misc monday-sept 10

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• it's hard to believe that a third of September has passed already! Nathan seems to be settling in quickly with school this year {I guess knowing it's his last year just might be the reason!}. Today finally felt like FALL!!! I've had the windows open all day and it feels great! I had planned on getting some of my fall decorations from the attic, but ended up being busier today than I thought. I did manage to take down all the summer things from the mantel. Maybe tomorrow!?
• yesterday, other than work for me, our day consisted of football, football, and oh yeah...football! The Bears played an awesome game against the Colts, winning the game 41-21!! :O) Hope they look that good all year....they play the Packers on Thursday......
• our bucket list challenge is complete.....we finally managed to check the last two items off of our Summer Bucket List - go to a ballgame and movie night. I had no idea when I put the list up that we would end up doing all of it. I asked Nathan the other day what he remembered us doing together last summer, and his list was short {and vague}. Sad but true! Having this list seemed to make us more aware of how fast the summer passes, and how little we seem to do together, even if it is something as simple as making rootbeer floats {which, btw, was a favorite from the list!}. I really didn't expect them to go along with this, but I know they have enjoyed it as much as I have!!! We knew going to a ballgame was going to be one of the last items to be done, since their tickets were for Sept 8. We had pretty much done everything else, except for having a movie night. I had intended it to be a "family" movie night, but we couldn't seem to pick a movie, or a night that worked for the three of us, so Saturday night, while they were away, I ordered a movie and had solo movie night, which I enjoyed. Then, I realized last night that we had the movie for another night, so I asked Peter to watch it with me, and he did! He liked it too. :O)
• mom dropped off my shoebox today for Operation Christmas Child, we plan to fill one again this year. Even though I'm aware of the hardships others have, that shoebox is such a touching reminder to me of how real those hardships really are. I'll start picking up things for our box, we have until the middle of November to fill it.
• this week doesn't look too busy, nothing really out of the ordinary on the schedule. My days at work are winding down, but we still have lots of guests on the books. I like being staying busy, it makes winding the season down much more interesting!

The Simple Woman's Day Book - September Edtion

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Outside my window...it has been another gorgeous, fall-like day! The temps are finally in the 70's, this is my kind of weather!!!!

I am thinking...about putting some auctions on ebay. I haven't listed anything in ages, but I have one last container in the attic with some things I think might sell. I should do this soon! :O)

I am thankful...for so many things....big & small.

In the kitchen...I just put away the left-overs from the delish meal MOM made for us today! {Thanks Mom!!!} I had a SUPER busy day at work, so not having to worry about cooking today was very much appreciated! :O)

I am wearing...jean capris & my Reese's Road t-shirt. If you need encouragement today, just read her story- a truly amazing young lady!

I am creating...or should I say, I'm working on, decorating for FALL! :O) Love this time of year!! I hung my wreath on the front door, put out my fall flag, changed my chalkboard in the kitchen, and started on the mantel...it's a work in progress.

I am going...to officially book the resort/tickets/dinner adrs for the senior trip tomorrow!!! :O)

I am hoping...to go kayaking again....soon!

I am looking forward to...our little mini-vacation after the b&b closes! Peter and I have decided to go to Annapolis for a few nights and possibly driving to D.C. for a day trip while we are there. We hope to take a detour to Baltimore on the way back home to see his aunt & uncle. We haven't seen them in awhile and his aunt has been in the hospital over the summer and recently fell and broke her hip. We really want to see them. I haven't made any reservations yet, but I've been doing some research on things to do, places to eat, and possibilities for where to stay. There are some really beautiful inns to choose from. Can't wait to go!

Around the house...the dust bunnies are trying their hardest to stay hidden for a little longer. I finish up at the b&b in about 3 weeks, then I am going to give our house a thorough cleaning! I'm keeping up with the day to day stuff, but I'm so ready to do some deep cleaning and get organized!

A favorite quote for today...


One of my favorite things...watching football, particularly, the Chicago Bears. Last night's game against the Packers was pretty tough to watch though, to say the least! Their standings, after losing 23-10, the Bears are 1-1 {tied with the Packers}. This picture of QB Cutler pretty much summed up my feelings last night as well.......



A few plans for the rest of the week: work, work, work..............

A peek into my day...
I haven't taken any pictures the past few days. I've been very busy at the b&b. Today, we had a full house check out and fill back up with new guests. We've had some really nice guests this year, and this week especially, which makes my job even better. Last night, we had 4 couples who were repeat guests {always love when guests come back!!}, and today when I checked in one couple, I commented on her Disney tote. She told me she was a travel agent-Disney trips are her specialty! :O) We chatted a little about that {I've mentioned before that my dream job is to be a travel agent}. :O) My day was full of phone calls/housekeeping/laundry/picking up & dropping off guests......just another day in the life of ME!

