Halloween night

Everyone in Eureka Springs knows that White Street is the place to trick-or-treat. The west side of the historic loop is mostly old Victorian style homes with a few businesses scattered here and there. On Halloween night, the sidewalks are packed with children and adults, all dressed in costume. I love how the grown-ups get into the spirit so much here, it reminds me of when I was a child and my parents participated in the festivities.

It is great fun and we are looking forward to meeting some of our friends at the Crescent Hotel parking lot and trick-or-treating our way down White Street, maybe all the way down to the hospital if the weather isn't too cold. The forecast is 73 degrees for the high on Wednesday and 47 for the overnight low. Sounds absolutely perfect - I can't wait. Halloween in Eureka rocks!

Storage for hobbies

Lately it seems like my house is becoming overrun with the kids' artwork and their craft supplies. Right now some of it is in the kitchen pantry, and the rest is in a large plastic tote in the basement. Now that my children can open the tote themselves, they take out whatever they want and I find art supplies all over the floor in their playroom. I feel like we must implement some shelving or other storage solutions for those items. I like having them within reach so the children can get things themselves, but they are not quite old enough to do all the projects themselves.

I guess a unit with shelves inside, but with a door that can be locked on the outside would be an ideal choice. Then when I decide it is arts and crafts time, we open the cabinet and they can grab whatever they want for their projects. I know this system works well because that is how they organize the classrooms in elementary school. Since keeping fifteen children organized is no easy task, I know if it works at school, it should work at home just fine.

Glowing report

I feel I must brag a little bit about my daughter who is in the first grade this year. We had our first parent/teacher conference last week and she got glowing reviews from her teacher. Since my daughter has always been very social and outgoing, I was a bit worried about her socializing during class and talking too much to her classmates during work time. But her teacher says that hasn't really been a problem for her and she is doing quite well. She got A's in every subject and pluses in all areas of the report card.

Her teacher even said that my daughter has the neatest and most organized journal she has ever seen, even when she taught second and fourth grade! She uses the journal as an example for the other students to show how organized it can be so they can try to do the same. I was very proud indeed.

Pregnancy battle scars

I think I'm finally at a stage in my life where I have accepted my body for what it is, imperfections and all. Why have the added stress in my life obsessing over that which is difficult to change? I have succumbed to the fact that the only way I can reclaim my pre-pregnancy body would be a Tummy Tuck, and since I don't have the money or the "guts" to go through with that, I'll just have to live with myself as is.

I've heard of many women who have problems with stretched and sagging stomach skin after having babies that have been very happy with the results of a Tummy Tuck and that's great, it's just not for me. I'm sure pregnancy is the number one reason women seek tummy tucks later in life. Women must remember, no matter how desperate they are to get a flat tummy, surgery is not an area to try to save money. Research of surgeons and pre-operative interviews are absolutely necessary.

I did have some good results with Pilates stretches, but I stopped doing those about a year ago. The results I achieved were even measurable. Since my pregnancies split my abdominal muscles apart, I am trying to get them back together. The only way to do that besides surgery is Pilates, since traditional crunches and sit-ups could actually make it worse. Well, after a few months of Pilates, the space between my muscles went from three inches to about one and a half inches, and remains at one and a half a year later, without performing the stretches. I will try to add it back into my weekly schedule and see if I can get the space closed even more, which will strengthen my back as well. A strong back and core is very important when lifting heavy things, like children.

Party small, but successful

We had the first of what we hope will be our annual Halloween Party last night. We opted for Sunday night because many of our friends work in restaurants and Friday and Saturday nights just don't work well with schedules. We invited about twelve families including their children, and only about twelve people total showed up. So we had way too much food and drink, and we have many leftovers. But the people that came seemed to enjoy themselves and there were no "awkward" moments that sometimes happen, since it was mostly my library co-workers and their families, plus a couple of other friends.

I think the small turnout was due to the fact that it was on a school night and the party started at 7:00pm. I just can't see starting a Halloween party when it is still light outside. Plus, since Halloween is coming in a couple of days, parents probably figured their kids will have one late night already this week and didn't want to add a second. Oh well, maybe we'll have a higher turnout next year...

What will they think of next?

