Saving For My Piggy Banks

As I am preparing for this post at my kitchen table, I realize that my barstools for the counter top needed to be replaced since they were so worn out and beaten. This leads my thinking on the income tax refund, and my plan on using that little bit to improve the look of my house.

I saw these piggy banks at TJ Maxx, and had a good chuckle out of them. These piggy banks were in red color so my thought right away ran to Ruby Tuesday theme. They came in green and blue colors also, with different saying on them.

Anyway, we are at the end of March, and tax season is in high swing. So here are some of my questions:

• Have you filed your income tax return?
• Are you preparing it yourself, or you take it to a professional?
  
• Are you getting a refund back?
• What are you planning to use your refund on?
• Are you putting that refund in a piggy bank?
• Do you have to pay Uncle Sam?
• Have you arranged for a schedule to pay back?
  

Well, that's it! I just want to remind everyone about the income tax return for this year. Get on it if you haven't started it yet. If you already did, put some in my piggy banks above.

For those that are preparing their returns, this article Five Mistakes to Avoid Trouble With the IRS, offers some tips to think about.

Visit Mary at Ruby Tuesday!

Shadow Shot--Of Light and Shade

As I waited around to pick up our pizza for the kids, I started to notice all the shadow in this little space. The first set of shadows was from a metal bench right in front of the counter.


I am not very patience with the waiting game, so I walked around to the eating in area, and there they were, shadows of the chairs and tables.


The shadows were not defined, but I like the color of them. The pattern of shadows was very interesting to see.


There were only four seats in this area as you can see. The yellow wall and the checker pattern were very catching in the sun. I saw the shadows, and I also saw some reflections too. It turned out to be a great rewarding wait.

Visit Hey Harriet to see more entries!

Window Boxes for All My Planting Needs

As spring is already here, and I have started to plant my zinnia flowers from seeds, I am constantly keeping my eyes out for those unique and beautiful window box planters. My little garden area is only big enough to plant a few vegetables, which become foods for the squirrels anyway.

I have a row of window boxes along my driveway for flowers, and I love them as bring colors to soften the look of concrete. I plant different types of flowers each summer since there are so many that I like.

I also have some pots for growing herbs after the mint took over the entire yard very much. Weeding them out is hard and continuous labor, so I found pots or planter box work best to contain them.

Gardening is one of the things I enjoy doing during the summer, and so are my kids. Their curiosity makes it even more interesting, and easy for me to instill the idea of growing and taking care of the earth as an early age.

Usually the kids get a pot or two for each. They decide what to grow in their own pots and responsible for keeping their flowers/vegetables healthy. We try to conserve water by catching rain for watering our garden.

Although the weather is still a bit on the colder side, we have prepared our pots, plant zinnia flowers, and wait for warmer time to grow our vegetables. I can't wait to get to work in my garden and watching everything comes to live.

What Types of Car Are You Driving?

While driving down the road today to my son soccer's practice, I noticed the couple in front of us in their beautiful lexus ls 600h, and thought how nice the car looks.

Yes, I don't have preferences for any particular car, but that car was just very catching to my eyes. It was like a teaser day for me, a minute later, another couple pull right up to us at the traffic light in their lexus is. All two couples are well dressed, which lead me to think about social division status in our society.

I have to admit, I grow up to recognize a certain types of cars mean a higher status of social ranking, but it never has a hold on my thinking. Those Lexus cars are beautiful and more than I can afford. Then again, sometimes I wonder if I could afford any types of cars, would I prefer to be in one or would I care to have one?

I'm just honestly happy for those who can indulge their dreams in expensive cars, just as I am happy for others who drive a hyundai genesis, or a chevy traverse. I don't see the difference!

For me, all cars roll down the street on four wheels, basically, including some old rusty cars. They might not look nice, but they are drivable just like the nice looking ones. What about you? Do you think the types of car you drive determine your social standard, or it doesn't matter to you?

Fuzzy Red Flowers

These flowers were from my last summer collection, but they got lost in my archive. Many stores and local nurseries are ready to display their flowers for the early pickers, and I want to be one of them.


This flower is on my list to re-grow for the summer, since I like the fact that it has continuous blooms throughout the warm months.


Although these flowers have no petals and are different from what we normally see, I like the silky look on them. They also can tolerate direct afternoon sun.


To keep these flowers healthy and blooming, I add used coffee ground as fertilizer before re-planting them in the pot, and water them either early in the morning, or late in the evening.


