May 30, 2008

Things You Don't Do Anymore Once You Have Kids

I don't remember the last time I went to a concert. I'm not sure I even remember the first time I went to a concert (though I'm thinking it was either Crosby, Stills & Nash at Saratoga Performing Arts Center with Patita, followed by Don Henley -yes, that Don Henley- in Albany somewhere). I've seen Rush. I've seen Tool (three times!). I've seen Fugazi twice. Actually, the last concert-like thing I did was when we saw the Poster Children at a small cafe while we lived in Illinois, and I was pregnant at the time so I spent most of my time outside, terrified of the second-hand smoke.

Before we moved to Illinois, I had tickets to see the White Stripes in Indianapolis, but something came up (our move maybe??) and we weren't going to be able to make it. I sold those tickets for twice what I paid for them on ebay. But it always struck me as slightly risky to buy tickets on ebay. Not to mention you have to know your way around the scalping laws in your state (it's legal to scalp tickets in Indiana).

I just found out there's now a website that handles ticket brokering for you—seatexchange.com. No more buying tickets from that seedy-looking guy in the parking lot! You can buy or sell concert tickets, sports tickets, and museum tickets. I'm not sure what their cut is when you sell, but the prices seem very reasonable. That was always a problem in Indiana–scalpers would buy up tickets, meaning events sold out very quickly and you then had to pay astronomical prices to get into highly desirable events.

I'm less interested in sports tickets, but Adam does like to see the Yankees if they play in Chicago, and those tickets seem to go fast. Seat Exchange guarantees the transaction, so you don't have some of the worries of buying from a place like ebay or that kid with the backwards baseball cap in the parking garage.

I'm guessing I'm probably done with big arena shows; I'm too old and grumpy to deal with pot smoke, headbanging, and the general silliness that accompanies such things. As the bug gets older, though, I'm sure I'll consider checking out shows at smaller venues in Chicago. Though I'm guessing my next big-ticket show will probably be Blue's Clues on Ice or somesuch nonsense. I do look forward to being the old couple in the corner table in the hipster club.

Posted by mwashburn at 10:07 AM | Comments (5)

May 28, 2008

On Food

We had a big ol' Memorial Day BBQ/backyard party this past weekend, which was a ton of fun. The menu was the usual, burgers and brats and a few healthy sides. I actually resisted the temptation of burgers, though I did have a brat. I've eliminated cow from my diet, though not yet pig, chicken, etc. One step at a time, right?

Because my recent slide back towards vegetarianism is two fold, both ethical, health, and environmental in nature, I've been much softer on the eating of things like venison, humanely raised meat, and a few other items. Ostrich is one of those things I can almost condone eating, partly because it's such a healthy meat. I don't know too much about the ins and outs of the environmental impact of raising ostrich, but it can't possibly be as damaging as the raising of cows. If I wanted to do the research, now there's ostrich.com for all your ostrich-as-livestock related questions or needs. Although there is something a little ghoulish about buying burgers, handbags, masks, and feathers on the same website. You could have a hell of a Mardi Gras cookout though, and there is something to be said for nothing going to waste.

I have actually eaten ostrich. I'm trying to remember if I've ever had burgers; I remember them being about $20 a pound at our local health food market in grad school, but I did eat ostrich filet while we were in Las Vegas on vacation a few years ago. It was really really good. I didn't check shipping rates, but it seems from the ostrich.com website that prices have come down considerably on ostrich meat. I already worry about what my child tells people at school about our home life, I can only imagine if I start feeding her exotic meats. Sigh.

Maybe I need to retire somewhere and become an ostrich rancher. One can dream, right?

Posted by mwashburn at 08:49 AM | Comments (0)

April 18, 2008

Spring Might Finally Be Here

It's been sort of a wacky couple of days. Bout number three of the stomach flu (the Bug, not me), earthquakes, and 70 degree temperatures. While I enjoyed the mini-vacation yesterday, I missed the beautiful weather that has started to (finally!!) occur. My lettuce is sprouting and it's almost time to plant the rest of the garden. I always find that my mood, my energy, everything seems better when the weather gets nice and we have more daylight.
Naturally, my thoughts start to turn to outside home projects. I think our tasks this year include power washing the siding, possibly replacing the busted old garage door, and trying to make less of a mess of our front walkway for as cheap as possible. Dream plans include a swingset and some sort of patio in back. We have our yard-sale patio set we got last year, and the market umbrella that Adam's parents bought us, which is nice, but wouldn't it be great to have a real brick patio and some nice Adirondack Chairs? I think it's awesome that lovemypatio.com sells a rainbow of colors. Now if they only had child-sized ones, we'd be in business. I'm from the Adirondacks, so I suppose I have to have Adirondack chairs to "keep it real."

Yay spring!!!

Posted by mwashburn at 08:52 AM | Comments (0)

March 26, 2008

Writers and DIY

I don't know a whole lot about the book publishing business, but I do know several people who have been, or are trying to be, published. It seems similar to fine art in that even if you are really really good, you have to have some angle and you have to have the right people notice you. And I've heard from a few people that it's all about marketing these days, so the marketing concept drives what gets published. But with the web, DIY, and self publishing services like AuthorHouse, it seems like if you can bankroll it yourself, you can get your work out there. It's a pretty cool concept. This is also a great opportunity to give my friend April a plug, because she used to work in the graphic design department there. We own a great kids' book called Martimus at Midnight, which was published via AuthorHouse and is sold as a fundraiser for the Children's Museum of Indianapolis (it's a story about their stuffed polar bear, Martimus, and all the other exhibits, coming to life at the museum at night). Now if I could just find the time to write my novel, I'd be golden. I'm all for letting people print their work and letting the market decide what's great literature. Wait a minute, 90% of people in the marketplace are idiots. Scratch that.

Posted by mwashburn at 07:52 PM | Comments (1)

February 22, 2008

Food! Glorious Food!

Well, I'm particularly obsessed with food today since I had to fast for a blood test, so finding out about www.foodconnect.com is particularly timely.

I particularly do not need more online networking opportunities (finally free of MySpace, but still addicted to Ravelry, among others). But, this just looks so cool and I am always looking for new recipes and ways to use new ingredients. And I think this might be a convenient idea for keeping organized too. I'm always trying to plan ahead, but still manage to really get in a rut with meal planning (well, kids, beans and rice again!), so having shopping lists pre-made is a nice tool. I'm already captivated by the quiche on the home page.

From their press release:

www.foodconnect.com is the ultimate tool for every foodie.

What makes foodconnect.com so great? These and many other features:

- Free nutritional analysis, for all recipes on the site and every recipe you submit.
- Share your recipes with your friends and other foodies.
- Discuss recipe ideas and techniques.
- Plan your meal and easily print off your shopping list.
- Create the perfect dinner party

All of this and much more and best of all its all free. Get to foodconnecct.com to get started today.

I haven't turned up anything on dairy-free recipes, which is what I do use the internets for a lot, recipe-wise. But, if this site is new, presumably more and more recipes will be added as time goes on. The social aspect is what makes foodconnect a little different from sites like allrecipes, etc., and if you can be friends with someone online because they love purple hand-spun wool as much as you, why not porcini mushrooms?

