped box
Cd holder, which it turns out was filled with computer games for the 1-3rd grade sect
HUGE cookie jar and why I decided to buy - my old jar is too small for my baking prowess!

Keratin Report

2011-11-10T19:13:00.005-05:00

I went in for a keratin treatment at Hair Ambition in Nutley, NJ today. So on a good hair day my curls look like this:

Unfortunately 2011 has been awful for my hair and its been half frizz and half curl lately. I saw a keratin treatment on groupon last month and signed up for it.

I just got home and this is what it looks like now:

Ignore the awful state of my nails; I spent a significant portion of yesterday painting and moving furniture.

First they washed my hair, then it was partially dried using a blow drier alone. I looked just like Troy Palumalo; which amused the hair dresser but did not surprise me at all. I get the feeling most of the clientelle there is white and their hair kinda puffs when dried. Mine reacts as if I were playing with static electricity.

Afterwards the keratin treatment was applied near the roots and brushed down a bit. Then it was blow dried again; followed by a flat iron. When my hair was relaxxed in the past the hair dresser would slather treatment on my hair then pull it taut and brush, brush, brush. Apparently keratin is super strong stuff that reacts to flat irons instead of being pulled straight. I just hope this helps tame my frizz and allows my curls to rebond.

I was kind of hoping my hair would look nice enough to wear it for my birthday party Saturday but that is a negative. Since its so greasy near the scalp but dry near the roots it looks like I washed it 4 days ago and should be heading into a shower soon. The hair dresser told me to avoid washing it for a few days so I may show up to Cake Day with a bandana or lots of mood lighting ;)

Black Friday Madness just HIT

2011-11-09T11:27:00.000-05:00

I've been playing it coy even though CVS IS GIVING EVERYTHING AWAY and Rite Aid is making me snore just clicking through their ad. Luckily Walgreens came through with enough freebies to keep me in complicated math all weekend long :D

AND NOW

Staples' ad just leaked and it has $365 worth of free software! I need to upgrade my Kaspersky and am looking forward to buying the others as money makers. Staples loves me as much as I love them. <3

Kohls' ad is also pretty nice; I may pick up some holiday gifts here. I love how many rebates they have this year. I really debated buy this Corningware set last year for $20 after rebate and its back again this year (see page 20) so we will see if I can make enough space in my cabinets to accomodate it before BF. Who needs food right? I did buy this Pyrex set last year for $20 (same price this year) and have been in love with it since.

Target, Macy's, Kohl's and Best Buy will be open at midnight this year while JCPenney and Sears are opening at 4am. Staples is the slacker of the bunch with a 6am opening.

Dear OSHA, I Listen!

2011-11-03T17:24:00.000-04:00

Purchased at Staples this morning: Keyboard drawer for $5.50, Foot rest for $2.50

I'd been thinking of changing up my office to be more comfortable and convenient so this may be the push I needed to do that. Aesthetically its lovely but it could stand to be more convenient :)

on Family Perspective

2011-11-02T11:31:00.000-04:00

"We don't see the world as it is. We see the world as we are."

I spent most of my twenties estranged or barely acknowledging family except at major holidays. Now that I am in my thirties all that avoidance has caught up and Present Anny has decisions to make.

As I mentioned, my dad stayed with me for a week last month. It was great having him around to fix stuff and ask how my work day went. I liked feeling taken care of and as is my mote; slipped into Daughter Mode in order to meet his own expectations of me.

In talking about familial expectations yesterday an important question was asked. "Is it what you want or what your family wants?"

Ever since gaining the age of reason I haven't stopped to consider if what my family wants is simply folly. I've wrestled with being american and dominican for years and tried to reconcile the two using empathy and a whole lot of forgiveness. I've never stopped to look at either side and say "but is this what I want?"

Its been easy to turn down what I perceive as Family Quirks. I've never even thought to question Societal Quirks; just explain them away.

I guess its time to change my world by shifting my perspective on it.

Monthly Goals: Happy All Saint's Day

2011-11-01T11:14:00.003-04:00

After Saturday's freak snowstorm there are trees like that EVERYWHERE! Call me dramatic but this is also how I felt most of the month.

A major happening was that JC Penny purchased Liz Claiborne, who I freelance for. In the short run this is great because there is a ton of work for me. I worked 12ish-6ish daily and managed to put aside a nice chunk of change last month. The downside is JCP doesn't have offices on this coast so will probably move us to NYC or Texas, where they are located. I am trying not to worry until I can think more logically rather than emotionally.

I bought a snow blower and tried to get a shed built for it by a few different folks. They kept flaking so I am going to try someone else today. Getting reasonable labor in Paterson is proving to be difficult, as always.

I attended training to become an Alateen mentor. I keep hearing stories about horrible childhoods at the hands of alcohollic caretakers and want to help. My background check should be completed soon and we are planning to start the group in January.

That conference I was helping plan was also postponed until January'ish. I had resevations about the short time period but left it to fate. Turns out fate doesn't like last minute things and did everything it could INCLUDING that snowfall on the day the conference was scheduled for. LOL

Exercise was fun. I got better at Zumba once I showed up with enough sleep and food under my belt. It was only a one month trial but I don't think I will resign up. I like gentle exercise where I can feel my body move instead of rushing through different steps. I can see the fat burning lure of it though! My waist is smaller and I can wear the majority of my jeans again *self high 5*

My car was hit on Saturday by someone who decided to back into his driveway instead of going forward like a normal driver. I was at a standstill, he was 100% guilty but also didn't have insurance. I went through a ridiculous ordeal the last time this happened and also felt bad for the guy. He said he didn't have insurance but also had that "I'm here illegally" air to him. For better or worse I took cash to fix the mess, rather than call the cops and go through all that insurance rigamarole again. Luckily everyone thinks the dent can be popped out for what he gave me and the engine seems fine. I don't know if I could have done this for someone before spending so much time with people who are here illegaly. I'd been so removed from it for so long that I'd become uncaring.

So what do I want to do this month?

Make lists
When I make lists I don't get as overwhelmed by the big picture. All of my monthly goals require multiple steps and if I don't focus on the smaller stuff I will be overwhelmed by the bigger stuff. Bad!

1. Clean
My dad was here for a week and we had a TON of guests! This was awesome except my house got dirty and I've been focussing on stuff other than cleaning. I need to break down my list into stuff I need to do in every room. I should also take down Halloween decorations and put up fall stuff.

2. Turn 33 WHEEE!
My cousin is making the cake and I have not planned a single thing beyond that. Luckily its just my favorite folks and they will be happy if I serve toast (not really). I look forward to a nice, laid back day culminating in cake.

3. Shelter the snow blower
I am hesitant of adding this since it is out of my hands. I can't build a shed. My worst case back-up plan is my uncle comes back from DR on the 23rd and he is very handy. If all else fails I can do my best impression of a novela damsel and seek succor.

4. Bring out the winter garb, unclutter summer
Stephen King has to help me here. We had a sample sale at work in October and I bought about 20 sweaters and long sleeved tee-shirts instead of pulling out my winter clothes. I haven't put away any summer clothes and did laundry yesterday. If I bring out my usual winter clothes ON TOP of this mess my closet will probably call FEMA and move elsewhere.

5. Winter seal the house
I bought the plastic window covers at Target but haven't taken the time to tape them up. I also haven't pulled out the air conditioners. I am hoping I can store the air conditioners in the closet once I empty the winter clothes boxes but this may be blind optimism.

November is a rushed month. There are a lot of holidays in there and I am hoping I can take advantage of them to get these things done. When I get home at 7-8 I don't feel like cleaning and in the morning I usually want to eBay or run all my errands. Luckily I've been pretty laid back about things lately. Even though I spent most of last month being split in multiple directions I only broke down once and that is progress ;)

I shoveled and didn't die!

2011-10-30T11:25:00.001-04:00

I hadn't seen so many downed limbs since Resident Evil!

We had a bunch of snow mixed with rain yesterday and since the trees hadn't had a chance to shed leaves there were snapped branches and trees all over the place.
According to the paper we'd had one snowfall in October within the last 80 years and here are some other more surprising facts:

July was the hottest month on record for NJ EVER
August was the wettest month on record for NJ EVER
January was one of the snowiest months in recent memory

I'm just glad we had power and Domino's delivery. My cousins and I holed up with How I Met Your Mother and had a lovely afternoon with periodic breaks for weather checking.

Free $5 with a $25 gift card purchase at Stop and Shop

2011-10-25T22:35:00.001-04:00

Look at the snide redhead

I'm thrilled to see this deal again because I just used my last Shell gift card last week. The deal runs the same way - "Buy $25 worth of gift cards in one transaction, get a $5 off your next purchase coupon."

I bought 4 $25 Gulf gift cards today because they were out of Shell.

The store I went to was letting customers apply the previous $5 coupon on the next $25 gift card. I'm not sure if this is kosher but it was definitely weird.

See you again tomorrow Stop and Shop!

Digital Receipts declared AWESOME by me

2011-10-21T13:29:00.000-04:00

Kmart e-mailed me a digital copy of my receipt this morning, complete with barcode and all the survey/deals nonsense they print at the end of all their receipts.

