Switch to fluid Switch to wfix Switch to fixed

Joan’s Boomer Blog

Helping Boomers Find Wealth, Health and Happiness in the Second Half of Life

Archive for November, 2009

This past year, we’ve been remodeling our kitchen but we are still looking for a new kitchen sink to complete it. I recently found

Our kitchen remodel in progress

Our kitchen remodel in progress

stainless steel kitchen sinks on a website called Mr. Direct, which offers many sinks for under $100. When we’ve already spent several thousand dollars on a kitchen remodel, we welcome the chance to save some money as we finish up.

Stainless steel sink for only $94

Stainless steel sink for only $94

Besides 81 different stainless steel sinks, Mr. Direct also offers bathroom sinks and fixtures, shower and tub faucets and other accessories, all with same day shipping and great prices. If you love those new glass bathroom sinks, he has those too in various styles.

So whatever your remodeling needs might be, check out Mr. Direct and save yourself some money on your kitchen remodel or just to spruce up the look of your kitchen with a new sink.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

How to Find the Best Sales on Black Friday

Posted by JE Jones on Nov-25-2009

This year on Black Friday, I plan to be home searching for deals on the Internet, rather than out fighting the traffic and hordes of people. Along with most of America, I’d love to see lots of people out shopping - since unfortunately our economy is pretty much built on people buying lots of things they probably don’t even need. Still, it’s almost our patriotic duty these days to shop!

Here are some strategies for finding the best sales on Black Friday:

1.  Starting today, it’s possible to scour Black Friday ads at websites like bfads.com and blackfriday.info, as well as going to your favorite retailers to see previews of their Black Friday ads. Many retailers have had their ads up for a few days.

2.  Make a list of which gifts or other items you’re looking for and when you find a great deal on it, make a note of the price and where you found it so you can compare.

3.  After you get your list, check out comparative pricing websites like PriceGrabber.com or YahooShopping.com to see if you can find better prices anywhere.

4.  Check online on Thanksgiving to see if you can get these Black Friday deals online. Sometimes you can even find online only deals with free shipping, etc. If there is a certain store where you like to shop, sign up for their email ads. Most will offer free shipping and other incentives to shop with them. I love shopping at Joann’s for yarn and knitting supplies. They’ve been emailing me great deals which can be used both online and in the store.

5.  If you’re going to go out shopping for sales on Black Friday, make a list of the stores you want to go to and map out a direct route. Check opening times. Many stores will even open at midnight Thanksgiving night for door buster sales. Be warned that this year, stores probably won’t be stocking many of these door busters, so either plan to be there extra early or make another plan to get the item.

If you plan to shop online, check out the stores at GoodShop.com where a portion of your purchase will be donated to the charity of your choice. Dozens of popular stores are available through GoodShop, just as the aforementioned Joanns, along with Best Buy, Kohls, JC Penny, and many many more. When a portion of my purchase goes to charity, I can feel even better about spending money.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Dear Ma and Pa - Letter from a Farm Kid in the Marines

Posted by JE Jones on Nov-24-2009

Dear Ma and Pa,

I am well. Hope you are too. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.

I was restless at first because you get to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. But I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing.

Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there’s warm water.

Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food, plus yours, holds you until noon when you get fed again. It’s no wonder these city boys can’t walk much.

We go on ‘route marches,’ which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it’s not my place to tell him different. A ‘route march’ is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.

The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don’t bother you none.

This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don’t know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don’t move, and it ain’t shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don’t even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training.. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain’t like fighting with that ole bull at home. I’m about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake . I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I’m only 5′6′ and 130 pounds and he’s 6′8′ and near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter,

Alice

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Posted in: Boomer Living, Funny Stuff
ADD COMMENTS

Holiday Gift Ideas - the Perfect Gift Basket

Posted by JE Jones on Nov-20-2009

I always love giving gift baskets for the holidays or a special

Healthy Choice Basket from GiftWish.com

Healthy Choice Basket from GiftsWish.com

occasion because you can tailor the basket to the gift recipient. Does someone on your gift list love coffee or tea? How about chocolate? Maybe they’re into health and fitness.

GiftsWish.com has a huge assortment of different gift baskets for any occasion. Whether you need a corporate gift or a gift for your grandma or Aunt Suzie, you can find the perfect gift idea here.

One gift basket idea I especially loved was the Healthy Choice Baskets. These are filled with healthy items like Stash Premium Green Tea, mixed nuts, dried fruits, sugar free preserves and delicious sounding East Shore Key Lime with Ginger Mustard.

