Weather

Thanks for the post, Vernon Lowe

Every morning I dress my kids based on the weather report. I used to turn the TV on at a certain time each morning so I could see the weather report in time to get them dressed. However, since we got internet from http://www.wildbluedeals.com/satellite-internet/alabama/b/brewton/, I have started checking the weather online each morning. This has been so much easier and more convenient. If I remember to, I check the weather the night before so I can go ahead and pick out clothes for the kids. Our weather has been pretty crazy lately and even after looking at the weather report, it is still difficult to dress the kids in appropriate clothing because it will be in the 40s or 50s when they leave the house in the morning and in the upper 70s when they come home in the afternoon. I have come to the realization that dressing them in layers is the only option. That way they can take off their jackets when they get hot as the day progresses. I do not want to be the mom that sends her kids to school in shorts when it is freezing outside. I am sure the teachers talk about the parents that do that. I also want my kids to be comfortable in their clothes. Hopefully if they are dressed appropriately for the weather, then they can avoid getting sick this fall.

The Ad Man

The Ad Man
Guest post of the week by Deangelo Spencer
My new job requires I watch a lot of TV – I know that sounds silly, but I’m in advertising. It’s up to me to keep up to date on the trends in commercials and particularly those aimed at DVR audiences so I got a satellite package from a Click HERE link online and I watch a lot of TV nowadays, mostly for the commercials. I think the most fascinating ones are those that last longer than the traditional 30 seconds or those that they aim at specific audiences – you can really tell when an ad is something more than just an ad. Anyway, I think my boss can tell, too, because he seems to think my work is improving but I don’t want to tell him it’s all because I like to veg out in front of the screen several hours each night! That just sounds silly!

Finding You

As I wrote at the start of this blog, I worked hard to get myself in shape.  Being fit for my family matters a lot and of course people looking at you for how good you look is a real confidence booster.  That is not to say that I didn't research getting cosmetic surgery from a cosmetic surgeon, but I chose to try to work it out on my own in the end. 

Everyone would love to have that Miami Beach, South Florida body that is shown on magazine covers with little to no work. Others are just unsatisfied with what God and genetics gave them.  In fact, my friend recently got breast enhancement.  And though I did not see them uncovered, I can say there is a big difference in size and she was totally satisfied with the results.  Another friend seeing these results is actually debating on a possible facelift.  With advances in this field, the down time from surgery is minimized.  Pain and bruising is reduced to a little to none at times.  Reaching your ideal body is more accessible than ever.

So why not get plastic surgery?  Many feel getting in shape is the whole point of looking good as well.  But who can argue with almost immediate results?  I know I can't. If I had the money, I might have done it.  Heck, if I win the lottery, I still might do it.  Why? Just to touch up what the exercise has yet to hit.  Truth be told, I still think working out pays off and in order to maintain the lifts and tucks of  the modern day Michelangelo, adjusting your habits in the kitchen as well as in the gym will make your investment to sculpting your body even more worth it.

Vacation Fits

Yes packing for vacation is such a chore.  Sometimes just doing it for yourself can drive crazy, but do it for my three kids and I gets to be such a hassle.  Seven days away for four people with limited luggage is not easy.  Secrets to packing I have is to roll your clothes tight and this can actually save lots of space.  Of course it doesn't work well for items that need to be ironed, but then I won't wear a shirt that needs to be ironed on vacation.

The other fit on vacation I seem to have is trying to find a nice shirt to come back with to represent the trip or even give as a gift.  How come most just look thrown together by the cheapest possible method and then attached to a $50 price tag? No thank you.  My memories will do.  However, I still search in vain.  Wish me luck.

Seeing the Slope

I have talked about my Columbia clothing in the past and how great it was skiing.  I can say as a person that wears glasses, that skiing can be difficult at times.  Wearing glasses and goggles becomes cumbersome.  If my glasses didn't fog up underneath the goggles, the goggles did on their own.

