Upgrades, The Fall of the Shaw of Iran, and a Fire

 

    Jeff and I went on a much needed short getaway on Sunday and Monday night up in Spokane.  We stayed at the RL at the Park once again because we had a voucher for a free night after the previous 2 stays where we had very poor service there.  They say that the third time in the charm so we thought we would give it one more shot.  We got up to Spokane around lunch time so we thought we would have lunch downtown.  We soon discovered that the restaurant we wanted to go to did not have free parking anymore and that you had to pay $8 for 1 1/2 hours just to park...NOT HAPPENING!  We ended up going to the food court at one of the malls and having food from Panda Express there instead.  

   Upon check in at the hotel, we were very impressed that they had upped their game.  There were people there to hold the doors open for you and greet you.  The check on process was in yet another new area in the lobby, but it was fast and done on Ipads.  The very enthusiastic guy checking us in took our voucher and said he would make sure it was applied to our bill and then sent us off to our upgraded room with a balcony overlooking the pool and the river.  It was a much bigger room than we had on our 2 previous stays and had a wet bar which was very handy for setting up our little coffee maker that we brought with us since the hotel no longer has them in the rooms.  Everything was nice and clean this time too, which really impressed me.

   We quickly loaded some things into the mini fridge since we bought things to have for snacks and dinner in the room and then changed into our swim suits and headed down to the pool since it was still in the high 90's.  We met 2 couples, one from Alberta, Canada and another from the Portland area and had nice visits with both of them.  I quickly learned from the Alberta couple that they are having some of the same issues in their province as we are having down here in the USA dealing with healthcare, immigration, the economy, and their Prime Minister.  That couple left to go to dinner and the young couple from Portland took over their lounge chairs.  Oh this couple was fun and we had so much in common.  We soon realized that we were "neighbors" with our rooms right next to each other.  

   The next morning we got up, had breakfast and headed out for a walk along the river so I could take some pictures of it.  Along the way we saw a building about 5 blocks away that looked like a old beautiful church with spires and towers, so we decided to check it out.  Upon our arrival at it, we realized it was the county courthouse and I began to take some pictures of it.  An older lady stopped to chat with us about the building and gave us some history on the area.  She then asked about our family and we told her about them and about our son Josh, who is in the Air Force and where he has served.  This is when things got fascinating.   She told us she live in Iran for 10 years, when she and her husband were raising their 5 kids.  He was an electrical engineer and worked for Pan Am Airlines who was bought by the Shaw of Iran at the time.  They got to know him well and they became friends.  When all the political upheaval happened there and he was overthrown in part from trying to bring Western Culture to Iran, they all had to evacuate quickly.  She told me they were only allowed to bring 300 pounds of luggage per family and that having 5 kids meant that most of their luggage was clothing.  Everything else had to be left behind.  She clearly remembers seeing the shaws plane take off and his family following in another plane.  She told us that 28 planes took off that day one after another evacuating all the American and other foreign  workers and their families.  She said it was hard to leave all their Iranian friends behind.

   On our way back to the hotel, we happened upon a really neat store filled with fossils, rocks, gemstones and all kinds of fun things.  It was great to explore and there was always something new and fascinating to see!  We found some cool toys for the little boys there and will give them to them at Christmas.  We decided to go and do some shopping and have lunch while our room was cleaned.  Upon our arrival back at the room I quickly noticed that the problems with room cleanliness were again happening.  There were 2 different sized towels in the bathroom and I recognized that one of them (because of the logo on it) was from another upscale hotel in that town.  The towel was also badly stained.  The bath mat was also stained and the top sheet on the bed had a stain.  UGH!  I decided to just make the best of it though and we headed down to the pool and again met some lovely people, including another family from Alberta and a family from Minnesota who homeschooled their kids and had a set of triplets.  Later that evening we had dinner in our room and I went out on the balcony to enjoy the view while my hubby watched some TV.  It took me awhile to fall asleep and it was after midnight when I finally drifted off.  At about 3 a.m., we woke up to an awful LOUD noise.  It was the hotel's fire alarm!  We quickly got dressed and then the fire alarm stopped in the tower we were in but I could still hear it in other parts of the hotel so I called down to the front desk to see if it was a false alarm or if we needed to vacate the building.  We were told to vacate, so we did.

   By the time we got downstairs, the fire trucks were there and the firefighters were going into the main building.  We could smell something burning at this point.  Hotel guests were all milling around outside and many people said that their relatives had not come down out of the building.  There was no one from the hotel out there giving us any information or checking with people to see if they were missing family members or friends who might still be in the building.  Finally half and hour later, it was the firefighters who were giving people information and telling people there had been a kitchen fire but it was now out and we could go back int he buildings and go back to sleep. Of course, I had trouble falling back to sleep after all that.