Wells Fargo e-mails me whenever I conduct any transactions at their bank.

I can't wait until EVERYTHING is digital! Unless I am rebating I don't want a receipt anyway.

Since Pyromania is frowned upon

2011-10-20T14:19:00.000-04:00

How cool is this!? While I would totally use a fake fireplace and develop a winter tan/singe I love what this funny funny couple did.

First they gutted the workings. Then they had a lot trouble...nay adventures painting it.

Post painting they harvested birch from the yard and started being envied by me.

Another free 8x10

2011-10-20T12:56:00.002-04:00

I can't believe how often Walgreens puts these coupons out!

Walgreens offers a 8"x10" Collage Print for Free when you enter coupon code CLG8X10 at checkout with free in-store pickup. Offer valid thru October 22

New Contest!

2011-10-19T13:00:00.003-04:00

Congrats to Carolina on winning the contest!

Announcing a snazzy new contest sponsored by Seventh Generation!

Enter the "Nature Makes Perfect Scents" sweepstakes at seventhgeneration.com/scents and you can have the chance to take a trip for two to visit one of the sourcing sites of Seventh Generation natural dish liquid fragrance ingredients. Visit seventhgeneration.com/scents to learn more about each scent´s origin.

With authentic ingredients like lavender from the fields of Drome in the foothills of the Alps, clementines from sunny Calabria and lemons from the soils of Sicily, Seventh Generation natural dish liquid is free of unnecessary synthetic colors or chemically engineered scents.

Contest Prize:

(4) bottles of Seventh Generation natural dish liquid varieties in Free & Clear, Lavender Floral & Mint, Fresh Citrus & Ginger, and Lemongrass & Clementine Zest scents
Premium 3 Qt. 12" x 9" Baking Dish from Le Creuset
(2) Twist© loofah sponges
(2) Twist© scour pads made from 100% post-recycled materials
Set of 3 organic cotton dish towels

To enter answer one of these questions:

Which of the Seventh Generation natural dish liquid varieties are you most interested in trying?
Which essential oil sourcing site would you be most excited to visit, if you were to win the "Nature Makes Perfect Scents" sweepstakes?

Contest Ends: October 26, 2011

"Disclosure: The Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid prize pack, product and information have been provided by Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark."

Hey are your Energizer batteries leaking?

2011-10-14T11:34:00.012-04:00

Not you again, go That Way --->

So as you guys know, Energizer batteries were free last week at Office Depot and Duracells are free next week at Staples. I was reading about the internet and realized a lot of people are complaining about leaking Energizers. I figured they must be old batteries or left in devices for more than a year but then I realized it was happening to me!

I bought one of those wireless doorbell chimes at Lowes back in July and opened a pack of Energizers. Less than a month later it started complaining about low battery levels. When I changed the batteries one of them had leaked inside the compartment!

Now this is a little $15 purchase but folks are complaining about Energizer leaks in much pricier stuff. In completely related news, Chez Anny has become a Duracell only household.

Halloween is Coming!

2011-10-13T00:59:00.002-04:00

Look at the cute cupcakes my niece and I baked tonight! She is 3 1/2 now and can do things like whisk (cause I am not pulling out the stand mixer for this teeny project) and frost. She even stuck all the little picks in the cupcakes when we were done!

When I asked if she wanted "pink or yellow" cake she said "strawberry." We made the cupcakes from box mix and she called it "strawberry flour."

My auntly heart is bursting with pride at her sweets identification and fine motor skills, whilst my tummy is bursting with sweets.

* Halloween picks and liners are from Target

That time again - Lowes clearancing their plants

2011-10-12T11:11:00.000-04:00

My Lowes has ALL trees, shrubs and bushes (including roses) 75% off. All other outdoor plants are $1 including fruit plants. I bought 2 mums (which according to the internet are perennials if given long enough to root before cold hits) and 13 daisies (which are perennials).

Nary a plant toppled in the trunk! I planted them along the driveway and front of the house because I love being welcomed home by beautiful things :)

Sony is dead, time to find a new credit card

2011-10-11T00:01:00.004-04:00

As if!

For the past two years my Sony card (through Chase) was my go-to card for non-AMEX purchases. I only got 1% back on most purchases but they had awesome games which netted me thousands of free points. Earlier this year Capital One took over and the games are almost completely gone, redemption is much higher and I've purchased as much Sony stuff as I need.

Here is a sweet breakdown of stuff I got mighty cheap or sometimes even free over the past two years:

$200 off my tv (initial sign-up bonus)
Surround sound for me, later a set as a birthday gift for my guy
Red computer speakers
Bathroom radio
Kitchen under-cabinet radio
Blu-ray player
Sony Dash
Smaller perks like free rentals

I loved my Sony card and it definitely gave me the most stuff with the least amount of spending. *moment of silence*

Here are the two cards I am debating to replace it:

Discover More
I haven't had a Discover card for a few years but folks on Slickdeals are always purchasing through the Discover Online Shopping Mall for extra cashback at stores I like (amazon, lowes, office depot, etc). They are always reminding each other to go through the site and I feel left out, damnit!

Pros:

I could save up to 20% shopping through their ShopDiscover portal, including 5% at Lowes and Depot
The orange band around the card is cute

Cons:

No sign-up bonus, instead they have a 0% apr which is pointless for me
5% Bonus categories change every other month so I would need to keep track
Discover isn't accepted everywhere

Chase Freedom

Pros:

$200 bonus cashback after I spend $500 in first three months

Cons:

5% Bonus categories also always change
Their store portal gives up to 10% back on on-line store purchases
Chase sold me off to Capital One once already

Here are the cards I still carry and need to supplement:

AMEX business - 5% back at gas stations, my cellphone, office supply stores, JetBlue flights

Citi Diamond Preferred - Used to be my go-to for drugstores and wasn't used for over a year but if I go with Discover having a MasterCard could be handy for places which diss both AMEX and Discover.

EASIER way to download YouTube Videos

2011-10-10T12:58:00.000-04:00

Suddenly everyone in my family has a droid, iPhone or iTouch. Stuff must be downloaded and this is the easiest way ever.

1. Find url of video
ie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-xnvdtuRRo

2. Type kiss between www. and youtube
ie: http://www.kissyoutube.com/watch?v=5-xnvdtuRRo

Click the download button and you're done.

Easy peasy lemon breezy :)

Garage Saling - the faux-summer breakables edition

2011-10-09T16:28:00.021-04:00

My friend and I were on our way back from a workshop Saturday when I saw a garage sale sign and gave us whiplash with my ninja-like turn. I kept debating Real Simple's Guide to an Uncluttered Home as it could possibly just become more clutter.

Then today it was 85 degrees and I went out in my sleevelessness and impending garage sale nostalgia. Here's what I picked up this weekend:

Real Simple's Guie to an Uncluttered Home .25
2 blue candle holders and what I am sure is a sundae cup for $2
3 White vases for $1
Reindeer candle holder with battery operated tea light .50
OXO salad spinner $2
2 NIB 4" Lenox vases and a 6" $9

I have been passing up those white vases since 2008 but this sale had a pattern I'd never seen, another I covetted and they were 3/$1. Ironically the thing I may use least is the salad spinner. My only family member interested in kitchen stuff talked me into one a few weeks ago.

Now I just need lettuce.

MAJOR Freebies at Office Depot (watch your wallet)

2011-10-05T16:50:00.002-04:00

Office Depot is giving away a ton of stuff this week. Freebies are limit two per customer per day so you could easily rack up a lot of swag. The internet almost convinced me to go load up on K Cups (2 per upc per customer per day is a lot of hydration) but then I realized if I want hot chocolate or tea I can just nuke it the old fashioned way.

Get the stuff now and you will get the money back as store credit in mid-Novemberish.
Remember: these are limit 2 per custumer per day and on-line orders qualify as well:

I am going to get one of those storage carts to organize my interim eBayables. I love owning the stuff but once its photographed it sits around in open boxes waiting for a new home.

What I (now) know about freezing food

2011-10-04T21:54:00.000-04:00

My guy and I took a "Freezer Cooking" class last night at a local high school. We were on Team Taquitos but that didn't keep us from enjoying everyone else's food as well!

I keep saying I want to do more bulk cooking but never get around to it. Part of it is because my freezer looks like this:

French Toast on ice, top left. Storage levels critical

Part of it is that I've never done it and was intimidated.

So here is what I learned:

Fat = Soggy
When freezing meat, turkey is the best reheater. When using other meats or freezing fried food drain the fat by laying it on a paper towel for a few minutes.

Freeze fast
Food becomes soggier the longer it sits out so don't let stuff cool. Supposedly the other stuff in the freezer is so frozen that your new addition won't thaw it.

Freezer Burn isn't instant
Freeze your food uncovered until its solid, then package in air tight containers. Laying food on a cookie sheet is the best way to do this.

Once Frozen, Package
You have up to two days to get back to your uncovered, frozen food to package it up before it starts losing flavor and developing unattractive icicles.

