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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Leaping Lemurs!!! 4 Admissions, 4 Meals, and 4 Fountain Drinks for $44.00


This is an AMAZING deal! We were just at the African Safari Wildlife Park this past weekend and we all had such a blast!! So grab your portable gps, find out how to get there! Don’t sleep on this deal!

Lemurs are notorious for have large families, and on occasion they grow as 15 members at one time! As a tribute to our fun, family-loving lemurs we are extending our 4 for $44.00 deal through the 31st!

The 4 for $44.00 deal includes: 4 Admissions, 4 Meals, and 4 Fountain Drinks for $44 plus tax! Meal Options include Hamburger, Cheeseburgers, Hot Dogs, and Chicken Sandwiches, and sides include Popcorn or a Bag of chips. This deal includes all of the attractions at the park including the Drive-Thru, Walk-Thru, pig races, interactive animal shows, and pony and camel rides.*

Please print this post and bring it with you to the park to take advantage of this special offer!
Offer valid July 26 - 31, 2011. May not be used in combination with any other offer.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Shopping Insurance....

We recently just purchased a new vehicle… Well not NEW new, but new for us. A 2008 Chrysler Sebring, and I’ve called her Bella. Yes, we named my car!

Before the purchase was even over, we had to decide if we’d stick with the same insurance company my husbands car was in, or look around and try to find a better deal.

Let me tell you, insurance shopping is NOT fun there’s so many websites we ran into, looked into like http://www.wholesaleinsurance.net/, but at the end of the day we just decided to stick with what we know and what we have. For now, that seems like the best bet.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

DON’T GET FRIED BY YOUR FLAT IRON!

HAIRSTYLIST AND FERRUM PROFFESSIONAL STYLER INVENTOR OFFERS TIPS

It's back to school time, and whether your a student heading back, or a teacher heading back, or something else, and your summer is over and it's time to head back to work, we all want to look our best especially when it comes to our hair. Think of your hair as a manufactured home, something you construct, build and decorate for yourself and your guests. Most of us probably use a flat iron at some point in time, but did you know it could make your hairstyle crumble if you're not using it correctly?

A flat iron is the fastest and, if used incorrectly, the most damaging way to straighten hair. It allows women who have super curly corkscrew curls or those with just wavy hair to get the stick-straight style that they want. Barbara Abbasi, the founder of the Ferrum Professional Styler (www.ferrumiron.com) and owner of American Beauty Hair Salon in California offers some useful tips for clients before they run to their local drug store and begin straightening away.

The Heat Factor
Flat irons expose the hair to a significant amount of heat . Barbara cautions that, “If flat irons are not used properly, you can severely damage your hair. When you start straightening your hair, especially if you do it every day, you should switch to a thermal protection shampoo, like Thermasilk. This will help protect your hair from excessive heat damage.”

What To Do Before You Use Any Flat Iron
•First of all, wash your hair properly. Flat irons are less effective on dirty and oily hair.
•Do not use any hair spray or gel on your hair after washing.
•Dry your hair completely, right from the roots to the tips.
•After you hair has been dried, apply a straightening balm to it. This will help eliminate any frizz and also protect your hair.
•Since an iron subjects your hair to high heat, it is advisable to use a heat protection spray beforehand.
•Heat your flat iron. In most cases, it will reach the desired temperature in a matter of minutes.
•Comb your hair properly and remove any tangles.
•Divide your hair into four sections, two in the front and two in the back, and hold them together with hair clips.
•Straighten sections of hair no more than 1 inch wide.
•Once your hair is completely dry, draw thin sections of your hair through the flat iron slowly all the while keeping the iron moving. Be sure to straighten slowly from the root of the hair to the tip. Never keep the flat iron a piece of hair for too long. This can cause severe damage to the hair.
•Comb hair smooth after each section of hair is straightened.
•Try not to flat iron your hair every day. If you do, before long your hair will start looking fried and your hair will start breaking off easily.
•Repeat the procedure with the other sections of your hair.