I've heard of armoires used for storing a television set, so the doors can be closed when it is not in use. We use one for our TV and it is very nice to conceal the "big gray box" most of the time. I thought the type of person who could afford an expensive Plasma TV would want it displayed on the wall for all to see, but apparently now there are pieces of furniture that look somewhat like either a dresser or can be placed at the foot of a bed with plasma tv lifts inside.

This way, the plasma TV can be mechanically raised up out of the piece of furniture when in use, and hidden back in when the viewer is finished watching the television. I even saw one that hides behind an imitation fire place. Wow, now that's imagination at work. All of these units start around $2,000. I guess when you've already spent thousands of dollars on the television, what's a couple thousand more?

Necessary home update

A couple of days ago, our water heater just started leaking with no warning. It had been working just fine up until then, and just decided to quit on us and flood my daughter's room. See, one downfall of Eureka Springs is the lack of building codes up until just about five years ago (or so I've heard). So in addition to several other oddities about the way our house was built, the water heater was installed inside a bedroom closet, with no drain, and on the carpet.

So we've spent the last two days with fans under the carpet, which we pulled up from the corner and raised up to dry from underneath. We called our insurance agent to see if repairs would be covered under our home-owner's policy, but of course they have so many clauses and exclusions that render most homeowners helpless in their situation. In any case, I recommend reading your homeowner's policy, life insurance policy, mortgage life insurance policy, or any other insurance you may carry to make sure the coverage is adequate.

Our situation ended up fine this time, due to some research on our part on dealing with wet carpet and preventing mold. We ordered a new name brand hot water heater from a well known store and they came and installed it the next day. But now I will be worried about anything else happening and if it will be covered by insurance or not.

Miracle cures?

I get annoyed with unwanted weight gain as much as the next person, but I think it is silly when consumers fall for fast weight loss gimmicks and end up spending their hard earned money on crap. If it took two years to put on that extra weight, you can't expect to pop a few hoodia pills and instantly be thin without changing your everyday habits. Miracle cures just don't exist.

Time and time again I have learned (through research and personal experience) that the only lasting positive changes come from changing many factors of your life for the better. Diet, exercise, and overall health all play a huge part in weight fluctuations. If you gain weight, take a look at where you have been slacking and make changes before it gets out of control.

Go Rockies!

Since we moved to Eureka Springs from Colorado, and our families still live there, we are aware that the Rockies baseball team will play in the World Series this year. My in-laws are very into sports and attend many of the games played in Denver. In fact, my father-in-law prides himself with purchasing his tickets, plus a few extra on sites like Craig's list. Then he resells the extras at the last minute and makes enough extra cash to cover his ticket cost, plus enough spending money to buy snacks during the game. Pretty sweet deal.

So when the World Series tickets were scheduled to go on sale, he wanted to buy as many as possible and even had several family members try to purchase some as well, which he would then buy from us. As an added incentive, he offered to pay us an additional $50 for every ticket we end up buying.

So I was thinking we would get some spending cash for our Disney World trip out of it... But alas, the ticket system basically crashed because of all the users trying to log in at once and no one in our family was even able to get through the first screen. By the time we got in, all the World Series games were already sold out. Oh well, at least my in-laws got a great deal for our trip by swapping their inexpensive Las Vegas condo for a top of the line Orlando vacation rental. We'll be within walking distance to Epcot Center, then we can just ride the Monorail to get to all the other parks. Only three months to go!

How far we have come

I was just thinking how much the internet has changed our lives in the last ten years or so. If I could go back in time and tell myself that I would be comfortable buying clothes at an online clothing store, home furnishings at an online furniture store, baby items, appliances, art materials, and almost anything else imaginable all from my home computer... I would be shocked at the idea.

Of course, our children will know no difference and shopping online is already commonplace in the household. When we tell them that computers weren't even around when we were children, they can't believe it. Computers are such an integral part of most homes now, we can't imagine life without at least one humming in the background.

Why I like the fall so much

Fall is by far my favorite season of the year and this morning, as I was walking in my neighborhood enjoying the perfect weather, I was thinking of all the reasons I love this time of year so much. First of all, going back to my childhood, I have many good family memories of the fall. Since I grew up in Houston, Texas, autumn was the best time to go to the zoo, the park, and we played outside all the time jumping in all the leaf piles. Halloween was always a big deal in my family. I remember all of us dressing up and visiting haunted houses, going to parties, and of course trick-or-treating. My dad especially loved Halloween and always participated. One year, we even had a "haunted yard" set up in our backyard for the neighborhood kids. I remember my dad jumping out from behind a bush dressed as a vampire and scaring the pee out of a couple of my friends. Those were some good times.