I am really excited to start some freezer meals ... after I get through some of those frozen waffles.

That was a nice month

2011-10-01T01:03:00.006-04:00

You know what guys? I think I've finally slowed down. I'm still working and driving and cooking but I've given up the illusion of perfection. Oddly enough, as my attitude became more laid back (without being dismissive) I managed to do more and feel better.

I will be honest - my kitchen still has roughly 5-6 inches of inches right off the ceiling that hasn't been painted and I haven't hammered in a single piece of trim. I am more than ok with that because its about the progress not perfection and you know what I did this month?

I made the most gorgeous (to me) window valances and tie backs with pins. Then I put up wooden shades. To top it off I installed an undercabinet radio which involved my borrowing drill bits and balancing electronics in one hand while drilling with the other.

I knocked going to the Statue of Liberty and the Paterson Museum off my bucket list. I tried Zumba and throughly embarrassed myself in front of a bunch of strangers who were embarrassing themselves in front of me. After reading about the correlation between apples and cholesterol I've been eating one a day. I baked. I garage saled. I eBayed more in one month than in the past year.

I put away my fat jeans!
And the next day my uncle told me I looked like I'd put on some weight. I laughed because a woman's weight is only relevant to her (and her trainer if she has one).

So what do I hope October will bring me?

1. More eBaying
I used up all 50 free listings last month and am raring to go again!

2. A conference!
A friend of mine is organizing a conference and asked me to help. I am filled with self-doubt and ideas.

3. Possibly teen mentoring
I know - me? I am not sure about this because I barely feel like more than a teenager on most days but we will see what life brings.

4. Some yoga, some zumba, some goofing
I am happy with my weight but exercise is a wonderful ruler for the rest of my life. When I exercise I watch what I eat, sleep more soundly and am happier.

5. More rain
I have black-out bedroom curtains and those awesome window blinds in the kitchen. Every morning feels like a cloudy day in the Anny Household. I know rainfall isn't an achievable goal for anyone but Ted Mosby but how can you dislike rain? Us curly haired folk end up with nicer coifs, rain boots are suitable footwear for adults and I have a brand new trench coat! Rain forces people to slow down and sometimes urban life needs that nudge from Mother Nature.

Mostly I wish October to be full of happiness for me and you, Constant Reader.

Contest Winner - Lucky #4

2011-09-30T00:01:00.007-04:00

Mari said...

I'm excited about Cheerios.

Aren't we all, Mari? Aren't we all?

Its all about Context

2011-09-29T13:14:00.002-04:00

Actually a reassuring exchange on the show

U. of Wisconsin Professor and Administrators Clash Over Posters Called Threatening
September 28, 2011

The University of Wisconsin-Stout has come under fire from free-speech advocates for refusing this month to let a theater professor decorate his office door with posters described by some administrators as threatening. The conflict over speech began when the professor, James Miller, hung a poster from the science-fiction television series Firefly that referred to killing. The campus police chief took it down, telling Mr. Miller in an e-mail exchange that he could face a criminal charge if he rehung the poster or another one similar to it. When Mr. Miller hung a second poster denouncing fascism as leading to violence, the campus police took it down, as implying a threat, at the urging of a campus threat-assessment team that had conferred with the university system's office of general counsel. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a free-speech advocacy group, has accused the university of censorship, but top campus officials argued in an e-mail to the faculty and staff that they had "a responsibility to promote a campus environment that is free from threats of any kind." As discussed in a July 31 Chronicle article, colleges have struggled to balance free-speech and security concerns in dealing with complaints that faculty members have somehow threatened others on the campus.

----------------------------------------

Dear Joss,

When people are deprived of your geniusity stupidity happens. Clearly this professor doesn't get the "time and a place" thing and is bringing his Jossian Safety Blanket to work. I think he should get a tattoo and take this moment in the spotlight to rail against FOX for cancelling Firefly to begin with.

In the end all conflict can be brought back to FOX.

Love Always,
Anny

PS
I like your shoes.

(better than) FREE Brita Pitcher at Walgreens

2011-09-27T00:10:00.008-04:00

Brita pitchers cost $10 at Walgreens and there is a $10 mail in rebate here: http://challenge.brita.com/save-on-brita/BritaPitcherRebate.pdf

Now you are probably wondering "Didn't I see Brita coupons in the paper recently?"

Yep, but there is an even better printable $5 coupon!

http://www.filterforgood.com/ at the top right there is a "pledge to use Brita instead of disposable water bottles" form. Fill it out and print out a $5 coupon.

So pay $5 for the pitcher and get $10 back in the mail.

Pretty darned sweet!

FREE Cookies at ShopRite! Goooooo!

2011-09-26T22:39:00.000-04:00

This week at ShopRite, buy five of their Nabisco multipacks of cookies ($2.88 each) and get back $20 in coupons to use on future visits ($5 a week). So spend $14.40, get back $20

That's a lot of cookies! Also included in the promotion are Teddy Grahams, Chips Ahoy, regular Ritz and some others I don't remember. They are on sale for $2.88 and made by Nabisco so its hard to miss them.

This was the top drawer of my work desk this morning. Yes, I eat like a teenager with a food budget.

Paterson Museum & Great Falls in way too many pictures

2011-09-25T10:43:00.011-04:00

This piece is "Untitled" but I would rename it "Awesome"

I went to the Paterson Museum yesterday for the first time. Half the building is being used by FEMA (yep that flood thing is still news here) but the permanent exhibits were still on display. Suggested donation to enter is $2

Outside are some sculptures and these two trains. The 299 was built in Paterson and then shipped off to help build the Panama Canal. About 100 years later Paterson's mayor asked for it back to be placed in the museum. It caused a huge international mess.

The museum was originally a train building center. Once trains were built they were dragged a mile over to the train station by horse. That explains these ridiculously oversized, gorgeous doors all over the place.

Fact: Paterson is known as "Silk City" because we're all so smooth.
Better Fact: That sentence is untrue.

Truth is, we are home to the Great Falls. The town's history is mired in hydro-electricity and child labor.

I would have been useless in the silk mills because I'd be lost in all the patterns and colors.

I mean, come on! I'd be too busy Pantoning it up to do anything but be fired.

Another True Fact: My favorite colors are red and green but only together at the holidays.

Who doesn't love organized messes?

Doesn't this look like the loom the princess picked her finger on? The Ruplestilskin princess, I forget her name.

Nice to see your town's name on something besides a crime blotter.

They designed and assembled the first submarine here too.

I kind of wish they hadn't painted the submarine. I don't mind seeing rust and old stuff in places other than where I live or drive.

This awesome quote rues the day the submarine would end up in a museum. I love the tongue-in-cheekness of having it in front of the thing.

Here is the 1920s mayor receiving a torpedo at City Hall. This is in the foyer. If you go right you get to the tax offices. To the left are land records. I haven't been inside in years because I'd rather spend a stamp than try to find parking in downtown during business hours.

This engine was in the first plane to fly from NY to Paris. It was built by the Wright (brothers) company over in Paterson.

This weird lamp was in one of their offices. Its like a demented jack in the box with sharp reptilian feet.

Paterson is also the birthplace of the handgun. I didn't take many pics here because gun violence is horrible.

but pharmacies are AWESOME!

Listerine still came in these corrugated tubes when I was a kid. That toxic stuff could strip paint off a submarine.

Imagine how long it would take to check out all my coupons using this beautiful machine!

We also had the first nursing school in the Americas. This is St. Joseph's Hospital and I was born in the building all the way to the left. Its the only part of the original building left. All the rest is now made of glass and brick and other Anny Approved modern stuff.

Look at the cute old, impractical fire engine!

And this little thing? How could it put out more than a garbage can fire?

Lou Costello was from here and always mentioned Paterson.

They had a bunch of screenplays with Paterson mentions but this one made me laugh so in the blog it goes.

What with all the mechanics in town and a (now falling down) stadium only blocks from where they worked it was only natural they start building little cars to race around the track. The curator said it was the NASCAR of their time and folks from all over America would come race or just build.

I don't think we could get away with calling small cars Midget Cars these days.

I don't know this guy's story but in my head he is called Roland and is at odds with Blayne the Pain outside. Dark Tower fans get it.

The museum is a few blocks from the Great Falls, which caused all our flooding problems during Irene.

This precarious little tree has been here all my life. Its always a season ahead too. See how red the leaves are? Everything else here is green (or yellow from over-rain).

Isn't that pretty?

In second grade we took a field trip to the Great Falls and my teacher's assistant Ms. K got her heel stuck between two boards. She panicked and started screaming, causing a mini stampede of 8 year olds already freaked out by crossing a bridge over a waterfall. That was about 25 years ago and it still makes me laugh.

Free Museum Day

2011-09-24T11:39:00.001-04:00

Its that time of year again - Free Museum Day, sponsored by Smithsonian Mag. Click here to see a list of participating museums: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/venues/ Tickets are for up to two patrons.
I am keeping it simple this year and going to the Paterson Museum.

Today is also Free Public Parks Day (list here: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparksbystate.htm) but its raining and I have a propensity to slip on dry leaves so forget wet ones!

