how apropos.

the final hour of tax day is ticking away & i'm guessing it's a pretty safe bet to assume that just about all of us are broke, so...

for your listening pleasure i give you:


i heard the song on the radio this morning {a local radio station does a 'nine at 9' feature and today's them was - surprise, surprise - money!}.

yes, you heard right...reaganomics. this song came out in the mid-1980s. and, yes, they said 'cut back!' too.

just read the lyrics...very apropos for our current day, dontcha think?

I been laid off from work
My rent is due
My kids all need
Brand new shoes

So I went to the bank
To see what they could do
They said son - looks like bad luck
Got-a hold on you

Chorus:
Money's too tight to mention
I can't get an un-em-ploy-ment ex-ten-sion
Money's too tight to mention

I went to my brother
To see what he could do -
He said bro-ther like to help you
But I'm unable to
So I called on my fa-ther fa-ther
Oh my fa-ther
He said

Chorus:
Money's too tight to mention
Oh mo-ney mo-ney mo-ney mon-ey
Mo-ney's too tight to mention
I can't even qual-i-fy for my pension

We talk a-bout rea-gan-om-ics
Oh lord down in the con-gress
They're passing all kinds - of bills
From down on cap-it-ol hill - (we've tried them)

Chorus:
Money's too tight to mention
(spoken) cut-back!
Mo-ney mo-ney mo-ney mon-ey
We're talk-in' a-bout mon-ey mon-ey
We're talk-in' a-bout mon-ey mon-ey
We're talk-in' 'bout the dollar bill
And that old man that's over the hill
Now what are we all to do
When the mon-ey's got a hold on you?
Mo-ney's too tight to mention
Oh mon-ey mon-ey mon-ey mon-ey
Mo-ney's too tight to mention
Di-nero - mon-ey oh yeah
We're talk-in' a-bout mon-ey mon-ey
We're talk-in' a-bout mon-ey mon-ey
We're talk-in' a-bout mon-ey mon-ey
We're talk-in' a-bout mon-ey mon-ey…..
{'money's too tight to mention' by simply red}

Budget be damned...I want clearer skin!

Well, I guess I should start off by saying that I have pretty decent skin. No, I'm not being stuck up, I really do have nice skin. I've been told that by friends, family and aestheticians. But, I want to take care of my skin and get rid of these pesky blackheads and make my pores appear smaller.

Once upon a time I was a faithful facial girl. But, that was many, many, MANY months ago back when I really didn't give a damn about dropping between $60 to $80 at a time to have someone professionally clean my skin. Ah, those were the days! Yeah, those really were the days because I would also treat myself to a pedicure, too. But...

Here I am, a 30 something mother of two who has semi-sensitive and slightly temperamental skin (I fluctuate between an oily/normal to dry combo...it's fabulous to have a shiny ass nose and a dry, flaky chin...at the same time...not). I think I take good care of my skin. I wash and moisturize faithfully every day. I use sunscreen. I'm brand/product loyal and I've been using Philosophy's skin care line for YEARS (and trust me, I've used many skin care lines over the years including Proactiv, Dermalogica, Biore, Neutrogena, Bliss, Joey New York, L'Oreal, Cetaphil, etc...yes, I'm a beauty/skin care product whore!). Anyway, tonight I was in bed watching QVC and (yes, I actually got up out of bed to type this but that's a whole 'nother ranting blog post in itself) and they were talking about the Clarisonic Skin Care Brush. I've seen it before on QVC and in the Bliss catalogs I receive every month. I've even seen the cheaper knock-offs in the discount stores. I've always wondered how well the Clarisonic cleans and whether or not it's really worth the money -- the Clarisonic, which is made by the same people who make the Sonicare toothbrushes (funny, I use a plain jane manual toothbrush), retails for damn near $200.

Wow. $200. $200 for a spinning brush that will supposedly help me clean my skin even better than I am cleaning it now -- or so I think I'm cleaning it.

I read the testimonials, I saw the photos and, I'm almost ashamed to say, that I finally succumbed to my curiosity and I just ordered the sucker from QVC. Thank goodness for the four payment option! At least this makes my new $200 face brush a bit more budget friendly and I don't have nearly the amount of buyer's remorse I would have had if I had purchased it outright for the full price.

So, here's to cleaner, clearer skin -- you had best believe that I'm going to charge that sucker up once I receive it and use it faithfully two times a day. And, hopefully, my new $200 friend will make my skin look as if I'm spending $$$ every month on facials and other beautification rituals.


OH - and the best part?? I bought this at QVC online via Ebates so I get 3% BACK of the total amount I've spent. Yes, that's right - 3%. It's not much, but it adds up. It actually pays to shop! Wait...what's that you're saying? You're not Ebating? Well, then you need to click here.

Seriously - sign up, it's free and you've got nothing to lose and only money to gain! You get paid quarterly and I've already earned two checks totalling nearly $150. Don't believe me? Then click here to read a post I made about my first Ebates check.

