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These Boots Were Made for Walking

   Okay, so winter is almost here and that means spending more time indoors…or does it? If you’re like me, you love to go for walks when the sun is shining with a nice warm breeze blowing through your hair. When the mercury starts to drop sometimes my initiative to get up and go is more like a no go. But, there are plenty of people out there who don’t let old man winter change their walking plans.

   If you’re one of those people, I really envy you. I know you bundle yourselves up and walk even faster to keep away the winter chill. That’s actually one plus for walking in the winter. At least you move a little faster!  Just like the song goes, there are plenty of boots that are made for walking too. You just have to find the right ones. There are plenty of cute ones for women and some real nice rugged looking ones for guys too. Maybe that’s what I need to get me moving in the right direction this winter. Lord knows it beats racking up the miles on the treadmill! Talk about boring with a capital “B”. We’ll see what happens!

It’s Time to Face Winter

   Like it or not, winter will be here before you know it. If you haven’t already, that means finally having to say goodbye to our tank tops and flip flops (tear drop), and saying hello to our jackets and boots. The only good thing about the weather getting colder is that it gives me a good excuse to go shopping.  Not like I really need an excuse, but everyone has to get some new clothes for the new season, right? Exactly, that’s what I thought.

   So, what kind of things do you look for when shopping for the next few months of winter that lie ahead of us? Well, besides picking up some new sweaters and boots, a staple of any winter wardrobe is a good jacket. You have to stay warm when the chill hits. There’s nothing worse than walking around in the cold and being cold. Trust me, I’ve been there, done that. If you’re not one to actually go out and buy yourself some new stuff, then why not put it on your Christmas list? Who knows, maybe you’ll find it under your tree. You can ask Santa; just make sure you’ve been nice over the past year and not naughty!

Gearing Up for Winter

   I’ll admit it; I’m not a big fan of winter. I’ll take a day on the beach over a snowball fight any day. But, I know plenty of people who love to hit the slopes as soon as there’s enough snow coating the ground. Kudos to you! I know you guys have to wrap yourselves up in a lot of layers and take a lot of time bundling up and keeping warm.  As with any other activity or outing, you have to put a lot of thought into what kind of outdoor gear you’ll be sporting. There are the hats, the gloves, the scarves, the snow pants, the footwear…the list goes on and on. It’s not like the summer when you can throw on a pair of shorts and flip flops and run out the door!

    From what I hear from a lot of you winter outdoor lovers, waterproof clothing is a staple of your wardrobe. To my summer loving surprise, a lot of those warm and waterproof jackets and other gear are actually stylish. Who knew? Maybe I haven’t been giving winter a fair shake all these years! Maybe one way to warm up to winter is through a shopping trip. What do you think?

Keeping Out the Winter Chill

   Depending on where you live, you may have already shoveled through your first significant snowfall of the year. That’s definitely the case where I live. I have to keep reminding myself that winter is not even here yet. Sigh. When it does arrive, it doesn’t leave very quickly. Double sigh. In fact it seems as though it loves to linger much longer than the summer months. That means more snow and more chilly temperatures. Triple sigh!

  Since I can’t do anything to avoid the impending chill, I might as well just suck it up. If that’s the case, I might as well go along with it and do it in style.  You know the saying…”if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”  That’s definitely the case here. As much as I may not want to admit it, there are a lot of cute winter clothes out there. From coats to scarves to jackets…there’s plenty to work with out there. With Christmas looming, there are also a lot of deals out there too on winter coats and other gear to keep you warm and get you through the season. Perhaps that’s the silver lining here? Who knows! Everyone loves a bargain, myself included!

How Much is Your Furniture Worth?

   It’s kind of hard to believe that the holidays are here and the end of the year is approaching. It seems like only yesterday I was watching Ryan Seacrest in Times Square. But anyway, for a lot of us the promise of a new year brings a new resolution. For some that means cleaning up our houses and finally getting organized. If you’re getting organized, it may be time to part with some items that you have been clinging to, just like that pair of size two jeans you know you’re never going to fit into again no matter how many miles you run!

  For some people that “clingy” item may be an old piece of furniture that was either handed down or was bought as a “real steal” at a yard sale. You may be surprised, but a lot of old furniture could bring you some new cash. We’re not just talking coffee money either. Some furniture could be worth tens of thousands of dollars. It’s crazy to think but it’s true. Something that’s just taking up space in your house or collecting dust could help you collect some cash. What a better way to ring in the new year than with some new green!

