All posts by Anne Younger

Anne is a 30-something full-time SAHM mom of 5 ranging from 3 to 17 and grandma of 1 who resides in Ashwaubenon (Green Bay) Wisconsin. She started blogging in 2008 as a way to regain her sanity. She enjoys coffee, chocolate, cheeseburgers and vodka along with spending time with her husband and kids.

costumes, Halloween

Shop for Your Next Costume (and more) at TVStoreOnline.com

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It’s crazy to think that it is October already and that Halloween is right around the corner. My kids have been planning out what they want to be this year over the last month or so and I think they have made some pretty great choices. Ellie decided she would go as her current heroine (other than me), Wonder Woman; Joey went back and forth on between super heroes and landed on Batman; and Alex….well he decided to FINALLY do something that isn’t a Power Ranger or ninja related.

Ladies and gentleman, I give you the cutest Dr. Egon Spengler!

My little Alex has been begging to be a Ghostbuster for Halloween for months so I was on the hunt to find him a costume that would last, because lets face it, I am done making costumes!

Thanks to the folks at TVStoreOnline.com we were able to find him the perfect Ghostbusters costume. What I really like about this costume is not only is it of good quality, with the weather we are having here in Wisconsin, it offers enough room for him to wear his cold weather gear underneath the costume to keep him nice and warm while he is out Trick-or-Treating.

When we were looking through the site, I was impressed with the great selection of costumes that TV Store Online has to offer as well as other items like pop culture themed hoodies, baby shirts and rompers, leggings, hats, backpacks and so much more! If you love pop culture themed items (including shirts Sheldon Cooper has worn!!), this is your new one-stop-shop!

If you are in need of a costume for Halloween or a themed costume for an upcoming event, be sure to visit TVStoreOnline.com!

Techy

See It and Stream It with Google Chromecast

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For anyone who knows me, you are aware that I am a binge-watching addict. I am not quite sure when my addiction began but I do know that it all stated when I purchased my first Chromecast from Google Streaming Media Player.

We have been cord cutters for quite a few years now however we had to come up with a plan to keep up with our favorite shows, keep the kids happy and make use of those apps on our phones and tablets such as Netflix, YouTube and HBO Go. With Google Chromecast you can enjoy TV shows, movies, videos, songs, games, sports and more from over 2000 apps¹!

Streaming from Your Phone to Your TV

With a Google Chromecast you can expand your home entertainment without buying a new TV and stream your favorite shows, movies and more right from your phone! Setting up and using Google Chromecast is a breeze too, just plug Chromecast into the HDMI port on your TV and to power and stream your favorite entertainment right from your phone with just a tap. Watch shows, listen to playlists, and more. And while streaming, you can still use your phone as you normally do!!

What makes Chromecast even better is that you can can stream using your voice too. Just say what you want to watch from compatible apps and control your TV hands-free, with Chromecast and Google Home² working seamlessly together.

Fun for the Entire Family

With Google Chromecast your entire family can watch movies, shows, live TV, YouTube, and photos streaming on your TV from all your family’s devices.

You can pick up a Google Chromecast of your own at Best Buy for just $35 and start streaming your favorite shows today!

¹ Subscriptions are required to view some content.

² Google Home, Chromecast, and compatible content required to cast to a TV using Google Home.

Jewelry, Wedding

Popping the Question in Sydney: Superb Stones & Scenery

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Image Source: Flickr

Setting the Scene

As even some of the more modern men in Australia would agree with, showing our softer side by sending flowers to our partner’s place of work or even just taking her out for a romantic meal is not always something we feel comfortable with. However, gents based in Sydney who are positive that the girl they have been seeing for a number of years is the one for them have certainly got plenty of suitable places in the capital to pop the question. What is a good idea for men in Sydney that have already bought a unique diamond engagement ring ready to ask their dream girl to marry them is to look online for the best places to get down on one knee. Indeed, even if it is just for future reference for men in a relationship in Sydney, there are numerous ideas in places to set the scene for such a brave move including the following:

Head on down to Milk Beach in Vaucluse
Take your hopefully bride-to-be to the Royal Botanic Garden
Book a romantic dinner at a nice restaurant by the harbour
Pop the question after stargazing at the Sydney Observatory
Animal lovers could show their romantic intentions at the Taronga Zoo

Stone Solutions

Of course, even if we have found what we consider to be the perfect place to ask our lady to marry us, we need to make sure the betrothal band we offer her is the sort of ring that will have her go weak at the knees. By rolling up our sleeves and searching the internet for options in diamond engagement rings provided by a leader in precious stone jewelry in Sydney, we should be able to be rest assured that we are almost there with our quest to get engaged to the love of our life.

