- Page 2 of 315 - Good food, good company, good advice from Grandma

Road Trip To Abilene, Texas

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If you have recently retired and plan to take a rambling road trip, and that trip takes you through Texas, then stopping for a day or two in Abilene is definitely worth the time.

Abilene is on I-20, and is about 180 miles west of Dallas, and 450 miles east of El Paso. When my husband and I were travelling, we would rather stop at smaller towns than big ones. Abilene would have been one of the places we would have spent time in if we had travelled I-20 much.

So, what is there to do in Abilene? If you like zoos, they have one of those. There is a dog park, to take your four legged travel companions for a run. History buffs might like a walking tour of downtown to see the old buildings there and hear about their history. And don’t forget the song, “Abilene, Abilene, prettiest town I’ve ever seen” written by Bob Gibson in 1956.

If you are like me and like to visit museums, then you will find several in Abilene. Frontier Texas! is one of only a few museums in the world to feature life-sized holographic figures. Experience the dramatic Texas frontier as the story comes to life in this multimedia history facility. The Grace, located in the heart of downtown in a historic building, is an AAM accredited museum. Changing exhibits feature the best of Texas art, past and present, within the context of American art. Experience World War II through the eyes of the 12th Armored Division ‘Hellcats’ as you explore the three floors of this remarkable museum. Artifacts, photographs, oral histories, weapons, uniforms, vehicles, dioramas and a Holocaust memorial bring the story to life and honors the sacrifice of the great men and women who comprised the 12th. The Taylor County History Center features Indian artifacts and a collection of frontier firearms.

Added to all that, you can choose from outdoor activities, night life, movies, and live theater, and much more. You might even want to make Abilene, Texas a destination on your next vacation just to have time to see it all!

The Monarch Butterflies Migration: Have You Ever Seen It?

Karen · 1 Comment

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Back in October of 1996, when my grandson, Michael was born in San Antonio, I went there to meet him with two friends. We stayed in San Antonio for five days. Before we left to come home, we decided to drive down to Laredo so we could go shopping across the border in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Little did we know that we would encounter thousands of the beautiful Monarch Butterflies.

At the time, I had a Dodge Ram 1500 pick up truck. It was white, with tan interior, and so comfortable for taking long trips. That truck had four doors, and could seat six people with no problem. We got on the road very early in the day so we could get in as much shopping as possible once we got there.

On the trip down I-35, we ran into clouds of Monarch Butterflies that were making their annual migration. I had heard about the migration of these beautiful butterflies, but had never seen it before. There were thousands of them, all along the route down to Laredo.

Monarch Butterflies are the only insect that migrates. If they are from east of the Rocky Mountains, they migrate to Central Mexico. If they live west of the Rocky Mountains, they migrate to the Pacific Grove, California area. In California, they hibernate in eucalyptus trees. In Central Mexico, they hibernate in oyamel fir trees. No matter which location they migrate to, they always use the same trees! I find that to be interesting.

As we drove down the highway, there were so many butterflies. They hit the truck and the windshield, making it almost impossible to see. By the time we got to Laredo, my white truck was orange on the front. It made me very sad to know that I was responsible for killing so many of the beautiful Monarch Butterflies. I will never forget seeing the migration, and being in the middle of it. Have you ever seen the migration?

How to Reinvent Your Home

Karen · Leave a Comment

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Your home is like anything else. Eventually, you’re going to get bored with it. There’s no reason to have the same interior design scheme forever. Human beings thrive on change. Now that everyone has access to the internet (you can go online for free at public libraries), you can become your own designer. If you want to give your home a new vibe, there are a ton of things you can do. Here are a few of your options.

Paint

A fresh paint job always looks good. Even if you simply refresh your old color. Painting the interior of your home is very different than painting the exterior. Most people can handle painting their home’s interior on their own, especially the smaller rooms. Of course, that doesn’t mean that they want to. Painting your home takes a lot of time. Some people don’t want to devote any of their free time to home improvement projects.