I did get contacts and that seemed to help greatly.  However, if you are a skier, you know the frustration of when you put your goggles up on your hat, or down around your neck and then later replace them around your eyes, the goggles have fogged up.  You wipe them or try to air dry them as best you can and then you end up with streaks of water droplets down them.  This is not the best situation when skiing. So I turned to sunglasses and ended up with a pair of Oakley Hijinx.

If you know anything about Oakley, you know you are talking style.  These glasses I found highly durable and greatly helped with my dilemma.  They didn't fog up on me while wearing them.  The are close enough to my face to make the wind a minimal factor to drying my contacts as I race down the mountain.  They allowed extreme ease to seeing the terrain even with the sun glaring down the snow.  They seemed to complete what I needed to enjoy my trips.  For any avid skier, they are worth checking out if you run into the same issue I did with wearing goggles.

The Age of the Brand

I remember rather fondly when fashion as a teenager started to matter to me.  I still enjoyed the hand me downs from my cousin as what was purchased by my aunt was always fashionable.  I never had to worry about wearing out of style clothes.  One item that could never be handed down was shoes though.  I still remember going to Tom McAn shoe stores and getting my bargain shoes with my mother. Around age twelve, I began to loath going there. The shoes would be a cheap imitation of a better known brand.  They would fall apart rather easy or if they didn't I seemed to grow out of them quick enough.  Kids can be so cruel at school at times based on what you wore and I can remember ridicule from more than one other student based on my footwear.  It was nothing I could really control but it stuck with me.


One day while wearing these shoes at a friends house I happened to be swinging in a tire swing while he mowed his lawn.  I fell out of the swing while he passed me and he ran over my foot with the riding mower.  I can say I was extremely lucky I didn't loose my foot as the blade cut the sole off leaving my sock exposed.  The excuse to this day that my mother believes is that I got it caught on a barbed wire fence around my friend's property.  I explained to my mother the need to buy better shoes that would hold up to her tough son.  She obliged her son's wishes.

So when my son asked for a pair of osiris shoes, I felt the need to comply so my son didn't feel out of place or feel the need to have to make up an excuse if something occurred to his generic brand shoes.  I still buy the generic shoes from the local Wal-mart or any other store that sells them. It allows my son to help with the yard work or walk in the river as we fish.  I know he feels great though when he can go into school in the latest fashion.

And speaking of walking in the river, my friend decided to go river rafting recently down the Leigh River.  She is never short on footwear as it clutters her closet, back porch and bedroom.  I still can't understand the need of so many shoes especially when two pairs of high heels look almost exactly the same.  So when she told me she needed chacos, a type of sandal, to go rafting, I was rather perplexed.  She has easily half a dozen sandals.  Once again getting the "right foot wear", as she says, for the job matters.  And let's not forget the right brand.

Overall I have to understand this.  I have owned four pairs of different types of boots depending on what I am doing.  What you buy, including its brand, does matter in the end.  As I have grown older, it has mattered less to me what the brand was as long as the quality matched the hype.  I have to say for my son and my friend, their choices were good ones.  My son is happy and my friend enjoyed her trip.

A cute rain hat to keep my hair dry in style

Guest post written by Kimberlee Royal

When I look up the weather forecast in the mornings and see that it's going to be even the least bit rainy, I lose all urge to fix my hair. I know that it's going to be a hat day. But, I can't exactly wear hats to the office, so I decided to finally find a hat that I could wear on the way to the office in the rain without messing up my hair for the whole work day.

I went online to find a better solution for a rainy day hat than my regular old baseball cap and when I was in the middle of my search, I ran across a www.wildbluedeals.com/. I looked through it a little bit and after I did that I decided to order one of the internet packages that I found on there.
I found all kinds of rain hats, but decided to go with one that's supposed to be non-static. It also matched my umbrella that I keep in my laptop bag for work, making it perfect.

Timed Right

One of the long time standing things I have owned since my childhood has been a watch.  It was like the coming of manhood when I could read time on an analog face. Granted I was six at the time when I got my first watch with Kermit the Frog behind the arms with green leather band, but I felt like a man back then.  To this day, a watch compliments a wardrobe.  I have many watches to suit different occasions but the one I wear on a daily basis is my Timex Expedition.

