You've Got Mail Monday

It's Monday. The sun is shining for the memorial service of our dear friend, Dianne, who passed away last week. It was touching to see so many friends turn out for the wake last night. We waited in line for two and a half hours. Dianne always had a smile on her face. She greeted you with that smile and a hug. I never heard an unkind word cross her lips. She will be greatly missed.

The post office hasn't delivered all our accumulated mail yet, so I don't have much to report for this week. They did, however, deliver Saturday's mail, which included a Justice® catalog just in time for back to school clothes shopping, and the August FrontGate catalog. Love their outdoor furniture, but won't spend that type of money on something that is going to get rained on.

Also from our mail carrier came Murder As A Fine Art by David Morrell. I won this during his virtual book tour. It sounded amazing and the cover art has to be seen up close. It's gorgeous. Can't wait to dig into this one.

That's it for this edition of You've Got Mail Monday. Hope you have a blessed week.

You've Got Mail Monday

Phew! It's almost the end of the day. This weekend was the Lil Diva's (11) sleepover party. The Hunger Games theme went over well. I'll post some pictures later this week.

Since I haven't let you take a peek in my mailbox for a couple of weeks, this might take a while. Feel free to take a potty break first.  LOL!

The girls were thrilled to find that all their clothes from Land's End and Old Navy fit well. In the picture below, you'll see the Lil Princess in her new clothes from Justice. This was her first soccer practice, and we had gone shopping earlier in the week, so you know she had to wear her new clothes.

 

 

Most of the catalogs I received over the past couple of weeks were the usual ones: Land's End, Oriental Trading, and flyers from Macy's. I bought a few of the girls' school clothes at JcPenney. They had some awesome Back-To-School deals. They sent me a flyer last week about their Liz Claiborne® collection for men and women. I thought these jeans were lovely.

 

 

I also thought some of the bold prints they had this year were stunning.

I've been down in the dumps lately, so I used some of our Discover rewards to buy books from Amazon. Not that I really need more books, but these are special ones I wanted in print. I wouldn't have bought so many if the rewards hadn't accumulated. Here's what arrived over the last couple of weeks:

Farmer Boy Goes West by Heather Williams. This book is considered a sequel to Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy. I've been reading it with one of my online chums. We are enjoying the discussions.

Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane: Authorship, Place, Time, and Culture by John E. Miller. This was my most expensive purchase, but I am familiar with Miller's work and I have wanted this book for a long time.

Rose Wilder Lane: Her Story by Rose Wilder Lane and Roger Lea MacBride. This was my cheapest purchase. The book cost a penny and the shipping only $3.99. MacBride was Lane's heir, and is responsible for The First Four Years, the final book of the Little House series, being published after Lane's death. He also wrote his own series of children's books about Rose's childhood.

Little House, Long Shadow: Laura Ingalls Wilder's Impact on American Culture by Anita Clair Fellman. I don't know that I would have bought this book without using my rewards. It seems to be a controversial book, based upon the reviews I've read. That William Holtz, author of The Ghost in the Little House: A Life of Rose Wilder Lane endorsed it, didn't make me very confident I would enjoy it. Still, I rarely pass up a book about Wilder or her daughter. After my new LIW related purchases, however, I need a new bookshelf, as my shelves dedicated to my collection are full.

The Strangers on Montagu Street by Karen White. I have wanted this book for ages, but I refused to request it from her publicist when I knew I was so behind on reviews. I'm still thrilled when I open one of White's books and see my review blurb from The House on Tradd Street on the inside pages. I've read the previous two books in this series, so I wasn't going to miss this new book. Now, I just need to find time to read it.

Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox. I have wanted to read Fox's memoir since I learned it was coming out. He remains one of my favorite actors. I was so thrilled when I learned he was coming back to TV. I can't wait until his new sitcom comes out next year.

Lessons from the Mountain: What I Learned from Erin Walton by Mary McDonough. While The Waltons doesn't hold the same appeal for me as Little House on the Prairie or Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, I rarely missed an episode when it originally aired. I didn't know that Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson, Little House on the Prairie) and McDonough were good friends in real life, until I read about a book signing they held together.

I almost picked up Rob Lowe's autobiography, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, but I decided I better curb my enthusiasm before I have to walk over piles of books just to reach my desk.