Painting your home’s exteriors is much harder. You’re better off hiring professional house painters rather than trying to do it yourself. Your house will look better and the job will be completed much sooner. For more information about the benefits of using professional painters, go here https://teaberry.net/professional-painters/.

New Design Pieces

Most homes are filled with things like knickknacks, personal pictures, design pieces, etc. If you change them, it will automatically give your home a new look. Try switching up the family photos you have on display. It’ll give your eyes something new to look at. You should also check out your knickknacks. If you need design inspiration, look online. There are tons of sites devoted to interior design. Before you start the project, it’s a good idea to set a budget. There’s no limit to the amount of money you could potentially spend. It’s easier to stop overspending if you know your budget before you start shopping.

Cover the Floors

A fantastic rug can completely change the way you feel about a room. You can pick a bold design that immediately draws people’s eye. The best place to do this is in your living room. That’s usually the social center of the house. A good rug is often very expensive. However, they last a long time if you take care of them. Think about no longer wearing shoes inside. You can also look into an inexpensive rug. They won’t last as long but they’re also much easier to replace. You should be able to find an appealing rug either way.

Clean Up

You might be feeling lackluster about your home because it’s dirty. Dirt is extremely distracting. The nicest mansion in Beverly Hills would look ugly if it were never cleaned. If you’re naturally a messy person, changing your habits can be hard. You can try to help yourself by creating a cleaning schedule. On Mondays you clean the bathrooms, on Tuesdays you dust, etc.

We live in a service economy. So, if you don’t like the idea of being responsible for keeping your property looking spic and span, hire a professional cleaner. Even having someone do a deep clean once a month would make a big difference.

Fix Your Yard

Real estate agents love to talk about curb appeal. An attractive yard plays a big role in that. If you let your yard get too messy, your own enjoyment of your home may decrease. You won’t be as happy when you pull into your driveway. If the idea of doing yardwork fills you with dread, think about adopting a desert-style yard. You use rocks instead of grass. It’s much easier to maintain. Or, you can hire a landscaper. If you decide to do the work yourself, make sure you do it regularly. Grass and weeds can grow out of control if they’re not checked.

Your home is your castle. You should want it to look amazing whether you’re living in it or trying to sell it. People crave comfortable surroundings. Changing your design scheme is easy in modern times. You can look at ideas and have items shipped online. You can use apps like TaskRabbit to find someone to help you with any installation, heavy lifting, etc.

Don’t be afraid to try something unique. If you hate it, the change will be easy to roll back. Take lots of before and after pictures. You want to reference past design schemes in the future. Ready to get started? Do it today! There’s no reason to put your plans off.

Debt Consolidation vs. Debt Settlement

Karen · Leave a Comment

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You’ve made a commitment: you’re going to pay off your debt. The question, now, is how best to go about it. A starting point is to calculate potential savings with a debt consolidation calculator. This is really looking at savings based on a lower interest rate over a set period of time. The next decision is what tactic to use – debt settlement or a debt consolidation loan? While these two may sound similar, they mean two very different things. Here’s what you need to know about each option.

Debt Consolidation 101

Debt consolidation is a popular approach for people who want to regain control over their financial situation. Debt consolidation takes various debts and rolls them into a single, blanket loan with a single monthly payment. Debt consolidation comes in a few different forms. People can get a balance-transfer credit card, a debt consolidation loan, a home equity line of credit (HELOC) or a 401(k) loan, for example.

Debt consolidation is an excellent option for many people. Here are a few benefits of it:

Debt consolidation lowers interest rates and helps you save money in the long-term. It’s also an excellent way for people to pay their debts off sooner.
Debt consolidation can eliminate manageable debt. While it’s not ideal for large debts or overwhelming debt loads, debt consolidation is a great approach to paying down manageable debt amounts and kinds.
Debt consolidation reduces the number of monthly payments. If you’re getting overwhelmed by the number of payments you’re making each month, debt consolidation can help. By rolling all your payments into a single payment, consolidation enables you to take control of your finances.

