What I’ve Been Up To Lately Volume 13

I have so many posts I need to write and catch up on!  Look for a few over the next few days.

I needed new black flats because my sparkly Toms were dying and I found these cute rhinestone ones at Kohl’s.  I could not decide between the gray ones and the black ones, even though I came for black ones.  Decisions, decisions. I chose the black ones but I have a very strong feeling that Santa will be bringing the gray pair to me for Christmas.

My friend Tracy invited me at the last minute to a Rockets game against the Utah Jazz.  Rockets won!

A vendor at gave me these super cute Christmas tree earrings!

We went on a walk in my parent’s neighborhood one night and saw lots of lights.  Kali loved the Paw Patrol Lights.  

I loved the flamingo lights the best.  That’s my kind of house!

I found a new natural deodorant that I love and wanted to share it with you.  My grandma has Alzheimer’s and they have found a connection between it and aluminum (also it is a link to breast cancer too).  So, throw away all of your aluminum deodorant!  It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Polar Express Train Ride

For Christmas this year I took my niece to the Polar Express Train Ride in Palestine, TX.  I prefer to give experiences as presents instead of actual gifts that they will outgrow or eventually not want anymore.  Plus, (most) kids have so many toys that they don’t need anything new.  I know my niece and nephews get so many presents on Christmas that they don’t even have time to open all of them.

The Polar Express is in Palestine, TX which is about two and a half hours from Houston.  We left the house about noon and I thought we would have plenty of time to make it before the 3:30 pm departure time.  Well, between the cries of “my chicken is too cold” and “I have to go to the bathroom” stops we didn’t make it until 3 pm.  They said to get there about an hour beforehand to make sure to get a parking spot.  I was sweating it out on the drive because I wasn’t sure we had time, but luckily we were able to get a parking space easily.  There was even a few golf carts that were giving people with little kids free (with optional tip) rides to the front.

We got our tickets and boarded the plane.  Kali got to hold a golden ticket that the conductor came by and punched, just like in the movie.  Kali wasn’t very happy that the conductor messed up her golden ticket! Haha.

We started moving and they almost immediately served hot chocolate and a chocolate chip cookie to each of us (parents too).  Kali was not interested in the hot chocolate but loved the cookie. 

They had a recording over the loud speaker reading the book out loud and each of the servers were holding up a large book. You can buy a wrapped copy of the book with your tickets for $22 but I already had a copy that I won in a silent auction years ago that I just wrapped up and gave to her when we got on the train. 

We got to the “North Pole” and there was a few houses with elves and a Santa that were waiving at us.  Santa came on board after all the kids “wished” for him to come.  He magically appeared!  He signed an autograph in Kali’s book (a few other characters did too-Hobo Nick??, the Conductor, and one of the Chef’s) and gave her a bell.  She was very excited that she met Santa.

After Santa left there was dancing in the aisle for the rest of the time.  As we were leaving a few of the Chef’s said that Kali was there favorite.  I will admit that she looked super cute in her Santa pj’s and her hair up in pigtails. 

Afterward we went to buy souvenirs from the gift shop.  The gift shop isn’t too small (about the same size as a nail salon) but it is crowded with all of the families.  There was so many options to choose from:  conductor hats, whistles, trains, ornaments (a few varieties), shirts, train track sets, etc.  I was only planning on getting an ornament for my collection, but Miss Kali decided that she just had to get a train.  Who am I to say no to that little face?

After the gift shop we waved by to the train that was leaving the station and we started to walk to the car.  Kali saw some kids walking on the (non-functioning) train tracks and wanted to walk on them too.  I think that kid had more fun walking on the train tracks than she did on the train!  We walked and walked and walked and walked on the tracks.  I kept trying to get her to stop but that is all she wanted to do.  I think she really liked trying to balance on the tracks.  We really need to get her in gymnastics!

After we walked on the tracks for an hour, we went back to say hello to the train that was coming back.  She didn’t like how loud the train’s whistle was.  We think she has really sensitive ears because she doesn’t like loud noises at all.  We waved goodbye to the train and headed home. 

We got our picture taken outside by this sign.  We added it to the photo ornament that we bought to hang on the tree so that we will remember our time.

On the way home she watched a movie on the dvd player.  My mom has had this dvd player for years and it always starts over when it hits a bump.  On the way there the car hit a bump and she was so disappointed.  She wanted to “try it just to see” so we did.  When the movie was over she said “I’m so proud of it!” because it didn’t skip. LOL.  She’s too funny.

Happenings Lately Vol 12

Hey guys!  I hope all is well in your land.  Here are some things that I have been up to lately or just news that I have been meaning to write about. 

Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday to my sister, Laura! 

I am going to my parents’ house tonight to take my niece trick-or-treating.  So fun.  She is going as Super Girl.  I will try and get a pic.

