Monthly Archives: December 2011

Be Sure to Open All Your Christmas Cards

holidays
On Christmas Day I was cleaning out my closet.  No, I'm not a neat freak, it just so happened on Christmas Day I felt a little more energetic than usual and thought I would spend a little time organizing the shelves that Mr. A put in our bedroom last weekend.  I was organizing my yarn totes and going through the closet.  I came across a couple of small boxes with envelopes and mail and old bills.  Sometimes I can't decide… Read the rest

Christmas Memories – Please Share Yours!

holidays
Last Friday was our staff Christmas party and the ladies at my table got to talking about what Christmas was like in years past, as children and later on as parents.   We got around to the topic of the cost of Christmas and most of us grew up in rather poor households.  We all agreed that Christmas doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg in order to be enjoyable, even though it seems like parents spend far too… Read the rest
The House That Grandpa Built

Calculate The Mortgage Payment You Can Afford

budget
When you begin to look for your dream home it can be intoxicating walking through house after house, envisioning the future in each one, but it pays to keep your head out of the clouds when you're contemplating taking on debt for thirty years.  One important thing to realize is that you want enough money to live comfortably and a house payment within your means is vital to this decision making process.  A simple rule of thumb is to remember… Read the rest
Flameless Wax Candles

Review: Flameless Candles Set a Safe Romantic Mood

Reviews
Several weeks ago Mr. A found several of these new flameless wax candles marked down on clearance at Lowe's to three dollars each.   I had never seen them before but suddenly they seem to be popping up all over, I've seen them recently in Costco as well as at a couple of grocery stores. Mr. A set them up in our bedroom to create a romantic mood and they are amazingly realistic. Honestly, the first couple of nights Mr. A… Read the rest