Monthly Subscription Boxes - Have you seen these?

Let me take you back .... I remember when I was very young seeing commercials about these books that your parent could order you a subscription to and this really neat green van full of characters would come to your house and deliver your book to you every month.  It was called Sweet Pickles. (I needed help remembering the name so enlisted a friend of mine search until she found it. She is a wonder at googling things, but it is my understanding even the google queen herself needed help from a friend.)

I remember begging my mom for that subscription service. I was absolutely convinced that I was going to get a visit from that green van full of characters if she ordered it for me. She finally had to help me understand that the books would be delivered via the postal service NOT the cool green van in the commercials. That only made me want it more. I would be getting mail! I loved mail, I still love mail, just not the junk or bill type of mail.

I recently ran across this sensation while watching a YouTube video about our recently acquired SodaStream. I discovered grav3yardgirl on YouTube. She is a vblogger who blogs about those as see on TV Items in a series of "Does This Thing Really Work?" videos. I had subscribed to her channel and ran across a vblog of her opening one of her many subscription boxes.

All I could think about was MAIL! How I miss mail! Unfortunately I have passed this trait onto my daughter as well.  She doesn't know the difference between mail for her and junk mail, so she "gets" LOTS of mail.  I know this will not last much longer as she is learning where to look on the envelope for her name. So I started looking into these subscription box services.

WOW, I can honestly say that I am over whelmed with all of the types of subscription boxes that are out there and the TYPES! Did you know you can have anything from baking supplies to full fresh ingredients mailed to you monthly?  What about undergarments, toothbrushes and socks? There are toys, beauty products, books, household items, gadgets, soap, hand made assortments, candy, snacks, spices, home decor... I could go on and on and on.

Now I haven't pulled the trigger to subscribe yet, not because I haven't found one that I like TRUST ME I have found ones that I like. To be honest it's more because I haven't found the right coupons to move forward. However I found a couple today that just may .... But they are the type that you have to sign up for auto delivery then cancel before the next auto shipment annnnd I just really don't like those. Probably because I am one of those that will forget to stop the auto shipment and end up with lots of full price auto subscription boxes and a HUGE explanation owed to my darling husband... But it is not just the coupon I am looking for, it is the bang for your buck that will make it happen. More than likely it will be a food box as I am a foodie at heart especially since I have yet to find a Disney themed box.

So wihile I ponder which subscription box subscription I am going to fall for first - let me suggest a few websites for you to browse in order to jump start YOUR addiction:

2LittleRoseBuds.com

SubscriptionBoxMom.com

MySubscriptionAddiction.com

I have literally spent DAYS just looking over the information on these websites and yet still haven't pulled the trigger.

Now as for my friend, the google queen, she is going for the Tyler Florance Fancy Box .... Or maybe the Taste Trunk's BBQ box. Guess this is something google can't even help her with.

Cheers!

OB

Recipe Alert: Easy cream sauce

1 chicken bullion cube

1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream

Salt & pepper to taste

Cook on medium low heat until desired thickness

THAT IS ALL!

So I invited this new game ...

I invented a new game with a friend of mine yesterday. She didn't know it and it was quite amusing. 

I have been sick for about a month and a half now with migraine clusters and a sever inner ear imbalance that has left me incompassitated for 90% of that time.  That alone is enough to make anyone go bonkers but lets just add to it that I have now had to also miss our annual vacation with some of our closest friends because of this crap .... Well, that does not make for a saine time around our house this weekend.

Just change the dates of the vacation you say? We can't do that, you see we have been going to these festivities for what would have been 10 years in a row and 6 or 7 of them have been with these friends. I am speaking of the Sprint Unlimited formerly known as the Budweiser Shootout in Daytona Beach, Florida at the Daytona International Speedaway. It is like a mini all-star race before the NASCAR racing season starts and right before the "Super Bowl" of racing, the Daytona 500.

The physical stuff is already taking its emotional toll on me, add that and now the fact that I am missing something that I look forward to each and every year, I can promise you i am a total ball of hot emotional mess right now. If I didn't have concerns about my husbands sanity while dealing with me through the migraines I DO worry about him trying to help me get through this weekend AND THEN through to NEXT YEAR! I swear, I have started crying over any and every thing. It is like all of those years that I never had the crying issue associated with PMS have decided to rear their ugly head all at one time.

As examples, here are some of the text between my friend and I yesterday as well as my reactions. Please remember that I am a 40 ish year old (or suppose to be) ...

Me: I expect hourly updates! ... Please ... Actually crying as I say that cause I really wish we were there My Reaction: (OMG Was I squalling when I wrote that)

Her: :( can't believe y'all aren't here!!

Her: 

picture of their camping spot which happens to be our most favorite camping spot of all time 

My Reaction: (I literally threw myself on the bed in a fit of emotional turmoil and hysterical crying as if I myself were my three year old)

So they go on like this, she gets her favorite drivers (Carl Edwards) autograph,

 I get upset because I am not there to share the experience with her and so on and so forth. I mean this is really getting ridiculous, my husband is trying to console me, but I swear I think he started laughing at one point.

