My First After Thanksgiving Sale Experience

I promised myself that I absolutely would not go to any after Thanksgiving sales ever. I love to shop, but the thought of getting my cart stolen or being pushed over a silly sale made no sense. The thought of the traffic and the getting up early didnt attract me either. I actually only went to Walmart. I wanted the early bird special. There were 4-5 toys that I just had to get for my boys. The sales started at 5am until 11am. Thinking I would outsmart the store, I get there at 430 thinking I will load up my cart and wait until 5 to checkout. I get to the toy section only to find out that everything is put in a different location and they are giving out sale maps. There were two toys at one side of the store and 2 at the other. So I am thinking that I will start at one side and easily walk around to the other and checkout. As the lines build I realize that is not going to happen so easily. Thank goodness I wasn't waiting for a hand held DVD player! I heard through Walmart gossip that it got a little rowdy around them. Standing in line I get interviewed by a local paper. I am thinking "What's the big deal that this is going to be a story that needs interviews?" Well, the next day I am in the paper! I did get the toys I needed, thank goodness, but I reassured myself that next year I am definitely staying home. Either that or getting up earlier!

Holiday Blues

It is difficult sometimes around the holidays to actually spend quality time with your family. It seems as if that should be the easiest time to see the ones you love the most. However it seems like the holidays are actually for the ones you never see on a regular basis because when you do end up visiting them you never actually see your spouse or children. Everyone is always in a rush to get last minute gift shopping and cooking finished, including myself, so the thought of actually spending time with anyone seems out of the question. For some reason this oddity happens every holiday. So many times we hear that the holidays are times to spend with family, yet we hardly get much quality time in because we are always rushing to the next family function that we hear someone else is having. Yet, year after year we continue to repeat the same, monotonous schedule. Sometimes I feel as though I may be the only one in the world who feels this way, but if we could possibly manage our time better, then we may actually get to spend important holidays with the ones we are so close to.

Building a Better Marriage

After searching and searching for blog topics that I could possibly write about and coming up with nothing that seemed to interest me, I decided to write about the things I think are important.

Being married for 6 years now I have learned things that would have made it easier to know at the very beginning. It all narrows down to the fact that although marriage is not easy, its definitely rewarding when you do find that perfect person for you. I am lucky to have found my perfect match. I have read books and articles about how to make a marriage work and how to become closer, but the truth is that reading books is not going to help alone. You have to take action. I believe communication is the key to a successful marriage. I have learned many things about men since I have been married, and although much of it makes no sense to me how they think, I accept the fact that men and women usually don't think the same. For some reason men have come to the conclusion that talking about feelings makes them look weak. Nowadays though, we have email! I think this is the perfect tool for men to communicate feelings with women. If they can't say the words, then let them type it out. They get to show more feelings then they would by speaking, and we get to read these special sentiments and keep them to read later when we want. I, myself, can accept that happy mediium. It is a form of communication with no interruptions. Like I previously stated, I believe communication is the key to a better marriage. Although many factors decide the fate of a marriage, ultimately if you don't communicate well, eventually you will become strangers.

I plan to continue adding entries about marriage, children, parenting, and my experiences with family, marriage, and building my small business. I welcome any blog topic ideas. Please check my website at: http://www.thinkingofyou-giftbaskets.com and send us feedback to recommend a topic!

Secret Santa

News on AOL this morning caught my attention. The notorius "Secret Santa" is revealed because of a deadly illness. http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/grave-illness-unmasks-generous-secret/20061116231309990001?_ccc=4&cid=842 Take a few minutes to read this short story about this wonderful man, Larry Stewart. Diagnosed with cancer, he is still planning on giving 100,000 this holiday season to unsuspecting people to cheer them up. I knew very little about Mr. Stewart, but had heard a little about the "Secret Santa." This story actually brought tears to my eyes. To hear what this man has gone through and overcome in his life without resorting to crime or violence is an inspiration. The many lives Mr. Stewart has touched and will continue to do is absolutely amazing. I have heard that money changes a person, but this is proof that it is not the money, but the person who changes themselves. Everyone has a choice in life of what kind of person they will become. Everyone has the ability to overcome obstacles and come out better than they were before. Some people choose to close up and be greedy. However there are those angels like Larry Stewart who succeed in becomming what I would consider hero status. Although I am sure Mr. Stewart would not call himself a hero, there are plenty of people who he has helped, and people like me who he has inspired that would call him just that. Reading the article about Larry Stewart has made me realize that this world has not turned completely cold and not everyone puts themselves and their bank account first. Although I can not yet contribute back to this world financially just yet, I now am inspired to help in other ways. Thank you Mr. Stewart, you are truely an angel in my eyes.

PEYTON MANNING AND THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

PEYTON MANNING AND THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS- Alright, to start off my new blog I wanted to show my support for my NFL team, the Indianapolis Colts. I am an absolute die hard Peyton Manning fan. I believe Peyton Manning is probably the best quarterback of all time. The man is an absolute genius. He can fit the ball into extremely tight places. He has some outstanding Wide Receivers to throw to also. Marvin Harrison is a fantastic receiver. It is unbelievable to me how you often see Marvin catch the ball and be able to drag is his feet or drop at a moments notice to save the play. Reggie Wayne is also a terrific option for Peyton Manning. Wayne is very athletic. He has made some plays the past few years that have really impressed me. Our brand new Running Back is making a name for himself also. Joseph Addai has filled in for the no-longer-with-us Edgerrin James, very nicely. Addai is young and is really picking up on the way the Colts play. I think Joseph Addai is a perfect fit for our Indianapolis Colts offense. Now for the defense.... Dwight Freeney, well I just can't describe the man's moves. He is so quick and so smooth at what he does... we really need to make sure we keep Freeney. I really like Cato June, Montae Reagor, and Robert Mathis. I also want to include my favorite O-line players Jeff Saturday and Tarick Glenn. Altogether I think my Indianapolis Colts are a fantastic team. I don't care what the critics say about the playoffs or what they say about our defense. I am an Indianapolis Colts fan and I will stand by my team. I think we will get the ring this year! Good Luck Team! Off to a fantastic 9-0 start, which is more than I can say for ... well all the other NFL teams!