At the Fence

Hey neighbors!! I was given the opportunity to view of screener of the new movie, Little Women that is being released in theaters on 9/28.  I honestly came away with mixed emotions.  I grew up on Little Women and other books of like manner.  I made sure to have those books in my home library for my children as they grew up.  Yes, I am giving away my age.  My daughters all loved the books and liked to re-enact the scenes from the book.  So, what did I think of the new movie? First off, if you are expecting anything like the book, realize that this is a modern view.  The movie does loosely follow some of the book, and you will see modern day versions of some of your favorite scenes.  I would not take younger children to see it unless you have previewed it and deemed it acceptable, because of some of the dance scenes, drinking, and one scene where a young man forcefully kisses Meg and starts to go a little further. The movie is slightly disjointed as you go back and forth between pr

Photo Source Increasing numbers of people are heading overseas to travel for extended periods of time. If a friend or family member happens to be doing this, you are bound to be excited for them, but you are also going to miss them while they are away on their adventure. It’s not all too surprising that you may want to offer them a parting gift to show that you care for them! Now, seeing as travelers tend to travel light, you’re going to want to make sure that your gift is small, as well as functional and useful for them. So, here are a few ideas to make sure your gift is both thoughtful and practical. A Travel First Aid Kit Let’s start with safety first. You’re probably going to have concerns about your loved one’s safety and wellbeing while they are away. This is only natural. As long as they have had their recommended vaccinations and act responsibly while they are away, they should be equally safe as if they were back home. However, you can always help them to tackle mi

Hey neighbors!! How many of you own your own business?  You may own a physical business or an online business, or perhaps you provide a service, but either way, I am sure you have goals in mind.  Most businesses have a business plan with goals they would like to reach, and as the business grows, the goals may change, but you still have goals.  I am sure that your goals will grow and change as your business develops. Customer success may mean different things to different individuals.  To some, it may be that customer success is to have your customer leave happy with their purchase.  To another customer, success may be having the customer so satisfied, that they continue using their service.  Maybe this is a new idea for you.  If so, take a minute and think about your personal goals for your customers.  What does customer success mean to you? Another goal might be to see your business reach a certain sales mark within a specified length of time.  Do you have sales goals f

“This post contains affiliate links and I received free product for this post” Hey neighbors!! I have to share this beautiful photo book that was created using Blurb !!  I was so pleased with the quality of the book.  Many of you know, that I love to take pictures.  I have shared a few on here.  Over the years I have ordered several different photo books and I actually think this one is just a step above what I have previously ordered.  Making a book through Blurb is so easy!! They make great gift ideas too!! I used my photography name for the book. Creating a photo book on the Blurb website is as simple as following the steps that they guide you through.  First of course you must pick the size of book you are wanting, as well as the shape.  Next you will choose if you want a soft or hard cover.  You can even opt for a hardcover with a dust jacket.  Last of the choices here, is to choose the type of paper.  I personally chose a matte.  The books start at 20 pages, and you

Hey neighbors!! How many of you remember Mary Poppins?  My whole family enjoyed the original movie and nowhere anxiously awaiting Mary Poppins Returns. Mary Poppins Returns:  is directed  by Rob Marshall. The screenplay is by David Magee and the screen story is by Magee & Rob Marshall & John DeLuca based upon the Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers. The producers are John DeLuca, p.g.a., Rob Marshall, p.g.a. and Marc Platt, p.g.a. with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer. The music score is by Marc Shaiman  and the film features all new original songs with music by Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman.  The film also stars  Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks; Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks; Julie Walters as the Banks’ housekeeper Ellen; Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and introducing Joel Dawson as the Banks’ children, with Colin Firth as Fidelity Fiduciary Bank’s William Weatherall Wilkins; and Meryl Streep as Mary’s  eccentric cousin, Topsy.  Angela Lans