5Q Friday: It's been awhile

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Linking up for this week's 5Q Friday. It's been awhile since I joined in, but here's my post for today!
1. Do you prefer to drive to your vacation spot or fly?
It depends......if traveling with Peter, we most definitely drive. He hates flying, but {loves} {loves} driving, hence our long drives to WDW. I don't mind road trips, if we have plenty of time to enjoy the drive and stop along the way. We use a GPS, but I like to keep a paper map handy to mark off the miles as we drive...it really passes the time!
I don't mind flying though either, I mean getting from VA to FL in less than 2 hours, that's just a no brainer!!! I've only flown once, but plan to fly again in December when we go to WDW for Nathan's senior trip.


2. If you could live any where in the world, where would you go and why? Probably somewhere farther south....NC, or SC, or GA.....FL would be awesome....warm weather & Disney! :O)
3. Should grown women wear leggings? Certainly, if worn appropriately!

4. If you could change your name to any other name, would you? And what would it be? No, I'll stick with Susan. FYI: my Hebrew name means: Graceful lily.....:O)how fitting...LOL!
5. What magazines do you have subscriptions to? Traditional Home, Family Circle, & Martha Stewart Living for me and Time & SI for the guys.

Mr. Lid

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I was thrilled to be able to review this storage solution called Mr. Lid. 

Here's why:
THIS is my tupperware.  Random, messy, and unorganized.  And do you think I can EVER find a proper-fitting lid to match?

Nope.

Well, enter Mr. Lid!  (*said in cheesy infomercial voice*)


Stackable!  Attached lids!  Perfect for the kids' lunches!  Spill-proof!  BPA-free!  Made in America!  Perfect for NOT LOSING THE LIDS.

I'm sold.

The second I received the complimentary Mr. Lid bundle for purposes of this review, I threw aside all my other NON-MATCHING tupperware and lids.

They are currently available on the website, and will be available in stores later this month!

Twitter Handle Necklaces by Shame On Jane

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You know how you (I) go to those blog conferences and all the bloggers are wearing cute necklaces with their Twitter handles on them?

And you (I) think to your(my)self, "How cute is that!  I wonder where you (I) can get one of those?!"

And then you (I) immediately forget about it until the next blog conference, when the same thing happens all over again.

Ta-dah!
 
Get your own Twitter handle necklace at Shame on Jane!

The necklaces come in either sterling silver, gold dipped, or rose gold dipped.  The length is perfect for just resting below your neckline.

And pssst!  Shame on Jane also carries an assortment of other kinds of personalized jewelry!

Check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

Happy shopping!

I was sent the above-pictured necklace from Shame on Jane to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Glad Feeds My Family During BlogHer

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I'm headed out to BlogHer in New York, and I have to admit, my expectations for what happens at home while I'm gone always sinks. And not by just a little.  The math pages the wee ones are supposed to do I know won't be looked at.  There will be clothes strewn about the house, both dirty and clean somehow.  And who knows what my husband will be feeding them, but I always come home to plenty of restaurant charges on my credit card.
This time around, I am doing my best to counteract this just a little bit.  I got sneaky and prepared food for everyone.  I stocked up on the lunchmeat.  I made more zucchini bread than any family should have in the house at one time.  And Glad sent me the fixings for some chicken enchiladas.
I'm not going to say that my husband is lazy, but if the food isn't prepped for him, the likelihood that it gets used isn't that great.  In fact, I can almost guarantee that the two mangos that were just about ripe when I leave will be still sitting in the fruit bowl, just more ripe.  Rather than rely on my husband to put everything together for the enchiladas, I did it for him.  I didn't just buy the rotisserie chicken; I removed the meat from the carcass and cut it up for him.  I put all the ingredients he'll need into a pile on the kitchen counter with the recipe stacked nearby - the corn tortillas, peppers, and enchilada sauce provided by MomSelect and Glad, as well as the onion and spices I'm providing.  The cut up chicken went into a Glad Ware container that will keep the meat fresh until he is ready to use it, with the cheese and salsa sitting right next to it in the fridge, so my husband can't possibly miss it, right?

Ok, this is my husband.  He may miss it, and there might be a phone call coming my way.  That said, I feel a whole lot better that I've got some meals prepped for him.  Even if they don't do their homework or keep the house clean, there's a chance that they're eating the way I would want them to.  
And once he's cooked the meal and there are leftovers - and in our house, it seems like there are always leftovers - he'll have the storage containers to put them in, as Glad included 2 large containers for us that go from fridge to freezer.  My personal favorite part is that the containers now resist cracking when you have them in the freezer and they - oh, I don't know - fall out.  I have more than one storage container I've lost that way.

But the Glad Ware containers have gotten better. Know what's really cool now? They're BPA free. I can feel more confident storing my leftovers in these containers without worrying that BPA will be leaching into their foods. I'm still not going to microwave anything in plastic, but the storage issue goes away.




Oh. And did I mention that Glad is a Labels for Education partner? Yep, that code gets cut out and returned to school, and that's another five points towards something on a teacher wish list!

So what do you do to try to keep your family healthy when you aren't around?