CANDY CORN VASES

2011-09-23T11:21:00.018-04:00

Don't mind the capsed title, if I could have made it blinking orange I would have! Alexa explains it all here: http://swelldesigner.blogspot.com/2011/09/candy-corn-bottle-vases.html but the gist of it is:

1. Find bottles
2. Spray paint bottles white
3. Spay paint orange middle
3. Spay paint yellow bottom

So ridiculously simple yet unthought of in Annyland!!!

Being the lazy garage saler that I am, I would skip the finding bottles and painting white and just pick up some of those white glass vases folks are always garage saling for .25 to .50. Sometimes I see them for $1-$2 but those sellers probably need the money for crack.

Contest: $25 Sam's Club Gift Card

2011-09-22T22:50:00.001-04:00

Give back by purchasing your favorite cereal or snack! This October, by making simple everyday purchases at Sam´s Club, you can help support breast cancer education and research. Beginning September 19th, Sam´s Club stores will feature exclusive pink packaging on some of your favorite participating General Mills products in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Prize: $25 Sam's Club Gift Card

To Enter:
Which of your favorite General Mills products are you most excited to see featured in the Pink Promotion at Sam´s Club? To enter, reply to this post.

Contest Ends:
9/29/11 at 11:59pm est

Disclosure: The information and gift card(s) have been provided by Sam´s Club and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Don't you love AHA! moments?

2011-09-21T16:12:00.000-04:00

Back in January I was totally psyched by a hotel's cool lighting fixture. I think its from http://www.modulararts.com/, which has so many cool wall treatments it makes me wish I lived in a house of hexdecimic rooms...and had loads of loot to spend on their products.

Home Depot Wood & Faux Wood Blinds up to 70% off

2011-09-20T13:52:00.001-04:00

Click here to see the selection:
http://www.homedepot.com/Featured-Products-Overstock-Event-Blinds-Window-Treatments-Overstock/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbzft/h_d2/Navigation?cm_mmc=CJ-_-4485850-_-10368321&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&Nu=P_PARENT_ID&omni=c_Blinds+&Window_Treatments_Overstock=&searchNav=true&AID=10368321&PID=4485850&SID=u0t3301854f9fp58286dd0c0s671&cj=true

I swapped out my kitchen's old plastic mini blinds for the "designview Premium 31 In. x 72 In. Arctic White Premium Faux Wood Blind. " They were $20.94 each with free shipping.

My brother had bad experiences with three different Home Depot "faux wood" blinds but I am hoping since these are a different brand they wont' break. The warranty doesn't cover the mechanical parts and he said when he took them in-store to "wtf!?" they said the wood is just too heavy for the mechanism so they were prone to breaking. My external mechanism looks different so I hope the internal is stronger as well.

Hanging them was a snap. Just like regular blinds, all you have to do is drill in the hardware that holds them then pop the blinds in. Here they are with full sun behind them!

You can't really see all the sun eh? The blinds are wide enough that I get a pretty unimpeded view when they are open. The best part is when they are closed no one can see in at all. With the cheesy plastic blinds you can still make out what's happening inside at night when the lights are on.

Left pull toggles them open and closed while the right side pulls them up and down. They also came with a plastic tie back I could nail to the wall and wrap the cords around. This is to keep kiddies and pets from entangling themselves. I have neither and patched too many holes to even contemplate this.

Isn't the faux molding on the front cute? It came with enough parts that if your blinds were installed outside the window you could assemble a three sided cornice for it.

My blinds are about three slats too long because the exact size was sold out. Removing the slats is pretty simple but I am feeling lazy. We'll see if it bugs me enough to do it later.

Also, they suggest two inches of depth in each window to properly mount these. My left window is shallower so I put extra screws in and made a mental note not to hang from this set. Ideally that entire piece should be attached to the casing.

So far I love them! There is alot of striping happening in this room (vertical beadboard, horizontal blinds, vertical curtains but I kinda love it.

Review: Scrubbing Bubbles One Step - like a shower for your toilet

2011-09-19T16:00:00.001-04:00

Thank you Bzzagent for trying to make my house as clean as possible, in spite of myself! This time they sent along a Scrubbing Bubbles One Step Toilet Cleaner to review.

I kept seeing the box in-store and in commercials but couldn't figure out what it was or how it worked.

This is what I kept from the box. Notice the word "kept." There was a white plastic sheet about the size of an 8x10 wrapped around the can but I thought it was packaging and threw it away. Turns out I was supposed to wrap the can in it to hide it. Now ALL my bathroom users will know I use Scrubbing Bubbles!

This is the doohickey (pardon the technical jargon) that latches unto the toilet rim and sends out soap.

See that? Easy peasy my peeps, all I had to do was stretch it out and let it latch on. I was concerned because my toilet seat is kinda low but it didn't interfere at all.

So here it is, all set up and waiting to be stepped on. When I step on the lever the doohickey under the toilet seat spins and sprays the inside of the bowl with cleanser. I tried to take a picture the first time by lifting the seat but it starts squirting IMMEDIATELY! Before I had a chance to lower the seat or stand up and move it had squirted the toilet twice and stopped. By the way - the side of my cabinet isn't yellow and gross, lighting in bathrooms can be weird.

Its pretty quiet, ridiculously fast and seems to keep the bowl pretty clean. I've had it set up for less than a week and haven't had any problems with it. It seems to operate on the "spin and quirt" principle my beloved shower cleaner uses and that's kept me in Lazy Shower Mode for years.

I like how it smells too. Scrubbing Bubbles generally does a good job of creating clean/non-chemical scents. Whenever I press the lever it smells like I spent hours cleaning my bathroom.

I think this retails for about 10 bucks but since its new there are $4 coupons in almost all the papers and magazines. The drugstores are also running sales and promotions. Refills are supposed to last about a month.

Disclaimer: I received this item free from BzzAgent in order to review. You can read more about them at http://www.bzzagent.com/ and if you have a blog should really sign up because its fun and the items you receive are so random. If you want to see what else I've reviewed from them click here: http://www.randomanny.com/search/label/bzzagent

So Nice, I went back Twice

2011-09-18T23:06:00.001-04:00

I went back to the grandma garage sale today because I figured there would be more stuff and I was right!

.25 Napkin holder
.50 pair of hand carved candle holders which look mighty Dominican to me
.25 hand carved bangle to wear with that necklace I won last year
.25 Rent receipt book - had been on my "to buy" list
.25 Lidded glass jar
.50 Pier One candle holder
$2.20 - Pair of Fire King pie pans with matching little dishes

Isn't that beautiful? It looks like lacy glass. I will probably use them to toast french fries and serve ketchup in the mini bowls. Martha Stewart would approve.

The candle holder makes a cute base for my previously garage saled vase (that was a good sale) and long-suffering aloe plant. My neighbor put a medium sized aloe plant in a planter outside three months ago. The thing is twice its original size! If I could figure out how to get dirt and roots into this narrow mouthed jar I would do the same. This aloe plant has been in water for about three years and is being kept alive by the sheer force of my will.

I put candy corn in the glass jar because in the showrooms at work they have gorgeous candy holders and I am an idea thief:

Their jars are much nicer but contain Dum Dum lollipops and those make me think of pediatrician visits. Candy corn is much better.

It was like the hot girl cellphone of garage sales!

2011-09-17T16:51:00.005-04:00

I left around 12:30 today to go buy groceries and didn't make it to the store. At one point I was down to 3 cents because I'd used my meter change from the car to buy a splatter guard!

$4 - All the True Blood books and an oversized platter

$3 Reebok exercise top because I've lost 10 pounds and now think I am "sporty"
$1.50 - Glass vase that reminded me of Seattle

$1 Citronella candle for my next DR trip

$2 - I don't know anything about pool but I think I'm missing a 12? Also pool balls are really heavy! I am going to decorate with them somehow.

.10 - .50 each, books for my niece

I wish I knew about Tupperware, old glass and Pyrex cause this sale was full of it! It all belonged to some 40 year old guy's mom and grandma.

$3 - Mary Poppins dvd for Swap a Dvd
.25 Marley & Me audio book cause I thought it was the one on HIMYM
.25 Some Danielle Steele book on cd
.10 wood ladle
.50 splatter guard
$1 glass rectangular dish with lid for freezing leftovers
$2 Pyrex container with lid
.25 new small enough yellow trash to fit in my bathroom!!!
.25 each - 3 cookbooks and a George Carlin book (RIP)

Update: I went back to the sale the next day

I went to an atm so I could buy this $40 Guess wool coat. The guy works at Guess and was selling a ton of coats. By the time I got back the sale was over but I ran the doorbell and they sold it to me.

Unlike last year's sale this one has a right side up tag. The collar also unbuckles, which is ridiculous because I am all about warmth!

What a great day! In the end it started raining and I was hungry so I came home. Grocery shopping can wait.