Debt Settlement

Debt settlement is different from debt consolidation. The approach looks like this: you work with a debt settlement professional who advises you to withhold payments from your creditors. Once the account is very past due, you work with that debt settlement professional and the creditor to negotiate a smaller amount that will satisfy the debt and close out the account.

The downside of this approach, though, is that withholding payments and having past-due amounts destroys your credit score and puts you at risk of lawsuits for nonpayment. As if that weren’t enough, there’s not any guarantee that the creditors will settle for a lesser amount.

Debt settlement is very rarely a good option for consumers. As a general rule, people might choose debt settlement if they have an account that’s already quite delinquent or in collections. If it’s likely that a creditor will accept a partial payment, debt settlement may be a good option, especially if the damage to your credit score has already taken place. If you’re interested in pursuing debt settlement, hire a professional debt settlement company. This reduces the risk of you taking the wrong road and helps reduce the possibility of damage to your financial life.

Which Option is Right For You?

As a general rule, debt consolidation is the way to regain control of your financial life. Debt settlement applies to very few people and is not always a great option. If you’d like to learn more about either option, contact a debt resolution expert.

Workamping In Urbanna, Virginia

Karen · Leave a Comment

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Back in 2006, before I started writing Fabgrandma.com, my husband and I decided to get a job in Virginia so that we could be close to our daughter, Becca, for the season. I checked my resources for jobs in the area close to Richmond and Norfolk. There were several jobs listed in Workamper News for seasonal positions in Virginia Beach. We applied to a couple of them, and were accepted at a privately owned campground just a couple of miles from the beach. It sounded like a great place to work, with good pay for every hour that we worked, a full hookup site to live on while we worked there, and several other perks.

When we arrived at the campground, we discovered that it was also just a few miles away from the Naval Air Station. The sound of jets taking off and landing at all hours of the night and day could not be concealed by the thin walls of an RV. So, about two weeks after we got there, we started looking for another place to work. Our requirements were that it be close enough to Richmond to visit friends who lived there, and close enough to Norfolk to visit our daughter, and that it was QUIET.

I got out my job resources again, and found another campground about 70 miles north of Norfolk, and 60 miles east of Richmond, on the Rappahannock River. This campground was usually visited by weekend campers, so during the week it was pretty quiet. There was fishing available in a lake on the grounds, and also in the river. I could put a crab trap in the water on my way to work in the morning, and harvest three or four crabs when I got off work in the evening. Bethpage Camp Resort was a nice enough place to work, with pay for all hours work, a full hook up site to live on, and a bonus at the end of the season. The campground had many themed weekends, which were well attended, with many repeat campers throughout the season. We enjoyed living there.

While we worked there, we explored the area around us, as usual, and found so many places we wanted to go to several time. There was an asparagus farm where you could get fresh cut asparagus at a ridiculously low price. A gas station in the country that had been converted into a small restaurant, Something Different, where they sold the best crab cakes I ever tasted. The city life was accessible within an hour or so to Richmond or Norfolk. We made some very good friends that year, whom we have kept in touch with all this time. One couple, Lynda and Charlie, live in Washington State, another couple lives in Florida. And one lives in Texas. Moving from that loud campground in Virginia Beach was a good decision for us.

How to Find the Best Eye Cream that Works

Karen · Leave a Comment

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It seems like there is always something new that we need to add to our daily and weekly skincare regimes. Primers, setting sprays, serums and toners, are all recent additions to our cosmetic arsenal, but eye cream has always been a vital component. After all, the fine lines and crow’s feet around our eyes are often the first visible signs of aging.

There are thousands of eye creams on the market, but some people still question if they are necessary. Can’t you just smear your regular facial moisturizer around your eyes – won’t that have the same effect?

