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Spooky but safe Halloween fun

(Guest post written by Chantelle Baron)

Halloween is by far our favorite holiday around our house, well probably my daughter's second favorite because her birthday would be her favorite. But, we go all out when ti comes to the holiday.
I was feeling especially in the spirit this weekend so I went online to try and find some Halloween themed treat I could make. When I was searching for something I found the website clear-internet.com and read through it. It ends up that after some serious consideration I decided to change over our internet service to it.
When i was doing that a great idea for a Halloween treat came up on me and I got the idea to make some rice crispy treats with candy corn mixed into it. While I was sharing it with my daughter, I made sure to remind her about trick or treating safety even though I've told her about 100 times before. IÕm letting her go with her friends and her friendÕs mom this year so I wonÕt be there to keep an eye on her the whole time. But sheÕs a smart girl so I think sheÕll be okay.

Last wedding of the year

I have a wedding to shoot this weekend and I'm happy to say, it's my last for the year. Weddings are too stressful for me and I hate doing them by myself. My daughter or dad usually tag along with me, but they both can't make it this time- Argh!

Silly me scheduled a family shoot on Sunday as well-what was I thinking? So, now I get to get up early after a hectic Saturday. Let's throw in trick-or-treating on top of all that.

I told the hubby that I will definitely need a night out next week with no kids and no cameras. My favorite restaurant is Ruby Tuesdays-they are AWESOME.

So, our date night will be my motivation to get through this weekend-and maybe that expensive lens I'm getting with the money I make from the wedding...

A grand opening

I finally had my grand opening of my "studio". Not everyone could make it, but we had a good time anyway.

I slaved over this cake that I just had to make for the party. I saw a photo of it online and went by that. This cake was massive! please ignore what it was on-I didn't think about getting something to put it on.

I took some photos while waiting for the guests to arrive. Emily dove into the food first.

While Zachary just ran around.

Avrie watched tv.

Jess was just glad to be able to sit down for a moment.

Now, on to the studio...

Picture a brown couch in front of the white curtain backdrop area. It didn't make it here on time for the party.

I got some awesome photos of the kids up on the walls. Emily didn't like the fact that her pictures weren't the only ones up there-she must take after her vain father.

I'm so excited to have an indoor set up. Now, all I need are some clients!

Feeling like I'm ninety

My oldest has had a whirlwind of a life lately. She just had a baby, lost a job, started a new one, moved (again) and her car has been falling apart.

Whew! I got tired just typing that.

With everything going on, I've felt that I adopted two new kids as much as the grand babies have been over. I've taken well advantage of having the baby over to use her as my model. I'll be posting some photos that I took recently soon.

Zach and I have gotten even closer and he's my new bud. I think that he's starting to think that he lives at our house and "visits" his mom. I bet his mom wouldn't mind that!

I'm ready for a much needed break-not sure when THAT'S happening. I'm planning on having my studio opening party this weekend.

I'm thinking about adding alcohol to the mix.

Just be a kid already

A problem I've had to deal with over the years is my son acting way older then his age (14). Why do I call this a problem? Well, because he not only tries to act older then his age, but older then ME.

I constantly have to remind him that I've been on this earth WAY longer then he has, and I just might know a bit more then him. I still remember him doubting that I knew the answer to a question on his homework, and him not thinking that I was right until he looked it up on the Internet.

He will bring up questions about topics that normally a person in their twenties or thirty might question.

Lately, he's been questioning about the difference of our religion and his father's. I don't know if he is wanting to change religions, or this boy just spends way too much time on the Internet. He had brought it up this morning again and I finally told him to stop trying to act like an adult and just enjoy his childhood.

Chase girls, have fun with high school, and just be a kid.

Living with pests-you don't have to!

With all my problems with pests lately, I've considered hiring a Pest Control Service. I hate spiders and anything creepy and crawly to the point of about having a heart attack when one gets in the house.

There are many pest control services, like if you lived in Las Vegas, you could find a Las Vegas Pest Control service for your needs. While doing some research, I found out a few interesting Bug Facts about preventing pests from getting in your home:

Make sure that you can't see daylight through your door when closed-I have one of those doors!
Cut shrubs and bushes back at least a foot from house.

Keep tree branches from growing over roof-this allows rodents to climb onto house!