Target is Clearancing Exercise Stuff

2011-09-16T22:37:00.001-04:00

I dropped by Target today to see if they had Missoni stuff. Of course they didn't but that's ok. Can I admit I don't like ikat? I'm a smooth curves kinda gal and unending pointy edges aren't my thing.
Know what is my thing? Lately exercise in the home. I lost those 10 pounds I wanted to drop thanks to that weighted hula hoop and some (very, very) sporadic Just Dance 2! I hoop for about five minutes every other day but it must be enough cause today I broke out the "normal" jeans since my fat jeans were looking baggy even belted.

These 1.5lb Embark ankle and wrist weights were down to $2.88. My arms get tired when I hoop so I hope this will help me tone.

This Gaiam 1lb weight set was $4.24 and I already own a set of 5lb weights but it came with a dvd and I can probably con someone else into exercising with me if the weight is 1lb vs. 5. Plus aren't they cute?

Also 75% off were kettle balls, those big sit-up balls, varying weights on the stuff I bought, core balance boards and some other stuff I debated but left cause I probably wouldn't use it.

I bought these mirrored round mirrors for $3.24 because I'd admired them for a while and they were 75% off too but they may get returned. I thnk I had the perfect place for them in my old apartment but not here.

This little side table was 50% off to $9.98. I also bought the one one with a black top in case I decided the pink was too bright. Turns out I dig the pink. My brother painted my living room pink and its a color I would have never chosen. I think I own a pink tank top and that's it. The color has grown on me though and I love how it plays off my brown furniture.

I got lost on the way to work and bought this candle holder at a garage sale for $2. Its more than I normally pay for seasonal crap but it was brand new and the sale was run by 5 little old white haired ladies selling things they'd embroidered and sewn. They were so darling and give me hope of finding a garage sale possee one day.

Passive Aggressive Hilarity

2011-09-15T19:39:00.000-04:00

Why befriend hundreds hoping someone posts hilarious pictures when you can just visit http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/ and crack up immediately?

Most diet soda is after-taste-craptastic but Coke Zero? Not bad and therefor fair game

How much does it suck when you find an amazing parking spot and the meter is broken? I wonder if begging for mercy will let you keep that spot, ticket free?

My guy was just saying yesterday that I should catch some stray kittens and take them to be spayed. I wonder if this is what he had in mind.

Declutter the Mailbox

2011-09-14T18:34:00.000-04:00

As part of my decluttering here are two (free) resources I signed up for in order to curb my junkmail (cause the shredder fills fast!):

DMA Choice
https://www.dmachoice.org/

DMAchoice™ is an online tool developed by the Direct Marketing Association to help you manage your mail. This site is part of a larger program designed to respond to consumers' concerns over the amount of mail they receive, and it is the evolution of the DMA's Mail Preference Service created in 1971.

For the purposes of this site, direct mail is divided into four categories: Credit Offers, Catalogs, Magazine Offers and Other Mail Offers. You can request to start or stop receiving mail from individual companies within each category—or from an entire category at once.

OptOUT Prescreen
https://www.optoutprescreen.com/

Select from the options to Opt-Out of lists supplied by Equifax, Experian, Innovis and TransUnion for firm offers of credit or insurance.

OptOUT only stops your receiving credit card and insurance types of offers. DMA offers the same service so credit card companies may get two messages telling them to Quit It. That's ok because I've received far more from them.

Pitfalls to my Financial Motivation

2011-09-13T20:35:00.002-04:00

Out of focus, darned cellphone camera! Aren't these colors amazing though?

When this blog was a wee bit of babble I used to discuss finance all the time. Even though I wasn't in debt, I didn't have much to call my own. One of my favorite blogs was http://www.thesimpledollar.com/, run by Trent.

At the time he had one child, worked full-time and had experienced a financial bottom. After a while my financial house was in order while he had two more kids, wrote a few books and quit his job. I stopped reading because I had this. I was making more money than I needed and didn't have debt. As far as I was concerned, as long as I kept that up everything would be fine.

Here are the pitfalls to my money motivation:

1. Not having long-term plans.
Trent planned on having a large family with vacations and a retirement home in the country. I budget for my yearly trip to see my parents.

2. Complacency
I haven't had a steady job since I was laid off in 2008. I haven't even really wanted one. Freelancing lets me make more than I need for everyday life.

3. Lack of Competition
I don't want a new car. I don't want a bigger tv. I don't want an iPhone because Virgin Mobile is $25 a month and I'd rather see that on my credit card bill than an iPhone every day. When you are happy with what you have the cost of upgrading becomes a non-issue.

4. I am a day dreamer
I like sitting at home and crafting. I like tending my roses. I like looking at each day as a separate event to be planned as it arrives. I lack structure.

Periodically I do get antsy and feel like I need more money. I am taking that class at FIT next month and that should bump my hourly rate. I like my job space but I'm not passionate about it.

So here are two quotes from a recent Trent post:

“Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

I agree with this statement because everything I do is creative.

“The man who does not work for the love of work but only for money is not likely to make money nor find much fun in life.” – Charles Schwab

I don't volunteer to do any of my projects, even if they are fun. I do them because I get paid. Am I being too complacent? Should I want more money so I can buy a retirement home one day too? What are my financial dreams?

Roses are so perfect

Its all about the wall color

2011-09-12T15:32:00.008-04:00

Check out this $3.80 plant I picked up at a garage sale yesterday. Its about 1.5 feet tall and seems healthy. In my experience leafy plants are hardy and this one is pink tinged, matching my living room walls. I can be shallow ;)

I picked up some books for paperbackswap.com; the sister company to my beloved swapadvd.com and a $5 propane tank for my brother to trade in at Lowes. I always support my eating burgers.

Suze Orman Free Will / Revocable Trust / Power of Attorney kit

2011-09-11T15:17:00.012-04:00

Suzeorman.com has their "Must Have Documents" kit free until 9/13. It contains:

Will
Revocable Trust
Financial Power of Attorney
Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care

Normal cost is $59

I am going to get in on this. I set up a will with a notary public back in 2008 but that was a generic will I found in a library book. I'd much rather have the one endorsed by Orman.

Blockbuster Vortex

2011-09-10T23:09:00.012-04:00

Ready to have your minds blown?

Any time you get a receipt at Blockbuster there will be a coupon for a free .99 rental at the bottom.

Stop yawning because I said ANY TIME

Lets say you just rented a .99 movie (.49 on Sundays). There will be a free .99 movie rental at the bottom. Let's say you go back and get your free movie. There will be a free movie rental coupon at the bottom of that free rental receipt.

Lather, curse at soap in eyes, rinse, repeat

The .99 section used to be CRAPTASTIC but now most blu-rays are .99 rentals. Stuff needs to be back by midnight the following day so I bet they are banking their future on collecting late fees and popcorn from me watching to see what they do next.

Of course if you play your cards right Blockbuster could be your own little library with excellent stock and severe late penalties.

Visiting the Statue of Liberty from the Jersey side

2011-09-09T22:05:00.044-04:00

I should install one of these at the end of my entrance foyer

I heard on the radio the statue would be closing next month for a year while they do maintenance work. Call me jaded but a year in maintenance work means at least two years.

So we reserved tickets from Liberty State Park to ferry over today. Tickets are $13 with pedestal access (crown tickets were sold out months in advance). The park is less than a mile off the turnpike and parking was $7.

Your mouth to my closet shelves Eiffel

So here's the thing - our tickets said 1pm but that wasn't checked by anyone. We got to the departure point around 12:45 and just missed one ferry but the next came about half an hour later. I'm guessing the ticket times are suggestions.

This plaque made the largest impression because I read a story in first grade about it. It was one of the first stories to make me cry and I never thought the plaque really existed or that I would see it.

Statue of liberty stairs to the pedestal

Psyched by the plaque I suggested we walk up the ten(ish) flights of stairs to the top of the pedestal. This was unwise and I felt awful for a few minutes. Luckily I could pretend to admire the view instead of passing out.

Then I took some awesomely abstract close-ups of the statue at odd angles. This was one of my favorite parts and I may photo collage them the next time Walgreens gives them away.

Don't worry, I got a bunch of the generic straight forward shots too. I just don't like them as much.

I even got the generically happy couple snuggling in public shot. My guy and I were not that couple.

Although we took the elevator down and preserved our relationship.

So my advice when visiting the statue? Don't overdress like I did. I had longish sleeves and long jeans with many pockets for all of my non-pursey stuff (security checkpoints) and was sweltering. Also make sure you bring sunscreen. I tanned but my guy burns :(

And if you think you are running late and you won't get in; even though its on your bucket list and you reserved tickets over a month ago? Don't sweat it, no one checked our time and the ferry didn't even leave at the exact time on our reservation.

I'm planning to go back one day because I would like to make it to the crown. I'd take the elevator though ;)

Having a lovely week

2011-09-08T16:36:00.000-04:00

I only worked one day this week and it was the day it didn't rain! What luck is that?

To take advantage of the lovely sounds and cooler air I've started messing around in the kitchen again, trying out new recipes and horrifying my grandma with meatloaf. I keep telling folks ground turkey tastes good but cooks up greyish. If they don't want to try it, well more for me!

I've also been hooping and my pants are starting to loosen up. I lost five pounds since August 1st, which is exciting news because losing five more puts me at my target weight. What pleases me more is that I can hoop for longer periods without getting winded. Muscles are awesome.