What makes this watch so great is its durable construction.  It has a metal exterior holding in a glass face that doesn’t seem to scratch.  I have worn it underwater without issue and it seems to take any beating I can give it, including home repair. The one negative part about the watch’s construction always seems to be the band.  No matter the type of band that I have gotten for this watch, be it Velcro, leather or plastic, the band deteriorates on a yearly basis practically.  This is the one spot on the construction of what is actually a very good watch.  It is easily replaced at any local discount store but the quality of the replacement tends not to be any better.  I take it as part of the maintenance of such a good time piece.

Overall it is a very reliable brand that I have used since my teen years.  My everyday watch needs to be able to go through lots of different scenarios and trials of life.  This is a standard of my daily life.  I never lose time when I wear one.

Hand Me Downs

I am part of a family of three boys and I am the oldest of the three.  We grew up with little in the house, though my mother and father reminded me often prior to their divorce that we had a lot.  I can say my father and mother tried their best always to provide everything their kids ever wanted and needed.  My friends and older family members seemed to be the “haves” and we the “have nots”.  I am not complaining at all and I can say I grew up a happy well-adjusted child.  I really did have most everything I could want.  I can say a lot of this was due to the kindness of others and how hard my own parents worked for us kids.

To cut corners and find ways to provide, my family readily accepted hand me downs from family and friends.  Having hand me down clothes from my older cousin who grew like a tree helped my family out greatly.  My aunt took great care in my cousin’s clothes so that when he grew out of them, I had something to wear that was nearly brand new and always in current fashion.  My mother continued this tradition for my two brothers as my clothes were handed down as well.  Of course we occasionally got new clothes, but it meant we needed to buy less new items.  Toys, games and other house held were also passed along as well.  Many items would change hands from one family member or friend to another.  Great care for personal items was always taken because once the item might become useless in household, another house could use it.

Even more importantly, this taught my brothers and I respect for personal and borrowed property.  Many “modern” families in this current generation have little to no respect for others property and their own property.  Some of my favorite shows such as “The Simpsons” display this attitude.  Items are borrowed and never returned or destroyed by the borrower.  Personal items are often thrown about the house by irreverent children and permissive parents.  Items are broken with no thought of ownership or how to replace them.  No thought of charity for those around them seems to exist.  “I can just buy another” and “Who cares?” seems to be the mantra.

I feel lucky to have grown up a generation earlier.  I know I could not have survived and enjoyed my boyhood years without learning this lesson in respect.  I strive to teach my children this lesson, happy to accept and give out hand me downs as needed.  I hope this type of charity never goes out of fashion.

Scrubs

Scrubs are easy to find in your local Wal-mart or many other med stores.  Finding scrubs for men is more difficult.  The best you can usually find are uni-sex scrubs that are huge, baggy and just look horrible.  I am not trying to win some beauty contest at work.  Yet I see many fancy designs and different cut scrubs for women and really nothing for men.  For me, I just wanted something that fits right for a man.  Does the neck for my scrubs really need to be half way down my chest?  Does the groin of my pants really need to be half way down my thighs?  I am really lucky to say that a friend of mine found a great place for men’s scrubs and that is MP Nursing.

I have gotten about half a dozen scrubs from there now and I can say they have been great.   Some are just plain colored scrubs, but I have gotten custom scrubs there as well.  The custom scrubs are embroidered sport team scrubs of some of my favorite teams.  They all fit to a male figure better than the uni-sex scrubs did and because of this, they are more comfortable.

I know most people really don’t care what they wear when working on the med floor, but for me I feel more professional for my patients if I look right for them and believe that most patients have more confidence in a well-dressed professional health care worker.

Columbia Jackets All Season

I am sure there are many positive reviews for Columbia Wear, even more so for their jackets.  Since my high school years I have owned at least one.  They continue to be one of the best winter and I will say, all year coats around.

