The Sewing Mom

Plinko has been growing so fast!  She eats like a horse, so no wonder she’s growing!  The food bag recommends feeding a dog her age and size about 2 cups a day.  A DAY!? Are they kidding me?  She can eat that much in one meal!  She went through a small bag of dry puppy food in two weeks, that seems quick to me.  It seems, especially the past few days, that she is hungry almost all the time. 

A few weeks ago we switched her food.  We went to an all natural food, no additives, no sugar or fillers.  There are quite a few of these to choose from, they are in the high end dog food isle.  The pros of going this route include less hyperness because there is less (or no) sugar in the food, less pooping (because there are no fillers so they digest the food easier and more of it stays in them) and, because they poop less, they are less hungry which means they eat less.  Well, I’m waiting for that last one!

Today I put her back on 3 meals, I was only feeding her in the morning and then again around 4.  Today I gave her half her normal breakfast, then fed her the other half in the early afternoon and a then her dinner around 6.  She also gets biscuits in between, plus all the training treats she’s getting right now.  The last few days, every time I turn around she’s in the laundry room scratching and clawing at her bag of food, trying to get into it!  She bangs her empty food bowl around too when she wants more.  My husband thinks it’s a growth spurt, just like kids have.  I guess it could be, it just seems like she’s eating so much.  I definitely don’t want to over feed her, I don’t want to end up with a porky Plinko!

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Years ago we had leased a very nice vehicle. We opted to do a lease because it allowed us to get into a larger car, a car that we absolutely loved, not only for its looks, but also for its safety features. At the end of the lease, we knew we wanted to keep the vehicle so I set about looking for an auto loanto pay off the value of the car. This was very time consuming as I had to spend time on the phone calling banks and credit unions getting quotes on used car loans. Mind you, this was pre-internet days!

Today, it would be so much easier to just go online to do this. Whether buying used purchasing a new car I could simply go online to get a Car Loan to make that purchase. The nicest thing about being able to do things online is being able to do them when it is convenient, not having to take time off from work to get something like this done.

Car loans aren’t the only type of loan you can get over the Internet either. Personal loans are also available. It’s just nice to know that just like online banking, we can do things when and where we, the customer, wants to do them, where it’s convenient for us.

I just don’t know what to cook tonight.  I am hungry, it’s been a day of poor eating habits though and, it’s just myself and my daughter.  I think it’s going to be so much easier to just go out to eat. 

Let’s see, I started the day by eating a donut and having 3 cups of coffee.  The donut was cream filled and was so large that I actually did throw away the last third of it, I thought I’d be sick if I ate it all.  For lunch, my daughter and I were at the mall, so we wound up eating at Sonic.  I ate a grilled chicken wrap and a small Dr. Pepper.   After getting home, I had a Special K bar to take the edge of, probably the healthiest thing I ate all day.

Now I’m getting hungry though so think I’ll see what the 11 yo is hungry for.  I want something fast & cheap, but not fast food… is that possible?

My daughter and I spent the day out shopping. We started by going to a great pet supply store where we found a great price on the holistic dog food we are feeding our puppy. We then headed off to the shoe store and then the mall. Walking through the mall today and seeing all the Christmas decorations all ready, I had to start thinking about shopping for Christmas. One thing I’ve discovered over the years is how much I detest going to the mall during the holidays! I really have done a large percentage of my holiday shopping online the last few years.

I am even more inticed to shop online after discovering CouponChief.com a great online site for finding great online deals. They have so many coupons for so many sites, it’s such an easy way to save money. I’ll be able to get discounts on video games, cds, electronics by using Best Buy coupons to buy videos and cd’s. And let’s not forget, this will be our puppy’s first Christmas so I’m sure I can use Petsmart coupons for some awesome dog treats or maybe a new dog bed since she’s just about outgrown the one she’s in!

I think I need to start shopping now, but at least I’ll be able to save money doing it online!

So my husband got all checked in this morning at the airport.  He’s going to be in the Orient for 2 weeks and packed one large suitcase.  Inside of his large suitcase he also packed an empty leather duffel bag.  He plans to use this duffel bag when he spends a couple of days in Hong Kong and leave his big suitcase with the concierge at the hotel in Japan.  Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, his big suitcase was overweight and he had to pay a $25 fee to the airline.  Personally, I think this is a scam by the airlines, just another way to make more money.  Amazingly, his flight is 13 or 14 hours and he gets NO FOOD!

Have you ever thought about having to have long term care? Whenever my husband goes on these extended business trips, especially overseas, I think about things like life insurance, health benefits, and even long term care. I don’t know if he has ever thought about it, but then again, women are typically considered the primary caregiver in a household so it seems more natural that I would be the one thinking about it.

I’m sure you’ve heard that women tend to outlive their husbands, typically by six years or more. My grandmother outlived her husband by 50+ years! I only wish she had been able to plan ahead for long term care. In her last few years, she needed assistance with things that we all tend to take for granted such as taking a bath, getting dressed, and finally, even eating. Because my grandmother didn’t have a lot of money and no long term care insurance, my mom took about 10 years of her life and became her own mom’s primary caregiver. It makes me think, who will take care of me if something happens or if I simply outlive my husband?

Finding long term care insurance can be intimidating but I guess just like looking for auto or homeowners insurance, you need to get information to make an informed decision. National Health Administrators is one place that provides information about long term care insurance and assisted living and is based in Dallas, TX. They can help a person find an insurance plan that fits both a persons needs and a persons budget. I know that I want to be independent as long as possible, but it’s always good to plan ahead and know that there is a contingency plan if something should happen to me.

Well, he’s off. I just dropped off my husband at work where he and his boss headed off to the airport.  Their flight to Beijing leaves at noon today.  This is going to be a long two weeks for me, although I’m sure it will go by very fast for him.  He will be on the go the entire time, bouncing from Beijing to Singapore and Hong Kong and then back to Beijing.  He is going to be so exhausted when he gets home.  Thankfully he arrives back home on a Saturday so will have all of Sunday to relax.

 Funny thins is his biggest concern this morning was what time the football games would be on t.v.!    I told him I would Tivo it for him, not to worry!  Guys and their football!