Misc 2

A couple of weeks ago, we had some record “low high” temperatures here in Georgia. For about a four days, the temps didn’t get over about 70 degrees! That is very unusual for August here, but it has made me really wish for those daytime temperatures to come back. I was thinking I would need to buy a new jacket already! It was a bit too chilly for shorts on those days.

Then I looked at the Weather Channel website for the coming week, and it is going to be over 90 degrees every day again. I don’t think I can take the heat much longer. The trees in our yard are already starting to turn fall colors, with some leaves already falling. Fabgrandpa is talking about getting a leaf blower or a bagger for the Cub Cadet, but he can’t make up his mind which one he wants to get.

I know September is usually when the weather starts cooling off, so maybe this hot spell we are fixing to get will be the last of the summer season. I really love the crisp mornings of Fall, sitting outside on the porch with a cup of coffee.

What is your favorite time of year? Are you ready for the seasons to change like I am?

With school starting back up and football games commencing on Friday nights, it is not too early to be thinking about the homecoming dance, and looking for homecoming dresses. I know when I was in high school, the dresses we wore were like puff balls, with so many layers it was almost impossible to see the girl in them. I don’t have any pictures of me when I was in high school, so I can’t show the ridiculous thing we called a dress back then.

Year later, when my daughters were in high school, the dresses were still a little fluffy, but they were shorter and showed more of the girl. I was surprised when my oldest daughter wanted a strapless dress:

When I started looking for homecoming dresses at Dress First to see what my ganddaughter might have to choose from now that she is high school, it was obvious that times have changed. The dresses are still fluffy and mostly pastel, but they definitely look more mature than when my daughters and I were growing up:

The dresses at Dress First are reasonably priced, and with so many to choose from I am sure you will be able to find one that is suitable for your daughter, no matter how old she is, to wear to the homecoming dance. I think I would like one a little bit longer than this one for Sarah:

I’d really like to see her in a dress more like this one, as it is a little longer, and covers up more. I guess we’ll have to see who wins the battle on this one.

What did your homecoming dress look like?

Capturing memories has never been easier or more popular. From phones to cameras to tablet computers and good old-fashioned camcorders, moments can be documented, edited and shared within seconds for the world to enjoy. Whether you’re spending time with a growing family, marking a special occasion or embarking on an exciting travel experience, having a compact camcorder on hand is the perfect way to document your favourite moments.

However, the electronics market today is filled with products. There are camcorders that range drastically in size and price with little other decipherable differences to the uninformed consumer. Salespeople can be very helpful but the looming prospect of an ‘up-sell’ is never far from mind. It’s therefore worthwhile to get informed about what you’re looking for. Here are some of the best handheld camcorders on the market today, chosen for their ease of use when you’re on the go.

Sony Bloggie PM5KW

The Sony Bloggie PM5KW is pretty smart for quick shooting on the road or at a party. This model has a nice slim body so it’s easy to carry and fits comfortably into coat pockets and handbags. Another fun feature of the Bloggie is its 360° lens which allows for great panoramic videos. This feature is fantastic for traveling or fitting in all the generations around the dinner table!

Toshiba Camileo P100

The Toshiba Camileo P100 is fairly similar to the Bloggie, although the shape of the camera itself is different, with a ‘pistol grip’ style that is quite easy and intuitive. The Camileo offers a 8x zoom which is great for capturing images at a distance and it features an HDMI connector which allows for direct playback through an HD TV, the perfect (and easiest) way to share your videos and images with those you love.

Panasonic HX-DC1

The Panasonic HX-DC1 is little pricier, but this camera boasts higher image quality, a longer zoom and a fancy futuristic look. This camcorder also records two-channel audio which means that you get stereo sound quality on all recordings. Though your grandkids might grow up faster than you can keep up with, you can preserve all your earliest memories of them in crystal-clear sound.

It’s easy to be intimidated by facts or figures when it comes to new technology. But camcorders have never been easier to use, despite the fancy technical jargon that often accompanies the price tag. What’s most important is being able to capture those special moments with quality, clarity and confidence and for this, all that’s needed is a little basic knowledge.

This post is brought to you by brandfluential.com. I received compensation for this post, but all opinions are honest and 100% my own.

Do you have people on your gift shopping list that are just impossible to shop for? I know everyone has at least one person that fits that description. But even if your friend or family member is easy to please, wouldn’t it be great to know that the gift you give them would be just what they wanted? Now, with PickURgift, you can shop knowing that the money you spend will be for a gift that is truly appreciated.

PickURgift.com is the new place to go to for you to be the person who gives the very best gifts. To get started, you go to the website and register for a free account with your name and email address. After that, create a contact list. You’ll need a name and email address for each person. This contact list is your list of people for whom you will be shopping.

After you have created your contact list, you can then create a gift list for each person. To do that, you download the UR button to your menu bar of your browser. When you are shopping online and find an item that you think your contact would like, click on the UR button, and add the item to the gift list for that person. You can add as many gifts as you like to the list. Adding them is so easy to do!

