Insuring My Parents

My parents were looking into getting life insurance. The problem was that they were older and had not planned on getting life insurance in the first place. They both did a lot of research on the internet about what it would take at ages 55 and 56 to get life insurance. It was amazing at what came back to them and what was available to them. I was surprised that life insurance was available to them. They could get life insurance premium financing. It is sometime called stranger owned life insurance because of the fact that there is an element of someone you do not know having a piece of the death benefit.

After careful review, my parents opted to go with the life insurance. It was a good thing they decided and wanted to make sure that they had the benefit of life insurance for their beneficiaries. Making sure you are covered with life insurance is always a good thing. I like the fact that there is a product that is available to those that want it, no matter the age they are. People should be able to get what they want when they want it.

Need a Good Diet for Middle Aged Women

I’ve hit such a road block in terms of losing weight now that I’m 46. Part of it is just uneven hormones and fatigue: I feel like if I just eat more sugar and chocolate that I’ll be energized. But I’m beginning to think that I need to get a little professional help with my Diet.

I haven’t really looked into anything yet. When I was young, I could go onto the Scarsdale Diet for two weeks. It all seemed to be healthy normal food. But the amount of grapefruit gave me canker sores, and the meals that were just a fruit salad and one piece of wheat toast left me hungry in the afternoons—at least it does now. And there were no snacks allowed on that diet, as I recall. I have a friend who tried Weight Watchers but she quit that pretty fast. I’m not sure why.

What I really crave is a sturdy breakfast, a mid-morning snack, a carb or two, an afternoon snack, and then a dinner that doesn’t leave me feel empty. And I’m pretty sure I won’t lose weight unless I keep it down to 1200 calories a day. Does anyone have a suggestion for me?

Friends Over

I invited a group of friends over to watch the basketball playoffs on ESPN and to see who would take Game Five. Everyone gathered on my couch, on the bar stools, and on the floor to see if it would be the Lakers or the Rockets who would take the win. My ego was kind of excited (not me…just my ego) to show off my new deluxe High Density flat screen plasma television.

If you watched, then you know that the game was a complete blow out with the Lakers winning by forty points. There was not a lot of game drama, but I still must have served too much beer and not enough Doritos because Pete suddenly rocked sideways on the couch and just slumped over for a nap.

I don’t care how many points a team is winning by, basketball is no time for naps. Pete actually was snoring by the end of the third quarter. I couldn’t take the snoring, so two of my buddies helped him drag his bulky body to the guest room where Pete sprawled out on the day bed and slept the night away. Guess what? Thursday night Lakers-Rocket rampage won’t include an invitation to Pete.

Don't Be Too Shy To Treat Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are a health problem that plagues a number of people. Those people who get hemroids treatment immediately generally find that they are able to return to a level of comfort really quickly. Unfortunately, a lot of people will put off treating their hemorrhoids problem because they are too embarrassed to see a doctor to find out what is going on.

The problem seems to be the location of the hemorrhoids. People are still really shy about talking to doctors when it comes to problems in any of the areas of the body that are considered private. If the same problem were located on an elbow or knee then most people would rush to the doctor to get the problem resolved. Since it's in a more private area, they tend to hesitate and just hope that the problem will go away on its own.

It's sad that these people take so long to see a doctor. Hemroids removal is a fairly easy process. Hemorrhoids are certainly uncomfortable so you really do want to get rid of them rapidly. It's also a common problem and one that your doctor has certainly seen before so there's no need to be embarrassed about the issue.

But if you are too embarrassed to see a doctor then you can at least try to diagnose the issue yourself and to treat it with an over-the-counter medication. There's no need to suffer with the problem since treatment is available.

A String of Break-Ins

A few years ago — within a year after my husband and I bought our house, actually — there was a string of break-ins in our neighborhood. I remember it was during that first year, because at the time the rental house next door had several rowdy teenagers living in it, and we were pretty sure they were doing and dealing drugs out of that house, not to mention possibly a party to the burglaries.

Half a dozen houses within a two or three block radius were broken into over, I don't know, a couple week period. The house two doors down from us was one of them. The break-ins were all around dinner time, just after it got dark (it was winter) and before many people had yet come home from work. The thieves were smart — first one would knock on the front door of a house that still dark looked dark, and if no one answered and they didn't hear a dog, they would go around back. Then they would break in witih a screwdriver, and take anything that they could turn into fast cash: money, electronics, jewelry, etc.

Our neighbor was devastated when they broke into her house. She was out of town at the time, and her dog was with her; her dad was coming over in the evenings to check on the house, and actually interrupted the burglars and scared them off. When our neighbor got home, she promptly installed an ADT home security system, installed motion sensing lights on the sides of her house, and posted "Beware of Dog" signs on her fence and front porch.

Misfortunes like this demonstrate how important it is to be careful and protect yourself from these types of things. Although our neighbor did learn and now has a security system installed, it didn't save her from that particular break-in. It was a hard lesson to learn, I'm sure!