   We got up a few hours later to find our bill slipped under our door and saw that they had not deducted one of the night's stay as had been promised when I gave them the voucher.  I made a phone call down to the desk and they said they would take care of it and I could pick up a new receipt when we came down for breakfast.  We got down there and they had no clue what we were talking about but finally got it taken care of and gave me a new receipt.  Since there was a fire the night before in the kitchen, they were giving everyone there a free breakfast (our's was actually included in our room deal) that they had brought in from another one of the hotels in the same chain that was next door.  Wow!  I have never seen so many rude hotel guests in my life who were pushing others to get to the food and filling an entire plate with bacon leaving very little for all the people in line behind them.  The hotel quickly ran out of food due to people piling their plates high with things and making multiple trips back, pushing others out of the way who had just gotten in line for the first time.  I also felt bad for the poor staff that was trying to keep things stocked and having to tell people that they had run out of much of the food already.

   That brings me to today.  I checked my VISA statement and guess who put a small but unauthorized  extra charge on my card.  YEP!  👿  I will be getting ahold of them and letting them know that they will be reversing that charge today and I am also getting ahold of their corporate office!  I guess the third time is NOT the charm with this particular property. The next time we go up we will be staying at a different property that is tried and true.

Sidelined by a Virus and a Peak at my Walmart Beauty Box

 

   Hi all,  The crud got me.  Saturday we spent the early evening with our kids and grandkids and had a wonderful time bowling.  By later that night, I knew that I was coming down with something and was praying that I would not pass it on to the kids.  Poor Rachel is in the last few weeks of her pregnancy with Steven and the last thing I want to do is "share" this with her.  I was supposed to spend this Wednesday with her but I am going to have to cancel since I am still running a fever and coughing.  Looking back, I got sick with something similar about 2 weeks before Bradley made his grand entry into the world too  Yesterday I spent the entire day in bed dozing on and off with a high fever.  Today my fever is slightly lower and I am actually able to get up and at least mix up some tuna salad for Jeff and I to have later in wraps.  Praying by tomorrow I will be doing much better and be fever free.

  Anyway, I have been wanting to share what I I got in my Walmart quarterly Beauty Box.  This time around they offered a special box and I opted for that one instead of the Classic Box that I usually get.  I am so glad I did!  This thing was loaded with all kinds of products including nail polish, lip gloss, hair care products, beauty masks, lotions, toothpaste and antiperspirant along with some high value coupons.  The boxes only cost $5 to cover shipping and are a nice surprise 4 times a year and something that I look forward to.  I figure that a cup of coffee at one of the coffee stands costs just as much if not more and is gone in nothing flat while these products are ones that I can enjoy for awhile. If you want to get in on this, here is the link to sign up for your own Walmart Beauty Box  https://beautybox.walmart.com/   Enjoy!

Frugal Doings in the First Part of July 2015

   Jeff and I have been on a roll lately trying to stretch those dollars and pinch those pennies.  Earlier this month we took a much needed vacation to Montana and stayed with my parents at their home on the lake.  It was wonderful...thank you Mom, Dad and Fritz for everything!  Here are some other things we have done this month that saved us money.

~my parents treated us to tickets to see "Footloose" performed live onstage at the Bigfork Playhouse in Bigfork, MT
~we went to Glacier Park with my parents and used their Senior Gold Pass so we did not have to pay the $25 entrance fee
~shopped at thrift stores in Kalispell and Bigfork, MT and in CouerD'Alene, ID while on vacation and found some wonderful bargains on things we had been needing and wanting

~borrowed videos from the library to watch for our Saturday night date
~we also went to the movies several times but used a gift card, Jeff's senior discount and tried to hit the matinees
~used coupons and gift cards when eating out when possible

~I've been rereading some of my favorite books on saving money and budgeting
~doing Swagbucks, MyPoints and several other programs on the computer that allow me to earn points and then cash those in for gift cards or merchandise
~I've been testing products that I have been given for free and then then evaluating them for the companies

~we have been harvesting squash, peas, beans, raspberries, cherries and tomatoes from the garden
~used some overripe bananas to make banana bread
~used up some raspberries from the garden to make a double batch of mixed berry muffins

~cashed in at some of my points programs for $35 in Walmart gift cards, a $25 Buffalo Wild Wings gift card and a $25 Olive Garden gift card
~took advantage of the back to school sales to stock up on craft supplies for the grandkids

~using the laundry line to dry most of our laundry
~filling up with gas at the lowest prices gas stations
~watering in the evenings so the water soaks in and the plants don't burn up

~using water from the rain barrel and a bucket that I catch the run off from the swamp cooler to water our fruit trees
~using the leftover dog's water at the end of the day to water the potted plants outside before I refill his dish and outside bucket with fresh water
~listening to my Hawaiian music on one of the channels on TV

~mulching with stuff that we get for free from our town's composting site...it helps keep the moisture in the ground and cuts down on the weeds
~trying to use up what we have in the refrigeratior before it goes bad

~freezing leftovers that we can't use up before they go bad
~searching out marked down items at the grocery store and shopping the clearance sections
~getting more free samples and magazines in the mail

  What have you been doing to save money or stretch your income lately?