 

I did my American duty and voted

Let’s be honest, both candidates are not the best but I believe in one party 85% so I voted for that person.  We shall see how the election goes.

Picnic in the Park

We went to church last weekend and afterwards had an impromptu picnic in the park. 

Crackin’ Pecans

A friend gave me a big bag of pecans from her yard and I brought them over to my parent’s house to crack them.  We convinced my grandmother via Facebook to make us a pecan pie.  She said “How can I say no with all of these witnesses”.  LOL.  That was our plan! :)

 

She is a HAM!  I love that face.

5K eBook

I sold my first eBook on my 5K planning site.  I am not sure if I mentioned that I was making a website based on this post that sells an eBook on it.  My first one sold the other day and I was ecstatic!  I looked at my phone and noticed a PayPal logo on the notifications and wasn’t sure why.  I got a very nice surprise when I opened it and saw that my first copy of my eBook sold!!!!!!

Simmons Studio

I am saddened to hear that Richard Simmons is closing his L.A. Studio, Slimmons, in November.  I am so glad that I checked it off my bucket list when I did.

Ice Cream Sandwich

I am on a diet (25 lbs gone!) and noticed that this bench at work looks exactly like an ice cream sandwich.  The mind plays tricks on you when you aren’t getting sugar!  :)  #youknowyouareonadietwhen

Garage Sale Success

We had a garage sale at my parents’ house and made $375!  Well, I made $10 and my parents made $365.  I woke up at 4 am and was going non-stop until 1:30 pm, when I promptly took a nap.  I really love garage sales! #myparentshavealotofcrap

LinkedIn Lawsuit

Remember way back when LinkedIn contacted me about a class-action lawsuit?  Well, apparently they won and had to pay out.  I received a total of $20.43 that was promptly put in my savings account.  #savingforahouse

 

Please excuse the bad "MS Paint" job

Mystery Shop

Speaking of savings, I am still doing mystery shops for extra $$!  (Go to this post for a list of the reputable companies I have used.)  I got an email from Sinclair about getting a $15 (plus up to $10 reimbursement for food) bonus for a pizza shop in my area that is on the way home. I signed up because hey, who wouldn’t want $15 for pizza!  Pizza is not on my diet plan (cheese) so my plan was to give it to a homeless person on the street but I could not find any!  It was a Friday night so maybe they all went to do something else.  Anyway, $15!

Inbox Dollars

Also, check out Inbox Dollars to sign up for some surveys.  It is so easy to make money for them.  I have made $90 total but about $30 each time-usually about twice a year.  I know it isn’t too much, but if you sign up you can make money before Christmas and have some stocking stuffer $$.

Beautiful

I just found this amazing video.  I cried watching them.  My goal is to be able to do this at Christmastime. 

My (reputable) Food Truck Experience

I have always (well, since they became popular) wanted to go to a gourmet food truck and try it.  I don’t ever seem them on the side of the road or parked anywhere so I haven’t gotten a chance.  

People say that they are all over, but I haven’t had the opportunity to go.  After my sad experience at a food truck festival this summer, I decided I didn’t want to go to a festival, I would only go to a parked one.

My dad and stepmom, Pie asked me what I wanted for Christmas.  I am actually trying to de-clutter my life so I told them they could pick something on my bucket list and do it with me.  I would much rather have experiences than things any day, so that is a perfect gift for me!  They picked “eat at a (reputable) food truck”.

In Spring, there is a food truck park called Bernie’s Backyard.  I had heard about it several times but never been, so we went there.  We each got different items and we all split everything to share.  There are lots of tables outside where you can sit, but it was a rather cold (for Houston) night so we went inside the bar area where they serve drinks and got a table.  On certain nights they even have a band!

I got a frito pie philly cheese steak and mac and cheese wedges from The Naked Fry.

Dad got pizza from Rustica.

Pie got a Korean cheese sandwich and OMG fries from Oh My Gogi.  OMG, the OMG fries were AMAZING!

Everything was delicious!  Dad and Pie’s favorite was the pizza but mine was the OMG fries for sure!  We were all so full by the time we left.  It was a very fun treat to spend time with my family. :)

On the way home they got chicken tenders from Love Me Tenders for Justin since he was asleep when we left.  They said they were really good tenders but I didn't try them since I was so stuffed.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas from the folks (ummm..OK, it's just me) behind FlamingosandFun.com!!!!

I will be leaving on a roadtrip to Marfa, TX to hunt for the mysterious lights and then flying out to Roatan, Honduras for New Year's Eve through the weekend.  I'm excited, I've never spent a holiday outside of the USA before!!

I want to leave with you 4 images of Christmas.

A Christmas future. This is the most important thing of all

 A Christmas past (Jabba looked like a Scrooge here...but he wasn't).  This set of pictures are probably my all time favorites of him.