Reasons to Get a Garden Fountain

If you have a garden then you're probably excited about the weather warming up so that you can spend more time in the garden. People who will be spending a lot of time in the garden this summer may want to think about getting a garden fountain to add to the space.

Some of the reasons that people add garden fountains to their landscapes include:

• Sense of peace. The sound and appearance of flowing water can feel really peaceful and everyone wants to feel peaceful in their gardens.



• Spirituality. Some people add a wall fountain to their gardens as part of an outdoor shrine. These garden wall fountains may be designed in a spiritual manner or may simply provide a place for meditation.



• Being green. Choosing a good water fountain for your garden could allow you to add some eco-friendly, water-saving benefits to your yard.



• Beauty. Many people do add garden fountains just because they look nice and make your garden even more beautiful. Choosing a great design can really complement the garden that you already have.

Garden fountains are a great addition to the yard. This may be a worthwhile investment if your summer plans include a lot of gardening time.

Use Cat Hotels When You're Away

Pet hotels are a luxury that a lot of cat owners believe that they can't afford. However, there are some affordable cat hotels out there that offer a number of great things for your cat. If you're planning a trip this summer then you may want to look into leaving your pet at one of these places while you're away.

The main reason that cat hotels are great is because they provide your cat with love and attention while you're gone. A pet sitter normally only spends a small amount of time with your cat when you're away from home. The staff of a cat hotel is there specifically to make sure that your cat gets enough attention.

This attention is important for all pets but it's particularly important for people who own cats that are elderly or sick. These cats really do need special care that you often can't get from a pet sitter. A cat hotel that is equipped to deal with special needs cats is going to make sure that your cat stays healthy and well while you're gone.

Just be forewarned that your cat may get spoiled. She may come home with her nose in the air demanding a new cat condo because your cat furniture just won't compare to the nice accommodations at the hotel. But then don't we all feel a little bit like that when we return home after staying at a hotel?!

Second Pregnancy

I just found out that I am pregnant again. I am so thankful and blessed to be having another baby just 19 months after our first one. Thankfully, I kept most of the items from my first pregnancy. The maternity jeans that I have should still fit me which is good. Of course the maternity dress and maternity skirt I have in my closet should also fit me. Those types of clothing always fit no matter how much baby weight you gain. There is something to be said for clothes that grow with an ever expanding waistline.

At first I was not to sure if buying maternity clothes when I was pregnant was going to be the right choice for me. I figured that I could buy larger clothing and not only would it fit, but I would be stylish too. I, of course, was wrong. Maternity clothes are tailored to contour the pregnant belly and not be huge and look bad elsewhere. I am so happy that I invested wisely the first time around, so that for this pregnancy I would have items that would make me look good. Pregnant glow or not, you always want to in style with your clothing.

Christmas Lights in Home Decor

When I was in college almost everyone that I knew had Christmas lights strung up in their dorm rooms. It was a cheap way to create a little bit of ambience for the room. I thought I left that behind when I was done with college. It just isn't a sophisticated way to decorate your home, right? Well, that's what I thought until last week when I visited a friend who has a really stylish home which happens to incorporate Christmas lights into the decor.

What I learned from her about using Christmas lights in a stylish way was the following:

• Know your lights. C7 lights are used indoors; C9 lights are used outside.


• Stick with solid colors. Most homes can't handle rainbow-colored lighting so it is best to use a string of solid colored Christmas lights for decorating. White is best but blue or red may work as well.


• Don't go flashy. There are a lot of cool Christmas lights out there with flashing lights and sound but those aren't appropriate for everyday decor.


• Use this for accent lighting. Read up on how to make accent lighting work in your home and you'll be able to apply those tips to using Christmas lights in your decor.

It turns out that Christmas lights aren't just for Christmas trees and they aren't just for college dorm rooms either!

The Death of the Shopping Mall

Like many others, I've started doing all my shopping online. In fact, from the statistics I've heard about the increasing popularity of online shopping, it's amazing to me that the shopping malls have survived at all.

No matter what it is I'm shopping for — the vintage dolls I collect, or shoes and boots to feed my passion for style, or tack for my horse — I usually find what I want more easily, not to mention more cheaply, online. My theory is that because of the increased competition, online sellers are forced to offer better deals to their customers.

For instance, I buy dolls and doll clothes more frequently online than anything else. These are all vintage, used items, so eBay is the best place to get them. The huge amount of competition — sellers from all over the United States, and even sometimes from Canada or Europe — forces the prices down. You'll pay four, sometimes even five or six times more for the same items in local stores — and you won't get as good a selection.

The same goes for horse stuff, such as tack and care items. For instance, I can buy dewormer for my horse for far cheaper when I get an entire year's worth at a time online.

And of course, this goes for many other websites online. Some sites even offer free shipping, and of course you benefit by not having to drive around to find what you want at the store. Heck, you can even order some grocery items online!

Does anyone else feel, like I do, that the future of shopping most likely lies almost solely with the Internet?