This couldn’t be further from the truth. The moisturizers and creams that we use on the rest of our facial skin is simply too rich and heavy for the delicate, crepe-like skin around our eyes. Different eye creams are designed to address different needs – but which one is best for your skin?

We have compiled a list of factors that you should consider when you are selecting an eye cream for your skin. No matter which one you choose, make sure that you always protect the skin around your eye area with an SPF. The sun’s harmful rays will do much more damage than anything else when it comes to prematurely aging your skin.

Here are the most important things you need to think about when choosing an eye cream for your specific concerns.

Dark Circles Under Your Eyes

One of the commonly cited skincare concerns amongst women is dark circles under their eyes. Not only can dark circles make you look tired and stressed, they can be a sign of a poor diet. But for some women, no matter how well-balanced their diet and how many vitamins they consume, their dark circles will not relent.

In these cases, look for an eye cream that contains caffeine. Yes, the same ingredient that perks you up in the morning can brighten the dark circles under your eyes! When you apply caffeine topically to your skin it encourages blood flow to the area and banishes the dark and shadowy patches beneath your eyes.

Fine Lines and Crow’s Feet

Fine lines around the eyes, also known as crow’s feet, are one of the most common signs of aging. These wrinkles are caused by squinting, sun damage, smoking, and even just making common facial expressions. Even though many women experience these fine lines, that doesn’t mean that you are excited to see them pop up on your own face!

If you want to banish crow’s feet, you need to use an eye cream that contains retinol (a form of vitamin A that promotes skin renewal), hyaluronic acid, glycerine, and vitamin E. These ingredients will help smooth the lines, plump your skin, and prevent moisture loss.

Puffy, Swollen Eyes

A lack of sleep, stress, and physical exhaustion in general can all lead to swollen, puffy eyes. If you want to reduce puffiness and swelling around your eyes, look for an eye cream that includes retinol and hyaluronic acid. These ingredients will reduce the contours around your eye area, firm your skin, and make your eyes look more awake and open.

Dry Skin Around Your Eyes

Dry, itchy skin can plague anyone, and it can wreak havoc on your face. Whether it is caused by the arid effects of the winter weather, indoor heating systems, food sensitivities, or other allergies, a lack of hydration can damage the sensitive skin around your eyes. If you suffer from dry skin around your eyes, look for an eye cream that includes nourishing oils and butters.

The Prevention of Aging – Before it Starts

You might not yet be experiencing the visible signs of aging around your eyes, but it is never too early to start preventing them. If you are not yet in need of a reparative cream but you want to prevent them for as long as possible, look for an eye cream that targets the early signs of aging. It should include antioxidants, peptides, plant extracts, vitamins E and C, and hyaluronic acid.

Wrap Up

Whether you are looking to prevent the signs of aging, get rid of dark circles, or smooth out wrinkles and crow’s feet, there are thousands of eye creams on the market. Follow the guidance above the choose the best options for your specific needs.

Workamping In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Karen · Leave a Comment

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The year after we worked in Virginia, we decided to go to work for a campground in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. We found the ad for the job in Workamper News, applied for it, and were hired. We were offered wages for every hour worked, a full hook-up site to live on while we worked there, and a bonus at the end of the season. Other perks included free tours and tickets to attractions, so that we could become familiar with them and sell tickets at the front desk when campers checked in.

Our campsite was beautiful! We were parked in front of a civil war era barn, that had once been used as a hospital during the Battle of Gettysburg. We had plenty of room, and our neighbors were all working at the campground.

Granite Hill Campground offered many activities for all ages. There were supervised games, fishing rodeos, dances, and twice a year, they sponsored a Bluegrass Music Festival. You can believe that the place was packed during the festivals.

Granite Hill Campground is located in the countryside outside of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The people who come there to relax on the weekends come from Washington, D.C; Baltimore, Maryland; and Philadelphia, Pa. All of these places are within an easy 2-3 hour drive from the campground. There is so much to do that your kids can stay busy, while you sit outside and enjoy the time off from your job. My favorite weekend there was when they had steamed crabs!