My first jacket, from back in high school, came without an additional liner added to it and was just a big size ski coat. It held up well as I still use it today when working around the house and shoveling snow in the winter, but that is not the coat I want to talk about.  Two years ago I bought Bug-a-boo jacket complete with fleece liner.  I don’t think I have ever had such a great versatile jacket in my life.

The inner lining is fleece and has withstood many washings and kept its softness.  Its zippers have never failed and it retains its original color.  The liner from the jacket can be removed to be worn by itself and I tend to do so during the spring and fall months as I fine that adequate enough to keep me warm.  If it does happen to rain, by itself, it even tends to keep the moisture away from my skin, though after a heavy pouring I am still wet.

However that is where the outer shell comes in.  The outer shell is completely water and wind proof, great for those rough weather times. The outer shell can be worn separately during any season to protect against inclement weather.  It is a must have for the heavy rain and sleet.  Adding the two layers, this jacket is unsurpassable.  I have never gotten soaked in this jacket.  The hood seals tightly around your head.  The lining warmth is all you need as I have worn it at 13,000+ feet in subzero temperatures during a snow storm while skiing.  It miraculously kept the right amount of warmth in so that I never felt a chill and it did not over heat me to where I was sweating.  I could not have imagined being so comfortable while on the mountain.

On a side note I also wore a pair of Columbia snow pants that were just as good as the jacket.  Though being on the ski lift did cool down my butt, as long as I wasn’t sitting, just having a pair of long johns underneath those pants was more than adequate to keep the warmth.

Columbia has continued to make a great product throughout the years for the outdoorsman.  Not only that, when you wear them, they make you look good as they are and always have been pleasing in color and design.  My first choice for outdoor wear easily goes to Columbia.

Fashionably Fit

In high school, I had been very athletic and active.  Don’t a lot of stories about weight loss and control start this way?  I tend to think so.  I could eat anything at any time. My body was a machine.  I miss those days.   With how I have learned to cook in these later years, I wish I could eat like I did back then.  As time went by and my life became more sedentary, my weight bloomed from about 170 pounds to 220 pounds.  I still thought I was healthy.  Still thought I was in general good shape. 

I was hiding how I looked with bigger clothes.  I preferred to lay around the house on days off instead of get out in the sun.  Not to say I didn’t enjoy the outdoors, but I felt so uncomfortable about myself that going out wasn’t fun.  I didn’t want a camera near me at all.  I was lucky to meet a good person that motivated me to get in better shape.

I understand that at some point in many people’s lives they will battle the same situation.  Some are predisposed to being overweight due to genetics.  Some difficulties with weight can be due to medical reasons and a forced sedentary lifestyle.  What can be controlled is diet. 

With work, I do walk around a fair amount but I also have to sit behind a desk at times.  So due to my uncle’s prompting, I get more involved in hunting and fishing.  These are activities of patience and sitting but also planning.  Hikes through the woods become important when planning a future hunt thus increasing my activity.  It was extremely stressful but just a little bit helps.

But diet was the big change.  People talk about being on an organic diet.  I don’t prescribe to “organic” food but I do prescribe to natural food.  This means that I chose to eat lots of veggies, lots of meat, and I cut out sweetened or processed foods.  The weight just dropped.

Clothes I wore back in high school, yeah I still had them, began to fit again.  My pants literally were falling off me.  My lifestyle completely changed.  Tight shirts began to fit correctly.  It felt great.  I dropped back down to 180 pounds and I am still struggling to lose more.  I feel I am stuck there at the moment but I will push for at least ten more.  I plan to make it.

I know my story is fine but many people will not be able to obtain what I did.  Each person is different.  What I can say is that everyone can learn self control.  Start with one thing at a time.  Drop the sweetened foods and drinks.  Don’t eat food so close to bed time.  Walk the dog instead of letting them out in the back yard.  You will start to see a change if you commit.  It does become more of a mental thing than actual physical fight to control your weight.  If you really want it, you can do it and you will feel fashionably fit.  I beg those that read this to work hard and stay true to the changes you try to make in your life.  You will benefit and so will your family