It’s 2012 and I’m still rather pissed off that teleportation isn’t the norm. Even my laptop’s spell checker underlined that word alerting me to a possible misspelling.

What the what? This should be our main form of transportation by now. I’ve lived too long to still be driving a car to work. I fully understand why we can’t transfer matter at this point, but that’s for a different blog post (or not, how boring), and it should have been all worked out by now. Stupid scientist.

With the new year rolling in, that also brought my <insert age here> birthday. Everyone is generally too burnt out from the holidays to do anything on Jan 3rd, but my husband made dinner for me, and we made the best of it.

Speaking of burnt out, I was EXHAUSTED that day. I started my new job as a Social Media/Online Community Specialist at Tiny Prints, on the same day. This was my first day leaving the house to go to a job in three years. I’m one week in and I still don’t feel right. It hasn’t really clicked, although I love where I’m at, and the team that I work with is filled with amazingly brilliant people. I just need to find that groove and figure out where I fit in.

I hope the new year has been good to you so far and that it’s the best year ever for you, and your family. That’s all we can hope for. May the new year be better than the last.

Happy New Year – Welcome 2012

• Dangerous Foods: The following can be toxic to pets: chocolate, raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, garlic, onion, alcohol, caffeinated beverages, bread dough, and sugar-free candy and gum containing the artificial sweetener xylitol.
• Regular Foods: Despite tradition, bones should never be given to pets. Even beef, ham, and other “regular” foods that are not considered toxic can cause illness in pets. If your pet is a moocher, keep a saucer of his regular treats on the table to offer when he asks. He probably won’t know the difference!
• New Treats and Toys: Even a pet-safe treat can cause stomach upset if it is new to your pet. Offer only one of these at a time (ideally, separated by a few days). If your pet becomes ill after eating a holiday treat, it will be easier to trace the source and discontinue it. Also, check new toys for sharp edges, pieces that can be chewed off, or other potential hazards.
• Plants: Hazardous plants include mistletoe, some evergreens (including some types of pine), and holly bushes and berries. Try to keep these plants away from pets, or at least supervise pets when dangerous plants are nearby.
• Decorations: Tinsel, tree ornaments, ribbons, string, and garlands are some items that can be dangerous if eaten by pets. Keep these items away from pets — especially when pets are unattended. Don’t forget to cover any electrical cords or keep them out of reach.
• Fire and Carbon Monoxide: Monitor pets near fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, candles, and portable heaters. Also, don’t forget to check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are functioning properly. Space heaters, furnaces, and idling cars (in a garage) can increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in pets and humans.
• Christmas Trees: Monitor your pets when they are around your holiday tree. Pets may eat the needles (even from artificial trees) or drink water from the base of the tree, which can be toxic (especially if there are preservatives in it). Keep electrical cords and decorative lights out of reach, too.

In many cases, if your pet has eaten something toxic, warning signs will include gastrointestinal problems, such as vomiting and diarrhea. Other signs may include tiredness and lack of appetite, especially in cats that have eaten lilies. If your pet shows any of these signs, or if you think he or she has eaten something dangerous but is not showing any signs yet, please call your vet right away. Treating your pet as soon as possible is essential!

Pet Safety Tips For The Holidays

The goal: To donate $100,000 worth of new toys to Toys for Tots!

Simply click on the “Click To Give” button and donate a toy. It’s FREE!

More Prius. More Giving. Help the Online Toy Drive

No matter what your reasoning is for needing your car shipped an auto transport service is the best way to go. Moving is most likely the number one reason you would use an auto transport service, but there are many other uses as well. Buying a car off eBay? They’ll ship it to your driveway. In the military? They will ship your car to you and even give you a great discount for serving our country. If you have a high end sports cars or a classic car, they even offer enclosed shipping to keep it protected. With guaranteed delivery times, and virtual online vehicle tracking, it is definitely worth checking into when you need your car transported somewhere.

Don’t Drive – Use An Auto Transport

New Zealander Annette Swoffer got the surprise of her life when she found a baby seal in her kitchen, who later began to snooze on her couch, the New Zealand Herald reports.