Are you ready to plant your flowers? After a long winter, I think I'm more than ready to get my hands in the dirt.

Join other entries at Photo Story Friday, and Give Me Your Best Shot!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Where To Get a New Look For Your Blog, Free

I'm sure you have seen many beautiful blogs with gorgeous background, and you probably want to give your blog a new look. Spring fever is in the air, and I'm restless too. We are caught in-between weather, so what else to do but spruce up our blog.

Now, where do you find these backgrounds that show or represent your personality? I have collected some websites for you to browse and pick out your liking. The best thing is, they are all FREE!

Hot Bliggity Blog

This website has so many beautiful backgrounds for 2 and three columns. You can dress up your blog depending on seasons, or express how you feel.

The Cutest Blog on The Block


You will find plenty of background for your blog on this website, which also offer background for your Twitter's account. There are banners, blinkies, and button too!

Shabby Blogs


Find beautiful background designs on this website, plus blinkies, buttons, and headers for free. If you have a three columns template blog, click on that link to find your background.

The Background Fairy


You can find a variety of backgrounds, and the direction on how to install it on your blog right on this website. Just remember to pick the right one for your template, and some backgrounds even come with a header or banner.

Aqua Poppy Designs

This website has many wonderful backgrounds for you to choose from. Just click on "free background", find the one you like for your template, follow direction to install it and you will have one of those beautiful blogs.

Scrappin' Blogs

As the title said, the backgrounds on this website are designed especially for those who have scrapping blogs, but it could be used for other blogs as well. Pick one you like, install it and see a new face lift on your blog.

Each website offers different backgrounds for free. The hard part is to decide on which one best suited you. You will find instruction to install your new background on all these websites that I've listed here, or you could also special order your own from these talented artists.

Nifty Thrifty Finds

Once in a while, I hit the Salvation Army store just to look for things that I would normally not see in other stores. Usually, the price at Thrift Store is much cheaper too.


I spotted this blue watering can with it fun design and it is a must have. It has a certain charm to the whole thing, and already my mind was flooded with ideas of uses for it.


Since it had a large opening mouth, I thought of using it as a flower pot, or herbal plant such as basil to keep on my window sill.


Walking to another aisle I found this yellow watering can with blue flower! They have the same design, but just different reverse colors.


I pick these two watering cans up for three dollars, and thought of the saying, "Another man's trash is another man's treasure" was ever so close to my heart.

Check out other Blue entries at Smiling Sally blog!



Have a look at Yellow entries below!

Show off your Nifty Thrifty on Tuesdays!

Whimsical Mailbox Designs

I'm assuming that spring is already here for many of us, and with that comes spring cleaning. We spent nice warm days doing yard works such as raking up dried/dead leaves, removing garbage from bushes, and turning the soil in the garden area.

There is so much to do to clean up the past season, and to welcome the new one. I see some house mailboxes, the wall mounted mailboxes, being replaced. Everyone seems to beautify their dwelling to bring in a fresh new look.

I have mentioned it before that my house needs a new wall mount mailbox, and I finally pick out some whimsical designs that I like above. So far, the dog mail box got the most votes, with a reason that is really legitimate, and that is to keep bad guys off our property. I thought that was a clever idea.

I love the whimsical designs of these rectangular wall mount mailboxes, too. They are just so adorable and look very spring. On our street, all the houses have only this type of mounting, except for one.

I like to stay in the norm, but with a different feel and look for my house. What do you think of these designs?

Sport Betting Modified

Are you a sport fanatic? Do you bet some times while watching a sporting event with friends? I am sure we all did at one time or another, and I usually just do it for fun like, "I bet Michigan State will win over Alabama" or something like that. Often, I bet and root for my home state. It is only natural to do so.

Sports betting can be addictive, such in a case of my old boss, who would come to work, and spend time online to bet on sport, which is football for him. He studies the teams he likes in great details, and watches them intensely. Sometimes, when he talks on the phone with his buddies, I don't understand a thing, and it sounds as if it was in another language.

If you are interesting to know how sport betting work, here is a link to New Player's Guide, and a link to Sports Betting Tips and Tricks. Even if you just want to bet for the fun of it, learning new thing is always good.

A group of my ladies friend have modified sport betting into a fun challenge. The loser is responsible for a get together in her own liking. Whether it is at home or going out, the loser has the say to how, where, what, or when the occasional will take place. It gives the loser the power to call the shot!