Throughout the years, I can't remember ever having a bad experience on Halloween or in the fall. Things always seem to go well for me around this time of year. The weather has a lot to do with it, I'm sure. People are just in a better mood when they are not too hot or too cold. Everyone spends more time outside, which also improves mood. The scenery is beautiful and at its most colorful, and the smells of campfires and the woods are so comforting to me.

Eureka Springs is one of the best places to experience the fall, which makes me even happier that we decided to move here! Autumn lasts a full two months here at least, which I was not accustomed to in Colorado. There are so many festivals and fairs going on, not a weekend goes by without something to do, and the town is covered in festive decorations consisting of straw bales, scarecrows, pumpkins, and all types of gourds to complement the natural changing colors of the season. Happy fall to all!!

The upside of gasoline price hikes

One great thing about living in a town that is basically five miles square is that you can either walk or bicycle anywhere, and if you do have to drive, you won't have far to go. This is especially nice with the extreme rise in gas prices over the last year. Long gone are the days back in the early 1990s when gas was less than a dollar a gallon. Now we are lucky to get below $2.50 a gallon. It seems like there is always something to blame on the price hikes as well. Every tropical storm, oil spill, or terrorist threat leads to a rise in the price of gas.

I always try to look on the positive side of things, and in this case it would make sense to look into gas investments. If you are financially invested, you would not be so upset when the price of gas goes up, because you could benefit with your investments. Although you may just break even depending on how much gasoline you purchase, at least it's worth a try.

Shameless plugs

Those in the know are aware that my husband is a web designer and has been plugging away in order to avoid a meaningless corporate slave job. So of course, when he launches new websites, I feel I must help promote in any small way I can. So if anyone wants to see some beautiful pictures of our lovely little town, please check out the new Eureka Springs Pictures site. Even if you live here and think you have seen everything, there are some interesting perspectives in the photos all taken by my husband who is an accomplished photographer as well.

The other new site is for local companies who want to promote their businesses in a new and exciting way. Eureka Bucks allows users to create their own coupons or weekly specials to share with customers. They create a log-in and can change or update their coupons whenever they want. Take control of your advertising and get exactly what you want! Potential customers can even request bargains on the unique Make a Deal page. It's like Priceline.com on a local level.

Hobby shops

One thing I really miss about living in a larger town is the accessibility of certain specialty shops. In particular, I miss having a good hobby shop nearby. I know there are online hobby shops that carry all the same items, but that's the type of store where I like to browse. Some projects require materials that you wouldn't necessarily search for online because you may not know what it is called, but if you saw it in the aisle of the store you would buy it because it could work for your particular project.

Like in the case of seasonal decorations. I really like to see the items in person to determine if the size and quality are suitable for my needs. I've bought things online or from a catalog before only to be very disappointed at the quality when I received the items. Of course, I returned them and there was no problem with that, I just prefer browsing in a store for decorations, arts, and crafts project items so I know exactly what I am buying.

What might have been...

I was just thinking the other day about how different our lives would be if just a few small details had been changed in the past couple of years. First, two years ago we had made several offers on houses in Rye, Colorado and Beulah, Colorado. We had been to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, on vacation and loved it, but figured it was out of reach for us and too far from family. We actually made offers on four different houses, two in each town, respectively, and with each one something fell through and we didn't end up moving there.

In Rye, there was one log home built in the 1950's that was in very good condition and we were very excited about it mainly because the piece of land it was on was incredible. But we knew they were asking way too much, and when the inspection came back with lots of electrical and utility updates required, we just wouldn't have had enough money to do all that, plus pay a large mortgage. So we went opposite, and made an offer on a home priced really low right on Main Street. That one turned out to have asbestos siding, and several other problems that come with very old homes that have very little updating. If it were just my husband and I, we probably would have gone for it, but since we have small children, the risk of Mesothelioma cancer and who knows what else was just too much and we walked away from that one too.

In Beulah, we made offers on two different log homes. One was basically a shell that needed work in all aspects and the seller wouldn't budge on the price, and the other one had evidence of a fire in the attic with unremediated damage that we weren't comfortable with.