According to the report, the seal wandered from the bay waterfront, through a residential area, across busy roads, under a gate, through a cat door, and up some stairs before he was found at around 9:30 p.m.

Read the rest of the story: Baby Seal Enters House, Sleeps On Couch

Pictures courtesy of Huffington Post

Baby Seal Enters House And Sleeps On The Couch

This all changed about 5 years ago when we adopted a new furry cat friend. She was the runt of the liter, and has remained really tiny making it easy for her to get into things. Including climbing to the top of an 8 foot Christmas tree and taking a nap. Seriously!

Every year around this time she just knows what’s about to happen. She sees those green totes come out of storage and her little face just lights up with excitement, and mischief. Within minutes of the tree going up, she’s hard at work destroying all my hard work.

We’ve resorted to having an artificial tree, because cleaning up all the pine needles from her destruction on an hourly basis got to be too time consuming.

The decorations stay on the tree just long enough to snap a picture every year, then they are strewn all around the house. Have you ever stepped on a ball hook with bare feet? Ouch!

Every single year I say, “Never again! I’m not dealing with that hassle and the constant cleaning up.” Yet every year here I am digging the totes out of storage and getting in the holiday spirit.

Oh LOOK! Just typing that sentence out on my blog brought her up on my lap. She knows what’s happening today…she’s ready and waiting! She’s lucky she’s so cute.

I am sharing my holiday home decor and cleaning tips for the chance to win prizes from The SITS Girls and Great Cleaners.

Christmas and Cats – They Don’t Mesh Well

T-Mobile brought a little holiday cheer to the Woodfield Mall in Chicago with a surprise performance of “(There’s No Place Like) Home For The Holidays”. This is such an awesome video, and it helped me get in the holiday spirit. Enjoy!

This post is sponsored by T-Mobile.

There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays

Who’s addicted to Pinterest? Do you know what Pinterest is?

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard.

Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and share their favorite recipes. It’s highly addictive, and I could spend hours a day on it if I’m not careful.

Take a look at my Pinboard & make sure to follow me on Pinterest.

If you’d like an invite to Pinterest just leave your email address in the email field below in the comments and I will send you one! (Your email will remain private)

That was fun, but now I have to close comments on this post! I was able to invite over 200 of you to Pinterest. I hope you all are enjoying the site. Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

Pinterest Invites

When our lease was up we decided that we were paying too much for rent, and as much as we loved it, it was time to move into a less expensive place, save money, and buy a house back on the tree-lined streets of Palo Alto. We now rent an apartment in Mountain View.

I stressed for weeks on how we were going to fit a house full of things into an apartment, but it actually worked out well. This place is 300 sq ft larger and has more closet space. CLOSETS!!! One of my most favorite things as a compulsive organizer.

Another thing that I stressed about was the community laundry room. I’ve been used to having a washer & dryer at every place I have ever lived, so the thought of lugging laundry down to the laundry room sounded horrible. It has actually ended up being AWESOME!!! I don’t need to stock pile quarters, as I can just load money from my debit card onto my laundry card, and I can do 5 loads of wash in 1.5 hours instead of doing laundry all.day.long with one washer and dryer.

My dishwasher died the first weekend we were here, and I had a brand new fancy schmancy one installed within a day. I can pay my rent online, no more checks! My heating & electric bills are cheaper & packages get delivered to the office so I don’t have to wait around for the Fed Ex guy all day.

There are things that bug me about apartment living too, but I like to focus on the positives of things, so that’s what I choose to do. Ooooohhhh…and dinner time around here! OMG we’ve got some nom-worthy chefs up in here! The smells of curry, cilantro, and sesame oil waft through the buildings around 6PM. I REALLY need to make friends around here soon! Can you say dinner party???

Have you had to adjust to apartment living ever? What are the things you love (or hate) about it?

Apartment Living Has It’s Perks

Two words – cancer sucks!

Here’s to less cancer in the upcoming new year and more birthdays!!!

Give a special gift this holiday season – another birthday!
A donation made today can help support year-round cancer research, patient assistance programs, and advocacy outreach. Donate Now

“This post is sponsored by American Cancer Society.”

Here’s To More Birthdays