Tresia's Antiques

After the insurance adjuster called to inform us that the van was officially "totaled" from the wreck that occurred earlier in the week, we all piled into the little Ranger truck and decided that just for fun, we would drive around looking at used car lots to see what we could purchase as a potential replacement vehicle. We found something we loved straight away, but decided it best to continue looking to see what all else was out there and make an informed decision before purchasing (if we don't simply pay off the loan and continue toting the family around in the small Ranger until next summer). Besides, it gave us something to do instead of...

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SpellQuizzer Spelling Software Review and Giveaway (CLOSED)

My children hate homework. After spending all day in school, the last thing they want to do is do more of the same when they come home. By then, they are tired and simply want to go play. I usually let them take a short break, eat a snack, play a little video games, and then it's back to the books. Sometimes, they don't complain too much and just get it done, but most of the time, there is a lot of  "oh man" and "not yet" responses when I try to get them refocused on their assignments. I can't say as if I blame them, as being a nontraditional college student, I know how exhausting the whole process can be! But they have to do it, and usually...

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Finding the perfect toy!

My daughter has a birthday coming up and I have been searching for the perfect gift for her. It's so hard because I am not certain what girls her age are playing with and I don't want to rely on the same old things: Barbies, crafts and clothes. Luckily, I found Ebeanstalk. They help to pick out the perfect toy for your child's age range. You can search for baby toys and toddler toys or if your children are older like mine, you can search for kids toys according to age and gender. They sort by catergories, making it easier to find just what you are looking for in a gift! What is great about Ebeanstalk is that they have a wonderful...

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Banged Up and Bruised (Pic Added)

The day started off normal. I woke to the alarm, shut it off in a half asleep daze and fell back to sleep. I awoke two hours later to the phone ringing. It was my husband making sure I had gotten up. Of course, I told him I was up, because by the time I answered the phone, I was technically "up". The rest of the day was on schedule...course work online, laundry, cleaning house in between submission of assignments, yada yada.  It wasn't until the children got off the school bus that my day took a turn for the worse. My son went to get a snack out of the fridge and noticed that we were out of milk, which is definitely a staple in my house....

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Comparison Shopping Sites

I live out in the country. For me to do anything, it requires travel. 15 minutes to the grocery store, 20 minutes to the children's church, 45 miles to the closest hospital. Let's not even talk shopping centers, where it's over 2 hours no matter which direction I travel. That is why I like internet shopping, where I can just pull up a couch cushion and a big cup of ice tea, and browse. What's even better then the convenience? Knowing that for each store I look at, I can search for current coupon codes to apply at checkout. I don't have to save and store all the Sunday coupons or browse the ads for specials. I can just type in what I am looking...

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Talk About It Tuesday: Forgiving Yourself

"No regrets"....I've heard people say they live their lives with no regrets, and when I hear that, I understand completely what they mean. It is a philosophy I have held for much of my life. I believed (and somewhat still do) in the old standby of "everything happens for a reason". I am the one who will preach this to you  whenever life is not going as planned.  Yet, I cannot help but take time to reflect on that comment. I regret a lot of things in my life and even though my mistakes shaped me into the person I am today, let's be honest....some things are meant to be regretted. For example:not talking to someone offering to be my friend....

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Brugo Mug Review and Giveaway (CLOSED)

No one in the house asks me to make their hot chocolate for them as I always make it too hot! I like it that way...as the flavor seems best when it is piping hot! Usually, I will heat the water up in the microwave for hot chocolate and set to three minutes. The water dances when I add the chocolate mix and although I think it tastes best when hot, I cannot drink it at the temperature it comes out of the microwave at, unless it is the tiniest of sips, but even then I often scald my mouth. Therefore, I normally set it down to cool just a little...and forget about it. When I go to take the next sip, it is lukewarm. So frustrating! When...

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Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce Review and Giveaway (2 Winners) (CLOSED)

"That was really good....I like it", said my daughter when she tasted the dinner I had thrown together a half hour earlier. I had forgotten to take any meat out of the freezer and so I had to think fast. I found some Keilbasa in the freezer, which was quick and easy to defrost and when I opened the cabinet, I found the Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce that I had been sent a short time earlier. I added a few other ingredients that I thought might at least pass for edible when combined with the sauce and Keilbasa, tossed it all together and named it "Cowboy Bean Pot". Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce is one of my all time favorite products!!...

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And They're Off....First Day of School

The alarm goes off at 6:30 AM and when I call the girl from the doorway of her room, she gently stirs. I know she wants to complain that it is "too early", yet she has that butterfly feeling of anticipation toward seeing all her friends again. The boy rises first call...fully awake and ready. He is the only one in the house who can rise in a good mood. He runs to get his clothes and then comes to me to "spike" his hair. I don't think he calls it that, but I do, as it's the term we used in the 80s. He calls it "pointy" but doesn't like when I use the brush on it to make it stand up. Only girls use brushes. I attempt to style the girl's hair,...

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Picasa 3.8 Now Available

Whenever I want to do some quick photo editing or resizing, I use a great program called Picasa. It allows me to  to do basic fixes such as: Crop Straighten Auto Color Retouch and more.... plus it let's me do slightly advanced features such:fill light highlights shadows and more... I like the special effects it can do with a simple click of the mouse:sharpen black & white sepia film grain tint and many more... It's a simple program to use and can really spruce up your photos for your sharing on your blog, Facebook, and/or MySpace pages or for printing to put into albums. It even allows you to upload your photos to an online library or...

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CSN Stores Giveaway: Critique of the Unique (CLOSED)

I have a confession to make. I haven't even started my Christmas shopping yet. Although, I have started my own Christmas wish list: a macro and wide angle lens for my camera a new pan set (particularly the le creuset line of cookware. I love the "flame" and "kiwi" color schemes) Duvet set Vitamix blender new wedding set (I lost mine years ago after I took it off to do some cleaning. I think it went down the drain) I tell myself every year that I will start my Christmas shopping early; that I will not wait until December when the crowds of people ransack the stores and I am left sifting through the remnants of products. Yet, each year, I wait...

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Talk About It Tuesday: What Denomination am I?

Talk About It Tuesday:I can still recall the day I first learned about God's plan for my life. I had heard about God prior, yet did not truly understand the concept of being saved and although I knew heaven was "up there", I had no clue how to get there. It was in the heat of a Florida summer, and I had just finished out the remainder of the semester at a new school. My mother, step father and myself resided in some not-so-wonderful housing conditions. It was all mother could afford and although I knew she wished for better circumstances, we made it work. One one particular day, my mother and I were home alone when there was a knock at the...

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Downtown Antiques- Let's go inside!

Taking a peek inside Downtown Antiques: A two story antique shop that also houses a cafe, a bookshop and a law office. Now that's versatility! It took a little pleading, but I finally convinced my hubby to stop.  There was so much to look at!  From the regular sort of antique finds: Pez Dispensers (sorry for the glare) Beautiful glassware (Love the cookie jar) Look at the pattern on the little creamer set...so cute An assortment of oil lamp...

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