My favorite little cousin started college this week and is full of anecdotes and funny observations. I can't wait to take my own class next month! I'll be 33 in November but can't imagine not being in a classroom. There is always something new to work on, develop or just explore. I love learning and am overjoyed when those close to me find the same pleasure.

Decluttering is going along fabulously. I've gotten rid of kitchen crap that I inheritted when I moved in and am taking full advantage of trash day. I also dropped off another bag of donated clothing. Now that almost everything in my home has found a place its easier to identify redudancies and decide what to eliminate. I finally gave up and installed the closet storage shelves myself. Three of the brackets are solidly attached to wood but one is floating in the sheetrock so I hope it holds. With those shelves installed I was able to better sort my stockpile and start throwing stuff on eBay. No bids yet but its free to list so I am happy.

Shop Ikea's As-Is department Wednesdays for better deals

2011-09-07T14:57:00.019-04:00

On Wednesday Ikeas mark down their as-is departments by an additional 10%. I've had such wonderful luck in the as-is department that I go enter the store through there.

Sometimes I think I have an Ikea fairy godmother. About a month ago I decided I wanted a white malm nightstand and there was one in the as-is. Today I wanted a 3 shelf Billy in white and there was one in the as-is as well! Being an adult who likes white furniture kicks ass cause Ikea charges much more for other colors. Check out that shelf - its $25 for white but $50 for the others. Since it was in the as-is it was marked down to $16.xx and already assembled. *joy*

They should sell pedometers

So next time you want something from Ikea, start in the as-is section and make sure its a Wednesday!

Garden Declutter

2011-09-04T14:06:00.001-04:00

Isn't that rose bush pretty? I bought it at Stop and Shop during their $15 promotion and look forward to years of reminiscing :)

In decluttering news I tore up a rose bush that had gotten sick. I've spent all summer pruning back dead and sick parts and finally gave up. I know its late but I had a packet of marigold seeds lying around so I just planted them. The rose bush was in one of those circular cut outs in cement so it was either replant something new (Depot only had drab fall colored plants), look at dirt all the time or see if something has time to grow.

Global warming has me cheerfully optmistic that something will grow there even if it won't have time to bloom!

Color Inspiration: Cameron's Hair

2011-09-03T12:59:00.001-04:00

We watched Something Borrowed a couple of nights ago and it was silly romance until an unexpected end. Romance movies are normally very predictable and as long as everyone (who deserves it) ends up happy its a fine movie. Every once in a while the douche gets the girl though and then its all angst and sputters at Chez Anny.

Not all was lost because I kept commenting on how nicely her brown hair paired up with grey - my current fave color combination!

I couldn't find a better shot of this tailored suit but when I was commenting on it I realized these are the colors of my bathroom LOL

If it weren't for my ideabook at Houzz I woudn't even realize stuff like this!

In other news she is sporting a majorly short pixie cut in real life. Remember how her hair flowed on House? What a shame.

____

Decluttering News:
Yesterday I removed all of the broken shelves that were resting inside of a closet door and either set them with the trash or if they were in decent shape stored them in the basement. Trash pickup hasn't happened but they are out of my way for now!

Free AT&T Minutes

2011-09-02T13:42:00.001-04:00

I saw this posted on a few different sites:

For AT&T customers, text YES to 11113020 and receive 1,000 FREE bonus rollover minutes. A confirmation text will come through shortly after. Allow up to 4 weeks for bonus minutes to reflect on your bill.

Most of my family in Paterson are AT&T subscribers and their network was down for almost four days because of Irene. This proved to be problematic since not all of them had landlines to fall back on.

FYI, both my Ooma and my Virgin Mobile lines performed spectacularly.

---

In decluttering news:
Yesterday I mounted my stockpile closet shelves and threw away a bunch of health and beauty items I'd gotten free at various points and disliked.

Monthly Goals: Back to School edition

2011-09-01T20:55:00.002-04:00

Well except that I won't be going back to school this month. My favorite little cousin starts college next week, which has me majorly nostalgic. While I love having her be an adult I remember walking her across the street for the first day of kindergarten. *weep weep*

I think I will keep September simple.

1. Declutter a thing a day.
Caveat: Not all decluttering needs to happen the same day. I did this before and it was wonderfully successful.

2. Keep hooping, try to do a sit-up
My pants are looser and I can hoop much longer so I just need to keep it up

3. Finish the kitchen
Was this a goal last month? I am closer to the end now, I have the walls 75% painted and need to borrow a ladder for the ceiling and to remove some wire management nonsense. I spray painted the curtain rods but haven't hung anything up yet. Baby steps.

4. Cook more
I am finally getting over my kitchen hatred and even baked this month. Now that the end is in sight I am more willing to spend time in there.

----

Winter is coming so I need to buy a snow blower. The problem is I need something to house said blower. My brother suggested building a shed, which seems to be the cheapest and most secure way to go. My dad is coming up from DR next month so I am hoping he will take lead on this project. I am willing to pay for it but I don't want to hang out while someone builds it. Trying to find folks to do handywork around my house and yard has left me incredibly cynical and firm in my belief that anything to be done around here has to be done by me.

Or my daddy ;)

Dear Obama, I apologize in advance

2011-08-31T22:07:00.001-04:00

Dear President Obama,

I was alarmed to read you will be in Paterson on Sunday. As someone born and currently living in this Paterson, I need to apologize in advance for our mayor, Jeff Jones.

Jones has a habit of mis-using any word with more than two syllables. He also quotes inspirational forwards from the 90s and will rephrase your question back to you as an answer...word for word.

Folks here just go with it.

With much concern for the civil rights movement,
Anny

PS
I would love if someone could take a look at our budget. Taxes just increased my mortgage by $200 a month and our police force is constantly being laid off. I am worried Jones is secretly illiterate and just signing everything he comes across.

Review: Weighted Hula Hoop

2011-08-26T13:41:00.001-04:00

I'd been wanting a weighted hula hoop for a while. Hooping is fun, easy and can be easily done while watching tv.

I received the hoop earlier this week and its been fun. It weighs three pounds, which makes it much easier to stay up than the kiddie hoops I grew up with. If I feel it start to slip I speed up and back it goes. After the first day I haven't had it fall once but have often stopped it because I get tired ;)

The box suggests 1-2 minutes of hula hooping the first week, 2-3 minutes, the second week and so on. I did almost ten minutes the first day, although not all at once. The next day my sides felt very sore. It was like sit-up soreness but only on my sides, which is great because mini love handles are starting to show up. I would feel the soreness when swinging my arms as I walked and it would be a nice reminder that I am trying to get in shape.

I took a break from hooping on Day 2 and went back to it on Day 3. I think I went too fast because this time I bruised. Its not bad bruising, just dime sized spots on my sides.

So far my waist hasn't lost discernable inches but I feel like I am making progress and the mental part is just as important :)

This is the hoop I bought: Weighted Sports Hula Hoop for Weight Loss - Trim Hoop 3B 3 lb. No Ridge, Travel Easy and Easy to Assemble/disassemble

I went for the one that comes apart, was about right for my 5'6" frame and didn't have inner ridges. Inner ridge reviews say the hoops hurt and cause major bruising. No thank you!

A chandy is always over the top

2011-08-19T13:28:00.014-04:00

Look at what is on its way to me! I have wanted a chandy in my office because I work in there so it needs to be super awesome. Its also a room for residents, not guests so there won't be any judging!

This chandy is made of acrylic, not glass so hopefully it won't bring the entire ceiling down on my computer!

Home Depot has it for less than $50 shipped with code SEPT55.

They are clearancing out a lot of nice ceiling fans and other lights as well.

Another free 8x10

2011-08-18T13:05:00.002-04:00

You know the deal by now: free 8x10 at Walgreens with code PRINTONE at http://photo.walgreens.com

For this one I went into the 2003 archives to San Francisco. Its funny but what made the largest impression on me were all the hills and the nearly perpendicular walks to get anywhere but I don't have any pictures of any of that! Instead I have:

Beautiful green countrysides

Cliffs ending in water without beaches

A trillion pictures of that bridge. I get it 2003 Anny, you were in San Francisco

I went to a Ren Faire

And into the redwood forrests. This may get printed eventually. It looks too much like my pictures of DR so I decided against it for now.

San Francisco was fun. My picture cd tells me I went to a science museum too. Yay learning :)

Sometimes I think Ikea buys surplus to see if they can sell it

2011-08-16T12:58:00.007-04:00

So I was at Ikea about a month ago and I saw these Rationell inserts(?) being clearanced for .25 each. Don't you love the lack of description on Ikea packaging? I stood for a few minutes, attempting to solve the Puzzle of the Ikea Diagram, then shrugged and grabbed three. They feel like metal coated in rubber and are very sturdy and unscratchy.

Unscratchy was important because I'd had an idea! If I screwed them facedown into my cabinet floors I could store all of my baking sheets, cutting boards and drying racks upright.

See what I mean? Each pack came with two "things" and I only used 1.5 packs because three divisions was enough. I'm not storing china, its just Calphalon so it can lean against itself.

