Just Simply Holly

I’ve been looking at the various blogs and websites that I have accumulated lately, trying to decide what to do with some that are just sitting there with nothing on them. One of the things that has come to mind for me is the thought of starting some sort of online business on one of them.

With everything that I have going on in real life, it’s going to be almost impossible for me to find a job that will be flexible enough to work around my school hours, and having to drive my daughter back and forth to the bus stop in the morning and afternoon, as well as the regular appointments that my children have with doctors and counselors. So that’s why it would benefit me to find things that I could do online that would help supplement my husbands income.

There are some really good options as to the different types of online stores and products that I could choose from, but beyond choosing the right type(s) of products, there are other important options that I need to weigh as well. One of the most important things when running an online business is to have a top notch shopping cart software program in place. It is vitally important to keep your customers information safe and secure. When you take the extra steps to make sure that you are using a reputable shopping cart, you are not only protecting your customers, you are also letting them know that you value their business!

So stay tuned because when I do finally decide what it is I want to do with my extra website(s), I’ll be sure to post it here! And if you are also considering starting an online business, make sure you take the extra step to assure your customers that their online shopping safety is as important to you as it is to them!

I am happy to say that I survived Black Friday 2007 and I hope that if you went out this morning in the week hours of the morning to grab those early morning deals that the retailers that were offering that you survived as well!  I spent the night with my mom last night and she and I were up at 2:30 this morning and out the door shortly after3:00 so that we could be ready to hit Kohl’s when they opened at 4:00 this morning.  I was able to grab a couple of the micro fleece blankets they had for $7.99 as well as a few things for the kids.  My mom got  some great deals on clothes for the kids and she also got my gift, which is a gorgeous comforter set for my bed.  From Kohl’s we headed over to Walmart where I snagged up my new crockpot and a pair of memory foam slippers.  I also managed to get 4 oversized bath towels in 2 packs for $3.84 per package.  Other than that, there really wasn’t much at Walmart that we wanted.

After Walmart we went and grabbed breakfast and planed our next stops which were Kmart, the mall (JC Penney, Sears, Aeropostle and Elder Beerman), then ran to Meijer.  At that point I was tired (it was 9:00), and I was fed fed up with my step sister in law, who met up with us a Kohl’s at 4:00 AM and had yet to do anything but whine even though she hadn’t bought a damn thing!  After the fiasco with her and her daughters last year my sister swore they’d never go with us again, only to insist that they ride with us from the time we left Kohl’s.  So I informed my mom that I would not be going next year if they were going, I have nothing but disgust for this woman.  I have tried for years to be decent to her and treat her with respect, even though she has always been a bitch to me in the 24 years I’ve known her, but no matter what I do, no matter how many times I try to talk to her and be nice to her, she is nothing but a bitch to me.  And in the 4 hours that she “hung out with us” this morning without buying a single thing, she constantly whined and then examined everything that my mother bought as well as making sure she knew what my mothers total purchases came to.  It makes for a VERY unenjoyable experience, and frankly I’m done!  Next year I’ll go out with my hubby and we can shop just the two of us.  By then the kids will be 13 and almost 16 and more than old enough to be home alone during the wee hours of the morning.

But, I’m HOME!  I will be heading out again in a couple of hours to take my daughter to her favorite store so we can grab a few things that we have coupons for.  Other than that, I’m not going ANYWHERE the rest of the weekend…LOL!

Since I know that my hubby stops by here once in a while, I figured this would be a good place to put my Christmas wish list. That way he can’t say he misplaced it, if you know what I mean…LOL! So honey, here you go, and it’s quite easy to copy and paste it into a word document so that you can take it shopping with you

1. A new mixer since mine is about on it’s last legs, preferably a stand mixer!
2. New black leather heels to replace the ones that Willow chewed up, size 9 medium.
3. A nice pair of diamond earrings. As much as I like the fake ones mom got me last year, they’re simply too large for every day wear!
4. A new book (or two), since I’ve read every book I have on the bookshelf.
5. Since you’re so good at picking just the right thing, some fine lingerie would be nice!
6. And finally, a sitter for a weekend so that the two of us can go away somewhere quiet!

See, it wasn’t that bad, was it?  I’ll bet you were expecting worse, weren’t you?  But you, of all people, should know better!  Love you!!

