What Goes Around Comes Around

It's Saturday morning and I was thinking back on our week realizing how many unexpected gifts we were given.  Have you ever taken the time to process all the things that people do for you and what you've done for others in a given week?  Well, this week was pretty amazing so I'll start with Monday.

Monday I found out that Skateland had free admission so I told my daughters they could invite one friend and I would drive them to Skateland & back home again afterward.  A few days prior a Facebook friend (whom I've never met personally) offered me a free ink cartridge (sells for over $30 in stores) which is the same one I had been putting off buying for weeks because we are trying to spend money sparingly.  So on the way to Skateland we picked up the toner cartridge.  Then after Skateland I took all 4 kids to Savers & let them each pick out any $1 item they wanted because it was dollar day.
(For those keeping score that's me 2 - karma 1)

Tuesday I used the toner cartridge to print book reports for my daughter so we could take them to Bookman's in exchange for a Breyer horse (her current obsession) that she had on hold. 

Wednesday I took my daughter to Bookmans to get the horse she had been reading books and doing book reports to get.  At the checkout counter she saw another horse that she wanted so she was going to buy it herself.  However, when she got out her wallet she realized she had the wrong one (the blue one instead of the pink one) so all she had was $5 instead of $20 (Christmas & b-day money).  Seeing that my daughter did not have enough money with her, the cashier gave her an extra book report credit and let her have the 2nd horse for free.  We did not ask and it was totally unexpected.  My daughter and I are very grateful!
(me 2 - karma 2)

Thursday morning I was going to Goodwill to try to find a special outfit to wear this weekend when I meet one of my hubby's best friends from school whom he hasn't seen in about 20 years.  It was dollar day but I knew I might end up buying something that was not one dollar (dollar day is for a certain color tag which changes every week) so I printed out a coupon for 20% off your total of $10 or more (only eligible on non $1 items).  Being so happy that I had a toner cartridge I went ahead & printed out two extra coupons so I could give them to customers in the store while I was shopping.  The two women I gave the extra coupons to were grateful and both saved at least $2.00 each.
(me 3 - karma 2)

Thursday early evening I saw that the Mesa Riverview Chick Fil A restaurant was doing free child ID kits so we drove down because we haven't gotten one for the kids in a few years.  While we were there we got a dozen nuggets for the girls to share.  On the way out my youngest daughter decided she wanted to user her money to buy a slice of cheesecake so I let her go to the counter and order it herself.  I saw she needed some help counting the change out so I went over to help.  After I had it all counted out ($1.84) the male cashier gently pushed the money back to Melody and said the next time she sees someone who needs help she could use it to help them.  She was again grateful and happy to get a free slice of cheesecake. :)
(me 3 - karma 3)

Friday night my hubby decided we should watch Weird Science for our movie night so I was going to run down to Blockbuster to exchange one of our on-line rentals for an in-store rental (for free) but after checking on-line I saw that none of the Blockbusters carry that movie in-store.  I checked with Hollywood Video and found out all the ones nearby have closed down.  Then I tried to see if I could buy it used (hopefully discounted) at Bookmans or FYE but it the cheapest copy was $12.  Then I tried Wal Mart, Target & Best Buy with no luck.  I couldn't believe the only place to find this 1985 movie was to buy it used for $12.  I resigned myself to having to buy it when it dawned on me that there used to be a rental store in Chandler called Video Paradise.  I looked it up on-line & found out they had it available to rent AND there was a coupon on their site for a FREE rental for first time customers, which I was.
(me 3 - karma 4)

So, it's Saturday morning and I was reminded of the Liberty Mutual commercial that showed a sequence of people helping each other.  It first aired around February of 2007 but I still remember it and was happy to find it on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMwoexR1evo&feature=related

Here is the 2nd commercial in the Good Deeds series too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw97CfZtyGw&feature=related

It looks like it's my turn to do a good deed so I'll be keeping my eye open today and in the future.

If you have an example of "paying it forward" to share please comment at the bottom of my blog. 

