Soliciting some advice

If anybody reads this, I need some help. What do you use to plan your days/lives with? I currently just write what I need to do on a notepad widget on my Google homepage, and then as I accomplish things I delete them. However, I am desperate for a new method. Do you guys have actual planners? PDAs? IPhones? Normal calendars? I just need to find a good method where I can write everything down in day/week/month form. I would also like to be able to jot notes down and grocery lists and stuff. Maybe I just need a good calendar and a pad of paper. Franklin planners used to be the thing, but I'm pretty sure they went out with the 90s. Anyway, any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I am ready to scream at my coupon printer. Have any of you guys been able to get it to work in Firefox? I absolutely despise Internet Explorer, but that's what I have had to use to print off all my coupons. Then a few months ago it started telling me that I needed to install the coupon printer even though I had already installed it and had been using it for a while. I re-installed it and no matter what I did it would always keep telling me that I needed to install it again. Regardless, I keep seeing great coupons and it is killing me that I can't print them off! Has anybody else had this issue or just me?

Command Strips by 3M

Have you ever tried the Command Strips by 3M? If not, you need to. They have now earned a solid spot on my list of best inventions ever. Kory and I had wanted to install hooks on our closet and bathroom doors to hang towels on for several months, but we could just never seem to get around to doing it. It's one of those things you put off because you know you're gonna have to get all your tools out and drill into the doors and then make sure everything's level, etc. So a few weeks ago Kory finally went to the store to get some hooks and he came home with some Command Strips. I was skeptical at first, but after he put one up I was instantly sold. No drilling, no screws, no leveling...nothing! These were so easy to put up and the best part about them is that if you decide you don't like them anymore or if you want to move them, you just have to pull the adhesive strip and they come off without any effort. And you can use the same hooks over and over again by just applying a new adhesive strips (every pack comes with extra adhesive strips or you can just buy the replacement strips).

We have only tried the hooks, but 3M also makes picture hanging strips, along with many other products that use the same adhesive strips. Do you know what this means people? No more holes in your walls! No more debating whether or not you should hang something and risk having an unnecessary hole in your wall. If you have a decoration you want to hang up for Christmas or if you want to hang a wreath on your front door, holes are no longer required. Simply hang the decoration on one of these hooks and then when you put the decoration away, you can take the hook down without leaving a mark. They're just amazing! Go here to see all the different products these strips are used on. And if you want to give the picture hanging strips a try, click here to print a $1.00 off coupon.

Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs

Every time I eat a hot dog it seems there is always some heckler nearby who feels the need to preach some sort of anti-animal-part doctrine to me. They're all, "Ewwww, you’re eating that?!? Did you know they put ground up animal eyes and lips in those?" To which I reply, "Yes," and continue to take a bite AND swallow it in front of them. So what? So what if there's animal stuff in my hot dog? Millions are consumed daily, so I'm not gonna lose too much sleep over it unless those ground up eyes and lips actually kill somebody. Until then, I will continue to eat them because they're good. Really though, I like to partake of the all-beef variety because they just taste better. They're my favorite and I think it's totally worth the little bit extra to get a really good tasting hot dog...because hot dogs are an all or nothin' deal with me. I love them if they're really good, but otherwise I'll take the burger.

My favorite brand is Nathan's Famous. Nathan's hosts the annual hot dog eating contest every year on Coney Island. Their hot dogs taste somewhat like a sausage, but with a hot dog texture. And they pop when you bite into them! They really are amazing. Sadly, most people don't know that you can buy them at local supermarkets (I've seen them at Wal-Mart and Smith's). Nathan's is huge back east and they've decided to share with us western folk. So if you've never had a Nathan's Famous hot dog before, go to the store right now and get yourself a pack (I recommend the long skinny ones shown above). Then go home, grill it up on the George Foreman, and let me know what you think.

Dyson DC25 All Floors

Several months ago, Kory and I finally took the plunge. We purchased this bad baby. It's is the Dyson DC25 All Floors vacuum cleaner. And I honestly don't think I have ever been more pleased with a purchase in my entire life. Not only does it live up to it's slogan that it turns on a dime, but I am constantly amazed/disgusted with the amount of crap it picks up. We have to empty the container about once a month because it picks up so much she-haw. We had to empty the container on our former vacuum, the Hoover, about once a year, so it now makes me sick to think about what we were wallowing in before we purchased this vacuum. The Hoover only lasted about 3 years and it sucked...actually, it didn't suck. I would purposely put things in front of it and it would just roll over top of them. Pathetic! Once Maggie started crawling I decided it was finally time to get a Dyson. My favorite features of this vacuum include the quick-draw telescope wand, the stairs attachment, the low floors feature, the fact that it's small and bagless, and of course, the ball!

