Thursday, February 12, 2009

Spring will soon be sprung and it's time to start planning!


Spring really is just around the corner. We are at that stage in winter where it’s sometimes hard to imagine but it is coming! The outdoor activity or our suburban wildlife is starting to become more active on the nicer days. A young bunny has taken up residency under a bush near the house, and some sparrows have been checking out a piece of “birdie rental property” under the awning (I’ll talk more about this in just a minute).

I have enjoyed bird watching for many years and Art and I are going to do everything we can to pass on that pleasurable hobby to our daughter. On a warm spring morning there is nothing more relaxing than going to the porch with a cup of coffee and just passing the time watching all the activity in the back yard. Also I find a great deal of humor in watching birds. Watching them with your children can be a great inexpensive educational tool as well. Depending on the type of birds you choose to attract you can teach them migration habits, socialization habits, eating habits and so on. Kids love helping with filling the feeders as well as being able to watch a bird family progress from moving in to a new home to raising their young. You can keep it very inexpensive so that fits right into our budget conscious minds. One thing I do recommend is to be sure your regular wild bird food has sunflowers in it. Many colorful birds love these! I like having several feeders of various size and shapes through out the yard as well as a bird bath.

A minute ago I mentioned “birdie rental property”. What on earth you ask is a birdie rental property???? It’s what I call the bird houses that Art builds. He has an amazing artistic eye for detail. Go here and you will see his "V" Wren Houses, Dutch Style Wren House and the Bluebird house. These have been built with specific dimensions by the National Fish and Wildlife Federation to attract the specific type of bird.

He also builds one of a kind, birdie rental properties that are miniature replica’s of people’s homes such as the extravagant log home that as at the top of this post. If you look at the bottom left of his main page you will see the one he built for me which reminds me of an old shack down on the bayou and it's called the Southern Chickadee. It has red lights that are solar powered and will turn on when the sun goes down.
Go on over to Flying Ace’s Birdhouses and check out his work! With spring just around the corner now is a great time to order your “birdie rental property!” Bluebird and Wren homes range in price from $8.50 - $12.00. Custom homes are individually priced as are solar powered houses. Please feel free to contact him if you have any questions at artslawncare@rocketmail.com All of his pieces include care and placement instructions. Ask him about his bat houses as well if you love bats (and yes I do, amazing little critters!)!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Free appetizer and buy one entree and get one entree at TGI Fridays

One of my favorite chain restaurants is TGI Fridays! I simply love their French Onion Soup! If you go to TGI Fridays web site or go here you can print a coupon for a buy one get one free entree! Not a bad deal at all these days. Coupon is not good for Valentine's Day.

Once you have printed off that coupon go to this TGI Fridays page and sign up for your "Give Me More Stripes" card to receive member ship perks and free food. When you sign up you will be eligible for a free appetizer! I'm thinking Friday's for dinner and The Melting Pot for dessert! YEAH BABY!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Free Chocolate Fondue for 2! Check this one out!

Romance and chocolate are in the air! Imagine sitting in a comfortable dining atmosphere leisurely dipping into warm chocolate fondue while enjoy the company of your loving spouse!

The Melting Pot has various locations through out the United States and when you join Club Fondue you will receive an invitation for a free chocolate fondue for two (of course some restrictions may apply, check with your store). They are a national franchise with pretty good coverage so there is a chance you may have one near you or within a reasonable distance. Go here to see if there is a location near you. The membership is free and we know we all LOVE free chocolate! Especially warm ooey, gooey chocolate! Once you have joined you will receive an email thanking you for joining and it will have a link that will allow you to print the coupon! We haven't been yet as I just learned about this offer yesterday but I'm very excited about such a romantic evening with Daddy!

HAPPY DIPPING!

Monday, February 9, 2009

Utility bills and Community Action

Let's face it, time's are tough and they are getting tougher it appears. Many of us are incredible with grocery/household needs savings. There is no doubt about the money we are able to save and create! We all need to stand up and give ourselves a round of applause because it is not easy being this diligent and getting our families trained on this savings program. Even with all this money can still run short. Especially with winter utility bills running up, up and up. It amazes me how our heating bill has jumped in the winter. We have done all the insulating of outlets and windows, yes we use the little curly q light bulbs (still haven't decided that they really save except for the fact they don't blow like traditional bulbs) and we have now gotten used to keeping the thermostat on 69 degrees. Which in my opinion simply STINKS! However, I am adjusting. Painfully and with a fight I am adjusting LOL. Yes, I am a sissy girl when it comes to being overly cold or overly hot. It's a Thyroid thing. Art and Sarah have been fine with it so that just goes to show a little of my stubbornness :)

Even with all the cut backs and saving there are people out there that when those heating bills hit $200.00 and up are running in circles trying to figure out how to make that payment. If you OR someone you know (remember the elderly) are one of those people please contact your local Community Action Council. On this page you can find your state and local offices. I can't/won't promise that they will be able to assist you because it is based on income (which again stinks because they don't take into account many other factors) BUT it's worth a shot. You might be fine with your utilities but you might know someone else that needs assistance. Please help them out with this information.