When you have added all the gift ideas to the list, you can then send the list to your contact person. They can look over the choices you made, and decide which item they would like to have. Once they make a choice, you will receive a notification that the person has selected their gift.

The only thing left to do is to click on the link to the gift and purchase it for the intended person. Because the recipient was able to chose from a list of things you chose for them, you can be sure they will like it when it is received.

In the process of this review, I was paired up with Zippy from Champagne Living. I had to look over her blog and her Facebook account to learn something about her, so that I could choose gifts for her gift list. I picked out several things I though she might like, then sent her the list. She chose the wallet I picked out for her. She said she has wanted one like that for a long time, but that like me, she is stingy when it comes to buying things for herself.

The gifts she picked out for me after getting to know me included a Simplicity Bias Tape Maker. I have wanted one of those for so long! It was like a dream come true when it arrived at my house! Like Christmas, only without the tree. You know I can not wait to try this out!

When using this program, I found that downloading the UR Button,  adding the gift items to a gift list were the easiest parts. While I did eventually figure out how to add a contact, it was a little hard to to do that part. It was also hard for me to figure out how to create a gift list for my contact person. Then, when I was ready to purchase the gift, it took me a little while of clicking around on the website to find my recipient’s mailing address. I think that the developer of the program should make it easier to find that information. Overall, I feel that this program is a very good idea. It would help me a lot in finding gifts for my teenage grandchildren or for relatives who seem to have everything they want.

Who would you create gift pages for?

For a lot of popular products and luxuries, shopping is more fun on the so-called “high end” of things. Superior products, despite coming at higher prices, can simply be more enjoyable to shop for and look through. Whether it’s perusing your favorite clothing collections, looking for new furniture, or whatever else you need, there’s an undeniable appeal in wealth and quality!

However, for certain items, high-end shopping is almost too easy, and ends up taking some of the fun out of things. Take jewelry for example, It’s easy enough to find a high-end website offering valuable jewels and gold pieces at premium prices – but isn’t it a bit more fun to get out into the world around you and find some unique, casual jewelry with a bit more personal appeal? Casual accessories made from simpler craft-type materials can be a great deal more unique, and add some stylish touch to your outfits – here are a few specific suggestions to think about.

Charms & Pendants

The easiest way to design some cheap, personal jewelry is to do it with simple charms and pendants. This might mean anything from a little metallic “peace” symbol, to your initials made out in pewter, or whatever else you find that interests you. Just grab a simple thread or thin metal chain for a bracelet or necklace and add pendants as you see fit over time.

African Paper Beads

You’ve probably seen these beads around, even if you don’t know it. Various villages and communities in Africa produce incredibly beautiful beads by rolling colorful paper into beads and dipping them into lacquer before stringing them. You can find these beads at different sites devoted to selling them to help make money for the communities that produce them.

Seashell Necklaces

If you’ve ever tried to make your own, you may have found that it can be surprisingly difficult (just because it’s tough to poke holes in shells without ruining them). But, whether you fashion your own shell necklace or buy one at a beach kiosk, this is a great piece of casual jewelry, particularly in the waning weeks of summer!

Wood, Hemp & Leather

Nothing specific here, except for a few casual materials to consider. Too often people limit jewelry to just a few materials: metals, jewels, pendants, and beads. But bracelets and necklaces made of wood, hemp, and leather bands can be a great deal more unique (not to mention cheaper!). Again, the beach kiosk is often your best bet for these pieces.

Feather & Flower Compliments

Finally, put some flowers and feathers into your jewelry box! Not loosely, of course – but believe it or not, fake flowers and feathers are actually pretty trendy in this year’s best fashion collections. These are quirky options, but great ways to make cheap fashion statements.

Whether you have lived in your house for twenty years or for just a few months like I have, I know you are still looking for some colorful new items to brighten up the kitchen. Even in my old house, where I lived for more than sixteen years, I was still wanting to glam it up a bit the month before we moved out. I was pleasantly surprised to find some cute little things that are useful, too at The Lakeside Collection.

If you cook out a lot, this buffet caddy is just the thing you need. I think it would come in very handy when we have company indoors or outdoors, when grilling or for holiday celebrations.

What a cute way to hold all the things you need for the dinner party! I love that it holds the silverware and napkins.At $12.95, that’s a very good deal.

My mother used to have a cloth plastic bag keeper. I have looked for one of those, and thought about making one, but look at this cute version from The Lakeside Collection. This would be adorable on the wall, and be useful too. Only $9.95, can you imagine?

I am a sucker for casserole dishes. I have to many now, but if I could get these with handles, I would find a place to put them. These are only $19.95 for the set of three!

The Lakeside Collection website has lots of items for the entire house. From furniture and rugs, bed and bath,cooking supplies,  housewares and dining, and much more. With their affordable prices, you can pick up some great gifts too.