So back to the game ... Several weeks ago she sent me this obscure text of a sconce on a wall.  Within a split second I recognized the sconce as being from a resort at Walt Disney World. Not just any resort but the resort that holds my favorite restaurant on Walt Disney World Property ... Cape May Cafe At Disney's Beach Club. Her reply was you really are a Disney addict! (Yes, yes I am thank you very much but I digress.) That reminded me of this game we use to play where if one person was at Disney you took a picture of the ground/floor of where you were and sent it to your other disney addict friends and see who was the first to correctly identify it. Just a fun way for them to be there with you. 

My theory is that if that worked for Disney, it should work for this annual weekend right? WRONG! First, you need someone to play who is going to play correctly! I mean, it's a PICTURE GAME.  Here is how it started ....

Me: Send me a picture of what is directly behind you at this EXACT moment.

Her: (no picture) Lots of families with kids here. Campground still not full.

Me: I was trying to play a game ...

Her: ?

Second, okay my bad I guess I should have started with hey you wanna play a game, but normally she isn't that type of friend she is more of the jump right in kinda gal .... So my bad I will take the fall for that one.

Me: I was trying to play a game ... Take a picture and send to me, what is directly (behind, to your left, right, front, above, below, at your 11 o'clock, 2 o'clock, etc) at this EXACT moment. You are suppose to do that and then send me the pic that way I am there too.  Guess it works better at Disney ... Sigh ... Been a very emotional day.

Her: oh sorry! Well, that's what was behind me when I saw your text.

Her: Random pic

Her: Random pic

Me: You are not very good at this game ... You are suppose to wait on me to send you a text on what type of picture you are suppose to send ...

Her: Ok

Me: But I still like what you sent :-)

Her: Random pic

So, today I wake up ready to start the game ...

Me: 3 o'clock

Her: picture of her husband's backside

Me: GAME OVER

Guess games like this really are best played at Disney ....

Looks like she is having a great time, one of the best in all the years we have been going ... I sure do wish I was there ... Excuse me I feel an emotion coming over me ... ;-)

Extra Income/Rewards Sites: Swagbucks.com - Part 1

Ok, Swagbucks.com. 

As are most of these reward sites Swagbucks.com relies heavily on referrals. Don't let anyone fool you - a pyramid scheme is a pyramid scheme no matter what. However, all pyramid schemes are not scams. If you have to put money upfront, must make referrals AND all this without actually selling a product ... RUN LIKE THE WIND BULLSEYE! (Disney Reference). 

What I am looking to do here is find out if there really is a way to put forth only a little effort and earn extra income, not start a home business like 31, Amway, Beauticontol or anything like that.

Swagbucks.com currency equivalent is about 1SB = $0.01.

The maximum earnings per day is 150SB

So it turns out I had previously signed up for swagbucks.com and just didn't remember doing so. After several attempts to reset my password ... Don't ask me how I did it as it was a little confusing and I ended up just guessing until I got it right, I got in.  Now it would have been better if I would have registered into swagbucks.com through a referral from a friend in order to help them out; because the best way to make these types of sites work, at their best earnings potential, is to make referrals, referrals, referrals! (Shameless plug for referrals here ... Swagbucks.com/refer/SweetTea33 ... Copy & paste in your browser if you don't mind.)

So I jump right in. I started off with 49 swagbucks, if I would have been able to sign up under a friend I believe I would have started with more, but I digress.  I downloaded an app SBTV.  This thing is like crack for movie lovers! You earn swagbucks for watching movie trailers! I am a sucker for movie trailers. I very rarely get to go to the movies let alone actually think I am going to see a movie with a rating over G these days. So this part REALLY intrigued me.

Just on day 1 of watching these trailers of the movies coming out in 2014 ... I can't wait to be able not to see:

Labor Day

Barefoot

Someone Marry Barry

Veronica Mars

God's Not Dead

Better Living Through Chemistry (I love Olivia Wilde!)

Bad Words

In Secret (is she related to the Olsen twins?)

Noah

Draft Day (love me some Kevin Costner)

The Right Kind of Wrong

Fading Gigolo

a New York Winter's Tale

And Heaven Is for Real

There are a few remakes, lots of zombie, prequels, and several Christian based films in there. Also someone please tell me when did superheroes get so young? They are all still in high school or college in these movies! It just made me feel so old.

After 4 1/2 hours I have earned 23 more swagbucks which is = to $0.23. Not even 8 cents an hour, seems to be starting off slow, but hey this is with no referrals and all I have done so far is watch movie trailers off and on while I do other things around the house.

Other earning opportunities include swagbucks for searching via their site, looking for swagbuck secret codes, taking polls, signing up for offers (which happens to be the quickens way to get swag bucks but also the riskiest and you can pretty much guarantee a bunch of spam from those sign ups. And I seriously doubt I will sign up for any of the offers.)

I do plan on continuing watching the movie trailers, heck in am even excited about watching more - I have watched some of the trailers more than once. The next swagbucks earnings opportunity I will be checking out are their codes.