That's when we realized that we just weren't meant to be there. Something was keeping us from living there. So we decided to look at Eureka Springs again. One more vacation during the winter and we were hooked. Our next trip was a house-hunting trip. We found a suitable house for about half of what we would have paid in Colorado and have lived here fifteen months now with no regrets. Strange how forces beyond our control can sway us in different directions.

Status symbols

I used to wear a lot more jewelry and "accessories" with my outfits, but after having babies, it's hard to wear anything other than rings and maybe a watch. Why? Because babies pull on anything they can grab, especially if it is shiny. I've had necklaces broken and earrings nearly yanked through my earlobe by curious baby hands. It's easier to just go without. Now that my babies are over that phase, I still only wear my wedding ring and sometimes a watch. It just seems silly to spend time picking out jewelry to wear every day. I prefer spending those extra minutes in bed preparing to face the day.

When I do wear jewelry, I prefer simple and practical rather than fancy over-the-top brands like Rolex. They are basically just status symbols to show off wealth and I, for one, am not impressed. Rolex watches cost upwards of $26,000!! If I had that much money to spend, you better believe I would spend it on traveling around the world for a year.

Just for fun

My BFF (hehe) of 21 years posted these on her blog and I was laughing so hard I just had to do them myself to see what all my "names" would be. Try it for a really fun time!!

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Boomer Grand Voyager

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Bubblegum Macadamia Nut (sounds like a total poser!)

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name),
CDan (sounds like a prescription drug)

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal),
Red Dog (isn't that a beer??)

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, hospital where you were born),
Marie Park Plaza

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first),
Danch (for my full name) or Danti (for my nickname)

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink),
The Purple Zima

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers),
Renee Joseph

9.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ),
Marie Joseph

10. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter),
McFadden Montbello

11. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower).
Autumn Rose

12. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Raspberry Shortsie

13. HIPPIE NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree),
Oatmeal Weeping Willow (I can dig it!)

14. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”),
The Painting Rain Tour

I hope you have fun with these. And now back to our regularly scheduled blogging...

Itchin for vacation

I was talking to my sister the other day on the phone and she sounded kind of disappointed in her life. She is still young at 27, but is worried she won't meet a quality guy to settle down and start a family with. She also feels like she needs a vacation. She mentioned either going to a beach town, or visiting Las Vegas. Last time she went for a billiards tournament, they stayed at the Imperial Palace Las Vegas and had a great time. Personally, I don't think Las Vegas is a great choice for a relaxing vacation, but maybe for some people it is.

I can unwind much better with lots of outdoor activities, more connection with nature, and less noises filling my head. Not having a schedule is definitely a good thing on vacation as well. Just relax and focus on the moment...

Of course, I'm trying to convince her to come visit us here in lovely Eureka Springs! She's only been here to visit once and we didn't get out much because it was raining most of the time. Well, maybe this winter she'll decide to forgo Denver's deep snow and spend some time here during our off-season with hardly any tourists.

Shopping cart savvy

Whether you are new to creating online businesses, or have been doing it for years, if you have an online store you need shopping cart software. Nowadays consumers won't shop online without a reliable shopping cart on the site. Since it is so easy for businesses to set up shopping carts, there really is no excuse for running a store without one. Not only does it make shopping easier for customers, it makes record keeping easier for merchants.

Ashop Commerce hosts shopping cart software with a variety of options to fit any business. Their software is web based so no installation is required. The software also allows businesses to accept credit cards for online purchases. They even offer a ten day free trial to try all the shopping cart features before deciding to purchase it for your company. The Ashop website clearly lists the prices with all features, so there is no question about what you are signing up for.

Biker Planet

It's no secret that Eureka Springs is a great area for motorcycle riding. We've become especially appealing to bikers after the big Hell's Angels reunion in August, which had a lot of news coverage and brought a lot of attention to our little area. Since then, it seems like the bikers have increased, but we've only been here slightly over a year so I don't have much to compare to.

Anyway, this got me thinking about how all these bikers "hook up" since they ride in such large groups. Are there biker "meet and greets"? Well, now if you are a biker, or just love bikers, there is an easy way to meet them through biker personals at BikerPlanet.com. It is mostly a place to meet singles interested in biker dating, but it is also an online community where bikers can discuss their next big trip and possibly meet up with like-minded people.