Things to do away from the campground include touring the battlegrounds, driving around the rural area stopping for fresh fruits and vegetables, the Land of Little Horses, and the Round Barn. The Land of Little Horses has a petting zoo and sells food for the animals so you can feed them. You can also see a show with trained horses, dogs, and goats doing all sorts of tricks, including playing baseball!

You will love Granite Hill Campground, and may even become one of their regulars if you decide to go there.

Busy Mom Lifestyle: Three Unhealthy Habits That Are Ruining Your Health

Karen · Leave a Comment

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Let’s face it. The life of a mother isn’t a walk in the park. Raising children, maintaining a household, working, and juggling personal relationships is a lot of work. Tackling each day causes many women to develop unhealthy habits. Unfortunately, over time these unhealthy habits can lead to mental and physical conditions. Not to mention, a lesser quality of life.

All you want is to be the best mom, wife, employee, daughter, sister, and friend you can be. Yet, to be any of those things requires you to be in the best possible health. That means, eliminating those unhealthy habits and finding alternative solutions to living the busy mom lifestyle. Here’s a look at some of the most common habits and ways to make improvements.

Skipping Breakfast

One of the unhealthy habits most moms are probably guilty of – skipping breakfast. Your mornings are filled with getting the kids ready for school, packing their lunches, and making sure they eat. Who has time to enjoy a hearty breakfast with all that on their plates?

Breakfast is by far, one of the most important meals of the day. It’s the nourishment that the body needs to function properly. Keeping up this habit reduces the nutrients your body receives each day, disrupts your blood sugar levels, causes unhealthy cravings, and more.

How can make sure you’re eating breakfast as you should? Get up a few minutes earlier to prepare it or you can start making quick things like fruit and veggie smoothies.

Limited Rest

Though it would seem that sleep deprivation and motherhood go hand in hand, not getting the right amount of rest each night will catch up with you. Trying to wing it on a couple of hours of rest can increase your risk of developing diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also impact your mood causing you to feel irritable. Not to mention slowed productivity, brain fog, and a host of other effects.

There could be several reasons why you’re not getting enough rest. If you’re stressed, it is best to work through those problems so you can sleep peacefully. If you suffer from anxiety, insomnia, or other health condition that could alter your sleep patterns, then talk with a doctor or therapist to receive treatment.

If none of these are your issues, then perhaps it’s your sleeping environment. Where you sleep can have an effect on how well you sleep. If your mattress is older than 10 years, consider looking into newer, healthier brands like Essentia with organic materials for better rest. Installing a programmable thermostat would allow you to have better control over the temperature at night. Lastly, remove distractions like televisions and cell phones and develop a bedtime routine.

Trying to Take On the World

Its somehow in a woman’s nature to try to take on the world all on her own. Whether she’s a single mother or a married woman with a supportive husband, she feels the need to be and do everything for everyone. Though it’s wonderful to want to be there for everyone in your life, trying to tackle it alone will wear you down – fast.

Life is hectic enough without trying to put more burden on yourself. You end up pushing yourself until you’re mentally and physically burned out. This can lead to everything from chronic stress to resentment of the very people you work so hard to love and support.

Don’t be afraid to say no or to reach out for help when you need it. You have friends, relatives, and other supportive adults in your corner that will assist you. Whether it’s assistance with making meals, getting the kids from school, having some downtime, showing up to a school event, or just a listening ear, you should allow people to help make things easier on you.

Things are always going to be hectic in the life of a mother. Be that as it may, it is important for moms to take better care of themselves. If you’re guilty of skipping breakfast, not getting enough rest, or trying to be a supermom, then perhaps it’s time to make some changes to those unhealthy habits. Utilizing the advice provided above will help to ease your tensions, improve your health, and most importantly, support you in being the best mom you can be.