When we purchased ours, we were actually going to go with the DC14 model that didn't have the ball, but as I searched on the internet I actually found this version, which is much better, for cheaper than I could get the DC14. Normally this model sells for about $500. Do a search on Nextag, Froogle, and Pricegrabber and you will see what I mean. Pretty much the cheapest I could find it for was $435 plus $16 shipping, but most retail for about $499. However, there is one online store that always sells it for way cheaper than everywhere else. When I bought mine, they were having a sale and I got it for $350, but you can almost ALWAYS get it for $399 at AAA & Broadway Vacuums, which in my opinion is still an amazing deal for this vacuum. And it ships free and is tax-free. And I trust this company. They were VERY knowledgeable about vacuums and helped me realize that the Dyson DC25 was the one for me. It was also delivered brand new within the week.

So you may have just choked on your toast hearing that we spent $350 on a vacuum, but you have no idea how awesome this vacuum really is. We spent over $200 on the Hoover, and as I've already stated, it was terrible. This one is incredible and comes with a 5-year warranty. So if you're in the market for a new vacuum, take my word for it. This one's a winner. Honestly the only con to this vacuum is the cord size...it's a little shorter than normal. That's it. Well, and the price. But I'm good at justifying that if you haven't already noticed. :)

Crocs

I'm totally diggin' this pair of Crocs.

And this pair.

I think they're both very cute, and I'm certain they're quite comfortable, which to me usually trumps cuteness...even though I'm told to always put beauty before comfort. Well these would allow me to have both!

Unfortunately, Crocs have always seemed pretty pricey to me. Both of these go for about $50. I've never spent $50 on a pair of shoes in my life! Well, I think I owned a few pair of Dr. Marten's back in the day, but I didn't buy those so it doesn't count. I bought a pair of imitation skinny Crocs (still don't care for the big bulky kind) at Wal-Mart for $8 a few months ago and I love them. I really want a pair of these though. If anybody finds a sale on either pair anytime soon, please, please, please let me know! I guess until then I will just have to wait for an imitation version to hit the stores, because $50 for Crocs seems outlandish to me. Does it to you? If not, help me find a way to justify them.

And the winner is...

Michelle, who said, "Since I missed the party :( I feel I should win, but by all means, make it fair!" And, by all means, it was fair as can be thanks to Random.org. Congrats! You are now the proud owner of 5 Dreyer's Ice Cream coupons. Now you can have your own party! Please e-mail me your address so I know where to mail the coupons to. Thanks again to all who participated!

Warm Delights

Nobody should let themselves die without trying one of these:

I'm not kidding! They're my guilty pleasure. My favorite is the Molten Carmel Cake shown above. I never buy them unless there's a sale AND I have a coupon because they seem pretty expensive to me. (I guess it's all relative though. I mean, I'm willing to spend a few bucks on an ice cream cone for a treat, but I have a hard time spending $1.50 for one of these, when the satisfaction I get from both treats is the same. I'm an idiot.) Anyway, I was pretty skeptical before trying these because it's just cake. But, oh, it's not just cake. It's amazing cake with caramel drizzled throughout. And the best part is that all you have to do is add water and microwave it for like a minute and you have an instant, warm, and delicious treat in a bowl. No dishes to do or anything!

Like I mentioned above, the only bad thing about these decadent Warm Delights is the price. They're unfortunately placed right next to the boxed cake mixes and they're usually about $1.50 or more, which is double the price of a normal cake mix and you get like 1/6 the amount of cake. So, my practical side often thinks about the price per serving and I can't talk myself into getting one. But I guess since you only have to add water (no eggs or oil) and it comes with its own topping, and it's quick and mess-free, it's not too bad. How's that for justification?

The other downfall is the size. I have a larger-than-normal appetite for desserts so even though the back of the box tells me that it's enough for 2, this is not so for me. I need the whole thing. So, do what I do and hide it in the cupboard until your spouse goes upstairs and then whip it out and enjoy. Viola! You get the whole thing to yourself and your spouse doesn't know what he/she's missing. It's a win-win situation.

So here's the deal on the deal. As Mandy noted on her blog, Albertson's has them as part of their 10 for $10 promotion. So if you're in need of any of these items, pick up a couple Warm Delights to finish off your 10 items, which will make them $1 each. Then use the coupon found here (or on Mandy's sidebar) to get $.55 off each one. So, in the end, these will cost $.45 each, and they are COMPLETELY and UTTERLY worth this price! I want to get 8. Anybody want to print me off some extra coupons? (You can also go here to print a coupon for $.50 off (print it twice if you can), as well as other coupons you could use in conjunction with the Alberton's deal. So if you print all the coupons, you will end up with Warm Delights for either $.50 or $.45, both of which are amazing prices!)

So, go. Go now. This is your chance to try one. Fall for peer pressure just this once. You'll thank me later.