Next step was a shelf. I went to the trusty Home Depot and bought a 36" Rubbermaid shelf and had it cut down to 34.5". They will cut any piece of lumber (or plywood) twice for free, after that its .50 a cut.

I went with Rubbermaid plywood because it was cheaper than real wood. It matches the cabinets and that was an unexpected boon.

Check out my baking supplies (and onions) cabinet! I

Cost:
$7.84 shelf
.75 for Rationells although I only used .50 worth - what to do with the rest?
$1.77 L shaped peg brackets to hold up the shelf (only used half of these too)

Total: Under $11 for blissful organization!

Update:

I was cleaning out my cellphone pictures and found this picture from about a year ago. Its a Wilton Bakeware Organizer and if I remember correctly it was $20 at Michael's. I was tempted to grab it for for $10 using a 50% coupon but I am glad I waited, my shelves are stronger and taller.

Inspiration Colors: Kitchen

2011-08-15T17:39:00.002-04:00

I attended a talk on Decision Making and someone said imagining the worst possible outcome and then finding a solution to it helps put things in perspective. She threw out a few examples and one was "If you paint a room an awful color, repaint it later." I had an "Aha!" moment.

See, I love grey walls paired with wood tones. I love my grey bathroom. I have leftover grey paint. You know what colors I have been considering for the kitchen? Beige, white, off white...you get the idea. These are all colors suggested by other folks and they give me the major Blahs.

So what if I am the only person I know with a grey kitchen? I am the only one I know with a grey bathroom too!

Printable Alphabet Poster!

2011-08-13T21:20:00.000-04:00

Click here to print this awesome alphabet mosaic! The creator is featuring this lovely piece in her son's bedroom but I am going to try printing this baby out poster sized for either my living room or front hallway. Typography and marketing FTW!

Didja know streaming stuff expires? Now you do ;)

2011-08-12T12:19:00.001-04:00

Know what gets my goat? When I am debating resigning up for Netflix but I can't see what they're offering.
So I was reading a thread on the boxset of Married with Children being pre-sold for $40 and someone linked to Instant Watcher whichs shows it will stream on Netflix until 2012.

This little "add-on" could solve most Netflixian problems, too bad it had to be a third party site doing all the work. Those mail-order slackers!

YMSF - Yet more Staples Freebies

2011-08-11T14:53:00.002-04:00

This week (well for the next two weeks) Staples is giving away 300 address labels with this printable coupon: http://reg.e.staples.com/c/s/tagfrm/hBOQYTgB7SHGCB8crh7CYRzCTaa/coupon.html?n=458&email=&COUPON_1=58480&cm_lm=@.com&cid==

I brought in my own "icon" green girl from this blog but really liked the paint chips one pictured above. These pre-printed address labels are any serious rebatter's best friend!

Colon's Hardware in Paterson, NJ - Amazing Customer Service!

2011-08-10T15:07:00.001-04:00

When I was growing up there wasn't a convenient Depot or Lowes around so my dad went to privately owned hardware stores. I hated it! There were always contractors brainstorming and discussing boring stuff like heating systems while poor little Anny longed for a candy bar. The worst place had parrots running around, with abnormally curved beaks and desire for breaded goods.

*shudder*

Cut to twenty years later and I need replacement hardware for one of my counters. Depot didn't carry it so I tried a local store that only sells counters. Nope, these counters were about fifteen years old and they don't carry that hardware anymore but I should try Colon's Hardware up the street.

I steeled myself because there is a lot of misogyny in my town and whenever anyone sees me doing or attempting to do anything unfeminine they ask questions. Possible discomfort couldn't surpass my open cabinets so I took my two broken pieces to the hardware store and was I surprised!!!

The guys behind the counter said the hardware was old but they could replace it with a newer system. Did I have a drill or someone who would attach the pieces for me? Nope, I said, figuring I'd pay someone to do it and call it a day. Well three guys worked together to get the pieces together. It took them about half an hour and they only charged me for the pieces and not labor!!!

I also asked about ordering a "whatnot" shelf (picture coming later) to round out my floating shelves. Again the problem was the honey oak shelves everyone installed in the nineties are turning yellow with age. I wouldn't be able to place a special order in that color because it wouldn't be as "weathered". I'd priced the shelf at the counter store the other day and they said $40, this place said $18! They also said I could buy a stain to make the shelves match (duh, why didn't I think of that?) AND they assembled the cabinet for me while I waited. FOR FREE!

PLUS I met a painter and handy person to boot! I have been stressing all of these little projects and really worried about being able to do them all. I would much rather pay someone to do the work while I do stuff like select paint colors. The problem with my town is its rather ... ghetto so getting someone from outside of town (read that has a website or advertises on google) to come by can be a chore. I've been calling for lawn care service for weeks and the weeds are past my knees but I can't get someone to come by and even the places that advertise a location in town are really only there for the tax breaks without actually servicing the town. /end rant

So what I'd expected to be an awkward morning turned out wonderfully! I highly recommend Colon's Hardware and finally understand why my dad loved dropping by there.

Dear Beadboard Wallpaper, I love you.

2011-08-09T14:34:00.000-04:00

I've been ignoring my kitchen because...well it looks like this:

Keeping it real for the interwebs

with close-ups looking like this:

The first thing I did was pry off this shelf. The second thing was wonder how a lopsided shelf stayed up so long.

Unfortunately, when I have a room which looks like this it becomes the catch-all for all disasters and the tools to fix them. Items that don't belong in my kitchen but chill there include various rollers, paint samples and handheld tools. Yep, that is my deflated exercise ball by the door too.

The first thing to tackle was the beadboard. It is original to the 100 year old house and had been stained a dark color until someone about fifteen years ago decided to paint it white and try to fill in the grooves with spackle. Then they realized it was a royal pain, did a slipshod sanding job and painted over it.

Yep.

I debated buying simple plywood and throwing some beadboard trim on it. Then I read about White Bead Board Paintable Wallpaper and decided to give it a shot.

The first thing you need to do is soak it for 30 seconds. I don't have pictures of this because 30 seconds is really fast.

Then you fold it over for 5 minutes to give the glue "activation time". The stuff is super sticky and attached easily.

The right is wallpapered. I began trimming, then decided to buy molding for the bottom later. It will hide trimming imperfections and keep my new wallpaper cleaner...plus I don't need to trim. Win/Win

I am glad I only hung one piece yesterday. I didn't think the bumps and grooves on the wall would show through the wallpaper as much as they do.

Its not so bad considering it is covering a wall that looks like this. Still, I am going to invest in a hand sander and face mask before continuing. Since the paper needs 5 minutes of soak time it will take a while to go around the entire kitchen.

The density and feel of it is like a kid's foam sticker. It looks like real beadboard but touching it belies the lie. Its paintable so I expect it to soak up a gallon of paint.

I will probably go with a beige/ivory color combination in this room. I can't decide if the walls should be white and all the trim beige or vice versa. There are a few rows of tile between the floating cabinets on the right and the beadboard trim I need to work around as well. I went to the store the cabinets were originally purchased at to see about buying a corner piece to finish off those floating cabinets but they don't carry this style any longer. I will have to go check other smaller places tomorrow.

So this is my current Big Project. Wish me luck!

Please don't sue me Disney

2011-08-06T21:56:00.000-04:00

I swear garage sales are like crack to me. I will stay away for months but as soon as I go to one and remember the deals, it is downhill from there. This stuff was purchased between 3-4pm at three different garage sales on my way to Blockbuster and Subway cause I was too lazy to cook.

I saled The Lion King for my niece a couple of months ago and she loves it. She turned three in April and is the friendliest little person I know. I was at Ihop with some of my family the other day and she declared "Uncle Scar is MEAN!" Her mom hadn't seen The Lion King but her dad had and was confused because as far as he knew the baby hadn't seen it either. Not only is she retaining and remembering books, she is not initiating conversations!!! /end proud tia gush

Anyway I picked up 17 Disney books today including another Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Monsters, Inc, etc. Its all stuff she hasn't watched but I am hoping reading the book before the movie will set lifelong habbits, as well as give us plenty of more aunty/niece bonding time.

$4 - 17 kids books
$1 - letter holder (trust me I need this and it fits where I need it)
$3 - Friends S3 for swapadvd

The letter holder lady gave me a pilates ball I was going to buy until I realized it was missing the plug. I contacted the manufacturer through a form on their website and got back a reprimanding form e-mail:

Please note that Jamz Products is now Pure Global Brands, Inc. In accordance with this, jamzproducts.net email addresses should no longer be used. Your email has been forwarded to the correct address.

Something tells me this ball will end up in the trash because I won't be able to get the missing part ;)

on taking care of a home and its slow triumphs

2011-08-03T14:37:00.001-04:00

I guess I've always been curious about how things work. As a kid I would follow my dad and uncles around while they did home repairs. I'd pester them with questions and (lacking google) cross-check their information with other relatives. Instead of admiring a rose bush I'd ask about propagation and why we didn't cover our roses in winter.