Bon Appetit!

Posted by mwashburn at 09:57 AM | Comments (0)

February 08, 2008

Oh, Yeah, That Hallmark Holiday is Coming

I'm really not the most romantic person on the planet, but despite every year protesting that "we don't celebrate Valentine's Day" we usually end up doing something, however small. It's rarely the usual flowers-and-chocolate sort of surprise thing; more often we go out to dinner or do something special together. I think this year, more likely than not, we'll just let it pass by due to being busy with all sorts of other things.

And despite my protestations of not being romantic, there is something nice about getting flowers now and again. One of the coolest arrangements I ever got was a beautiful Oriental-looking vase of orchids for our anniversary. I even blogged about them. (Interesting... that was the anniversary trip where I figured out I was pregnant with the Bug).

What I think is interesting is that this year 1-800-flowers is featuring orchid bouquets in their valentines gifts for him. I think men really vary in their comfort level with receiving flowers, but orchids are certainly among the more manly of flowers. They also have chocolate, green plants, and other goodies if you want to send something to someone of the male persuasion.

On the one hand, it seems a little less personal to order something online for V-day, but on the other hand it's great to have so many ideas in so many price ranges right at your fingertips. I certainly wouldn't argue with chocolate covered strawberries or a surprise flower arrangement. From anyone.

Posted by mwashburn at 12:44 PM | Comments (0)

January 25, 2008

Thoughts on Boxing

I've actually been thinking a lot about martial arts and boxing lately. I really miss the training, the people I worked out with (and, of course, the self-confidence that comes with knowing you can throw a grown man to the ground and choke him unconscious in less than 30 seconds). I suppose many would find my martial arts and boxing obsession odd for a woman, but I think it's a combination of a lot of things for me. I never liked team sports, so when I found martial arts it was like a whole new world of enjoying exercise opened up to me. It helped me get in really good shape, I made a lot of great friends, and it was something that not everyone did.

Other than watching some old Muhammed Ali fights, I never watched a whole lot of heavyweight boxing. A lot of people say that it's gotten too commercialized, that a lot of the spirit of the training has been lost, but now there are a lot of up-and-comers who seem to be bringing some life back to the sport. The Oscar de la Hoya/Floyd Mayweather fight broke all Pay-Per-View records, and the proposed rematch this fall is looking to match it. Here's a link to get Oscar De La Hoya vs Floyd Mayweather Jr. tickets, if seeing it live is your thing.

I think whether you're watching UFC/Mixed Martial Arts style fighting or professional boxing, it's more enjoyable to watch people who really know what they're doing and are really on top of their game. There has been a lot of controversy over UFC-style fighting, but here's the thing... now that it's gone pro, it's pretty darn safe. The bar-room "ultimate fights" that go on can be pretty bad, because there's no regulation of equal matchups, weight classes, or ability levels. And the other thing is the blood. People freak out about the blood. There's less of that now that so many people are training in jiu jitsu and have a good ground game. What happens when you don't wear boxing gloves is that skin ends up splitting from punches. It's ugly, but actually does less damage than 16-oz boxing gloves. Those rattle your brain, which causes knockouts, and can cause swelling and long-term damage to the brain. But it's all safer than Nascar, statistically speaking.

I really need to re-read Joyce Carol Oates' On Boxing. There's another woman obsessed with the sport. Her book is a really great ode to boxing that also explores a lot of the racial, class, and social politics that go with it. Really interesting stuff. I also think it's awesome that more women are getting into boxing and mixed martial arts. Although I think as long as there are ring card girls, it's going to be hard for female athletes to get the respect they deserve. We can be warriors too, dammit.

In any case, as I don't have Pay-Per-View, I doubt I'll be watching the de la Hoya/Mayweather fight live, but who knows, I might check it out online later. Stay tuned.

Posted by mwashburn at 09:04 AM | Comments (0)

January 03, 2008

Childhood Memories

When I was a kid, I started taking piano lessons at around age 5. I continued for the next 12 years. Piano gave me a huge appreciation for classical music, and taught me to read music (I also went on to play trumpet in Jazz band, marching band, and orchestra in high school).

I would really love for the Bug to have the same opportunity, so I've already started thinking about the fact that I want a house I can fit a piano in someday. We apparently have some Suzuki Method instructors around here, but I've often wondered if I could manage to give her lessons on my own, at least to start. I'd need to brush up a little bit on theory, but there are so many resources out there. I even found Piano lessons & piano chords online. With that kind of resource I'm sure I could get her started and brush up myself. I'm sure listening to a new music student is a little rough on the ears, but I know I'm owed some payback for what I put my parents through (the trumpet especially), though eventually I got pretty good. Playpiano.com looks like it would be a good addition to basic, dry music theory and practice. I remember doing scales endlessly, and I think sometimes it's frustrating for new students to go through all that when all they want to do is play a song. I'm a big believer in learning the fundamentals (and music reading) first, but why not learn some fun (and useful) stuff along the way?

Who knows, maybe despite my best efforts to have a daughter who plays piano and takes tae kwon do lessons I'll end up with a flute-playing ballerina cheerleader, but as long as she's doing something I'll be happy.

Posted by mwashburn at 06:00 AM | Comments (4)

December 13, 2007

Ahhhh... Sleep

Our mattress is, well, how do I say this politely... it's seen better days.

Adam and I talk often about all the items we'll be purchasing once our roof is paid off, and assuming that nothing else goes horribly awry with the house. There are the windows, and the garage door, and re-sealing the driveway, but in any case, sleep is sorta important. We've talked a little about getting a tempurpedic mattress. They're supposed to be better for your back and also, in my case, much more allergen-free than a standard mattress, since dust mites can't live in the high density foam. Sounds good to me. I don't know if they're treated with the same horrible chemicals as other mattresses, but if I'm sleeping soundly, I have better things to worry about. The price always seemed prohibitive, but there are more and more knockoffs and brand-names are now appearing at discount retailers like Costco, angelbeds, etc.; making this sound more and more doable all the time. I've read the reviews in Consumer Reports, and it sounds like you love 'em or hate 'em. I'm hoping a new mattress will help with my Old Person problem of waking up almost every morning with a completely dead, numb arm (or two). It's something that started happening when I was pregnant, and poor circulation runs in my family anyway. It would be lovely to wake up with properly functioning limbs and non-puffy eyes. Well, tearing out the nasty carpet in our room will help with that too (oh, yeah, forgot to add remodeling the master bedroom in the Home Improvement list up there...)

If NASA technology can help me sleep, I'm all for it. Sweet Dreams.

Posted by mwashburn at 06:00 AM | Comments (0)

December 05, 2007

Digital Cameras

I have had a Nikon Coolpix 3200 for a few years now. It's a pretty good camera, though I would like to upgrade now that more megapixels is (are?) relatively cheaper these days.