*Side note:

In case you are like me and wondered what band is in the background for both commercials, it is Hem.  The first song is called Half Acre.  It is available on the CD called Rabbit Song that was released in 2001: 

http://www.amazon.com/Rabbit-Songs-Hem/dp/B0000AOC29

The second song is called The Part Where You Let Go on the CD "Home Again, Home Again" which is Hem's 6th release in 2007.  It is unavailable on Amazon but I found it here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hemmusic5

The lyrics for Half Acre don't have anything to do with karma or good deeds but the melody is great.  Here are the lyrics in case you're interested:  http://www.metrolyrics.com/half-acre-lyrics-hem.html

Here's the lyrics for The Part Where You Let Go:  http://allabouthem.com/halyrics.htm#part

Lastly, this site has all the band's albums, songs & lyrics: http://allabouthem.com/lyricslist.htm

Do You Believe?

I've been watching Ghost Hunters since their first episode aired in 2004.  Since then it seems like there are more shows on TV about the paranormal.  In fact, there are at least 47 different paranormal shows that have aired on television:

1. A Haunting on the Discovery Channel
2. A Haunting in Connecticut (classified as a documentary)
3. A Haunting in Georgia (from the makers of A Haunting in Connecticut) on the Discovery Channel
4. America’s Haunted Hotels on the Travel Channel
5. American Paranormal on the National Geographic Channel
6. Celebrity Ghost Stories on the Biography Channel
7. Dead Famous: Ghostly Encounters on A&E
8. Destination Truth on SyFy
9. Extreme Paranormal on A&E
10. Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files on SyFy
11. Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel
12. Ghost Detectives --- couldn't find the channel for this
13. Ghost Hunters on SyFy
14. Ghost Hunters Academy on SyFy
15. Ghost Hunters International on SyFy
16. Ghost Intervention on The Learning Channel aka TLC
17. Ghost Lab on The Discovery Channel
18. Ghost Stories on FOX Family (1997 - 1998)
19. Ghost Trackers on HBO Family, Discovery Kids Canada & YTV (filmed in Canada, aired 2005-2008)
20. Ghostly Encounters on The Biography Channel
21. Ghosts Caught On Tape --- could not find the channel for this
22. Ghosts: Fact or Fiction on The Biography Channel
23. Haunted History on the History Channel
24. Haunted Homes on the Fine Living Channel (a British reality show)
25. Haunted Houses --- could not find the channel for this
26. Haunting Evidence on TruTV
27. Living with the Dead in Canada on CTV & in Australia on CI channel (filmed in Britain)
28. Most Haunted on The Travel Channel (filmed in Britain, available in other countries as well)
29. Most Terrifying Places --- could not find the channel for this
30. Most Terrifying Places In America on The Travel Channel
31. My Ghost Story on The Biography Channel
32. Mystery Hunters on Discovery Kids
33. Mystery Quest on The History Channel
34. Paranatural on The National Geographic Channel
35. Paranormal Cops on A&E
36. Paranormal Matrix (in development)
37. Paranormal State on A&E
38. Psychic Children – Sixth Sense on the Biography Channel
39. Psychic Kids – Children of the Paranormal on A&E
40. Psychic Witness on The Discovery Channel
41. Scariest Places On Earth on ABC Family
42. So Weird (1991-2001) The Disney Channel
43. The Haunted on Animal Planet
44. The Othersiders on The Cartoon Network
45. The Unexplained on the Biography Channel
46. Truth or Scare on Discovery Kids
47. Unexplained Mysteries on the Biography Channel

*Note - I know there are more shows than this but I found this list here (http://www.hauntedtruth.com/2010/02/a-list-of-paranormal-ghost-television-shows-alphabetical-listing-2/) and added television channels & air dates myself by researching the shows on-line.

I try to give them all a chance but find that some are purely for shock value rather than true investigations.  Here's a web site with even more paranormal TV shows including the years they were aired or when they began airing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranormal_television

The top 5 ghost hunting shows during 2010 were:

5. Ghost Lab

~ Brad Klinge, Barrry Klinge, Katie Burr, Steve Harris, Hector Cisneros, and Steve Hock ~

Join Brad and Barry Klinge, founders of Everyday Paranormal, as they travel the country using some of the world's most sophisticated equipment to gather.