 A CHRISTmas present.  Keep the Christ in Christmas this year.

And just for fun..

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Happenings Lately-Holiday Edition

What I have been up to lately...Holiday Edition!

I made a chalk drawings with my mom and Kali in my parents back yard. :)

I attempted (along with lots of others) to break a Guinness World Record by reading to the most kids in a 24 hour period with Read Across the Globe.  Unfortunately, we didn't beat the record.  But I will say that the book we read was great!  I was like "who wants to read a book about farming?" (sorry, I'm a city girl) but once I read it I wanted to buy it for my children's book collection.  Check it out!

I sat in the live studio audience of Great Day Houston!

We decorated the Christmas tree and Kali decided that we needed 4 of the same ornaments on one branch.  It was too cute to move so we left it there. :)

 We built a gingerbread house and a certain 2 year old ate most of the decorations...

I took a 2 year old to the Woodland's Mall to see Santa and then to the playground inside.  She didn't want to leave.

I attended the FANTASTIC Christmas musical experience called Celebration at Houston's First Baptist Church with my friend Terrie, her mom (below) and granddaughter, Lila.  I bought the tickets back in November when they went on sale.  I actually went twice this year, once with Terrie and co. and the other with my Grandmother.  The show is amazing!

I bought a Christmas ornament with my niece and nephews name on it!

The Feast of Saint Thomas

There is an old Swiss Tradition on the night of December 21^st that is called the Feast of Saint Thomas.  I first heard about this on a Hallmark movie, Let it Snow.  I first watched the movie at the end of November or early December and I just KNEW I wanted to do it.  It might be silly, but whatever. :)

I forgot about it until Sunday afternoon when I was watching other Hallmark movies and then I remembered!  I actually thought I had missed it, but luckily, once I checked the date online, it was the next night.  Phew. It’s too late to do it this year, but all you single ladies out there put it on your calendar to do next year on December 21st! ;)

How to Dream About Your Future Husband on the Feast of St. Thomas:

1. Climb into bed using a step-stool 

2. Remove your shoes

3.  Spin around 3 times

4. Throw the shoes at your bedroom door

5. Sleep with your head at the foot of the bed while your feet are propped up on a pillow

Follow all of these instructions and you will dream of the man you are destined to marry.

How did it turn out for me?  Well, I did it exactly like the directions said and fell asleep.  I woke up several times throughout the night, trying to remember if I dreamed of my ‘future husband’ but I always went right back to sleep.  One time I did dream of someone and I remember thinking “that is not someone I would normally be attracted to, but it’s supposed to be true”.  LOL.  We were holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes in the dream, so who knows. Haha.

Only time would tell.  I honestly don’t remember what he looked like other than I think he had dark hair.  It was just a fun thing to do. :) 

Let me know if it works for you.  I posted it on FB yesterday and I think several people were going to do it. 

Extra Cash for Christmas

As of this post writing, there is only 66 days left until Christmas!  Crazy!  Is it just me or has this year flown by?

Anyway, are you going to pay CASH for Christmas or are you going to put it on credit cards?  I am so hoping that you said cash!  I don't know your personal finance situation so I will just show you a few places to get some cash for Christmas.

These are some survey sites and mystery shop sites that you can earn extra cash to spend for the holidays.  Even though these don't pay "that much" money, they can add up over time.  What if you were to do them for 6-10 months leading up to Christmas?  When you are mindlessly watching TV, just login and complete some.  They don't take very long.


These are legit companies that I have personally used and have personally gotten checks from.  (note:  these are accounts where I may get referral fees, some of them I don't).

Surveys from Inbox Dollars:  I have personally earned around $100.  There are lots of ways to earn money on IBD, like surveys, paid emails (just click the button), grocery coupons (I haven't done this), games, apps, etc. 


Mystery Shop companies

TrendSource
Intelli-Shop.com
MarketForce.com
Sinclair Customer Metrics



Garage Sales or Consignment Stores-Clean out your garage and/or closet to make extra $$.  If you have some "nicer" stuff then I would take it to a local consignment shop to get money.  If you have random stuff, maybe have a garage sale instead.   Take a few days to make a pile of stuff and sort it out by garage sale (ask friends if they want to join you) and by consignment store. There are a ton of shops that take children's clothes too.  I personally like going to consignment stores that the stores portion of the proceeds goes towards charities that I support, but that is a personal thing.

YOU CAN DO IT!!  Even if you only earn $20-50, that is $20-50 that doesn't have to go on a credit card.  Hustle out there to be debt free. :)

Christmas Donations

Each year I try to donate a gift of some sort to a charity that helps people.  In the past it has been an angel tree, a box to the troops, animals, etc.  This year I am doing two different things (maybe three).  1.  I am giving two boxes filled with boxes to Samaritan’sPurse.  2.  Christmas gifts (several) to HFBC ChristmasStore.  3.  (maybe) A box of goodies for the troops serving in a foreign country such as Afghanistan.  