How to Use a Flat Iron

Many people end up damaging their hair because they do not know how to use their flat iron properly. Barbara Abbasi offers a few simple tips that will help you to use your flat iron correctly:

• Flat irons have been known to cause major drying and frizzing to the hair. Before you blow dry your hair and straighten it, make sure that you apply a frizz control product..

•Before you straighten your hair, make sure that your hair is completely dry. Even slight moisture can result in damaged hair and a damaged flat iron .

•Remember that flat irons are very hot and that they should be handled with care.

•Once your hair is completely dry, draw thin sections of your hair through the flat iron slowly all the while keeping the iron moving. Never keep the flat iron a piece of hair for too long.

•Comb hair smooth after each section of hair is straightened.

Here are some items Barbara suggests to achieve optimal results with your flat iron
•Straightening balm
•Heat protection spray
•Comb
•Hair clip

Barbara Abbasi developed the Ferrum Styler because she was not entirely happy with the results she saw with other flat irons on the market. What Makes Ferrum Different? The answer lies in the technology of the VSS System which is a combination of a non-heated padded fabric element and a tourmaline coated ceramic plate. The real distinction of this tool is the fabric padded side. The fabric is a combination of lightweight, anti-static polymers that allows the hair to "breathe" while straightening. In combination with the pad, the styling result most closely resembles blow-drying; which tends to give hair exponentially more volume than flat-ironing. Since the fabric padded side is non-heated, the Ferrum styler doesn't burn all the moisture out of the root of the hair giving it a much more vibrant, "bouncy" look.

A typical flatiron will fry and dry out your hair between two solid hot plates. The Ferrum styler will allow your hair to rest on glide on a soft surface, allowing hair to breathe and retain more of its natural moisture, shine and volume. Think of a flatiron as "frying" and drying out your hair between two solid hot plates. Allowing your hair to breathe and rest on a softer surface allows for a much healthier styling experience. With the Ferrum Professional Style, women do not have to merely make the choice between frizzy and flat. Although Ferrum is not to be used to make wet hair dry, once hair is dry the tool can be used to achieve a pin straight look without losing volume. It can also curl the hair or give it gentle waves. For those who want or need to use a heated styling tool daily, the best news is that the Ferrum will not break the hair.

ABOUT BARBARA ABBASI: Hairstylist and Ferrum Inventor
www.ferrum.com www.abhair.com
American Beauty Hair Salon owned and operated by expert colorist Barbara Abbasi, is celebrating 23 years in Santa Monica, California. Renowned for her exclusive techniques, Barbara has earned a loyal clientele who trust their hair to her time-tested artistry. Barbara learned the craft at a young age among renowned stylists in Paris. She has since expanded her technique by developing her own innovative system for coloring hair. Though her precise method is a closely guarded secret, Barbara's meticulous attention to perfecting the base is what sets her apart from other stylists. Remarkably, Barbara was a recent immigrant who spoke no English when she opened the salon more than two decades ago. It's easy to see why customers flock to the salon: Barbara is a down-to-earth artisan who is genuinely devoted to her work. She has been working to develop the concept of the Ferrum flatiron for the past decade. The idea arose from her dissatisfaction with traditional flat irons which left hair damaged and flat. Her concept was to develop a product that was healthier for the hair and resulted in a look that more closely resembled a professional salon blow dry. Barbara went through several prototypes and sourced over 20 different fabrics until she found the perfect combination of technology that would produce salon perfect results. "Styling hair is an art, not just a job," she says.

Monday, July 25, 2011

The worry of retirement and aging....

As many of our own parents creep towards retirement age, have you thought about what’s going to happen with their or even your own future? How will you help them out? What would happen if there was an emergency? Will they stay in their own home, live with you, or go into a retirement or nursing home?

We all worry, and most of our parents or even ourselves can’t rely on social security disability so what are your plans?