My final purchase was a DVD titled, Pa's Fiddle: The Music of America. This is a collection of songs Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about in her Little House books. Overseen by Dale Cockrell, director of MTSU's Center for Popular Music, in conjunction with Peak Moore Enterprises, Inc, and Santa Fe Productions, then manufactured and distributed by Compass Records Group, it features Randy Travis, Rodney Atkins, Ronnie Milsap, Natalie Grant, and other country music greats. This will be an excellent addition to my LIW book collection.

As you can see, I've kept the United States Post Office in business the last couple of weeks. Hope you've enjoyed this peek into my mailbox. Have a great week!

You've Got Mail Monday

Back to School season is in full swing. Catalogs from  Land's End, Justice, and Macy's have all made their way to my mailbox, overflowing with back to school deals. In addition, Oriental Trading sent me their birthday catalog to browse through.

It was the Lil Diva's birthday this weekend. She turned 11. She enters the middle school this year (in only three weeks). Hard to believe that this little one,

has become this big one:

Thinking of back to school and the fact that the Lil Diva will have cheerleading practice twice a week and be away from home without me, we opted to buy her a cell phone. I didn't want to do it. but I feel safer if she has it on her.

We opted for the Samsung Brightside™. Though I wasn't thrilled with the reviews I read, the Lil Diva liked it when we were in the Verizon store a couple of weeks ago. The keys on the QWERTY keyboard seem to be a bit bigger than some others, so she finds it easier to type on.

When I stopped by Macy's on Friday, they were running this fabulous sale on bedding. My in-laws had asked me to pick up birthday presents for the Lil Diva from them too, so I chose this lovely Lauren Ralph Lauren comforter that looks fabulous in her room.

This is a down alternative comforter, so it is fluffy and soft. I wasn't sure how she was going to like the plaid, but she loves it and it looks great. Her rug is a darker blue and her walls are a light blue. I opted to go with a dark purple set of sheets to match her lilac and white pink butterfly curtains. I also ordered a hot pink pillow sham, since this package didn't come with one. They do sell one on eBay that has a sham. I also picked up a floral rug to place in front of her bed.

So, for back to school, the Diva's bedroom got an upgrade. She also received some new outfits from her aunt, so she and her room will be heading into this season in style.

That's it for this week's You've Got Mail Monday. Hope you have a great week.

You've Got Mail Monday

It's Monday, so that means another peek inside my mailbox. After returning from vacation, we had a boatload of mail. Thankfully there wasn't as much to sift through last week. I think our mail carrier is on vacation, because the mail is coming later than usual, and one day we didn't get any mail at all--which rarely happens.

A new Justice® catalog arrived. The girls try to beat each other to the table when that one comes in. The Lil Diva (10) and the Lil Princess (8) have already given me a list of things they want for back to school. Hard to believe school starts up again in month.

Another great catalog that came in was Pottery Barn Kids. We're eyeing their Larkin Bedroom Collection for the Lil Princess. Her bed belonged to her father and her dresser was the one I bought when I was pregnant for John Boy (okay, not the best nickname, but I had to call him something). Our son is now 25, so I'm impressed that the dresser is still usable. Our girl is definitely due for an upgrade. We bought the Lil Diva bedroom furniture from Bob's Discount Furniture a couple of years ago. She's tough on things, so I didn't want to spend a lot of money. It's holding up well, and she's been happy with it, so it was a good purchase.

The American Girl® doll catalog also showed up. We had a group of girls over yesterday and they all played in the bonus room with their American Girl dolls. It's cute to watch them. I think Santa is supposed to bring McKenna this year.

Our Fed-Ex® driver dropped off a package that contained a scanner and software from the National Consumer Panel. I used to participate in this program years ago, when the technology wasn't as advanced as it is now. After reviewing the contents: scanner, charge base, USB cable, and software, I've decided it isn't for me. What you are supposed to do is scan your purchases. In addition, you can complete surveys using the scanner's keyboard. You earn points for rewards.

I must have forgotten how time consuming a project it is. Though you scan barcodes, there is still a lot of manual entry: store name, if you used coupons, if you used a rewards card, and the most time consuming--price and quantity. Granted, the scanner will use the data you input to remember your favorite stores, but I buy over $200 worth of groceries a week. I pay attention to prices while in the store, but once I get home I just want to put it all away. If I need to hold onto my receipt and find a price to match up each product I purchase, it will take me an hour or more to get all the groceries put away. It's a shame, because I really wanted to do this.

That's it for You've Got Mail Monday. Look for my reviews of WordGirl: The Rise of Miss Power and Super Why: Around the World Adventure coming this week.