Other unique gift basket ideas I liked on this website were the International Gift Baskets. Get a Taste of Italy gift Basket, a Taste of France Gift Basket or a Bavarian Delight Gift Basket. Great idea for the world traveler or arm chair traveler on your gift list.

If you don’t find a basket that’s perfect for your special occasion, you can also create your own custom gift basket at GiftsWish.com. . Simply choose a basket, choose the items you want to include (any number of items from 5 to 20) and add it to your shopping cart. It’s as easy as that to get a unique, one of a kind gift.

Make the holidays simple this season and choose a gift basket for everybody on your gift list.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Elegant Watches -A Great Gift for Anyone on Your List

Posted by JE Jones on Nov-20-2009

My husband needs a new watch this holiday season and I liked the selection at BlueDial.com. They carry all

ESQ Aerodyne Digital watch

ESQ Aerodyne Digital watch

the popular quality brands of wrist watches at discount prices. All watches also include free 2-day shipping, which is great for holiday gift giving. If you’re looking for gift ideas for just about anyone on your list, a watch may be the perfect thing.

One watch that caught my eye was this Men’s Aerodyne Digital watch with an alarm and 24 hour city world time. It looks very elegant and the savings on it are a bonus. My husband definitely needs a watch with an alarm because he always takes a 15 minute nap on his lunch break from work and he can’t be oversleep - much as he’s like to sometimes.

A citizen diamond watch would make a beautiful gift for our daughter, who is also graduating college just before Christmas. It’s taken her five years to get her architecture degree and an elegant diamond watch would make a memorable gift to mark such a special occasion.

In fact, a Seiko, Gucci or Citizen watch would make a wonderful gift for just about any occasion - that special anniversary, Christmas or a birthday. BlueDial.com carries these brands plus, Breitling, Bulova, Swiss Army, Cartier and many more - all at great discount prices.

Before you decide on a gift for that special occasion, check out BlueDial.com.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Shopping for Cheaper Auto Insurance Rates?

Posted by JE Jones on Nov-18-2009

Finding just the right auto insurance coverage can be confusing and everybody wants to get quality insurance at the best price. Wouldn’t it be nice to go to one website for an auto insurance quote from several major companies so you can compare them?

At AutoInsuranceQuote.com you start by putting in your zip code for insurance carriers in your state. When I put in my zip code, I got five choices of different insurance companies so I could compare and contrast to help save me the most money.

AutoInsuranceQuote.com is also a great place to find valuable information through articles on auto insurance, cars and other auto insurance resources.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Historic Recipes for the Holiday Season - Mock Mince Meat

Posted by JE Jones on Nov-17-2009

There is something about old family recipes that can evoke the holiday spirit like nothing else. My mom gave me an Iowa Farm Bureau cookbook published in the 1920’s (the front cover has been missing for years!) and the historic country recipes have always been a part of my family’s holiday. One especially nostalgic recipe my mom always made is this mock minced meat recipe.

One reason I love fixing mince meat for the holidays is that you don’t often see it anymore. I give it as a gift to seniors I know who appreciate a reminder of their own childhood holidays.

Old recipes are always short on directions as most cooks back then didn’t need them, I guess.

Mock Minced Meat Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup cold water
1-2 cups molasses
1-2 cups sugar
1-2 cups vinegar
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
2-3 cups butter
1 cup raisins
1-2 cups fine crackers
1 egg
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt (optional)

Directions

Although the ingredients are as listed above, I chose to use about 1 and 1/2 cups of all the ingredients that say 1-2 cups.

Cook raisins in cold water. Add sugar, molasses, vinegar and then other ingredients.

Mix well and pour into a prepared baked crust.

If you put this in a 9×12 inch pan, you can cut it into squares.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Plan Your Holiday Dinner with Shop.com

Posted by JE Jones on Nov-17-2009

Are you hosting a big holiday dinner this year? Here in the south, we love deep-fried turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas but I’ve never tried to fix one myself because of the mess. In fact, there is a huge increase in calls to plumbers to unclog drains where people have tried to dispose of the large amount of cooking oil required to deep fry a turkey and our city trash company puts out special

Let Shop.com help you plan the perfect holiday dinner.

Let Shop.com help you plan the perfect holiday dinner.

instructions about oil disposal.