Cheers,

OB

Can you really earn money working from home?

Okay so since I have found a little unfortunate extra time on my hands I decided to check out some of the rewards/ work from home sites that you hear about. I would like to see if: 

1) The sites actually work as they are suppose to ie you earn reward credits or cold hard cash deposited into your PayPal account. 

2) Will any of these sites be able to add to our household income in any sort of significance?

3) Will the time spent earning the rewards be worth the rewards.

My goal is to see how many sites I will have to use and how long it will take to earn enough to pay for a night out at a restaurant.

I will update this post as I test out some of these sites.  Currently I am working on:

MyPoints.com

Swagbucks.com

More to come ...

Cheers,

OB

"Promise to tell me if I ever start acting like my mother." Uh ... NO!

We've probably all have heard our mothers say it and it will probably be something that we will eventually say, if we haven't already.

My question here is, dose she really think I am that stupid to tell her she is/has turned into her mother? On what planet would any daughter utter those very words and then not fear hearing, "I brought you into this world and I can take you out!" I think the comedy ledgend Bill Cosby used a similar phrase in his  routine about his own mother.

I can only imagine that the legend himself knew, that under no circumstances would he or should he ever let those words come out of his mouth and tell his mother that she was indeed turning into her own mother.

I love my mom, she is an amazing woman and I put her through hell growing up.  She sacraficed so much so that I could have the things I wanted in my life. I rarely remember wanting for anything as she would move mountains to give me those things that I JUST HAD TO HAVE. 

However, in the past couple of years I have noticed some changes in her.  I don't know if it because she is retired, has become a grandmother, her boughts with insomnia or if she feels I am old enough and the kid gloves have come off. (A warning would have been nice, I had just assumed kid gloves would ALWAYS be on hand.)

She is far more cynical than she has ever been. More of a pessimist now. She has gone from the person who I wanted around me when I was sick to the last person I want around me when I don't feel well.  She has this suck it up and go mentality. Hospitals are for the weak. She could probably remove her own appendix if she needed to. Slap some alcohol on it and be ready to go in a couple of hours ... You know, the cowboy way. You are either sick in bed or out of bed a over being sick. There is no having a couple of hours out of bed to see how you were doing, nope! If you are not confined, you are doing fine! (This part she gets from taking care of her mother who tends to be a hypochondriac)

Her hearing is getting pretty bad. There are times that I almost yell during conversations as I don't know if it selective hearing or hearing loss. Most of the time I think it is selective hearing as I can whisper a smart ass comment behind her back and have to all but duck and cover from the gazing glare of pissed-off-ness emitting from her eyes as she whips back around and gives me THAT LOOK.  

You know the one. We ALL KNOW THAT LOOK. The scary thing is that we know that look because we make that look too. We make the same look of "you are pushing your luck" that our mothers make, just like their mothers did and their mothers did and so on and so forth.

I guess I have come to the realization that there is no reason to ask someone to tell me if I turn into my mother one day; I probably already have. I just REALLY hope I don't inherit that selective hearing thing. Which by me saying just that I bet I already have succumbed to it. Geesh, I really hate that selective hearing thing!

Oh well, Mothers, whatcha gonna do with them? I guess... Hug 'em while you can! (Psssst, just don't tell them they have turned into their mother)

Cheers, 

OB

Well, Hello There .... I am the Dreamfinder

Well, not really THE Dreamfinder, but a big fan of his.

I suppose I will start off my blogging experience to tell you a little more about who I am and why I decided to start blogging.  So hear it goes ....

I am a North Floridian born & raised. My family & friends, and their well being, are the most important things in my life.

My interest really do include all things Disney. Some may call it an obsession .... I just look at it as me having a BIG interest in Disney. Actually, I will be surprised if almost ALL of my blogs didn't refer to something Disney in some shape form or fashion.

I love: Cooking (eating goes hand n hand with cooking IMHO), Crafting, Discount shopping (I have champagne taste & a beer budget , but we will discuss that at a later time.) and Being on a boat.

Travel is a passion of mine that I just can't afford! Instead, I live vicariously through one of my long time friends who is a world traveler.

My dislikes are: bullies, ulterior motives and broccoli.

I wish I could ... : be a professional sweepstakes winner, have a job marketing the products that I love & use the most, be a professional Pinterester and/ or travel through time. My first action in time travel would to be going back to the early 80's and instead of buying all those packs of Star Wars and Garbage Pail Kids trading cards, put that money into purchasing Apple stock when it first became publicly traded.

Other misc:  I don't like sweet tea as most southerners do; I just thought it was a clever blog address. I hate to be dirty. The worst thing about the south is Mosquitos ooh and the heat ... I hate hot weather and to sweat.

I have started this blog as a therapy of sorts, just my day to day ramblings of things that are going on in my life or just what happens to be on my mind.

So with this ending of my first blog post I thought I would outwardly share an "internal motto" of mine. It happens to be the best advise I can give anyone about family & friends ... Hug 'em while you can ...

Cheers,
OB