Today I am going to tell you a story.  This post today is a story that will definitely make you think, and absolutely a story you will and should pass on.  Last week I was on the phone with my mom and she was watching the news.  She said there was a story coming up about a homeless man who found money on the street.  When the story came on she put me on hold and then came back to me with the details.  I was so impressed with this story, I simply had to share it with you.

So it was in West Chester, PA.  A homeless man named John Kavanaugh was walking and stumbled upon an envelope.  When he picked it up he found it full of cash…$1,500 in cash to be exact.  What do you think John Kavanaugh did with this?  Did he go rent an apartment?  Did he go buy some food?  Did he go on a shopping spree?  No!  None of the above.  John Kavanaugh took the envelope full of money straight to the police station and didn’t keep even $1 for himself.  How do we know he didn’t keep any of the money and turned in every single penny?  Because we know who that money actually belonged to.  Robert Stauffer is a lawyer.  He had the cash in the envelope in his pocket (or he thought).  The money was payment from a client.  As it turns out, that pocket had a hole in it and the envelope fell out.  Robert Stauffer told a security guard at his building, that security guard called the police, and the police actually had good news – they had the money – the exact amount because John Kavanaugh turned it all in.  So, what makes a homeless man, obviously a nice man, turn in $1,500 that he clearly could have used himself?  In the words of John Kavanaugh, “It could have been somebody’s rent money or something, you know. They could use it. It could set you back.”

I think it’s pretty amazing.  There really are good people in the world.  What do you think about this?  What do you think you would have done if you were John Kavanaugh?  If you were Robert Stauffer, what would you do?  As it turns out, Robert Stauffer would like to reward John Kavanaugh.  How would you reward him?  I know I am really glad for everyone in this situation, but I bet Robert Stauffer would have been happier to have had the Handy Rex Sewing Machine on hand before he found out he had a hole in his pocket.

Today, try to pay it forward.  Let’s all try to do something good for someone else.

How long is too long to wait for a prescription?  What do you do to take up the time it takes?  Normally, I have to wait 10 minutes to fill my prescription at the drug store.  I go in, and since it’s such a short wait period, I pick up the few other things I might need, grab my prescription and head out.  We are busy people with lots of other things to do, so my method seems to work out for me.  The other night, it didn’t work out that way.

My friend is having surgery, so she needed to get her prescriptions filled early so she wouldn’t have to worry about them after her surgery.  Since the store she needed to go to is right by my apartment, I agreed to meet her.  I figured since she was in a hurry to get home we could drop off her prescriptions, grab a quick sandwich next door, and by the time we were done eating she could get her medicine and be on her way.  Boy was I wrong!  The pharmacist said it would be an hour to wait, my friend didn’t believe her.  We went next door, grabbed our quick dinner, sat and chatted for a while, went back to the store so she could pick up some other things she might need, and after over an hour her prescription still wasn’t ready.  So, back to my question…what do you do while you wait?  We played in the store.  We must have tried on every single pair of ridiculous sunglasses, debated of which chapstick to buy, looked at canes, and made fun of the sale items $3 and under.  Finally, her things were ready and we were able to go.  It was definitely a fun time, please don’t get me wrong; sometimes it’s a lot of fun to play in a store with your friend especially when the other option is cleaning the apartment.

So, needless to say, I did not clean my apartment.  But I am sure I am not the only one who found a reason (any reason) to put off cleaning.  But sometimes it’s fun to just have fun…plain old, ordinary, simple, easy, funny fun with friends – even if it means playing jokes and playing dress-up.  Buy your coffee-drinking friend the Toilet Mug just for a laugh.  Use the Burp Master Key Chain in a crowded elevator just to see the reaction of the other people.  Have some fun with life this weekend!  Because, really…what are you doing anyway while you’re waiting for your prescription to be filled?

What’s the worst part about a wallet (this question is for men and women)?  Some people might say “I love my wallet but it’s falling apart!”  Others might say, “My wallet isn’t big enough and I can never fit everything I need.”  Other folks might say, “Wallets are always too big and bulky.”  Whatever your answer, I have a solution: the Indestructible Aluminum Wallet.

