I think my cats are telling me to turn the heat on:
And, no, Socrates isn’t dead — just out cold.
Monthly Archives: September 2011
Bookperk: What’s Your Number?
If you’ve read Save Karyn as many times as I have, then reading Karyn Bosnak’s second book, What’s Your Number? (previously published as 20 Times a Lady) should be on your to-do list. (I know that it’s on mine.)
The movie version of the book, also called What’s Your Number? comes out this Friday, September 30th. In celebration of the movie, HarperCollins has released an awesome deal on their new Bookperk site: purchase the book and get a free movie poster — signed by the star of the movie, Anna Faris — all for $19.99. The
Bookperk is run by publishing giant HarperCollins. Similar to sites like Groupon, each cool offer has to be purchased by a certain number of people for it to become valid. Users can also earn a Bookperk credit for inviting their friends to the site. If that friend makes a purchase, then you get a $10 credit to use towards any of the current offers.
Other current Bookperk offers include a copy of Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life by Justine Picardie plus a free tote bag featuring a Karl Lagerfeld sketch of Coco Chanel for $20; and an Ovarian Cancer Awareness package with three Avon Romance books: The Deed by Lynsay Sands, Seduction of Scandal by Cathy Maxwell and In the Arms of a Marquess by Katharine Ashe, plus OPI nail polish in Official Ovarian Cancer Awareness Teal and an Ovarian Cancer National Alliance coaster, information card and bracelet for $19.99.
Bookperk was launched earlier this year and only features HarperCollins authors. The ideas behind the deals sometimes come from the authors themselves, adding another level of interaction between the writers and their dedicated readers. So go to the site and sign up for the Bookperk mailing list — you never know when your favorite author might offer up a cool “perk” of their own.
Filed under books
Goodbye ugly carpet!
Josh and I decided to get ambitious Thursday afternoon and accomplished this:
BEFORE
AFTER
Yes. We ripped out the old, ugly, stained carpeting that covered the stairs. It was the only carpet in our apartment, except for the indoor/outdoor stuff that’s in the enclosed porch/cat room. And that’s staying.
We had permission from our landlord to take it out. Actually, his exact words were, “Lift up a corner and see what the floor looks like underneath,” but once we started removing it there was no stopping. Now we need to get his authorization to paint or tile the very bottom of the stairs near the front door, since the floor there is kind of icky (the previous tenants had dogs that they apparantly let pee down there. Yuck.) The stairs themselves are fine. We just need to go through and remove any remaining nails and staples and then give them a good cleaning.
That’ll have to wait until we’re feeling ambitious again.
Filed under apartment
House
Contributed by Milford Woods
One night, my husband and I were looking at our DIRECTV Guide and came across the show House. Neither of us had ever watched it before, but I had heard good things about it, so we decided to watch it. After watching one episode, we decided that it would be our new show to watch together. I love medical shows because I have been a nurse for six years. My husband just enjoys the mystery and drama in the show. I think that I sometimes get on his nerves when we watch the show because I always let him know when the medical aspects of the show are not realistic. I know that the show is fiction, but the writers should at least have medical personnel edit the show to make it realistic. I love the main character on the show because he is so witty and funny. I think he really does care about his patients, although he is usually very sarcastic and acts very calloused. Each episode has a new medical case to be solved, and it is always solved by the end of the hour. If I ever miss an episode, I can watch the next one without having missed any of the storyline. I’m really enjoying my new show.
Filed under random stuff
Change is good
I was playing around on the internet a bit today and decided that it was time to update the look of this blog. I also changed my tumblr and twitter settings to match.
The main wordpress theme is the same. I just changed the background and header image, then added a second sidebar column. I’m not done playing around with it yet, but you get the idea.
What do you think of my change in style?
Filed under internet
Canada: my second favorite country
I’ve been to Canada three times in the last 10 years. From a whirlwind 24-hour trip to Torono when I was in college to the nearly two weeks I spent in both Niagara Falls and Britt, Ontario for my honeymoon, I’d have to say that I know that part of Canada pretty well. Maybe next time (if I can ever afford to go on vacation again) I’ll check out Rent Calgary and spend some time in a different province.
Out of all of the places in Canada that I’ve traveled to, I’m ranking Niagara Falls at the bottom of that list. Sure, I only spent a few days there, but that was enough. I tend to avoid touristy places when I’m on vacation, so after going on the Maid of Mist, spending a few hours in the old Niagara Falls casino and eating a buffet dinner in the Skylon tower, I’d accomplished all that there was to do. I would like to go back to Canada someday, but I’m defnitely not stopping there!