I’m a worrier by nature, these things flow into my head every so often. My parents are still ‘young’ and not looking at the potential of having to have elder care for some time, but living away from them, in another country(they live in Canada) it still weighs on my mind every so often. What will we do once we reach that point? Will they move in with me? Will I move back to Canada? What happens when it’s hubby’s parents? What will we do?

The questions can be many, so we all have to have a plan in place, what’s yours?

11 Intelligent Ways To Save on Textbooks Without The Bookstore

Textbook (like safe diet pills) prices tend to rise at four times the rate of inflation for an average of $900 per year. It doesn't take a college education to figure out there are alternatives to traditional outlets, but incoming freshmen don't always know the ropes. Here are 11 ways to save this fall -- none of which include shopping at the college bookstore.

1. Wait Until After You've Seen the Syllabus
Professors must submit their textbook lists far in advance of the next semester, which means they may never require you even open the book. Talk with your professor in the first few days to determine whether it's worth shelling out cash for something that may become a paperweight.

2. Rent
Chegg.com, the Netflix of textbooks, started a trend several years ago by allowing students to rent their books. You'll pay roughly half the purchase price and shipping is often free. Other similar dealers include BookRenter.com and CampusBookRentals.com.

3. Watch Daily Deals
The aforementioned Chegg announced in late May they'd begin offering daily deals targeted at college students. Scheduled to start in July, the program will begin with offerings from HP, Capital One, MTV, Microsoft and Dr. Pepper. Also keep an eye out for offers tailored to students by location -- possibly even your local bookstore.

4. Buy Used Textbooks
Used textbook companies have proliferated and even traditional booksellers now both buy and sell used textbooks. The selection has greatly increased and the prices are far superior to exorbitant college bookstores. Check out Half.com, Textbooks.com and eCampus.com.

5. Download
Few classes require students read every page of a textbook, so why not download the necessary portion from such websites as CourseSmart.com and Open Courseware from MIT? Project Gutenberg also has scanned in hundreds of free-domain books for use on e-readers.

6. Don't Purchase the Whole Package
Federal regulations no longer allow publishers to combine textbooks with add-ons, such as CD-ROMs and workbooks. Check with your professor or teaching assistant before you buy the whole bundle.

7. Buy Online
If you want to physically own a new book, buying online often means free shipping and reduced prices. Grab a coupon code from CouponSherpa.com and shop online at new textbook sellers like Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com and AbeBooks.com.

8. International Or Older Versions
Non-traditional editions are usually significantly cheaper. There may be some slight changes, but many of these tend to be cosmetic or minor and won't greatly impact use.

9. Share
If you carpool, you know the advantage of splitting the cost of high-ticket expenses. Sharing is easier if you're in the same study group and/or see each other frequently.

10. Swap
Some schools now hold swap meets, where students can trade their old textbooks for the ones they'll need next year.

11. Compare Prices
You wouldn't buy a Porsche without shopping around, so do the same with textbooks. Websites such as CampusBooks.com, BigWords.com and AllBookstores.com make the process much easier.

Coupons can be a pain...

Coupons seem to be all the rage these days. I admit, I coupon, not as much as I used to before the ‘Extreme Couponing’ fad came in to place, but I still coupon when I can or need to.

Thing is, I’ve never received my coupons by mail, or though the newspaper. I always print mine off, or get coupons from products. I don’t stockplie, so the need for 50 toothpaste coupons out of the Sunday paper doesn’t appeal to me, so I’m always looking online to find my coupons.

There are a ton of places online to find coupons, loads of websites offer discounts, coupons, rebates, etc. Whenever your about to make a purchase, always check online first!

Coupons by dropdowndeals.com is one of the many places that can help you save money and shop easily. You can save up to 80% on some items. And with the browser integration coupons simply drop down in your browser. You won’t have to ‘search’ a million different sites to find what you need.

Check it out, it’s a great resource especially for online shopping.