The name, Indestructible Aluminum Wallet, basically says it all.  Now, your new wallet that you will grow to love and become attached to won’t fall apart!  For the people who never seem to have enough room in their wallet for all of their stuff, the Indestructible Aluminum Wallet has seven fold out slots to hold everything including credit cards, ID, and photos!  And for the men who always carry their fat wallets in their pockets, and for the women who want to (or at least fit them in our clutches or small purses) the Indestructible Aluminum Wallet is only ¾” thick so it will slide into any pocket or purse nicely!

So now the question isn’t “What’s the worst part about a wallet?”  The new question is, which color Indestructible Aluminum Wallet do you carry?

Are you a coupon-cutter?  Do you go through the paper and the advertisements and cut out coupons?  Do you print coupons out from the internet?  If you do, I am impressed!  If you do cut out coupons, do you remember to bring them to the grocery store with you?  If you do, I am even more impressed!  Coupons are always tricky.  It seems a big problem with coupons is they expire because they are forgotten.  Now there is the Buxton® coupon organizer to keep coupons organized and useful.

The Buxton® coupon organizer holds all of your coupons in the order that you like.  Now when you clip your coupons just place them in the Buxton® coupon organizer.  You can file your coupons in the Buxton® coupon organizer alphabetically, by aisle, or even by expiration date so the oldest ones you’re sure to use.  The Buxton® coupon organizer even has a built-in solar calculator so you can calculate your savings and also keep track of how much you’re spending if you’re trying to stay on a strict budget.

So now all of you coupon-cutters and everyone else who have a hard time remembering to bring the coupons to the store, the Buxton® coupon organizer is here to hold your coupons, zip for closure, and help you save!

Do you pack your lunch every day (or almost every day)?  I have to tell you, I do.  I do this for 3 reasons: 1) I prefer to save the $10 I would spend at lunch every day by going out; 2) I like to eat fresh, healthy, well-proportioned meals; and 3) I go to the gym during my lunch break leaving me with just enough time for the gym and no extra time to go out and buy food.  Due to the fact that I hate waking up any earlier than absolutely necessary in the morning (especially mornings when I go to the gym) I typically pack my lunch at night.  If you pack your lunch for the day, do you pack it in the morning before work, or the night before?  My mom packs hers in the morning and she thinks it’s weird that I pack mine at night – mostly because growing up she always packed my lunch in the morning before school and I think she thought I would follow that pattern (guess she forgets that I am the girl who leaves herself 30 minutes to get out of bed and ready for work and out the door – no wiggle room).

Back to lunch.  So, while I pack my lunch for just about every day (sometimes I am just way too lazy, I don’t like what I have, or I have plans to meet friends for lunch) I find it very difficult sometimes to motivate myself to do it.  Do you ever feel like after work you spend your entire evening in the kitchen, and the last thing you want to do is spend even more time there?  Does this sound familiar?  Get home from work, run some errands, get home, sit down for 30 minutes, go into the kitchen, prepare and cook dinner, eat dinner, then clean up from dinner.  If you’re lucky, you make too much food, put the leftovers in a Tupperware container and call it lunch for the next day.  Otherwise, you then have to go back into the kitchen to prepare lunch, pack it up, and then clean up again!  Please tell me it’s not just me.

In addition to lunch, I also pack my breakfast since I do not have any extra time in the morning after the gym to eat breakfast in the apartment before work, and I am starving by the time I get into the office.  So I have to pack 2 meals, plus snacks.  I try to come up with simple, easy things so I don’t have to put too much time and effort into packing breakfast and lunch.  Sometimes all I want for breakfast is cereal.  Could I just as easily go upstairs to the cafeteria at work and spend $3-$4 on some milk and cereal?  Yes!  But I do not.  I never bring cereal because I cannot figure out a way to carry the milk without it spilling.  I found the perfect product (mom if you’re reading this, I want this item!).  Check out the Cereal on the Go.  It’s 2 containers in 1 plus a spoon.  This is brilliant.  This really makes packing the breakfast portion of my day so simple.  As far as lunch is concerned, I think that has mostly to do with not wanting to cook and clean for a second round in the kitchen at night.  I’d love to know what you all do for lunch: what you pack, when you make it, and how you motivate yourself to do it…Happy cooking!