All of these oily problems could be prevented by using an Oilless turkey fryer which used infrared technology to prepare a healthier gourmet version of the deep fried turkey. Not only is the turkey tasty but the oilless turkey fryer will cook a 12 lb turkey in under two hours!

Dress up your holiday table with Corelle Dinnerware

Dress up your holiday table with Corelle Dinnerware

Shop.com can help you plan a beautiful holiday dinner in other ways too. Would you like some beautiful Corelle Dinnerware ? Shop.com lets you find and compare dinnerware sets from major retailers like Overstock.com and Target and you can order many different products, from a waffle maker to a variety of kitchen scoops all in one place.

This was a paid opinion of Shop.com but I always give my personal opinion of websites and services I personally use myself.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Do you have trouble coming up with great holiday gift ideas for everybody on your list? One easy and convenient gift I really love are Gift Cards . When I choose a gift card for someone, I know they can take it and exchange it for something they really want.

Gift cards are available at Shop.com

Gift cards are available at Shop.com

Shop.com offers gift cards for just about anyone on your list, from kids to seniors. For women, they offer cards at stores like Kohls or online shopping at QVC. For men, how about a gift card at Home Depot or sports fan warehouse? Even teens love gifts cards for places like itunes, Gap and Old Navy.

One thing I love about Shop.com is that I can buy many different gift cards in one-stop shopping or I can also purchase other gifts from clothing to electronics. Many of the stores in Shop.com also offer free shipping deals, which is important to the gift budget.

Shop.com gift cards aren’t just for the holidays either. You can find just the right gift for someone for birthdays, baby and wedding showers and more.

This was a paid review of Shop.com gift cards but I always give my honest opinion and I have personally used Shop.com for my own holiday gift giving.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

How to Make Money at Home Online with Niche Blogging

Posted by JE Jones on Nov-13-2009

Would you like to make money at home using your computer? In the current economy, everybody could use some extra income, or maybe even a new career. Working at home means you can get out of bed, grab a cup of coffee and head for your computer to put in a couple hours work. This sort of extra income sounds great and it IS possible for anybody wanting to make money online.

Jumping out of bed, throwing down a cup of coffee and scampering to your car to face bumper to bumper traffic, while trying desperately trying to motivate yourself do do work you don’t like may be something you would love to eliminate from your life. Some of you may be sitting at home with no job to go to and no money coming in.

The good news is that you can make money at home online to supplement or even replace your income. It’s all made possible through blogging!

You probably read blogs on all sorts of subjects all the time. There are literally millions of blogs out there on every conceivable topic which are called niche blogs. They find a niche and fill it, while making money online.

You might think it’s difficult to become a blogger but, with the right help, it’s possible to make a great income online by blogging and change your life for the better.

Instead of sneaking a peek at your favorite blogs during your 9-to-5 job, you can be the one sitting at home and writing these blogs that other people read! You’ll not only be providing great content for people, you’ll also be pulling in some great money that can literally change your life and having fun too.

Getting rid of the doubt that you can do this is going to be an important first step. As long as you are able to compose and send an e-mail, you can be a professional blogger!

What you need to help you learn the art of blogging is a tutorial that will show you step-by-step how to do this. It’s also important to have motivation and encouragement. The absolute best place to get this online is The Niche Blogger.

This membership site is great for the beginning at blogging and also for the intermediate marketer who wants to learn more about how to build a successful, money-making blog. In fact, many of the people who join the membership site are brand-new at blogging and have little computer knowledge.

The good thing is that there is a whole mix of experience levels so you are sure to be able to find help among the community whenever you need it.

The startup cost is incredibly low as well — making sure that those who want to join learn about blogging and making money online to escape their jobs are able to do so. Even if you’re happy with your job, it never hurts to have extra money coming in. Blogging is fun!

You already know that companies spend millions and millions of dollars in order to attract customers. Part of their advertising costs online go to a affiliates. These affiliates place ads on their websites and blogs and their readers often make purchases. When readers make purchases, the blog owner makes money! It’s as simple as that.

All you need to do is have your blog in place, with affiliate ads relating to your content and you can be the one whose links customers buy through.

The main difference between making money at home online and going to a 9-to-5 job is that you are now in business for yourself - a professional blogger.

There is no reason to limit yourself into thinking that you have to stay at a job you don’t like forever. Become your own boss and work at home in your PJs so you can do what you want to do, when you want to do it.

Try The Niche Blogger for FREE! Click Here for a FREE 3 Day Trial and see for yourself what a great blogging program it is.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post