My husband has been to Las Vegas and I haven’t. He had a great time, so we have always wanted to go together. He went when he was barely 21 with his Dad and brother. They went to several casinos like the Tropicana Las Vegas and the Excelsior. I think they went practically everywhere.

My husband was down to his last 50 cents and was able to turn it into $100. It was a good thing he won it since they needed to use some of it to get back home. I think he bought a t-shirt with some of the money, too.

Anyway we would love to go sometime and have our own Vegas story. Now we’ll either have to wait until Rae is older or find a babysitter. It’ll be great when we are finally planning our trip.

I am a stay at home Mom and love it. Although I do miss my regular paycheck quite a bit. That is why I’ve been looking into some work at home opportunities. Mostly I’ve been using my writing to make a little extra cash but would like to branch out a bit.

My goal is to learn more about computer programming since I would like to go back to work when Rae is in school. Maybe doing some websites or custom scripts will not only generate a side income now but give me something to show potential employers in a few years.

Working at home is hard especially with a nearly two year old in tow. Sometimes finding time to write is a challenge. I usually try to write in the morning when her shows are on or during her nap time. She is a night owl like her Dad, so there is seldom a night that she gets to be before I do.

Still I’ve managed to make a few extra dollars, which has really come in handy. Hopefully with the move and the money we’ll save, my extra income will help us get ahead. Now that would be a great feeling!

We are so looking forward to buying a home. Once we get some bills in order, we will be ready to start looking. There are so many things to take into account when buying a home like mortgage rates, mortgage life insurance, and dozen of other expenses that I probably have even thought about.

It stresses me a little to think about buying a home. It is a huge responsibility. But we really want a home for our little girl. Before she was born, it didn’t much matter to me if we ever owned a home. Having Rae has changed our attitude about several things.

My husband has even thought about building a home, which will be even more stressful. Our move is definitely doing to help make our home ownership dreams come true a lot faster. I guess all the stress will be worth it in the long run.

Since we are moving, I’ve been cleaning really good. It’s amazing a place never looks as good as when we are leaving it. The floor has been really hard to clean with regular mopping not doing the trick. So, I’ve taken to scrubbing it with a brush.

I have found no cleaning product or mop that does the job like scrubbing. The flooring has a texture that just locks in dirt. It’s a lovely pattern but I think I will stay away from this type of flooring since it’s just too hard to clean.

It’s looking good but it’s really doing a number on my sinuses. Breathing in the cleaner is getting to me, so I have to take regular breaks. Scrubbing the floors is not a fun job but the floor is going to look so good. Too bad we won’t be living here to enjoy it.

I would love if I didn’t have to cook with grease. It seems to get on every surface in the kitchen plus disposing of grease takes a few extra steps in after dinner cleanup. Of course, some foods like hamburger meat leave a nice greasy mess that needs to be cleaned up before the pan is washed.

I make fun of my husband because he saves every glass jar that has food in it. He will save the mayo or pickle jar. While they take up a lot of room, these jars do come in handy when disposing of grease. First let the grease cool. Then pour into a container like an empty mayonnaise jar. Just make sure you have a lid to the container. Once the jar is full, put the lid on tight and dispose of in the garbage.

They also sell containers specifically to put grease in. I had one that has bags that would fold down and close tightly. Problem is when I ran out of bags from my initial purchase, I couldn’t find them again. My Mom always used an empty coffee can for grease. Just remember to never pour grease down the drain because it will clog your pipes. And never just dump grease outside because grease as it sinks into the earth might contaminate the water supply for local streams.

Just remember to let the grease cool and pour into a container with a lid. Then you can throw the container out with the trash. You can always check with local restaurants who might recycle their grease if you can dispose of your grease with theirs. You might also check with your local government to see if there is a recycling center for grease or their recommendations for disposing of grease.

After rounding up our outdoor furniture for our move, it made me wish that I would just get rid of it and instead buy something like teak outdoor furniture instead. For the first time ever, we will have a deck, so once it is fixed up some nice outdoor furniture is what it needs.

Right now our outdoor furniture is cheap and plastic. The last wood outdoor furniture we had held up quite nicely. Unfortunately the outside will be the last on the renovation list. We will be buying plenty for inside first. Maybe next summer we’ll have some good looking furniture for our new space.

We are moving, and it’s been quite an eye opener packing. I really am a packrat but hope that I can be a reformed packrat in the near future. Since we’ve gotten most of the necessities out, it’s time to really ask the tough questions of the stuff that is left:

Have I used it in six months? If the answer is no, then it’s tossed. Maybe someone at the thrift store will have a use for it.

What is this? If I pick up something and can’t tell what it is, it’s going. I have kept small parts to stuff thinking that I will put it back where it belongs. Time to stop kidding myself and just toss it.

Since we are moving into a smaller place, it is making it easier to get rid of some things when you know you have absolutely no where to put it. Besides if at some point in the future I need it again, maybe I can borrow one or find a good deal on one around town. I have got to put an end to being so attached to stuff sometime. Why not now?

Remember I won an XShot from BenSpark.com this summer? Well, Drew is having another XShot contest. This contest is for folks who have an XShot to take the most creative photo for a chance to win a cash prize.

All you have to do is submit your photo taken with your XShot to BenSpark.com. Submit as many as you want. At the end of the month, Drew and and the folks at XShot will judge them. The top three get a cash prize.

I’ve been taking some photos with the XShot but will have to step up my technique in hopes of really competing. Here is one I took last week for my new photo blog MomSnaps.com. Yes, there’s a little bit of a double meaning behind the name.

Don’t have an XShot? Then check out BenSpark for a way to get a good deal on one.

This week’s theme is Happy. When I read the theme, I thought of this photo I had taken last weekend of Rae helping Grandma water flowers that turned into playing in the water. Is this happy or what?

Technorati Tags: PhotoHunt

I have always wanted a truck and when I was able to buy my Dad’s Nissan truck, I was ecstatic to finally have one. It’s hard to believe that I have had my little Nissan pickup for three years. I do love my truck as it is so nice to be able to cart things from here to there without having to borrow someone’s pickup to do it.

Although it’s a 1985 model, my little truck runs great and still gets decent gas mileage. I don’t think I’ve ever told my little truck just how much I appreciate it, so I’m taking this opportunity to do so. I call my truck, Pepe, since it’s my little mule. The name is from the movie Romancing the Stone, one of my favorites. Pepe you have been so faithful to start when asked, haul what is put on you, and to keep us cool even on the hottest Mississippi summer day. For this, especially the last one, I am truly thankful. Here is a graphic representation of just how I feel about you.

Sometimes though she has had a problem, but luckily we can usually track down what is ailing her by getting car advice through websites like Ask Patty.com. Ask Patty has just also started Carblabber where women can sign up and talk about their vehicles. I would never join a traditional car forum since I know very little, but Carblabber is different since it is focused on women. So, I will take the plunge. Plus Carblabber is giving away some cool prizes. To enter their contest, sign up and complete your profile. That’s easy enough. They are giving away 12 CarMD diagnostic tools and an original Seat Belt Bag from Harveys, which is a handbag woven together with seatbelts and believe it or not is very pretty.

I’m paying homage to my Nissan today as part of the Parent Bloggers Friday blast. Write your own post about your vehicle - good, bad, indifferent- and submit it to Parent Bloggers today before midnight Pacific time to get in on the drawing for one of five Circle Bags that are made from recycled tire tubes.

Head on over there to read all about the contest and read what others are writing about their vehicles.