Happy President’s Day!  For many, this may be a day off from work.  If you’re not working today, what are you doing?  For others, it’s just another day to be at the office.  What’s the difference then?  The sales!  Whether you’re working, or taking the day to yourself to rest and recoup, the sales from the weekend are definitely continuing into the day (and night).  So, don’t worry all you overworked folks who have to be behind your computer today, the mall will still be open when you clock out at 5:30 tonight.  Go explore!

Sales are the best time to go shopping.  I am not sure how you feel about shopping (some people hate it all the time) but I do not think it’s much fun to go with the intention of buying everything I need to come home with nothing.  I believe I am in the majority when I say I prefer to buy things on sale rather than full price.  Sometimes it is okay to buy full price.  But nothing feels better than buying my $140 jeans for $40!  So today is the day.  There are President’s Day Sales going on everywhere.  If you have kids, it’s a great time to buy winter clothes on super-sale for next winter for them, and spring clothes on sale since March is right around the corner (Finally! Is anyone else sick of the cold?).  If you recently bought a home, check out furniture and décor for your new home.  Finding exactly what you’re looking for feels great—it feels even better when you can get it for half price!

What’s the worst part about shopping?  The end.  It’s, of course, a great feeling to carry all the bags through the mall.  But once you drop the bags in the car there is no fun in picking them all back up again to carry everything inside.  All of the energy has already been spent…shopping really is exhausting.  I have found a great solution, the Fold Flat Canvas Cart. While you still need to lift the bags again to put them into the cart, you do not have to carry the bags in, since the cart rolls.  Even better, the cart actually folds flat, so you don’t lose any room in the car for the extra bags of clothes and shoes.

So today, whether you’re working, relaxing, running  errands, or catching up on things around the house, take some time to enjoy the fabulous President’s Day Sales going on in your area today!  Happy shopping!

How much stuff do you lose in your car?  What do you lose in your car?  I have a problem losing chapstick and the caps (separately).  One weekend I was driving home to see my parents, and as usual I took the cap off my chapstick and I lost the cap because it fell out of my hand (there is no pulling over on 95 to look for a chapstick cap).  Then somehow, I dropped my chapstick and figured I would just find it under the seat later.  I never found it.  Luckily, my dad is a master of finding things in cars and found both!  But what a hassle!  There is a new product called the Car Seat Stuff Catcher that could solve these kinds of problems.

The name “Car Seat Stuff Catcher” speaks simply for itself.  The Car Seat Stuff Catcher fits right in between the small spaces and catches everything you might drop by accident, or not even realize you’ve dropped, like change.  With the Car Seat Stuff Catcher, you don’t have to worry about your phone slipping and falling under the seat.  And now, unlike my chapstick dilemma, you do not have to spend so much time searching for the lost items.

The Car Seat Stuff Catcher will make it easier to concentrate, and will make driving safer.  It will even keep your car cleaner since the small pieces of trash (example: gum wrappers) won’t get stuck in between the seats anymore either.

Today is a big day…at least for me.  It has been hyped up for so long – I cannot wait for 9:56pm EST.  Why?  Because the brand new Britney Spears Video for “Hold It Against Me” is premiering tonight on MTV and I cannot wait to see it!  I know not everyone loves Britney Spears (personally or her music) but I think it’s hard for anyone to say she doesn’t put on a great show, and to be honest her videos are always amazing.  So, why am I so excited for this one?  Because it’s her first one in so long!  The song is awesome (at least I think so) and from the very brief second she leaked out of the video it looks pretty cool.  I have already planned my whole day and night around making sure I am home at 9:50pm to turn on MTV and wait for this moment (Oh, I hope I am not let down…but I’m sure it will be awesome!).  It’s definitely not a coincidence that the premiere of “Hold It Against Me” comes on just before the MTV hit show, “Jersey Shore”.  This way, while everyone who may not know the video is coming on they will get to see it while they wait for their show to come on.  MTV really planned this out well.