Caulk any holes around your house to prevent pests from getting inside.

Like I mentioned before, if you are looking for Pest Control Services in Nevada, there is a company that offers a guaranteed home and Commercial Pest Control. Elite Pest Control serves the Henderson and Las Vegas areas and have been in service for over a decade.

Though, I don't live in that area, I know that pests can be bad for people and having a Pest Control Company in Las Vegas available that you can trust is good to know!

A wrinkle cream that WILL be your best friend

I talk alot about finding ways to fight those tiny lines and wrinkles. I get contacted by lots of companies to promote their products, and most I turn away. I don't believe in recommending just another lotion that ends up just making me break out. It's hard to find the perfect wrinkle cream. I know. I've tried many.



Or, how about an anti aging cream that really works? IMPOSSIBLE.



When Perricone contacted me and asked if I would run a giveaway, I researched their products and found out that they use high quality ingredients. Doctor Perricone (yes, a real doctor) did his research and I'm including this from the website for you:



Antioxidants are at the core of Dr. Perricone's philosophy on aging, combatting not just free radicals, but inflammation as well. How? Our cells use oxygen to produce energy and they generate free radicals as a byproduct of this and many other metabolic functions like circulation and digestion. Free radicals are also produced by sunlight, toxins such as pesticides, cigarette smoke and air pollution. Free radicals are without question the central players in the aging process. But there is another natural phenomenon that affects aging- inflammation. Not the redness, swelling or irritation you may think of but subclinical inflammation, which is not visible to the naked eye, and takes place at the cellular level.

Perricone MD's products incorporate many potent, highly effective antioxidants to improve your health and combat the effects of aging.



Pretty cool, huh?



These are not your five dollar skincare products. These are high quality and make your skin feel like a baby's skin.



Now, how would YOU like to try this out for yourself? They are offering one lucky winner any product valued at $150 or less to see just how great their products are!



How to win:

(U.S. and Canada only)



Required entry:


Comment and share which Perricone product valued at $150 or less they want or need and why, as a required form of entry.



Two entries:



Tweet it and come back and leave two separate comment.



Follow me and leave two separate comment.



Three entries:



Post about this contest and leave three separate comments.


Good luck!



Contest ends:

11/1/2010

Already a perfectionist

With this being Emily's first year of school, I've been wondering how she would do at school. I've worked with her all summer on learning words, spelling her name, etc. I wanted to make sure that she had a good start and hoped that I did enough.

We had our first teacher conference and other then her teacher telling us a funny story about how Emily told her one day that I had a baby boy over the weekend (news to me!) she said she was doing well.

We received a note the other day that let us know that they would be having their first test soon. Test? Already? I was probably more nervous then she was because I know how she can be if everything is not perfect. What would she do if she didn't do well? Give the teacher her evil glare and demand a redo? Run out of the room screaming, how will I go on?

Time had passed and I actually forgot about the test coming until I opened her planner yesterday and found a note stapled to it. I opened it and read that they had taken the test and she only missed one and was put in the "exceeds" level. I showed her and congratulated her. I told her how good she did and that she got 22 out of 23 right! I figured she'd be so happy to hear that.

Instead of getting happy, she just looked at the test score and was quiet for a minute. She then looked at me, squinted her eyes and asked, "What question did I get wrong?"

I told her that I didn't know what one she missed, but that it didn't matter because she did very good. She gave me the "look" again and just sighed and then walked away, shaking her head.

Like I said before-I so feel sorry for her teachers.

How I was bullied into getting an iPhone

This all started when my son came up to me and asked if he could get an iPod. I told him to put it on his Christmas wish list. He said that he didn't want to wait and that he would save up half if I would pay the other half. I reluctantly agreed.

He then got all excited and said that he couldn't wait until he got it because he was going to watch movies off the Internet at school. I proceeded to tell him that, "A" I don't think that the school has wifi; and "B", I don't think the teachers are going to take too kindly to him watching a show instead of paying attention to class. Not caring about the getting in trouble part, he asked about the connection part and I told him that maybe he was mistaking the iPod for the iPhone.

Big mistake.

Now, he wanted an iPhone instead. I told him that the hubby had an iPhone and that I really don't think a fourteen year old needed one.