Photo Source When we have children, almost all of our priorities in life change. They become the center of our worlds and we want to ensure that they always have the best, no matter what. In order to ensure this, we need to make plans and live our lives in a manner that will guarantee they are always taken care of properly. Here are just a few steps that you can take to achieve this! Pursue Higher Education A good place to start when it comes to being able to provide for your little ones is pursuing a higher education. Now, this may sound a little odd. After all, many of us will ask how pursuing an education of our own can benefit our kids. Often, holding a bachelor’s degree or even higher degree can significantly boost your earnings and make you more desirable to employers. It is estimated that an individual holding a bachelor’s degree will earn an average of $400 more than an individual without a degree on a weekly basis. You are also likely to snap up new jobs a whole lot faste

All throughout September you can earn large bonuses when sign up as my referral on Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a rewards site where you earn points (called SB) for things you're probably doing online already, like searching the web, watching videos, shopping, discovering deals, and taking surveys. Then you take those points and exchange them for gift cards to places like Amazon, Target, or PayPal cash.   When you sign up through me this month, you can earn a 300 SB bonus! Here's how:   1.  Sign up using this link   2. Earn 300 SB total before October 1st, 2018. You'll get a 300 SB bonus for it!   3. That's it. It's super easy, and Swagbucks is for real. I use it myself, and I've earned several Amazon Cards, as well as had funds deposited in my PayPal account.  

The digital rewards site Swagbucks is offering big payouts during on their September Swago Board, which runs from September 10th through September 17th at 9am PT! Swago is just like bingo, but in this case you're filling out squares as you earn points on their site for doing things you already do online. If you're thinking of trying Swagbucks, this is a great chance to learn all about how the site works and earn bonus points while doing it, meaning you can get more gift cards faster. Here are a few tips:  Each square on your Swago Board will contain an action item to complete. They can be anything from getting a search win, completing a survey, or just visiting one of our popular stores!   Once you complete the action item in a particular square the square will change color signifying the action item is complete.   You have until 12pm PT/3pm ET on Monday, September 17th to mark off as many squares as possible so use your time wisely.   Be mindful of the patterns and th

Hey neighbors!! Glad you could stop by today.  Do any of you own your own business?  Are you starting your own business?  It might be wise to consider hiring a consultant as you formulate your business strategy.  An expert who can help you get your business up and running and who can guide you in the right direction to grow your business.  Or perhaps you already have a business up and running, and you have a specific problem or you need a new direction for your company.  Hiring a consultant could very well be a wise choice. Many people when they hear "consultant" think of a large firm with many employees, who take surveys, answer questions, and  help  businesses.  Oftentimes though a consultant is an individual who is experienced in a field, who are willing and able to hire themselves out.   Let's define consultant .   A consultant is a professional who provides expert advice in a particular area such as security, management, education, accountancy, law, human re

Hi Neighbors!! Today we are going to talk a little about loans. There are many reasons that people decide to get loans.  For instance, we had some credit card debt, as well as, one of my daughters needed braces.  I did not realize how expensive braces are these days! I mean they have always been somewhat expensive, but $4500-$6000?  Anyway, we ended up taking out a small mortgage on our home rather than a home equity loan.  We made this decision after some discussion with one of our sons, who is a loan officer.  He helped us to make educated choices when we were offered the two different types of loans.  Our loan has a set interest rate that will not change for the duration of the loan, and there are no penalties for paying off the loan early, as well as a few other benefits.  Remember that what worked for us may not be what will work for you. Now, if you are anything like I am, you might be wondering, how many kinds of loans are there? I mean, you just go into your financial i

#AD Hey neighbors!! I received the opportunity to preview Healed By Grace 2.  Here is the "about" information from the makers of Healed By Grace 2: Jesse is approaching her 15th birthday and the only gift she desires is a horse. Unbeknownst to Jesse, her mother Brandy is in the throes of a cancer diagnosis which has Jesse’s father jumping through unexpected obstacles.  He signs Jesse up for summer camp, but when summer camp falls through he decides to have her stay with her estranged grandfather, an old gruff horse trainer named Gauff. Gauff, still recovering from the death of a special horse named Grace, now faces the challenges of teen negotiation. Gauff finds he must swallow his pride and ask his daughter Brandy for forgiveness.  A humorous and inspiring story of how God’s grace works in mysterious ways. Actors/Actresses include: Sean Young, Kennedy Martin, Natalie Weese, David Matthew Weese I believe you will find this a perfect film for family entertainment, es