You've Got Mail Mondays

Last week flew by and here we are at Monday again. It was a week filled with books, magazines, cat litter, and bills (yuck).

Ernie the postman brought me John Locke: Philosopher of American Liberty by the late Mary-Elaine Swanson. I am helping to promote this book. As a lover of American history it should be right up  my alley. I also received Bible Blessings for Bedtime by Linda Carlblom. I blog with Linda over at the Christian Children's Authors blog. I won a copy of this book through a contest she was running. I can't wait to share it with the girls.

Speaking of the girls, recent Land's End and Justice® catalogs arrived. We shopped at Justice this past week too. The Lil Diva seems to have outgrown everything she owns. We came home with new swimsuits for both girls. The Lil Diva bought new sandals, a skirt on clearance (thank God), a shirt, and new strapless bra. The Lil Princess came home with a new pair of capris, a tank top, and a beautiful chiffon top.

The new Lowe's® Creative Ideas for Home and Garden catalog arrived with a great picture of a deck inside that I would love to have. My Gardening How-to magazine for May/June also arrived. They had this neat article on how to create a topiary. I've always wanted to do that.

World's Best Cat Litter™ was kind enough to send me a sample bag of their unscented multi-cat version to try out. As you know, I am always on the lookout to improve the time it takes to clean up that mess. I was surprised when the UPS man dropped it off this week. I thought it would take a bit longer to get here. Look for my review on this coming soon.

That's it for this week's You've Got Mail Monday. I've noticed a slight drop off in blog traffic the past couple of weeks. Please let me know if there is anything else you would like to see here. I made a few changes based upon past feedback, so keep those ideas coming and I'll do what I can.

Thanks for your support.

You've Got Mail Mondays

I guess the mailman felt he needed to make up for last week, because I got a slew of stuff.

Two catalogs from Land's End arrived--women's and men's. They are currently running a Family & Friends Event that includes 25% off on regularly-priced items and free shipping. But hurry, it ends tomorrow.

Macy's sent me a 16-page catalog for women. It included a VIP Pass for an extra 20% off regular, sale and clearance apparel for her, him and kids, fine and fashion jewelry and select home items. The VIP sale runs from March 7th - 11th so I might see if I can find some pants I desperately need. I love their clothes, but I don't shop there often because I can't afford to. If it's not on sale, I don't buy it.

The hubby and I actually went there this weekend to exchange an overcoat I had bought him for Valentine's Day. Macy's has marked down their winter items, plus we had a coupon for an additional 25% off, so we ended up paying $120 for a Calvin Klein Coleman overcoat (pictured above) that was originally priced $350. Cha-ching!

I hid the Justice® catalog when it arrived on Tuesday. This is another store with products I love at prices I don't feel comfortable paying all the time. What I love most about Justice is that their clothes are fashionable, but modest. I think the Lil Diva (10) will love the multi-color gem sandals below.

Oriental Trading® sent their Fun and Faith catalog last week too. We use them at church for craft and Vacation Bible School supplies.

When I received my gardening packet a few weeks ago, I requested a catalog from Fancy Leaf Caladiums. I was a bit surprised when a folding brochure arrived. I was expecting something larger. We have partial shade to shade on one side of the house and I want to add a bit more color on that side. These caladiums look like they might do the trick. I had tried Bleeding Hearts once, but they expanded too quickly. I'm thinking the Fannie Munson or Rosalie would be a nice addition to the garden.

Has anyone grown these? Do you have any tips?

For books, I received Project Jackalope by Emily Ecton and Tua and the Elephant by R.P. Harris. These came to me unsolicited from Chronicle Books. I don't usually read books that come to me without a formal request placed, but I like Chronicle Books, so I might give them a whirl. Also in the mail came Summer of Secrets by Charlotte Hubbard, which I am reading for her VBT.

On the local front, The Wilbraham-Hampden Times that comes on Thursdays, had an article about the new Head of School at Somers Academy in Somersville, CT. Cynthia Flynn used to run the preschool our daughters' attended. I was heartbroken when it closed (though my girls were in grammar school at the time). I am so thrilled for Miss Cindy. She's a dedicated educator and I'm sure she'll do a fabulous job there. We're considering private school for the Lil Princess (8) because she is farther advanced than her classmates and is finding school a bit boring. Her current school has offered her enrichment opportunities, but I think private schooling is the way to ensure she remains challenged.

That's it for now. I already had a neat book arrive today that I am eager to share with you next week.