In the interest of full disclosure, I was sent a 2 pack of large Glad Freezer Ware containers, along with some of the ingredients to make chicken enchiladas while I was attending BlogHer.  I was not compensated, but I have been entered to win a gift card.  As always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Rivet and Sway Review

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I've worn glasses off and on since I was in the fifth grade.  Thanks to Rivet and Sway, I'm wearing them all the time now.  But before now?  Yep, off and on.  I had glasses for awhile because I thought they were cool - nifty cotton candy pink ones, if I recall correctly.  Then I didn't wear them for awhile, and eventually I got contacts around high school.

I'd wear them sometimes but not all the time because I'm that odd person who has one near sighted eye and one far sighted eye.  It sort of balances out, so I can get away with not wearing them.  Periodically, I'll get a new prescription and glasses, but I think the last time I did was almost three years ago.  Remember when I wrote about losing my sunglasses not too long after getting them and miraculously finding them a year and a half later?  Yeah.

When I was offered the chance to be a Rivet and Sway Original at BlogHer and get some new, fashionable glasses, I was all over it.  Rivet and Sway is different from my local optometrist in that the glasses are mail order.  Yikes, right?  How do you know if you're even going to like them?  And at $199, you'd better like the glasses you're getting.  Rivet and Sway has figured out the answers to all this.

First, you can order try on kits with blank lenses so you can try on up to three different eyeglasses at a time at home for free.  With the oh so awesome tool on the website that helps you select the right lenses for your face - including both your face shape and whether you need narrow or wide frames for your head - you've got a pretty good shot at success right there.

I ordered my three frames, and they arrived two days later via FedEx.  I loved not having to wait a long time.  Rivet and Sway estimates that the whole process takes 13 days from start to finish if you order your glasses the third day you have your try on pairs, and that's not bad!  I loved the packaging the frames arrived in, and I appreciated knowing that any glasses I ordered would arrive safe and sound.


I have to admit the glasses were a lot nicer than the ones I had to choose from the last time I bought glasses.  The Je Ne Sais Quoi lenses were unfortunately not a good fit for my head, but I took the other two pairs on the rounds with my friends to get their opinions.  What do you think?


I will be honest that I liked the middle pair's shape the best.  The little flair up from the middle was great, but the color wasn't quite right.  While most glasses - including the Tusk- offer multiple frame colors, the black and white or galapagos green weren't really a good fit for me personally.  The blue and grey of the "ripcurl" colored The Little Voice glasses - the photo on the right - ultimately won out.

Once I had my glasses chosen, I simply peeled off the preprinted postage paid return sticker and resealed the box the glasses arrived in - a matter of merely pulling off the top of a sticky - and stuck them in my mailbox.  I typed in the information from my new prescription, something this review opportunity inspired me to do, and waited for my glasses to arrive.  I was lucky that my optometrist gave me a very clearly written prescription that had everything I needed.  If I needed help, I could have either scanned my prescription for Rivet and Sway or had them contact my optometrist directly.  Can you say convenient?

The only downside is that some frames only accept prescriptions up to a certain level.  If you have a stronger prescription, make sure the glasses you order will work with your prescription - fortunately not an issue for me.  At this point, Rivet and Sway doesn't offer progressive or bifocal lenses, either, which is somewhat limiting.  The other thing I'd love to see offered that they don't currently provide is prescription sunglasses.  I have very sensitive eyes and cannot go outside even on a cloudy day without them.

As for my specific experience, the glasses arrived in the same style of very cute cardboard box used for the try on pairs.  Inside was also a little bag to keep my glasses safe and unscratched, which I appreciate.  When I tried on my glasses, even just the little change in my prescription was apparent.  I loved the glasses.  And so has everyone else.  I've gotten more compliments on my new glasses than I ever dreamed I would, from the friends who knew they were new to the owner of the tae kwon do dojo where Mister Man goes.


The glasses are a high quality, which I would expect for $199 (including shipping and lenses).  They are polycarbonate lenses, with scratch resistant and glare free 100% UV protection coatings.  That results in thin and lightweight lenses, making them easier to wear.

I have had my glasses adjusted slightly, which is something my local optometrist can easily do (you can see them sliding down my nose a bit in the picture above).  They fit beautifully, and I love them.  Even if that weren't the case, all is not lost.  Rivet and Sway will allow you to return your glasses or any reason in the first 60 days and either credit your card or send you a new pair.  How can you possibly lose?

I can make it a little more tempting for you, actually.  I have a code that will give you 20% off a pair of Rivet and Sway glasses.  Note that the code expires on August 26, 2012, so get your act in gear.  You can order your try on pairs now and get your prescription together at a later date, as you need that only to order your final pair.

Discount code for 20% off Rivet and Sway: CWHOUB017D894C

C'mon, you know you need new glasses right?  Did you know your prescription expires after two years?  And that it's recommended that you get your eyes tested every year?  Which pair(s) would you choose?

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a pair of Rivet and Sway glasses for review purposes.  I was not compensated as part of this campaign.  As always, all opinions expressed remain my own.