4. Most Haunted

~ British Actress Yvette Fielding and her crew ~

Have a habit of screaming, swearing and running away from their own shadows.

 3. Ghost Adventures

~ Aaron Goodwin, Zak Bagans, and Nick Groff ~
American paranormal investigator Zak Bagans and his crew, Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin, travel from Idaho to Scotland, and anywhere in between, to scare up the most unearthly mysteries and ghost sightings imaginable. Their in-depth investigations take the team to notoriously haunted locales where they research the history of paranormal phenomena, interview eye-witnesses and then face off with the spirits themselves in this series that will chill your blood and make you want to sleep with the lights on.

2. Paranormal State 

~  Katrina Weidman, Eilfie Music, Heather Taddy, Sergey Poberezhny , Ryan Buell ~
An American docudrama paranormal reality television series that documents the extraordinary life of Ryan Buell and other members of the Paranormal Research Society (PRS) as they seek to find the truth behind terrifying real life mysteries, hauntings and ghosts.

1. Ghost Hunters

~ Amy Bruni, Kris Williams, Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson, Dave Tango, Steve Gonsalves ~
An American paranormal reality television series started by Jason & Grant who are Roto Rooter employees by day & paranormal investigators with The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) by night. Ghost Hunters is most watched program of Sy Fy Channel.

Out of those five shows I would say they are in order of my preference, other than the fact that I do not watch Most Haunted which has had bad press (see here: http://tvoftheabsurd.com/2010/01/01/top-5-ghost-hunting-shows/) & is a bit ridiculous.  I would insert Destination Truth in place of Most Haunted in my top 5 list.

Destination Truth

Led by FUNNY & intrepid world adventurer Josh Gates, each episode of Destination Truth takes viewers on a trek across the globe as Josh investigates stories of the unexplained. Accompanied by his small crew, Josh dives into the local cultures and searches for clues to the existence of strange creatures and paranormal phenomena.

With the popularity of Ghost Hunters & other shows that explore the existence of ghosts, I wondered how many people really believe in ghosts?  And of those people, how many have ever actually seen a ghost or had an experience that was unexplainable?  I'd love to hear your answer so please leave a comment.

I heard that 80% of the population believes in ghosts, are you one of them?

Today I Learned...

I keep hearing that "You learn something new every day!" :)  So I was wondering...do we really learn something new every day?  My plan is to blog about something new that I learn each day.  Hopefully it will be something new to you too & we'll both benefit from the experience.

The first time we gave them watermelon (last night) my hubby cut a seedless watermelon into quarters & we gave our 2 dogs one piece each.  When I went out the this morning to throw away the rinds I saw that they were gone!  I was a little worried that they had eaten the rinds so I did some internet research to find out if it was OK.

Today I learned...

Dogs can eat watermelon rind.

 *Note, you should give it to them in the afternoon, not right before bed (like we did last night) because I read that it will make your dog have to go potty (which both of ours did on our floor in the middle of the night).

Now, I wouldn't want you to just trust this information because "I said so" which is why I will post a few links to back up the validity so you can feel comfortable that it is correct.

The following sites all say that a dog can eat watermelon & watermelon rind:

http://www.uniteddogs.com/en/forum/279/8978/can-dogs-eat-watermelons
"Don´t be afraid to give them the rind too - that´s what we used to toss to our bordeauxs as we were eating the watermelon. Like most ´peels´, the rind is loaded with vitamins...too much will give loose stools..."

http://answers.gardenandhearth.com/Gardening/is_watermelon_good_for_dogs
"Watermelon is not really nutritionally good for dogs but it does not hurt them either. Many people myself included will allow my dog to eat watermelon rind as a fun treat to chew. They love the sweetness of it and it gives them something to chew."

http://www.lab-retriever.net/board/watermelon-safe-dogs-t7294514.html?s=ed7343b41ebedda2443f013f9ae79352&
"My boys also love occasional pieces of watermelon. High in Vitamin C and loaded with water, it is another excellent safe treat for dogs " 

There are many more which you can look up if you'd like by going to Google.