The Voice of Reason

Said no. Or, that I shouldn't.

http://www.cache.com/cache/control/product/~category_id=0120/~product_id=05044B22040411

It's so pretty...and it looks so good on. And it only needs minor alterations (the straps would need to be taken in just a bit so it's an easy alteration). And it would work with my black peep toe pumps and black clutch.

Needless to say, I decided NOT to have my ball gown altered & dry cleaned on the fly -- the price alone (which I'm not even sure of) scares me. I mean, to rush something like that would cost extra. There's no doubt in my mind about that.

So, for now I'm going to drop my other two dresses off at the dry cleaners and just go with it. I have a feeling I'll purchase the dress despite what my voice of reason says...maybe. We'll see.

What to do?

The school board voted to end the year-round school option effective immediately at the end of this school year. My children attend one of the four elementary schools in Virginia Beach that operate on a year-round calendar, Corporate Landing Elementary. It is our daughter's third year at the school (she's been there since Kindergarten) and it's our son's first year there (he's only in Kindergarten). Our neighborhood is technically zoned for a different elementary school; however, we had the choice of "opting out" of our zoned school (which operates on a traditional calendar) for CLES since the year-round school was "super zoned" for our area.

We love the year-round calendar. Love it, love it, love it! I wouldn't change it for anything. But, budget cuts and all that jazz are forcing the program to come to an end. It's kind of sad to think about, really, but what weighs most on my mind is what happens now? Fortunately, the principal sent home a letter on Friday addressing a lot of my questions and concerns. My biggest concern was whether or not our children would be able to stay at CLES -- and the answer is NO. Not without a zone waiver approved by the principal of the school. Basically, this coming September, they would both be back at Ocean Lakes Elementary -- the school our neighborhood is truly zoned for.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking OLES, but I just don't like the idea of my kids switching schools. Maybe it's the change. Maybe it's the fact that we just love CLES. Maybe it's because the kids are already a bit upset about the prospect of changing schools....the way they look at it is that we're not moving so why do they have to move to a different school?? I know without a doubt that my children will thrive at OLES and they will receive the same superior education that they are receiving now. I am a bit biased in that respect only because I am a product of the Virginia Beach City Public School system having lived here since 1986 (I was in the 4th grade when we moved here).

Bottom line is this -- Adam and I have a lot of decisions to make. This isn't about pros & cons, but what works for our family and what would be best for the children. I'm sad that my son might not have the opportunity to have the same first grade teacher as Malia and I'm sad that Malia might not have a chance to be in a friend's third grade classroom (she's a teacher at CLES). But, I do know that they would be in good hands at OLES -- a close family friend is the guidance counselor at OLES.

Adam and I need to decide whether or not we want to pursue an attendance zone waiver to keep the kids at CLES -- then all transportation becomes our responsibility (no sweat, we would only need to drive them to school). Or, do we just want to go with the flow and keep things simple by sending them to OLES. Some of their friends might be there (there are a lot of children from our neighborhood & surrounding areas who are zoned for OLES but opted out to go to CLES). The only major change despite being at a different school would be the fact that school would start a half an hour earlier than what they are currently used to. (The way I see it is that it's a blessing in disguise and I would actually be a half an hour earlier to work...) The only issue with OLES is whether or not Parks & Recreation offers an after-school program at the school like Malia currently attends at CLES -- if not, then this raises even more issues for US as a family due to childcare issues.

So, as you can see, there is a lot to think about. A lot. And, I want to have a decision soon.

http://www.corporatelandinges.vbschools.com/Fact%20Sheet-Possible%20Changes%20to%20the%20Year-Round%20School%20Program_.pdf

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/02/major-cuts-proposed-va-beach-school-programs

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/02/end-beachs-yearround-schedule-may-affect-800

Humbling stuff...

I read the classified section of our local newspaper -- not because I'm looking for a job, but because I am nosey. I like to see who lost what, who found what...who is missing a fur baby and who has found someone's fur baby...who is selling what or who is trying to buy something. OK, OK...I like looking over the job listings, too. It's interesting to see who is hiring and for what.

But, I also read the classifieds to read through the foreclosure listings. (I also like to read the obituaries, but that's in a different section of the newspaper...) You have to be really, really stupid or from another planet if you didn't know and understand the economic peril the U.S. is spiralling in at the moment. The increasing number of foreclosure listings is evident. And, while scanning through the listings last night, the reality of the problem hit close to home -- well, sort of. I recognized a name. Yes, I saw a foreclosure listing on a house that belongs (well, I guess BELONGED to) someone I know. I don't know her or her husband well, but I've met them nonetheless and do feel sorry for them. No one wants to lose their home. But, in a sick & twisted sense, I DON'T feel too sorry for them...living "the high life" isn't always so great. Of course, this is only my opinion of their situation and, while I don't know their situation completely, it really isn't my place to judge. But, irregardless of the situation or how they used their money or whatever, the sad reality is that their family lost their beautiful home. Their foreclosure listing was just one of many that covered about four pages of the classifieds section. Four pages. Yikes.

Needless to say, it just drives the fact home that the seriousness of our country's economic situation is alive and very much well all around us. This just drives the point home even more that I need to be more of a miser and less of a glutton.