The big negative on this model, and from what I understand, lots of the Coolpix models from around the same time, is the slow shutter speed and slow recovery. You can't snap a picture quickly when something is happening, which stinks. I do like all the features; white balance for different kinds of light, closeup mode, good zoom, etc. Now I'm no professional, but for the kinds of things I use it for, it's perfect. My big problem with electronics of any kind is that I refuse to read the instruction manual, relying on trial and error to figure out how to work the damn thing.

I use this camera all the time to shoot my artwork, and if you know how to set up to shoot artwork, you can get excellent results with a low-end digital camera. Outdoors, slightly overcast, is best. I also set it up on a tripod, and don't use a flash. I try, sometimes, to shoot inside without the flash and no tripod, but you inevitably end up with a blurry image because it's impossible to keep the camera perfectly steady, especially when you drink as much coffee as I do. I also know how to use Photoshop, which really helps with image cleanup.

When shopping for cameras or other electronics as gifts or for myself, I usually look at reviews on consumer reports and/or cnet, and then shop online for the best prices. If I were buying a more professional-grade camera, I might look at the Nikon D300. 12.5 megapixels. Wow. I'm not sure if my brother-in-law uses a digital these days, but this is the sort of thing he'd probably use. If I had unlimited funds to buy Christmas gifts, this would be on the list. Happy Shopping!

Posted by mwashburn at 06:53 AM | Comments (0)

December 02, 2007

Holiday Movie Releases

I remember reading about Tim Burton's film version of Sweeney Todd not too long ago, and it might be the one film I go see during the hoildays. Adam is rooting for I Am Legend, but we'll see. You just can't seem to go wrong with Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. I've never actually seen Sondheim's musical of Sweeny Todd, not being a musical theater sort, but I have always found the story line appealing. It's kind of the Goth Musical.

They've pulled out all the stops on internet promotion for the film, and not only can you visit Sweeny Todd on MySpace, but you can also visit buzznet.com and post your own confession, either via text or video. You are encouraged to post your own tales of sweet revenge. What's up there at the moment is a bit lame, but one would hope that some interesting stuff pops up, a la PostSecret. I'm trying to think whether I would have anything interesting to confess. I think the fact that I'm generally a pretty upfront "here I am" sort of person means that my confessions are either already quite public, or so private/personal that I'll take them to my grave. Well, ok, here goes: I accidentally shoplifted at Target yesterday. There was a little bottle of organic baby shampoo that was way under the seat where the Bug was sitting, and I missed putting it on the conveyor belt, and the cashier didn't see it. I found it, unbagged, when I was loading stuff into my trunk. I have about $6.49 worth of guilt I'm carrying around at the moment, but I'm sure I'll get over it.

In the meantime, visit the official Sweeney Todd movie site, and if you see Johnny Depp, tell him there's still plenty of room in my bed.

Posted by mwashburn at 01:31 PM | Comments (0)

November 25, 2007

Fun Community Events

Reading about the St. Augustine Artwalk reminded me to take a look at the Phoneix and Scottsdale community art walk schedules for while we're out there. More and more communities are doing monthly art walks, and I've heard in some cities that they've become quite the singles hookup events, which I think is really funny. I love stuff like this, when you can pack a lot of galleries and art viewing into one event. Last time we were in NYC together, Adam and I went to the Friday night Gallery Walk in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which was awesome.

The St. Augustine First Friday Weekend Artwalk looks like a lot of fun, and it actually runs two nights, both Friday and Saturday. Most of the artwork looks to be pretty traditional contemporary American stuff, but it's great that they feature so much local art. There's also photography, crafts, and other types of work in the over 20 participating galleries. The Professional Artists of St. Augustine (PAStA) Gallery in particular seems to have a really interesting range of artists and work. And one of the more interesting things I've seen in a while are the Fine Art Pillows at Holborn Gallery. What a great way to do some Christmas shopping! I always love to be able to get people I know something original, and support independent artists at the same time. Black Friday be damned, go out and shop somewhere that isn't a chain retailer. Now I really need to look up the Arizona art and craft fair schedules...

Posted by mwashburn at 09:49 AM | Comments (0)

November 06, 2007

Monsters!

It's been a really long time since I read The Mist by Stephen King. Skeleton Crew, one of his short story collections, was the first Stephen King book I ever read, and I don't remember all the details of The Mist but I remember that it scared the bejesus out of me. As I got older I started to find King a little formulaic at times, but I think some of those first impressions of his writing have really stuck with me. I remember really liking The Tommyknockers when I read it in high school too. The Mist is, if I recall correctly, the first story in Skeleton Crew, and it's quite long. There's a new movie coming out based on that story, starring Thomas Jane (from The Punisher) and it looks pretty darn scary. I don't remember Marcia Gay Harden's character, but maybe I need to go reread the story. Stephen King is great entertainment, and scary in a way where you can tell yourself it's not real. There have been some really good movies based on his books, and some really bad ones, but we won't get into that (giant bat rats indeed...)

We have so little time to go to the movies these days, but I suppose this is yet another that will be much better on the big screen. I've really lost my tolerance for gore as I've gotten older (I simply could not in a million years sit through any of the Saw movies at this point in my life) but I still like a good monster movie. I guess what it comes down to is that ghosts and monsters are scary, but movies about people doing awful things to each other disturb me far more because it's actually plausible that those things could happen. So, hooray for The Mist by Stephen King. Let's go watch monsters eat people until the cows come home! Then again, being trapped in a grocery store (or on any sort of public transit) during any kind of crisis probably is my worst nightmare (and that's part of what they seem to emphasize in the film).

Posted by mwashburn at 06:54 AM | Comments (0)

October 25, 2007

I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas

In my efforts to reuse, reduce, and recycle, in recent years I've harbored more and more guilt about the amount of waste that occurs during the holidays. I love, love, love, boxes and bows and pretty wrapping paper. I'm sorry, but plain brown wrappers with raffia just doesn't cut it. So what's an aspiring-to-be-green girl do? Well, I hadn't thought of this, but what about draping your house in LED Christmas lights instead of strings of incandescent bulbs? They're safer (no heated filament to set your Douglas Fir ablaze), last about 50,000 hours, and use a lot less electricity. According to the company that sells these, "A recent EPA report determined that if only 20% of American households switched to LED Christmas lights for the average 30 day holiday period it would conserve enough energy to power 200 households for an entire year." Not bad.

I do have fond memories of my father swearing and stepping on lights as he tried to untangle ten identical sets and discover the one blown bulb that was keeping the whole thing from blinking properly; a tradition we've done our best to continue in our own home. Actually, we have enough lights to cover a modest tree, though we rarely get our own due to extensive holiday travel. Last year I sent Adam out with a budget for enough lights to decorate the front of our house, and instead he came home with an entire Christmas tree. He had stuffed it in the back seat of the Saturn, and there were pine needles everywhere. "It looks like someone raped a pine tree in my car," he quipped, which made me laugh so hard that I had tears in my eyes. Not that rape is funny. It isn't. Happy holidays!

Posted by mwashburn at 07:20 AM | Comments (0)

October 16, 2007

Already Dreaming of the Desert

The weather is turning here. Now, I love fall, but we all know what comes next. Misery and Despair. Luckily, this year we are headed to lovely Arizona for the Christmas holiday. The desert can be a bit bleak, but it's just lovely to be there in the winter instead of in snow up to one's knees (or elbows, or whatever). I also love what people do in their yards with desert landscapes. You still have to plan around the seasons a bit, but you can have nice things growing all year round, and do some really cool water features and things that don't need to be winterized. The landscaping company linked above (Pathway Landscape, in Scottsdale, Arizona), promises to add some how-to's and advice articles to their website in the near future. They've got some really gorgeous landscaping in their portfolio, and really, inspiration from desert landscapes can go a long way even in our Midwestern climate. Although we abandoned our walkway project this summer (too much time and money, when we really checked it out), we still plan to do more landscaping with stone and really spiff up the outside of our home. My father-in-law even bought us a big how-to book on Patios and Pathways. We really want to do a patio/low deck out back too, while we're on this daydream thing. Maybe dreaming about this stuff will help get me through the long nights and chilly days of winter.

Posted by mwashburn at 06:46 AM | Comments (0)

October 12, 2007

And on a More Cheerful Note

It's holiday shopping season! Well, holiday shopping season starts for me as early as possible. I like to have it all done by Thanksgiving, as I hate holiday crowds. I've got my list about halfway done (the writing of it, not the actual buying part), but having a plan is half the battle. We do as much online shopping as possible (again, because of the crowds and hassle), and more and more you can find coupon deals for things like free shipping through sites like couponchief.com.

I don't want to give away what I'm getting for everyone, but I'm looking at some electronics for the parents, so I will probably go to the Best Buy bricks-and-mortar store to test drive some things, then look for deals online. I hope to find a great GPS navigator for my dad (I can say that here, because I'm pretty darn sure my dad doesn't even know what a blog is...)

Then there's the obligatory photographs of the Bug, which I always do through Snapfish. And we always do a big order through Amazon for Christmas. Lots of people on our list get movies, music, or books. And I'm so excited now that Amazon is carrying so much more. I just ordered shoes the other day through endless.com, which is an Amazon partner site. I've finally accepted the fact that I wear a wide shoe, which is hard to find in real life. Enter virtual shopping. I don't see any coupons on Coupon Chief for Endless, but they do have some for Zappos. Same deal. How can you resist when you can look at 15 different views, search by color, style, heel height, and size; they send the shoes overnight with free shipping, and if you don't like them you can send them back for free too! I think I will never set foot in a shoe store ever again. Yes, I do end up doing some Christmas shopping for myself too...

Posted by mwashburn at 07:15 AM | Comments (0)

September 29, 2007

Win a Free Raleigh, NC, Getaway

I've only been to Raleigh, North Carolina a couple of times, to visit friends who live there (hi B&L and girls!) It's a beautiful part of the country, with great weather pretty much year round. And the Raleigh area boasts many, many cultural attractions, including a fabulous art museum and a lot of cool cultural events in the UNC Chapel Hill Area.

This fall, Raleigh's official tourism office is promoting tourism in the area by giving away a FREE Raleigh getaway for a few lucky winners.

[This post is sponsored by the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau}

Winners will receive the following:

-One night accommodations for two at the Courtyard by Marriott Raleigh Crabtree Valley
-$25 gift certificate to Bloomsbury Bistro
-Free VIP admission for two to Rum Runners
-2 tickets to the North Carolina Theatre
-2 tickets to the N.C. Museum of Art’s Landscapes from the Age of Impressionism
-2 tickets to Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences

I know I could use a Fall Getaway to recover from the Fall Getaway I just had... In any case, aside from seeing our friends who live in the area, it would be fantastic to be able to attend an outdoor classical performance from the N.C. Symphony's Classical Series: Branford Marsalis Quartet in November, something that just isn't possible in our Northern climate. Around here the outdoor classical performances are almost always Pops (which I loathe...) so it's cool to see actual classical music being performed. I think we need to start exposing the Bug early and often to long, boring cultural events. It's an acquired taste, and the earlier the better. My years of piano and trumpet lessons are probably the only reason I cultivated a love of Classical and Jazz.

I just love the fall, and if it could extend on into the wintery months I'd be even happier. And wouldn't it be cool to attend BugFest with the Bug???

I remember being in the Carolinas for work a few years ago, and seeing a HUGE rosemary bush just growing outdoors; something that is possible in that milder climate. Sadly, we have lots of friends in warmer climates that we have not had the opportunity to visit in a really long time (the Carolinas, Texas, California, the Pacific Northewst, Chile). A freebie would certainly be a good motivator.

Posted by mwashburn at 09:57 AM | Comments (1)

September 19, 2007

Teen Tracking or Teen Talking?

I suppose it's never too early to think about teen issues when you have children.

My parenting style is mainly based on the ideas of attachment parenting. I really think that a strong parent-child bond, and a relationship based on respect and nurturing helps in child social development and goes a long way in setting the stage for your relationship with your child into the teen years and beyond.

Brickhouse Security apparently does not share this view. They are marketing a number of test kits and devices aimed at monitoring, spying on, and otherwise infringing the Constitutional rights of your teen. Did you have any idea there was such a thing as a semen detection kit?

Here it is:

Talk about invading someone's privacy. I agree that a parent's job is to set limits and to enforce boundaries, and all that, but my attitude is generally that you give your kid the tools to make good decisions, and then their job is to learn through trial and error how to make their own decisions. I realize that this might involve sex, drugs, and/or rock and roll. If I haven't raised a smart, independent, responsible kid, I'm not sure how monitoring her cell phone calls is going to do anything but piss her off.

I don't think that kids have the same absolute rights as adults, especially when still living under their parents' roof, but at the same time I'm not really sure that superspy-level monitoring and tracking and drug testing is really a relationship builder. There's something to be said for demonstrating respect and trust, and if your kid is already so far gone that these things really seem necessary, well, maybe it's a job for the local authorities.

But ask me again when the Bug is sixteen...

Posted by mwashburn at 06:34 PM | Comments (1)

September 17, 2007

Seven Long, Long Years

Just kidding. Well, not about the seven years part. Yes, yesterday was our wedding anniversary. It was also the opening of the South Shore Arts Salon Show, so we had a lovely pre-made date all ready for us. Babysitter and the whole nine yards. We had a really nice time. So, this was also a day to reflect upon the crazy journey that is our marriage, and I still remember all the planning for our actual wedding day.

[This post is sponsored by HitWeddings.com]

I use the internet quite extensively (yes, at work!) to aid in planning our wedding. There are a lot of sites out there, most of which cater to your typical bride, and I was probably anything but. We wrote our own vows, and while we certainly tried not to thoughtlessly shit all over time-honored traditions, we certainly put our own stamp on them. This was, alas, the days before everyone was blogging, so we didn't have benefit of so much personal experience for our Wedding Planning. Hitweddings.com boasts a blog, a ton of articles on planning, and lots of helpful links both to other bloggers' sites as well as planning resources. They even have a section on planning a "green" wedding, something that, though trendy, I cannot frown upon. I treated the internet much as I treated wedding magazines-- ideas, eye candy, but not The Bible of wedding planning. We were really happy with the results of our wedding. Everyone had a blast, the food was great, everything looked good, and it was ours. We still joke around about the fact that our Catholic families somehow lived through a secular wedding, performed in a Presbyterian Church, by a gay Baptist-ordained friend. It seemed exactly the right thing. We also had very fancy food, but not a sit-down dinner, and there was a sundae bar (for which my generous Dad halted an entire production line at the ice cream plant one day to make vegan sorbet for the handful of vegans at our wedding). Some of the more adventurous guests even made it into the basement of the old social club building we had the reception at, and found the old bowling alley. I've seen the photos, though somehow I never made it down there myself.

So my advice to anyone out there planning a wedding is to have fun, stop and enjoy it, focus on what is important to you and your intended, and let the rest go (pick your battles in other words). We talked about eloping, but then decided that there was something important about pledging our lives to each other in front of all of our accumulated friends and family at that point in our lives. Besides, the last time the entire clan on my side of the family had gotten together was a funeral, and that was just no fun. You only go this way once, and as Auntie Mame (for whom my inimitable Great-Grandmother was nicknamed) said, "Life's a banquet, and most poor sons-of-bitches are starving to death."

Posted by mwashburn at 06:43 AM | Comments (3)

September 07, 2007

More Remodeling Ideas

As I've mentioned before, when we bought our house we had to completely gut the bathroom and remodel. The only thing we kept was the original bathtub, because it is one of those old enameled steel dealies, which in my opinion are much nicer than the new plastic-type ones (not to mention VERY heavy and difficult to move). It was the only quality thing in the room.

[This post is sponsored by Faucet.com]

But one of the fun parts of remodeling was picking out new bath faucets, both for the tub and for the sink we chose. We ended up buying cheapies locally (decent brands though), but honestly we didn't know where to start online. We have friends who bought Grohe fixtures online. This is a really expensive but super-good-quality German brand that can be hard to find through retailers. Faucet.com has Grohe, Moen, Kohler, and all kinds of high-end brands, beautiful selections, at a discount. They also carry things like cabinet and drawer pulls, which reminds me that while I would love to remodel our kitchen, we have been forbidden from ever changing the cabinet hardware, as the drawer pulls are exactly the right size and shape to serve as bottle openers. Very handy when we're trying to go through several cases of beer in a weekend.

Faucet.com, despite the name, even has cool lighting fixtures. We plan to replace some of the light fixtures in the house at some point too, so good to know where to go online as well.

Posted by mwashburn at 06:24 AM | Comments (0)

August 29, 2007

The Remodeling Fantasies Continue

When we bought our house, we had to gut the bathroom and completely remodel. We knew we wanted tile, and we looked into a few different options. Deciding that this was not our "forever house," we went the safe (and inexpensive) route, sticking with an easy-to-match white ceramic. Had this been our "forever house," and were money no object, we were really interested in glass tile. You can even manage to find recycled glass tile some places, which is awesome.

[This post sponsored by Glasstilestore.com]

I've always thought doing some kind of cool mosaic with tile would be really fun. Like a big Welsh dragon on the bathroom floor (when, of course, I have a bathroom large enough for the whirlpool tub, sitting area, etc.) Then there are beautiful and completely non-functional things you can do with tile. We met an artist in New York (he runs a tattoo shop in Brooklyn that Adam's tattooist was working out of for a while) who does amazing mosaic artwork–here's his website.

But anyway, I just love the look of glass tile. Glasstilestore.com has a huge selection with a lot of sale pricing (depending on how large an area you're doing, it ain't cheap stuff!) Those little colored 1x1 tiles are supposedly the new trendy thing for flooring (according to this month's Domino), and I do really like the look. When we were researching for our bathroom, we were told to remember that the more grout lines you have, the smaller it makes a space look. So keep that in mind if you want to tile your breakfast nook with 1x1" tiles. I'd love to learn how to set tile myself; I thought I'd be willing to tackle a backsplash or something like that. We did, however, hire a professional for the floor and tub enclosure. So happy tile shopping!

Posted by mwashburn at 06:42 AM | Comments (0)

August 17, 2007

Thinking Ahead

It has become something of a Holiday Tradition for Adam and I to go see a performance of The Nutcracker wherever we are at Christmastime. We've seen some good ones and some bad ones, but one of these days we are going to see the Moscow Ballet performance. There are several in our area, and apparently nutcracker tickets are already on sale!

I'm looking forward to reading the story with the Bug, and taking her to her first ballet. We are really good about museum trips, but haven't really done much kid-friendly stuff with theater, music, etc. I think that the patience and appreciation for that kind of thing is learned, and best to start early. Once she's old enough to understand the story, I think she'll have a good time. Who knows; maybe she'll end up taking dance and getting to be one of the little sprouts in a local production or something.

The Nutcracker is just such a cool, weird story. Big Christmas party. Weird uncle shows up with wondrous gifts. Wondrous gifts come to life and transport children to a magical land. Children wake up on Christmas morning. Simple. And I've always loved the music. I can't remember now, but we did see a performance with live music, and really great sets, and so forth. It was probably in Phoenix; the Phoenix Ballet. That was the most professional production we've ever seen, but Indiana University used to put on a very good show too. The Moscow Ballet, however, is supposed to be the best. We have a friend who can't bear seeing anything else now. So this is one more great thing about living so close to Chicago. Though I'm just not ready for the holidays.

Posted by mwashburn at 07:11 PM | Comments (0)

August 15, 2007

Smart Parenting Blogs

We talk a lot about providing for the Bug in the future and under all manner of circumstances. Having a child really changes how you think about the future. Suddenly, things like wills, college savings, and learning about financial responsibility become very important. We haven't DONE a whole lot, mind you, but we have a plan.

[This post sponsored by the Earn Smart–Spend Smart blog]

The other problem any time one is trying to figure out how to spend/save/invest is that it seems like a lot of the people giving the advice are also trying to sell you something. So it's nice to stumble upon a blog that appears to be offering objective advice on the subject. Enter the choresandallowances blog. The author is a businessman and entrepreneur who has young kids, and he has great info and discussion about what to consider when choosing a savings vehicle for kids, how to teach them financial responsibility, etc. He is CEO of PAYjr, a company that offers prepaid Visa cards for kids. The blog itself does not seem to push any particular product or solution, which is refreshing. There is also a recent post on banking, discussing how internet banking is affecting the industry, and profiling the peer-to-peer lending site Prosper. This is something Adam and I were just discussing the other day; we are considering moving more of our investments away from a bricks-and-mortar bank.

The author says he's just sharing all the information he's gathered on youth culture and money. I think things are a lot different than they were when I was a kid; kids are being taught to be consumers younger and younger. And while I think teaching them to be savvy about money is smart, it's also smart to have your own strategies for navigating the financial seas as a family. This is a good source of information to help families do that.

Posted by mwashburn at 07:48 AM | Comments (0)

August 08, 2007

Looking for an Ameda Breast Pump?

When I was pregnant I went ahead and bought a breast pump. I just assumed I'd be going back to work, and wanted to be prepared. After some research and price comparison, I bought an Ameda Breast Pump. This brand was a lot harder to find than the ubiquitous Medela, but for comparable quality was a lot cheaper.

[This post sponsored by Breastpumps Direct]

I did a lot of pumping after the Bug was first born, and despite the fact that I had a more-than-ample supply, it was always difficult for me. Coupled with the fact that the Bug refused to take a bottle, I think it's a good thing that I ended up staying at home through the intense nursing months (years? ack).

I really could have used the Breastpumps Direct website when I was shopping around though. It's got every brand I've ever heard of, accessories, reviews, and links to places like the AAP and La Leche League. The prices are great, and they even have a price-match guarantee. I tend to recommend the Ameda to people, mostly based on the quality for the price. I've also been told that if you're serious about pumping in any quantity, that you have to go with an electric model.

These things are not cheap, though $200 and up for a breastpump is nothing compared to the approximately $1700 it costs for formula for the first two years. Those of you who know me know my passionate support of breastfeeding and breastfeeding education, and I would say that if you are returning to work and are willing to do what it takes to continue breastfeeding, one of these babies is absolutely indispensable. End of sermon. The Breastpumps Direct website looks to be a really great retailer for this stuff, specializing in pumps rather than selling just a couple of models in addition to tons of other baby stuff. They stand behind the concept of breastfeeding rather than treating it as an afterthought.

Posted by mwashburn at 05:59 PM | Comments (1)

August 07, 2007

Halloween in July

... I mean August. Well, I wasn't gonna do any more PPP posts, but then this one turned up, so I might as well go out with a bang! I'm much more a fan of Rob Zombie the musician than Rob Zombie the filmmaker, not because I think he lacks artistry or competence as a writer/director, but because I just can't stomach horror movies anymore. Zombie's music is catchy, informed, campy, and fun to shake one's groove thang to. His movies cross the line from campy into truly terrifying, so how appropriate that he's remaking Halloween the movie for release on August 31.

[This post is sponsored by Halloween the Movie]

I used to really like horror movies, and I guess my favorites would have to be the Evil Dead movies. Sam Raimi has gone on to do some really fun stuff, and the first Evil Dead really shows his sense of humor. When I first saw it I found it terrifying, but after you watch it a couple of times you get all the "camp" (no pun intended), and it's even more obvious in the second movie. I always did like the B horror flicks, because they weren't taking themselves so seriously (so maybe that made it easier for me to remember that it was just a movie). Rob Zombie definitely worships at the shrine of the classic B horror flick, but takes it to a whole new level.

I'm not entirely sure why so early for the actual Halloween season, but... in any case, it's sure to delight horror movie buffs everywhere. I know that I've seen at least a couple of the Halloween franchise installments thanks to AMC, and it's kinda scary (and hey, isn't that Jamie Lee Curtis in her debut in the original??? That woman can scream!) But in 1970s/80s horror-film tradition, the original is fairly slow paced, relying on suspense rather than explicitness to frighten. Kids these days need a lot more stimulation, apparently, and Zombie is sure to deliver. I read the NY Post interview with Sheri Moon Zombie (Rob Zombie's wife and lead actress in his films to date) and she promises a much faster-paced film with expanded character development from the original. The YouTube trailer (below) gives a taste, and I'll bet Rob Zombie will deliver a more contemporary and artistic (in his own gruesome way) version of the story.

Despite my own aversion to blood-and-guts at this point in my life, I do think there is a lot more to Rob Zombie and his artistry than plain shock value. I actually saw House of 1000 Corpses in the theater, probably the last horror movie I saw. Adam bought Devil's Rejects but I haven't been able to watch it. Zombie is a horrorshow Renaissance man who does everything (visual art, music, film) with a ton of craft, all subject matter aside. And I am also pleased to say that his MySpace page actually uses a background image properly, with text you can read and a layout that is not mindbogglingly stupid. But more about MySpace, design incompetence, and the intellectual decline of our youth later. Happy Halloween!

Posted by mwashburn at 03:13 PM | Comments (3)

July 24, 2007

More Gadgets to Covet

I've wanted a new vacuum cleaner for a while now. We got ours... I don't even remember how long ago, and it's a bagless, but it's dirty, and loud, and full of dog hair smell that just won't go away. I always think Dysons are so cool. Well-designed, nice to look at, supposedly work better than anything else on the market, and the creator is a contemporary art collector (Dyson was on the board of the Tate Modern, I believe, until a few years ago). So how excited am I to find out about a website that has rock-bottom discount prices on Dysons AND free shipping? Yeah. Well, a new vacuum isn't quite on my shopping list yet, but definitely in the near future.

I'm not sure which model I'd want; I think the Dyson Animal is one of the newer ones, and the maneuvarability is a big plus for me. That's another thing I hate about our current vac; it tips over when I'm using the extension and is a pain to haul around. I generally just ram it into things in my way, like that scene in Sid and Nancy where Sid Vicious is trying to vacuum the crummy apartment. A little price checking shows that 1Awesomevac's prices are even better than Amazon's. You have to put things in your cart before you can see the price, because of minimum advertising price requirements set by manufacturers. But that's ok... off to daydream about my clean home.

[This post sponsored by 1Awesomevac.com]

Posted by mwashburn at 08:45 PM | Comments (0)

July 15, 2007

File Sharing Goodness

I've had a lot of frustration in the past trying to get large files back and forth to the person I do most of my freelance work for. Large image or layout files often require either burning to a CD, or sending one piece at a time via email with attachment size limits.

[This post is sponsored by Driveway file sharing]

Not only do most email services have file size limits for attachments, but I've often had issues where someone's inbox is full enough that even a moderately sized attachment under the allowable limit will cause an email to bounce.

Driveway.com is a new free online file sharing service. You can park and share files up to 500MB, which is adequate for pretty much all of the files I find myself needing to shoot back and forth. There are no download limits, and unlimited storage for free users. The website states that they plan to keep it free through advertising revenue and by offering some paid premium services. I will definitely consider using this service next time I need to get proof files back and forth, or just need to share something with a friend or family member.

Because you do not need to register, it seems to me there is some potential for abuse, but driveway does have information about reporting inappropriate files or copyright infringement. They seem to take the issue seriously.

Although I haven't tried it yet, it looks like you can upload multiple files at once. The website is very nicely designed and user-friendly. Services like this one are really taking a lot of the frustration out of working collaboratively.

Posted by mwashburn at 09:29 AM | Comments (3)

July 12, 2007

More Furniture Daydreaming

There seem to be more and more places online to find nice furniture. Furniturefromhome.com is an online furniture store that offers everything from home office furniture to dining room furniture, living room furniture, and more

[This post is sponsored by Furniturefromhome.com]

Furniturefromhome.com has a wide selection in a few categories, and more of the contemporary styles that I like than some of the other online furniture stores I've looked at. I like the platform beds these guys have, and the microfiber contemporary living room sets. They also have LOTS of leather furniture (which I always think looks a little smarmy, but BOY is it comfortable), and a really neat metal bar stool. When I have my slightly bigger house with built-in wet bar, I'm gonna get me some cool bar stools. Leather, of course.

They also offer a print catalog, and FREE SHIPPING which is a really big deal when ordering something like furniture. Most of the time when you order furniture online it costs an extra $100 just for the shipping. And almost everything is delivered via white-glove service and assembled by the delivery people. Although we've had tons of fun with our flat-pack furniture a-la Ikea (yes, I'm being sarcastic), this sounds great.

Although I had to hunt for the advanced search option on the website, it works very well, instantly sorting which images you are shown based on which styles, colors, or rooms you check off. You do have to go through clicking the thumbnail, and then clicking again from that individual item's page to get a larger image, and when I used it the zoom feature was a little clunky. But, the larger images are a nice size and you can really see the furniture details. The detail page gives individual prices for each piece of a set, so that is really nice to have that info right there without having to hunt for it as well.

More and more I'm thinking that I will try buying online next time I buy "real" furniture. We are still trying to be economical with our cars, meaning that we don't have an SUV to haul furniture from Chicago, and shipping prices are outrageous. Our local furniture store has a big selection, but also big prices. Having just had a wonderful experience buying the Bug's "big girl bed" online (although via ebay), I am definitely willing to make big purchases online again in the future.

Posted by mwashburn at 02:53 PM | Comments (0)

July 10, 2007

Keeping Your Data Safe

I often worry about something going haywire with my computer and losing everything on my hard drive. My worries are not unfounded; I had a PC fried by lightning hitting our apartment several years ago (yes it was plugged into a surge protector, but it didn't work), and my Mac G5 suffered an overheating problem and died on me after I first got it. Luckily, in both cases I was able to recover nearly 100% of my data.

[This post is sponsored by IBackup]

I try to save all my important files to CD every few months, things like client work, personal photos, etc. But there are lots of image files that are too large to store in any quantity on disc, and though my web hosting company offers free "files forever" storage for users, the data must be ftp-ed, which in my case would take about a week to transfer. For small businesses, there are other Online Backup solutions. IBackup offers monthly plans to backup all your data. Named editor's choice by both PC World and PC Magazine, IBackup has secure data storage solutions tailored to the needs of small businesses. If and when I ever get my retail business off the ground, I'd think an investment like this would be critical for having constant backup of things like inventory records, customer and vendor files, etc.

IBackup supports Windows, Mac, and Linux, and has open file backup for backing up "in use" data like Outlook files. Multiple user accounts are possible for larger businesses, and I think the price is very reasonable for such an important service (not to mention saving the valuable time of manually backing up all your data on a daily or weekly basis). Considering I am probably a Mac user for life, it's nice to see a service like this actively supporting Mac users too.

Posted by mwashburn at 07:27 AM | Comments (0)

July 04, 2007

Cheap Getaways

We haven't had a real vacation in a long time. Since before Lily was born. We keep talking about it, but reality is that now that we've bought the house, until I'm working again, we probably won't have the extra cash to do it. But I do tend to poke around online from time to time looking for different getaways, and getting an idea of what it will cost.

[This post is sponsored by hotelreservations.com]

If you are looking for Hotel Discounts, hotelreservations.com is a new site that offers competitive prices and a few gems you won't find on Orbitz, Travelocity, etc. They list extended stay resorts, some rentals, and even bed and breakfasts for some locations. It's certainly not exhaustive for those more hard-to-find types of accommodations, but more than I've found on many other internet sites. Adam and I are always looking for unique places to stay, and when we're on a trip that is not just utilitarian, we love to stay at bed & breakfasts. The rates quoted on this site are definitely good; average prices are about the same as the other online booking sites, and for individual night prices or shorter stays, I even found some a bit cheaper.

The particular trips we are thinking about doing are a lakeside cabin stay (possibly with other families) on Lake Michigan, and a trip to the Pacific Northwest. That one we'd probably do cheaper motel stays and drive from Portland to Seattle (or vice versa), visiting friends along the way. And a two-star Inn in downtown Seattle for $119 a night sounds pretty darn good to me. Hotelreservations.com has all the usual combo packages, airline tickets, rental cars, etc., but what seems to set it apart from the other online travel sites are the availability of vacation rentals and other more out-of-the-way places to stay. If you are looking for resort-type vacations, this also seems like a good place to shop for your trip, and there are links to city guides for your particular destination, which is always a nice touch to find the more mainstream, touristy things and learn a little about the place you'll be visiting. I do wish they had some other tools, for instance one that lets you shop the best deals based on flexible dates. I will probably add this site to my list of places to check when I'm shopping around for airline tickets and places to stay for our next vacation... whenever that may be.

Posted by mwashburn at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)

June 25, 2007

Someday When I Can Afford Furniture

One of the things I'm always browsing, despite the fact that it's just not in the budget right now, is furniture. Well, we just ordered the Bug's "big girl bed," but someday we want a loveseat/chaise of some sort, and a buffet in the kitchen, not to mention a new bed for ourselves.

[This post is sponsored by Great Priced Furniture]

This site for discount furniture looks like a pretty great place to price shop. They don't have a ton of stuff that fits my more modernist tastes, but the kids rugs are really cute and reasonably priced, and this chaise lounge is pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. There is just a TON of stuff on the site, but the keyword search seems to work pretty well; it turned up a decent selection of platform beds (what we want for our room eventually; well, we have one, but it's an ugly cheapo). Actually, I think I first heard about this site from a friend's blog post, which may or may not have been a sponsored post... hmmm... In any case, they have a huge selection, and a 30-day money back guarantee. But, I couldn't find even ballpark shipping rates posted on the site, which would make me a little nervous in ordering such large items online. I'm sure the next time I'm daydreaming about new furniture, I'll be checking this site out again.

Posted by mwashburn at 12:26 PM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2007

Finding Good Coupon Codes Online

I shop online. A lot. It seems the internet has devised myriad ways to part me from my money. But, if I were a superhero, my super power would be "never pay retail."

[This post is sponsored by keepcash.com]

I try to shop smart, and not spend more than I would if I bought the thing at a brick-and-mortar store, and one way I try to shop smart is using coupon codes whenever I can. Some of the online coupon sites are really hard to navigate, have outdated info, or just don't have the stores I'm looking for. But, I just found out about keepcash.com. A quick look through the site turned up a lot of great, current offers. They offer current shipping, rebate, and discount deals from online merchant as well as online coupons. I might end up using one of the ones for Amazon very soon, as I've been contemplating a grocery purchase there. It's the only place I seem to be able to find Kiss My Face products without driving into Chicagoland. Even coupon codes for 5 or 10% off can cover your shipping costs and make it worth your while financially, as well as time-management wise to buy online. This site even has info on deals and coupons for The Body Shop and The Children's Place, two sites I'm likely to shop at but have never seen deal info online for. This is definitely the most user-friendly of the coupon code sites I've looked at. Happy Shopping!

Posted by mwashburn at 12:54 PM | Comments (0)

June 21, 2007

Living Space or Creepy Cave?

Our garage has come a long way since we moved in. Adam has done lots of organization and cleanup, but it's still full of spiders, and the garage door is... well... let's just say it's seen better days, though it does still go up and down, thanks to our new garage door opener.

[This post is sponsored by Car Guy Garage]

Sometimes I fantasize about new solutions for garage storage. (Adam can attest to my fondness for "storage solutions"). A lot of my half-baked closet organization schemes never work out, but if money were no object I'd tidy up the garage and have cool stuff like this workbench. It would be nice to have drawers, and actual workspace as well as shelving. More and more of the projects we need to do around the house require someplace to work, and Adam has ended up just laying things out on the driveway or in the breezeway, when something a little more ergonomic would have been a good idea. I also really like the idea of a pegboard to hang tools on. My father has that kind of setup in his garage, and you can (almost) always find the tool you need. We have two small toolboxes with a jumble of things, and shelves with random assortments of nails, screws, etc. It's all a pretty makeshift arrangement. The carguygarage website also has some fun stuff like switchplates and glassware with flames. I know the flames thing has gotten so trendy, but I still find it to be a cool graphic element. I don't know that I'm ready for a flamejob mailbox, but still...

Posted by mwashburn at 12:00 PM | Comments (3)

June 18, 2007

Reliving the Days of Student Loans and PLUS loans [and the rest of that financial aid alphabet soup...]

My little sister starts college in the fall. Hard to believe my mother will finally have an empty nest after almost 33 years. I have always been flattered that my little sis looks up to me, and she has been seeking my advice often lately as she has navigated the stress and decisions that go with heading off to college.

Part of this whole puzzle has been financial aid. When I went to college, although I was very lucky in that my father was able to help me quite a bit in paying, I still took out some loans to get through all four years, as well as taking out my own loans for graduate school. I look at student loans as an investment, not an expense, but you still have to be smart in how you go about it. My sister already has her FAFSA in, but much confusion has ensued about which loans are which, what the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized is, and whether federal Stafford or Perkins loans, though smaller, are preferable to getting private loans through a consumer bank. It is very important to look at things like origination fees, interest rate, and consolidation options as well as simply how much money you are allowed to borrow. A newer option that is a good choice for many people is a Federal PLUS loan. This allows the parent to borrow money (in most cases much more than the student alone can borrow) at a competitive rate to cover tuition, room and board, and other college expenses. Any cash the parent was going to contribute can be invested in a CD, money market, or other high-yield savings vehicle and then used to pay off the loan when it comes due.

Because so many of the grant and loan programs applied for during the FAFSA process are based on income, they either assume your parents are able to pay for a larger chunk of your education than they actually are, or they don't allow you to borrow everything you need. PLUS loans can help fill the gaps without paying an arm and a leg in interest. I'm definitely going to let my sister and parents know about the financialaid.com website. It has some excellent information on making those choices, negotiating the financial aid process, and qualifying for low-interest loans for school. I've had to completely re-educate myself about all this in the process of trying to give my sister good advice. Learning about borrowing money is just one of the many ways college helps prepare you for the real world! Not to mention the fact that I'll be re-educating myself in preparation for sending the Bug to college one day.

Posted by mwashburn at 02:31 PM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2007

How it Goes with Me and PPP

So I have been signed up with PayPerPost for a couple of weeks now.

So far I've blogged on The Police's new album, and an astronomy gadget. And, oh yes, this post. I think PayPerPost is pretty cool, not just because you get paid to advertise on blogs, but also because of their up-front disclosure policy. If I am blogging on a PayPerPost opportunity, it is clearly noted in the post category and often with a banner within the post. And you can rest assured that all opinions expressed are solely mine. We all know I have opinions in spades, so sharing them seems only natural. So much viral marketing is really kinda sneaky and icky, but PPP seems to keep everything above the board, which I am cool with. By reviewing the opportunities on PayPerPost, I've actually found out about some neat websites. Everything from recipe sites to online coloring pages to online shopping I might not have found.

So far I've earned almost $25. Not bad for a few minutes work. I haven't decided yet what I'll spend the money on. I'll probably put it in the same little virtual pot as my paltry half.com earnings, and spend some of it on a little something-something for myself (I need some new summer shoes). What little income I have generally gets spent on the house, Lilybug, or put back into my business, so it's nice if I have some miscellaneous side income to spend on myself when I really want something.

So the bottom line is, so far PayPerPost is working out for me, and I don't think I've had to sell my soul to do it.

Posted by mwashburn at 07:43 PM | Comments (1)

June 08, 2007

You Know You're Getting Old When...

Win a New York fly-away to see the Police live!

[in which I try to sound like I know something about music]

...bands you've loved since childhood are getting together for reunion tours. And there's a new police cd. The Police are one of those bands I remember hearing on the radio as a very young child, and one of the very few bands I loved as a kid that I still love as an adult. Although solidly rooted in the kind of post-punk-pop thing that started happening in the very late '70s and early '80s, the Police proved themselves to be musically diverse, hard working, and very influential. Their sound was unique, at home on the radio but with an edge and instrumentation not usually found in mainstream pop. I think they really found a niche, and their music has definitely stood the test of time. Sure, people who are into music know the Clash, but ask your average college student today and you're likely to get quizzical looks. But they'll be able to tell you all about the Police. So much of the melodic punk-pop popular today owes its roots to the Police, and of course Sting in his solo career has worked with so many other musicians and genres.

So the Police are going on a reunion tour. Now that I'm a tied down lady with a young child, big arena concerts aren't really my bag, but I would seriously consider buying the new compilation CD. My favorite Police song has always been Don't Stand So Close to Me; I remember hearing it on the radio, and remember seeing the video on MTV ad it's always stuck with me. I always have been one for twisted love affairs, and Sting's vocals on that song are just so raw and full of emotion. The best thing about the compilation is that it features the original version, not the horrible synthesizer-laden re-recording from 1986's Every Breath You Take - The Singles. I'd buy the new police cd compilation just to have all the songs I love *without* that monstrosity.

Posted by mwashburn at 08:13 AM | Comments (2)

June 03, 2007

Astronomy Gadgets

You would think, being married to an astronomer, that I might know something about the night sky. Not true. I can now find the Summer Triangle, sure, and the Pleadies, and a couple of other things. But I am always amazed when I visit a planetarium by how many of the constellations I am completely unable to identify. I think it's because compared to Orion or the big dipper, most of them are actually very spread out over the sky and I'm just not looking on that scale.

Aside from looking at the constellations, Adam has dragged me out for various comet and planet spottings over the years, and it's pretty cool, though not always "stand in the freezing cold at 3 in the morning" cool. Most of these things have been there for millions of years, and will be there still when I decide to brave the cold and drag myself out of bed at some ungodly hour.

In any case, our binoculars or small telescope will suffice when accompanied by a learned individual such as my husband, who can identify the finer points of this corner of the universe. For those not blessed with a Household Astronomer, there is now the Meade MySky Personal Video Planetarium. It has an LCD screen and supposedly allows the user to just point and shoot to get information about what he/she is looking at. It sounds like a great idea to me; much easier than trying to look at a star chart or book in the dark. If money were no object, there are a bunch of techie gift ideas out there for the budding scientist in your life. All this stuff is so much more sophisticated than when I was a kid. What is it Jack Horkheimer used to say? "Keep looking up!"

Posted by mwashburn at 10:59 PM | Comments (3)