Also, there are at least a dozen You Tube videos of different dogs eating watermelon that you can check out here:   http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=watermelon+dog+rind&aq=f

Today when I gave them watermelon I cut the rinds of 1/2 of a seedless watermelon into 2" pieces & gave it to them outside.

Thank you for reading my 3rd blog.  If you enjoyed it please comment & let me know what you  learned today too. 

Silly Fact of the Day

Did you know the word "calendar" has been derived from the Latin word "kalendae" means the Latin name of the first day of each month?

Ya, I wonder about things like this once in a while so I look them up.  Don't you just love Google?

A little bit about me

I am a bit of a walking contradiction. I don't mind questioning authority & being a unique person with my own set of beliefs but I don't like confrontation so sometimes I just let things go because it's not worth fighting about. Anyway, as sort of a fun first post I decided to write some things about me that you may or may not know:

Dos & Don'ts
I do believe that eating healthy & exercising is the optimal way to live, however, I don't always follow good advice so I could improve on both of those categories.

I am a Christian who believes that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and make sure we say our prayers every night before bed but my family does not attend church on a regular basis for a few different reasons.

I do love buying books (because you get to keep them forever & ever so you can read them again or pass them on to family or friends) but don't like buying them new from the book store because they're usually too expensive.

I do believe that the best place for a child is with their family, not at a babysitter or daycare, but I did have each of my children attend 1 year of preschool to get them used to the idea of going to school before they started kindergarten.

I do believe in ghosts but I don't believe in zombies.

I enjoyed reading all of the Twilight saga but I don't believe in vampires.

I do love shopping but I don't like paying full price. (Which is why I shop at thrift stores, use coupons or buy things on sale whenever possible. I'm so thrifty I even use coupons at thrift stores.)

I am one of those moms who are happy when school is out during the summer or on school vacations because I enjoy spending time with my kids but sometimes I think I need to hold my ground more when it comes to discipline.

I enjoy watching TV & movies with my children as well as roller skating, bicycling, playing tennis, etc. but since we live in Arizona sometimes the high temperatures don't allow for much outdoor exercise.

I do like to take pictures of my family (especially my kids) but lately don't like pictures that are taken of me. Since my early 30s I have been gaining weight in increments along with age & went from a size 3 to a size 6 (in pants & shorts at least).

I do believe that hospitals have their place in the medical society but I don't believe that every woman who is pregnant should mindlessly get an OB & have their baby in the hospital. (Giving birth is a natural thing, you're pregnant - NOT sick)

Along those lines I do believe that a midwife knows more & cares more about her patient & their family than the majority of OBs and just because you CAN schedule your birth doesn't mean you should schedule your birth.

I believe that most famous athletes (whom many children look up to as their heroes) are overpaid & most true heroes like police officers, firefighters & teachers are underpaid.

I do like puppies & dogs but I am not much of a cat person (partially because my children & I are allergic).

I do like Facebook Scrabble & Family Feud but I don't like Farmville, Fishville, Yoville, etc.

I do like to watch & listen to comedians but sometimes the subject matter that is supposed to be funny just isn't because I don't really care for vulgar language (ya, I'm kind of a prude).

Along those lines, I think it would be just fine (& might actually benefit the world) if all the mini skirts & short shorts in existence disappeared forever & no more were ever made. What purpose do they really serve? One of my mottoes is "Just because it fits doesn't mean you should wear it."

OK, I'm sure there is more I could say but I will stop for today & mull over what I should write tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed my very first blog post. Please comment & feel free to give me suggestions or pointers since I am new to the blogging world.

Note: I don't keep up with this blog much but I do post to my AZ Money Savin' Mama Facebook page on a daily basis (for the most part) & I've included a link to it because it's filled with money saving offers like coupons, in-store promotions, etc. to help you save money on clothing, restaurants, groceries & more: