My Cup Overflows with Bills

Let’s face it. If you are anything like me, you dread those specific days during the month when you must sit down and write out your bills. I can’t even enjoy the money when it’s in my checking account, because it isn’t technically mine. That account is simply the holding cell before the mortgage man, the credit card lady, and the public utilities dude come knocking. But I’ve learned that there are ways to make the bill paying process a bit less taxing, if not all together easier. First, I find a quiet spot in my house – whether it’s the kitchen table when the kids are at school or my bedroom when they are home – to park myself for this chore. Then, I make sure I have all the right tools that I need to ensure my success: a sport grip calculator, a swerve pen, a mini book light, stamps, and address labels. Oh, and if necessary, keep a light bulb stress reliever handy, too. It never hurts to have something foamy to squeeze the life out of as you are writing out that mortgage payment.

Did You Call Me?

In today’s modern world, everyone has their own phone, and we aren’t talking your Aunt Ethel’s rotary that she had attached to her kitchen wall. Go into your grocery store, and there’s no doubt you will see that grandmother in the frozen foods talking on a hot pink phone or the preteen boy texting his friends while he hangs out near the cookie aisle. Those cell phones aren’t just a must-have these days; they are actually a must-need. Think about it. You send your elementary school aged daughter around the block to play with a friend. When you don’t hear from her in 15 minutes to know she arrived, you can call her cell. Your husband is stuck on the highway with a flat tire? Again, no problem. He can call a tow truck, the police, or even you for assistance. There’s a lot less worrying today because cell phones let us stay in touch. Keep your cell phones at the ready with all the accessories possible including:

· A throne cell phone holder.
· A hands free cell phone lanyard.
· A wind up flashlight/cell phone charger.
· A cell phone light in the color black.
· A phone screen sweep.

I'd Rather Write It than Type It

There is one product that I simply cannot live without. If I have a dental appointment, it goes into this product. The dates for conferences at my kids’ school are in there. A scheduled dinner with my favorite college buddies goes in as well. It’s the same story for days when school is closed, the nights I have dance class, and the scheduled games for the boys’ baseball team. No, I’m not talking about my BlackBerry or the schedule in my cell phone. It’s not even the scheduler wizard on my laptop. I prefer the old fashioned day planner to any new fangled contraption. I want to be able to see what’s coming up, whether it’s next week or three months from now. Call me an old fart, but there’s something gratifying about looking through my monthly pocket planner and seeing what I’ve accomplished in any given month or what’s pending for the next week. Even my sons get in on the action. They like to page through and see when their next day off is or count down until the first day of summer vacation. It’s hard to believe that something so simple can be so helpful.

Sticking It to Your Jag

If you’ve been hibernating under a rock for the past year or so, you might have missed the new must-have for every car, minivan, SUV, and flat bed truck. It’s the magnet! No, magnets are NOT just for your fridge anymore. In fact, your favorite vehicle is the hot spot for magnets. You can advertise your love for various vacation destinations (think OBX for the Outer Banks of North Carolina), your affinity for causes near and dear to your heart (a pink ribbon for breast cancer), and the support you have in your heart and on your car for a beloved sports team (Go Phillies, anyone?). Take your magnets to the streets, people! You’ll show them off a bit more than say on a refrigerator where the only ones likely to spot your yellow ribbon (which is really not a ribbon at all but a magnet) are your fridge repairman, your kids, and your mother. Show the love everywhere you go with a ribbon magnet with round cutout, an oval car magnet, or a rectangle car magnet. Remember, your heart (and your car) doesn’t belong to just one cause or sports team, so decorate with various magnets to give those behind you something to read while sitting in traffic.

Zip It If You Must

It’s only natural to reach your hand into the closet and pull out a light jacket when you are heading out the door. You never know how the weather might turn on you in an instant. Spending an evening at a soccer game to cheer on your local team? Nights on the bleachers can get a bit nippy, even in September. Got plans for a ladies day out shopping and brunching? Nothing rains on a shopping parade like a nasty storm cloud. Hoping to get in 18 holes with three of your closest buddies? Watch that wind on the back nine or you’ll end up blistering like a lobster. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Even when you suspect that the weather will be fantastic, Mother Nature might change her mind and quickly. Here are a few favorite jackets to keep close by – like on the passenger seat or hanging in your coat closet – so that you never step foot outside without a covering that is not only comfy but stylish, too:

· Men’s Tournament Jacket.
· Ladies Tournament Jacket.
· Sport-Tek V-Neck Wind Shirt.
· Sport-Tek Coach’s Jacket.
· Sanded Jersey Fleece Pullover.