***I am showing you the boxes so you will know an example of what to put in them.  I am not trying to boast about what I am giving (which I personally think defeats the purpose of doing good).  I am donating other stuff, but I don't want anyone to think I am bragging about I am donating.  I honestly don't have much to give, but I want to share some resources for others to give.

 I used some boxes that I had at home.  Note that you won't get your boxes back.  Some drop off locations have boxes you can have.

Boys box includes:  Suckers (because what kid doesn't like suckers!), coloring book, crayons, socks, toothbrush, match box type cars.  They suggest starting off each box with a toy and adding other goodies-my toy was a set of cars.  There is enough of them that they can share with friends if they wanted to.

Girls box includes:  Suckers, coloring book, crayons, socks, tooth brush, hair bows, and a doll.  A note on the doll:  This is weird, but I didn't know what color of a doll to add. That sounded awful, let me explain.  When I was in Africa, a little girl started to cry because us white Americans came in and she hadn't ever seen a white person.  I know that the children will be appreciative of any doll they get, but I wanted them to have one that looks like them, so I chose a brown doll.  The pictures on the website all had darker skinned children.  I am REALLY hoping that this doesn't make me sound bad. LOL.

Want to donate yourself?  These are the places that I am sending my stuff to, but perhaps you have another place you like instead!  

1.  Samaritan's Purse

2.  Houston's First Baptist Church Christmas Store

3.  CAPS-Animal Shelter

4.  Any Solder

Just donate something!  Make it a yearly tradition, even if you don’t have much to give.  I know I personally don't have too much to give, but every little bit helps.  Honestly, it’s not your money, it’s God’s money.  You are just doing work for him through it.  Think about this story:

My friend (I'm not sure if she wants me to use her name) tells a story about how when she was little her mom was struggling and could not afford Christmas.  She got a Smurf doll donated and was so appreciative about it.  She still tells that story about how she wouldn't have gotten a Christmas, but one person donated something that gave her mom hope.  So sweet!  

It's Christmas Time!

Merry Christmas! How was your holiday? Mine was great!

I got off work on Monday at 3 pm and went home to shop. We had Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off so I was ready to start my mini vacation. I woke up on Tuesday morning to do some shopping and go to the post office. I thought the post office would be super busy, but it really wasn’t too bad.

Antlers and ugly holiday sweaters make Christmas Eve shopping fun!

I went to Pet’s Mart and Target to get some last minute gifts. <--procrastinator span="" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> After shopping I went back to my house to hang out and get some cleaning done. At 2:30 pm I got dressed and went to my church to volunteer at the Christmas Eve Service. I handed out programs and candles to everyone and then went to sit down in a seat to watch the service. At the end of the service we all lit candles and sang Silent Night. It was super cool.

After church we headed to my parents’ house for dinner and presents! We had BBQ and appetizers-so good! My little sister Tori lives in Wyoming and had a baby a few months ago named Kali Claire. I hadn’t met her yet so I got to hold her. She is 5 months old and super tiny; she is wearing 0-3 months clothes. I had bought her some 6 months clothes and 9 months clothes for Christmas that she could grow into. When she wants you to do something (like stand up and hold her) and you aren’t doing it, she gets a little attitude with you. It’s super cute though.

Per tradition we told the story of Jesus’ birth and then opened presents. When they asked me what I wanted for Christmas I really didn’t know what to tell them. If I need something, I will just buy it unless it’s expensive. I did need a vacuum so I asked for one of those, other than that it was just some cute stuff I saw that I would ‘like to have’, not that I ‘had to have’. A vacuum would be something my mother would say I had to have. :)

Afterwards we drank wine and hung outside by the fire pit. I got home around 11 pm, just in time to tuck a cute cat into bed to wait for Santa Paws to come visit.

(pic taken earlier in the day obviously)

The next morning we went to my Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw’s house for Christmas Day lunch. We had shrimp gumbo and ribs for lunch and it was super yummy! In the past few years we really haven’t had ‘traditional’ Christmas dinners, but I don’t mind because I like what we have had. :) We hung out over there until about 4 pm when we went to my Dad’s house to open presents.

I had already eaten so much at my grandparents house that I only ate chips and queso at my Dad’s (they had already eaten too). I got home around 9 pm and hung out with Jabba the rest of the night. He opened his presents and was very excited about his new turtle catnip toy (named turtle) and his treats! Jabba loves catnip flavored treats! As per my 3 presents rule, he got only three gifts. <--but anything="" anyway.="" bought="" doesn="" have="" he="" hence="" him="" i="" need="" really="" span="" t="" that="" the="" treats="" two="" would="">

That was my Christmas; I hope yours was great as well. Merry Christmas!