That’s another one of my weaknesses: reality TV.  It’s not classy, and it’s definitely not any kind of “classic” television.  But there is something fascinating about watching other peoples’ drama that intrigues me every week.  Now, I knew “Jersey Shore” would suck me right in, so I did not watch the first three seasons.  But someone tricked me into watching one new episode from this season and I have been hooked ever since.  I have, however, managed not to revolve my entire Thursday night schedule around it, and I watch it online or as a re-run.  But, I promise you, I do not miss an episode.  It’s such a guilty pleasure.  Fortunately, I am not the only one with love for really good (or bad) reality TV and I have lots of people to talk to about the show.

You might be one of the many people in the world who actually do not have a TV or cable in your house.  I know a lot of people who can still keep up with the television conversation at the water cooler who do not have a television.  They watch all of their shows online.  This is a brilliant way to save a little bit of money each month (think New Years Resolutions to save money!).  I could never do this.  I live alone and I need the TV on as background noise at all times.  However, if this is something you do, or you are thinking of moving to, take some time to check out the Comfy Lap Top Mate.  You can hold your laptop on your lap to watch your favorite show on a comfortable multi-purpose table with a soft cushioned back.

However you choose to watch TV, make sure you tune in for Britney Spears and her new video “Hold It Against Me,” and while you’re at it, tune in to “Jersey Shore”.  Are you excited for Britney Spears’ “Hold It Against Me” video?  Have you already made plans to be home for it?

I know I have told you all that I have a problem with shoes…I LOVE them.  I love wearing them, I love buying them.  I love the colors, the heels, the straps, the sparkles, and the patterns.  Shoes can make a boring outfit exciting.  Shoes can make you go from short to tall, and if they are really cute shoes, they can make you feel so good about yourself.  I am fairy certain that I am not the only person with a love for shoes.  Go in your closet, count yours (it’s fun!).  So, with our expanding shoe collection, what’s a better product to have than an Expandable Shoe Caddy?

The Expandable Shoe Caddy is a shoe rack that can get bigger or smaller (for the sad days when you have to throw a pair away).  The three-tier expandable shoe rack extends from 23” wide up to 48″.  This way, if you’re just beginning to have a love for shoes, you can keep your Expandable Shoe Caddy small, and as you find more pairs to love, you can make the rack larger.  The Expandable Shoe Caddy is also great for space-saving purposes, perhaps if you have moved to a place with a smaller closet and don’t have room for such a large shoe rack.

So now, don’t worry about your shoe rack being too small and not buying that pair of shoes that is calling out to you in the store.  The Expandable Shoe Rack with expand with your awesome shoe collection.

There always seems to be a second use for the regular items we buy in the grocery store.  As it turns out, coffee beans are no exception to the rule.  I recently heard on the radio of several other uses for coffee beans aside from grinding them and brewing them for that amazing first cup in the morning (or 4^th pick-me-up cup in the middle of the afternoon).  There are two uses of coffee that I think you will enjoy reading about.

The first use of coffee beans that I thought was interesting is skin care.  If you’re anything like me, you’re always trying to find the best products to use on your face for more beautiful skin.  Coffee beans apparently are a functional product.  The coffee beans, from what I understand, are an excellent way to exfoliate your skin.  And I have also heard caffeine is great for your face as well.  Of course, it is completely up to you if you want to coarsely grind coffee beans and put them directly on your wet face to exfoliate, but if you do give it a try and it works, definitely let me know!  For those of you who might be a little skeptical of this grocery store solution, you might consider Dead Sea Mineral Mud.  Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Put seaweed, mud, and salt on my face…are you crazy?!?”  And my response to you is, “Yes!”  I went to the Dead Sea, I bought facial masks and facial cleansers while I was there, and I was really sad when I ran out.  My skin was so smooth and glowing after I used it.

My apologies, I digress.  Back to coffee.  The second use of coffee that you all might enjoy is to use it in your garden.  You spend so much time in your garden planting vegetables, herbs, plants and flowers; it is a sad day when you find your precious kitty has gone out to the garden and ruined it all.  Coffee is the solution to that problem.  Simply dust coffee beans mixed with orange peels in your garden, and that should keep your cat away from your lovely garden.  So now you can enjoy the plants instead of your cat.  And if you like this idea, check out one of my older and favorite blog posts Squirrels vs. Pumpkins.

If you like these new ideas of ways to use coffee beans, click here for other coffee bean uses listed.  Otherwise, enjoy your morning cup today!