Filed under vacation
Photo of the day: A weird yet tasty food combo…
Why yes, that IS a mac n cheese and Canadian bacon sandwich on toasted French bread. Got a problem with that?
Filed under food
Thrifty Tailgating Tips to Kick-Off Football Season on a Budget
Guest post by Andrea Woroch
Fire up the grill and get ready for kickoff; football season is here. What goes hand-in-hand with football season? Tailgating of course. Fans everywhere are honing secret recipes and stocking up on supplies to make their party dominate the parking lot. It’s important, however, to be mindful of spending, as the festivity’s cost can quickly add up, from team memorabilia to beer and food.
Before you put the finishing touches on your tailgate plans, try out a few of these thrifty tips.
1. Team Up
The atmosphere at a major tailgate party is all about community, but don’t be fooled; there are plenty of freeloaders floating around. Avoid overspending by getting some friends in on the action. Assign a couple of people to drinks, several to snacks, and you take care of the grill and meat. Consider it a sports-centric potluck that cuts costs for everyone. Need some culinary inspiration? Tailgating.com has dozens of free, fan-submitted recipes perfect for game day.
2. Carpool
With fuel prices at an all-time high, it’s wise to carpool so you can split the costs of gas and parking. Depending on how often your posse goes to games, devise a schedule and assign driving duties fairly. Otherwise, search for ride share opportunities at sites like CarpoolConnect or CarpoolWorld.com. You can also post a ride and charge a small fee to cover gas and mileage for each seat.
3. Fan Gear for Less
The signs of a high-quality tailgate include a team flag flying high and jerseys as far as the eye can see. Even if you don’t have a jersey, there’s no excuse for not wearing team colors. If it seems like these items are too expensive, you can always use coupons to get free shipping at such stores as Finish Line from sites like FreeShipping.org.
4. Smart Food Choices
Pre-made salads, sandwich platters and cubed meats may be easy choices, but they’re also much more expensive, with mark-ups reaching nearly 100 percent. You can save a lot on food by preparing your own before leaving home. Buy larger slabs of meat from the butcher and cut them up yourself. Depending on the number of people participating in the tailgate, consider buying some food items like cheese, chips, condiments and hot dogs in bulk from stores like Costoco for savings up to 30 percent.
5. Get Your Game On
There are only so many things to do in a parking lot, so it’s key to include a few simple games in your plans, like a football to toss around. Lawn games like Corn Hole and Washers are also entertaining choices and can be found at reasonable prices among major retail chains like Sports Authority or Sears. For those with a crafty hand, consider building a board game from scratch for a fraction of the cost. You can get building tips at CornHoleHowTo.com. Otherwise, download the free NFL Football Trivia App on your smartphone to test the football knowledge of your tailgate buddies.
6. Borrow Before Buying
Tailgating requires a lot of supplies, from oversized coolers and pop-up canopies to folding tables and chairs. Before heading to the store to buy whatever gear you’re lacking, find out if you can borrow from friends, neighbors or coworkers. Otherwise, scope out used goods on Craigslist or try trading items at Swap.com.
7. Bring the Tailgate Home
There’s nothing like attending the game among other screaming fans, but when budgets are tight it’s time to bring the tailgate home. You’ll save on gas, parking and game tickets. Don’t forget, sometimes it’s just more fun to watch a big game at home, anyway; You get the benefit of multiple hi-def replay angles and a comfy couch seat while you avoid fighting traffic of a crowded parking lot after a long day of tailgating.
Filed under sports
Riceworks giveaway winner!
The winner of the Riceworks giveaway that I held last week is Stephanie. Her favorite snack is “hummus and pita bread/pita chips.” Enjoy your Riceworks coupons, Stephanie!
Filed under food
Crazy for cat toys
A package full of cat toys arrived this morning. Before I could even open it, I was pounced on by Isis, who must’ve smelled the catnip right through the bag.
Here is what arrived:
Lil' Creepers Refillable Catnip Mice
Smatykat PetPong balls
Fish Flop catnip crinkle toys
Smartykat Fish N Play, complete with refillable catnip pouch and many things for cats to chew on
All are designed to stimulate cats and keep them busy. And wow, do they ever work! Here are a few still shots of my cats going bugnuts:
A few minutes into the frenzy, I decided that a video would be more effective. You can view the video HERE. (Sorry, I still have to pay for the wordpress upgrade that will let me embed videos.) All 8 cats played with the toys, but I stuck to documenting the younger ones, since they’re more entertaining. Isis, Loki and Abby just licked the catnip mice and laid down.
More information on the toys (which were provided to me) can be found on the Pet Links System and Smartykat websites. The toys can be purchased at PetsMart, PetCo, and other pet supply stores.
Filed under pets