Antiques Could = Cash

   It’s that time of year when we could all use a little extra cash to complete our holiday shopping list. For some people that means picking up an extra shift at work or maybe even a seasonal job. For others it means looking at your own stuff to see what can be traded in for extra cash. What you may think is junk just lying around the house may actually be antiques that are worth money. We all have those knick knacks that have been collecting dust or that vase we toyed with selling at a tag sale, but kept for some odd reason. Come on, admit it, you know what I’m talking about here!

   It’s really interesting to see how people determine if you have a real gem on your hands or if you really have a piece of junk. While you can play a guessing game, the only true way to find out is to have someone experienced take a look for you. I know we’re all busy this time of year, but taking a little time out to see what you have may actually make you money. Even if you don’t use the money to buy something for someone else, why not buy something for yourself?

The Art of Appraising

   We’ve all heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”  But, I’ve also heard a lot of people say their paintings are worth a thousand bucks or sometimes even ten times more. Has that ever happened to you? I can honestly say it hasn’t happened to me, but I wish it would someday! I know a lot of people who are going to have antiques and art appraised to see if they can be that lucky too. Sometimes you really don’t know what you have until someone dusts off the cobwebs and takes a good hard look!

  You can call it a sign of the times, but I think a lot of people are raiding their attics and basements because of the rising popularity of television shows that show just how much stuff you find in storage may actually be worth. My husband is totally into those shows and I get sucked into watching them too. Sometimes they can be annoying, but other times it really is amazing to see how much value something that appears to be worthless can actually hold. It actually makes you want to look at your own stuff to hunt for hidden treasures.

Open Up a Roll of Bubbly

  Some people call it a stress reliever, others say it’s just fun, and of course, plenty of others use it for what it was made to be used for. I’m talking about bubble wrap. It may sound silly, but I used to love (heck, I still do!) to pop bubble wrap. Of course my mom used to tell me how annoying the sound was, but who cares? There are plenty of other things that are far worse! Bubble wrap is one of those little things in life that can really put a smile on your face. In fact, there’s even something called bubble wrap appreciation day or BWAD, as the cool kids like to call it! There are even fun games you can play with bubble wrap too. Who knew?

   Although bubble wrap appreciation day is still a few months away, bubble wrap is getting plenty of love this time of year. It’s that time of year to wrap and ship those Christmas gifts. No one wants to ship some expensive vase or ornament only to have it arrive in hundreds of pieces of broken glass. ‘Tis the season to open up a roll of bubbly. The person opening that special package will appreciate it!

 

Put a Label on It

   One of my most favorite things to do over the holidays is wrap Christmas presents. I like to wait for the kids to go to bed (really how much wrapping will you get accomplished otherwise?), get a cup of cocoa or glass of wine (usually number two), put on some holiday tunes, and get wrapping. Like I’ve said before sometimes you need to pack up those gifts and ship them off to grandma’s house. If you want to make sure they get over the meadow and through the woods, you better make sure you put a label on it. 

   Those labels are also good if you have to organize stuff. Honestly, what momma out there doesn’t have some organizing to do? Unless your name is Martha Stewart, I’m sure a little labeling wouldn’t hurt  any of us in the organization department! Labels are great when it comes to organizing your kids old clothes or toys, especially if you’re planning on handing them down to a family member or friend. At least this way you find those size 3 shirts without going through all of those storage bins in the basement! Just think of all the time you can save. Time to go label some more stuff and get organized!

Running Low on Ink is Annoying

    It’s one of life’s little annoyances. You’ve either spent the better part of your day writing up some important stuff or downloading some pictures when you go to hit the print button and the finished product comes out blank. If you’re like me, you’ve ignored the “low ink” messages for the last twenty or so prints and now that you really need it, you’re out of ink. If you’re also like me, you always forget to write down the kind of ink you need so that once you get to the store you have no idea what to get. Epic fail…how annoying!

   So here are some simple tips. First of all, don’t ignore those ink warnings. It would just save a lot of time and aggravation to replace the cartridge when you’re supposed to. It’s like filling your gas tank before you hit “E”. Contrary to what you might believe, “E” does not stand for excellent, at least not in this case. Number two, write down what you’re supposed to get before you head out to the store. Think of it as if you’re going out to the grocery store. I know it sounds easy, but sometimes the easiest things are the hardest!