As you know, a few weeks ago my daughter was trying out for her school’s basketball team. I wanted to buy her something special to “commemorate” the fact that she made the team, but something inside of me said that I should wait and make for sure that she made it before I bought anything special for her. I’m glad that intuition set in because I was planning on getting her personalized dog tags that were engraved with her school name, her name and a basketball, which would have really upset her seeing how she ended up not making the team.

So rather than order them with the basketball theme, I ended up opting to go with a different theme, one that I knew would apply no matter what sport she ends up playing. She was so excited last week when I handed her an envelope to open. She kept trying to get me to tell her what was in it before she opened it up. And I kept saying “Stop asking questions and just open it!”….LOL! To say she was happy with her new dog tag was an understatement, as you can see here:

I was very pleased with how the tag turned out as well!

And here is my proud Clarinet Chick sporting her sweet looking dog tag!

Hopefully in the future I’ll be able to get her another one customized with her sport of choice, but for now, we’re both very happy with this one!

I’m always on the look out for unique gifts, and Christmas gifts are no exception to that. It’s been a rough year for my hubby and I, so I want to get him something that is special and will show him how much I appreciate everything that he has done to help keep things together this year. My sister suggested that I look into romantic christmas gifts, something that he would not only appreciate, but also something that we could enjoy together. I think she just might have the right idea there, a romantic getaway might be just what we need!

Well, I’ve decided that since I have to replace my favorite black high heels, I’m going to do something that I haven’t done for myself in quite some time. On the rare occasion that I do spend money on myself for clothes, it’s usually just jeans and a casual shirt. I don’t have anything dressy to wear at all, except the dress that I wore to my niece’s wedding, and that’s a bit over the top. So while I’m out shopping for new black heels, I’m also going to buy myself and nice outfit with all the accessories, including some matching fashion jewelry. Why not treat myself for once, I deserve it, don’t I?

Please don’t get me wrong, I’m honestly not complaining about our new house already! It was a lot of work cleaning it and getting it ready to move into, but I’m glad that I did so! Unfortunately I’m realizing now that we’re going to have no choice but to replace the current kitchen cabinets and cabinet hardware. The moisture and mildew that was in the house has made the cabinet doors swell and it’s made the hardware rust. Fortunately, I have “connections” with someone that works for a cabinet company, so now I just have to find my perfect hardware!

Yes, I know, it is only October 8th, but Halloween is only a couple of weeks away, which then leaves us just a few weeks until Thanksgiving, and before you know it, it will be Christmas Day. That means that you and I both need to get busy soon or we’re going to be in a heap of trouble! I’m hoping to do the bulk of my Christmas shopping online this year, that way I don’t have to go out and deal with all of the grumpy shoppers at some of my favorite stores like Target and WalMart.

Since I’m going to be doing my shopping online, before I start I’m going to head over to CouponChief.com and find out which online stores have the best promo codes, that way I can get the best deals for my money. And since my kids aren’t into Barbie dolls and Lego’s any more, shopping for them can get a bit pricey!

So be sure to get a jump on your holiday shopping this year, that way you don’t end up running out to your corner store on Christmas Eve and getting your special someone a box of beef sticks or a bobble head of a sports figure that they honestly don’t like. Get them a gift they’ll cherish for years to come, and grad your promo codes from Coupon Chief and save yourself some money!

Although it’s going to be near 90 degrees today, by mid week it’s going to be chilly again. I know that I need some new sweaters, most of mine are either seriously out dated or I just don’t like them any more. I’ve had my eye on this awesome North Face hooded sweater that would suit my style perfectly! On top of that it would keep me warm on a cold winter’s day!

I know that we’re going to be loosing a good chunk of living space when we move into the new house, but there is something that we’re gaining, that is a plus. Our current house is 4 bedrooms and 1 bath, the new house is 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. The bathroom in the master bedroom at the new house was recently remodeled completely, including the bath faucet.

Personally, I LOVE shopping for things like faucets! And one of the best places I’ve found online to shop for them is Faucet.com! They have a HUGE selection of faucets from every faucet manufacturer that you can think of, and their prices are fantastic! They make shopping for faucets quick and easy and when you need it in a hurry, their quick shipping is unbeatable! So be sure to check them out the next time you need a new faucet!