Image Source: Flickr

Indeed, it is all very well having good intentions regarding the location to ask our lover for her hand in marriage, but if the engagement rings we plan to buy will not impress her, we may not be able to get the reply we were after. Smart Sydney-based guys who have taken the time to see what diamond engagement rings Sydney shops have on offer should be able to have a good idea of the better options available to them in the capital of NSW. But although we do need to put some effort into a search for the more appealing collections of precious stone bands to get engaged with, we should also ensure our wedding proposal goes to plan.

She Said Yes

Although it might be tempting for confident men to propose to their girlfriend in front of a large group of friends on a night out in Sydney, this is probably not the best idea we could have. Indeed, guys who do not consider the fact that she might not say yes to our proposal are possibly heading towards a very disappointing evening. Having said that, there are some great websites providing tried and tested methods of getting the response we aim for when asking our girl to become our wife.

Of course, if we have done all we should have done in order to get a positive response from a wedding proposal, all we need to do then is start thinking about when to actually tie the knot. And just as there are lots of unique ideas for popping the question in Sydney, there are also unusual places or themes to get married.

Automotive

Caring for Your Car with Central Avenue Nissan

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Buying a new or used vehicle is a huge event in most people’s lives and if your family is anything like ours, you need that vehicle to last as long as it possibly can. Having purchased more than one car, I understand the importance of proper maintenance and what can happen if you don’t take care of it properly.

When you buy a used vehicle, you never know if the previous owner took care of things on schedule or if they let it slide from time to time so it is important to take care of it once it is yours. Of course, when you buy a new car, you want to take great care of that too!

Routine Maintenance

Be sure to have your oil changed every 3000-6000 miles. You can refer to your owner’s manual to see what is suggested for your vehicle. The service center at Central Avenue Nissan in Yonkers, NY recommends that a vehicle with over 100,000 miles use a motor oil for high mileage vehicles.
Check all your fluid levels on a regular basis. I suggest doing this with every oil change. You want to make sure your power steering, transmission, and brake fluid are full as well as coolant and any other fluids that may be low.
You should also replace your air filter every 15,000-45,000 miles, this will help to reduce your gas mileage as well. Again, refer to your owner’s manual to find which is best for your vehicle.
Check the air in your tires as well as the tread to ensure your tires are safe. You should also rotate them on a regular basis to ensure even wear and tear.
Every 35,000 miles be sure to check the connection between the battery and the cable in your vehicle to make sure there is no build-up and nothing is loose.
You should have your spark plugs, wires, ignition system and suspension inspected every 40,000 miles.
Get the belts inspected every 10,000 miles and replace them as needed.
To keep your brakes in great running condition replace the pads and brake fluid every 60,000 miles.

Exterior Care

Now that you are maintaining everything under the hood and underneath your car, you’ll want to make sure you take care of the exterior of your car as well. Be sure to wash it regularly to remove dirt and debris.

If you live in colder climates like we do, you’ll want to wash it regularly in the winter to remove any salt build up from the roads too. If you live near the ocean, you will want to do the same as the salt is in the air and can affect your vehicles exterior as well.

Interior Care

You’ll also want to make sure you take care of the interior of your vehicle. Make sure to clean up and trash as it can attract bugs and be a place for mold to grow. You can also spray a protectant on your seats to make cleaning up spills easy but make sure you get to them as soon as you can.

Schedule Your Service Appointment

You can schedule your next service appointment at Central Avenue Nissan

Activities & Crafts, Fall, Halloween

13 Toddler Friendly Halloween Crafts

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Now that Ellie is at the age where she enjoys crafting, coloring and really, anything she can make a mess with, I’ve been trying to dig deep into my ex-childcare teacher bag of tricks for more things for her to do. Thankfully we have the internet these days and finding ideas is a million times easier than it was back when I was working as a toddler and preschool teacher.

With Halloween right around the corner, I thought we would focus on some toddler friendly crafts that Ellie and I can do together as well as a few that allow Joey to join in the fun too!

Here are 13 Toddler Friendly Halloween Crafts from around the web that we are hoping to find the time to create between now and October 31st!