Now I have a lot of knowledge without application and an overwhelming lack the confidence.

For example, my toilet was running on and off since I moved in. I guessed it was a busted flapper. Google agreed with me. I kept listening to it for almost two months until my uncle came over and said yep. So I went to Depot, bought the thing and it was fixed within five minutes.

I also bought along that round mirror from the old place. It sat on the floor for two months, while I cleaned around it and tried my hardest to keep it in one piece. It weighs about twenty pounds, the back has two teeny holes (not loops or mirror hanging hardware) where nails have to be lined up and its round. I finally bought an electric screwdriver and wrestled with the thing through an entire episode of Glee until it was on the wall. There was sweat, frustration, fear that I would hurt myself because my equilibrium has been awful and mostly a dogged need to get This Thing Done.

So while I keep saying I need to be more patient, what I really need to do is buy the right tools (because everything I borrow from my brother is professional grade and too heavy for me) and accept my learning curve. I am not strong, there is only one of me and my home only needs to please me. So why am I letting it cause stress instead of accepting it?

More free business cards at Staples

2011-08-02T14:46:00.001-04:00

Check it out - my local Staples has their ad in Spanish! I'd read the ad on-line and knew I wanted the free after rebate pens on the right near the fold. I picked up the ad in-store, found the item and walked over to the aisle before it clicked that what I'd read was in spanish not english LOL

They are offering free business cards this week again: http://reg.e.staples.com/c/s/tagfrm/hBOJnz1B7SHGCB8ca0OCYWUNv53/coupon.html?n=928

I got a bunch last time for my design work and eBay fun but you go ahead ;)

Monthly Goals: Patience, Patience, Patience

2011-08-01T20:49:00.002-04:00

Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.
- Saadi.

That quote has been on my refrigerator for over a year and on most days I can't follow it.

My boss is on vacation this week so I am covering some of this workload; specifically the Photoshop portions since no one else in my department likes the program. Unfortunately while I understand the mechanics of the tasks, I don't have a colorist's eye or understanding of balance. I spent over five hours today on two tasks. Five hours. I grew so impatient and upset with myself and without my boss around I didn't have anyone to ask (I even hit up the interns that are still in college and should be Photoshopping).

This is a recurring theme in my life - I am constantly impatient with myself. I hurt myself because I don't slow down, because I don't take precautions, because I assume "if they can do it, why can't I?" I forget practice precedes perfection and Google is just an enabler.

So this month I am slowing down. I will adopt lethargic ways and try to focus on just one task at a time:

1. No Jeans - its summer! Dresses and capris unless exercising or gardening
2. 5 Homemade meals - I get home between 7-8pm so my eating patterns are garbage
3. 10 Exercise days
4. Guided meditation - aren't podcasts fun?
5. Outdoors - See Summer Comment. I've been so busy moving and working I haven't been to the beach, a lake or even a park ALL SUMMER.

Mostly I need to slow down and relax this month. The air is cooling down, the flowers are still blooming and if I give myself the opportunity fun is to be had :)

Veer left for Garage Sales!

2011-07-31T23:25:00.011-04:00

I was in a funky mood this weekend and this garage sale turned it all around!

$5 - two curtain rods with hardware for the kitchen (once sprayed white)
.25 - glass jar with lid cause I love these things
$5 - tv for my work out room

I've decided to make the dining room into a work out room since I am more likely to sweat around than have a dinner party large enough to require a dining room. If it doesn't work out I am only out $5 for the tv and $9 for the weights so far :)

You're Hired Zack Wheeler, Cheer up!

2011-07-28T13:35:00.000-04:00

While I was sad to hear Carlos Beltran was sent to the other coast yesterday, I was pleased to have Zack Wheeler come on board. According to 1010 Wins, which did not give me any information on a traffic jam I was sitting in but did regale me with sports news, Wheeler was a highly sought after pitcher. They gave impressive stats to back up this claim.

I hope he and David Wright become great friends. David Wright always looks so happy and relaxxed, even when sporting a faux-chemo haircut and dealing with sun glare. He is my favorite.

Boston Market...good even in summer!

2011-07-27T13:49:00.000-04:00

As I've mentioned before, I am a BzzAgent and ocassionally get coupons and samples. Last week they sent a $3 off $6 worth of Boston Market food. Now, we were in the middle of a major heat wave and the most "cooking" I did was microwaving frozen meals.

Its sad, I know.

Boston Market is heavy, comfort food so its not my first summer choice - which explains the overload of coupons in the papers lately. However, its about two minutes from my chiropractor and on the way home so I picked up the usual meat loaf and subbed the heavier sides for corn and apples. As usual, it came with cornbread although the bread was only half the size it used to be. It was like a muffin top of cornbread.

The food was good (as always) and once I was inside with air conditioning instead of my 100 degree car I was glad to consume it. Boston Market is an awesome choice for fast food that doesn't come wrapped in wax paper. I just don't think its the best choice for summer food, unless you are in the middle of a rainstorm.

Also - they are all using real silverware and glass cups instead of disposables in-store now. Mother Earth and Captain Planet nod their approval.

Old Spice Guy(s) duel to write the perfect love letter

2011-07-26T21:32:00.001-04:00

I'm so caught up in this Old Spice duel of the Ever! Today they both responded to a fan asking how to write the perfect love letter:

Vs

So the only way to settle this duel is to have the fans decide...Old Spice Guy set down the rules and encouraged everyone on the net to get the word out and decide what camp they are in.

Is it too late to buy stock in Old Spice? Cause they are the Bill Gates of masculine hygiene!

Old Spice ... Marketting Geniuses!

2011-07-25T22:20:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I feel like a Make-a-Wish blogger. I was super angsty yesterday about the lameness of Fabio and just logged into VW and what is on the side of my page?

Mano a Mano in El Bano

Old Spice is pitting Old Spice Guy against Fabio to see who is awesomer...so now I'm wondering if this Fabio thing was just a ploy to get us re-interested in Old Spice or if they were serious but failed (epically) so had to re-become marketting geniuses by pitting them against each other.

I feel like I just did math. I am going to lay down.

Really Old Spice? Who wants to smell like Fabio?

2011-07-24T23:56:00.000-04:00

I am dating a wonderful man with excellent hygiene. He sometimes uses Old Spice products and cracks me up with his Old Spice impression. Things were good.

BUT THEN

Old Spice signed on Fabio (FABIO!) to be the new Old Spice guy and its been traumatic. Troubling. Upsetting to the Nth degree.

Now I have never smelled Fabio but doesn't he look like he smells like sweaty beach? You know after you've spent all day with suntan lotion and saltwater and your hair is frizzy, skin puckered and even your elbows are sticky?

Fabio looks like he smells like that.

Plus Fabio with Rapunzel hair is trying to reach what market? Guys with long hair stopped being sex symbols back in the 90s. Get a haircut!

Going back to school...again

2011-07-23T06:38:00.000-04:00

I freelance at a design company, using a program I learned on the job. My (wonderful) boss started giving me additional training in the program but then work became insane and we had to stop.

While taking this class should have been a no-brainer the commute has given me pause for years. The closest school to offer training is FIT in NYC. I've lived closer to NYC but the current commute would be about an hour and $10 a day, easily doubling the cost and length of time commitment.

I'm ready to do it though. Freelancers at my job who took this class start at $40/hour out of college and more experienced folks make $60 - $65. Plus my job is constantly shifting people about and making good cad designers full-time employees, with things like benefits and paid vacation time. Everyone (EVERYONE) at my job is an FIT graduate and took this very class (and the part 2 in the spring) to learn the basics.

Plus at work my boss is always pulling in freelancers, which can be problematic since so many of them live in NY and don't want to commute into NJ. I live relatively close by and am there almost every day anyway, so what do I have to lose?

I am excited about this next step :)

on Chiropracting

2011-07-22T20:01:00.021-04:00

I took a pretty nasty fall a few weeks ago, have scoliosis and boobs so it was inevitable that I end up in a chiropractor's office eventually. I went in for my first treatment Wednesday morning and a nagging pain on my lower left side was gone by that night!

I am a stomache sleeper and the doctor recommended becoming a side or back sleeper, which I politely agreed to try, with every intention of sleeping on my back once I was tired enough ;) Unfortunately when I was on my back that night and last night sore patches I wasn't aware of popped up as soon as I lay on my back. I'd fall asleep on my side, only to be kicked awake as soon as I rolled unto my stomache.

My second treatment was this afternoon and the doctor cracked my neck about 3-4 times. My shoulder and back pains seem to be completely gone, although he was predicting another two treatments to return to a painless back.

A weird side effect to the treatments is dizziness. On Wednesday night I showerred and got in bed around midnight. I was immediately so dizzy I couldn't even sit up! I closed my eyes in the dark and still felt like the room was spinning.

Tonight I lay down with a magazine on the couch and felt dizzy again, although it wasn't as severe as Wednesday night. I wasn't completely laying down so maybe that helped? Both nights I'd eaten a normal amount, hadn't exercised that day and drunk my usual gallon of water.

The dizziness concerns me and since it has happened twice I will bring it up at my next appointment on Wednesday.