Later, I told the hubby about this and he got a gleam in his eye. Great. He had a wonderful idea that Jordon could have his iPhone and he could get the new iPhone. Maybe he didn't hear the part about me saying that a fourteen year old didn't need an iPhone? He explained how it would actually be cheaper putting him on his plan instead of buying him minutes on his other phone.

Being the pushover that I was, I agreed and next thing I knew, the hubby was handing Jordon his "new" iPhone and they both sat there playing with their phones.

The hubby looks happens to look over at me and raises an eyebrow. He suggests that maybe I should get one. Now, one thing about me is that I don't get all excited about fancy phones and uploading (or, is it downloading?) music and blah, blah, blah. I keep my phone until it totally dies, or accidentally falls in the toilet.

For a split second I consider it. I mistakenly open my mouth and mention that it would be nice to have some photos to show clients like the other hip photographers do with their iPhones.

That was all that the hubby needed to hear. Next thing I know, we are at the cell phone place canceling my service and getting me an iPhone. It all happened so fast, I didn't know what hit me.

Do I like my new phone? It took me awhile to get used to it and I really don't like that I can't text without looking anymore, but it's not bad-oh, and I love the "Talking Carl" app. I'm a dork.

I guess this was one time that I didn't mind being bullied.

If I ever won a shopping spree

Sometimes, I like to dream what it would be like to win a shopping spree from an online shopping site like csn stores. I would definitely change out some furniture for sure. In my shopping fantasy, I would get one of these couch sets.

I know, its white- I can dream. I would want this ottoman coffee table . Love it!

A new bed and bed set would be perfect.

And I think I would need a new kitchen table as well.

What brings up all of this? my favorite online shopping site, csn stores.com is letting me review something and I'm so excited! What is it? I guess you will have to come back and see... :)

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Just let them think they are right

Hubby: Did you line up my pants legs like I like them when you took them out of the dryer?

Me: Uh, no. I forgot.

Hubby: Did you separate my white tshirts from my colored ones?

Me: Uh, no. I was very busy and put them together.

Hubby: (growl) Thats it. I'm just going to have to do my laundry!

Me: What? You want to actually help- I mean, do your laundry? (pretending to gasp) I REALLY don't know how I'm going to handle this.

Hubby: That's right. I guess you should remembered how anal-I-am-about-my-clothes I like them.

Me: Honey?

Hubby: What?

Me: Just wondering, how am I doing with the dishes?

Christmas came early

The last two weeks, it seemed like the Fed Ex, USPS and the UPS guys were coming practically every day to our house to deliver packages. Between getting free stuff from gift certificates that I've been "winning", ordering products for the new studio, and other products photography business related, everything was coming on time (miracle) and at the same time.

I am not complaining though. I LOVE getting stuff delivered to my front door-I did start to be concerned that the neighbors might be thinking that we were involved in some kind of shady stolen electronic business. I had SO many packaging and boxes to get rid of, I had to hire my daughter's boyfriend to haul them away in his truck.

One thing that I got was an early Christmas present from the hubby. I told him that it was vital that I got this early because I really needed it for my business. This is what I got.

It's the Epson 710 All-In-One Printer. I love, love, love it! This is my new best friend.

Now, I can do this.

I have been wanting to do something with the CDs that I burn for my clients. I heard that the labels are bad for computers, so I didn't want to do that. This printer actually burns the photo right on to the CD. It also can print without even using your computer-yeah! My old printer was about twenty years old and I don't even use the color ink anymore. Now, I can print photos!

I also came across a cool packaging idea for the CDs.


This is a tri fold card that you can put the CD in the middle-how cool! I also put the print release right on it as well so the client can just take the whole thing to the printers.

I designed a new logo for the front as well. I think I will have to put this on my site too.

Among dealing with all the new stuff, I also had a maternity shoot this weekend with a very sweet couple and their cute doggy.

Elly (dog) didn't want to cooperate at first, but she settled down enough to get some shots with her. Mom-to-be was so pretty and nice-she will make a great mommy!

Dad-to-be was a bit shy at first, but loosened up after awhile.

I like to make sure everyone has fun during their photo shoot, and I think this couple did.

In fact, I'm pretty sure that I heard her say that she was having a lot of fun to her husband. One of the perks of doing photography is being able to make people happy!