Frugal Doings for the First Part of April 2015

Did you get your tax return done and submitted yet?  Today is the deadline or you will have to file an extension.  We already got ours done and got back a small refund which was used to pay for repairs on my car.  The little car must have been jealous of the attention that my car was getting at the hands of our wonderful mechanic because last night it decided to "act up" too.  Good thing we are in frugal mode here right?

Here is a list of some of the things we have done this month to either save or even make money:

~checked our warranty on my car and it paid for about half the repairs needed on my car

~Jeff was able to do the repair to his little car himself

~getting free products in exchange for doing reviews on them

~doing my various points programs and getting gift cards, free magazine subscriptions, etc. as rewards

~took back a phone I bought on sale at Shopko when I found the identical phone at Walmart for half the price

~watching some shows that I like online

~making my own bread, rolls, pizza dough, etc.

~transplanted 4 blueberry bushes that were not doing well in their location...now they are thriving in their new "home"

~buying and planting more fruit bearing plants in our yard

~using the trimmed apple branches to make bean tepees 

~borrowing books and movies from the library

~piggy back baking and baking potatoes in the oven whenever I am baking something else

~cooking up double batches of things to either have leftovers, freeze and eat later or to make into something else later in the week

~using coupons to reduce the cost of our purchases

~buying the loss leaders at the grocery stores and making our menus around that

~signing up for free samples

~placed an order at Vitacost.com and went through Mypoints.com to get points there, also got a free sample with my order and hit the B1G1Free sale for some of the things we needed

~got some great deals at the thrift store lately like watercolor paints, a kite (our oldest grandson loved it), some clothing, a basket for using to haul produce from the garden

~my parents blessed us with homemade jam and syrup, an antique chair that was my great grandmother's, Kona coffee and they brought dinner and also took us out for lunch

~bought some geraniums at a wonderfully low price and will be trying to propagate them from cutting so I have even more plants

~using the earth layering method on my blackberry bush to get more plants

~using my laundry line to dry a good portion of our laundry

~found an awesome deal on a set of brand new Queen sized 100% cotton sheet set at Walmart that was only $5 after their half off clearance deal

~Chris was able to get us a new automatic garage door opener for free

~Chris is also giving us a nice garden glider swing

~every time I go to the grocery store, I buy a can of coffee since the store brand is at a crazy low price, I hope to have a stockpile of 10 within the next few months before the prices go up

~taking advantage of the nicer weather and getting out on more walks with the dog

~using leftover coffee to make iced coffee drinks at home

Product Review: Freeman Facial Masks

From time to time I am sent products to review from various companies.  I enjoy testing these products and giving my honest opinion on them.  I would love to be able to give rave reviews to all the products I have tried, but sadly that is not the case.

Recently Influenster sent me some of the Freeman Facial Masks to try and review.  Tonight I decided to try the Cucumber Peel-Off Mask.  I read the directions on the package and gave it a go.  First off, the product is very sticky, the consistency of honey when you put it on your face.  The packaging said it would be dry in 5-10 minutes.  Well 20 minutes later and there were still areas that were not dry.  I decided to peel it off, as per the directions, and it hurt!  The areas that were not totally dry came off like rubber cement.  I washed my face gently with warm water to get the residue off and can I just say that here it is about 25 minutes later and my skin is still stinging on some areas.  I also cannot see much of a difference in my skin, other than the stinging.  To be fair, I have not tried the other masks yet, but I would give this particular mask a big thumbs down.

 "I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

Found: The Perfect Herbal Peach Tea

I am a huge lover of good tea.  I enjoy seeking out new tea to try and some of them have become my favorites.  Fruit teas in particular are fun to try.  Over the years I have tried many peach teas and found them lacking in flavor or even strange tasting.  That was until I tried Bigelow's Perfect Peach Herbal Tea.

Bigelow's Perfect Peach Herbal Tea is delightful!  When you are steeping it, you are greeted with a beautiful light peach "perfume" that lets you know you are in for a real treat.  The flavor of this tea is light, refreshing, clean and peachy.  Some herbal teas are "dusty" in flavor, but not this one. Not only does it taste good but, for someone like me, it has other benefits. As someone who struggles with their weight, it provides a satisfying "sweet treat" without all the calories.  Each tea bag is also individually packaged so it stays fresh and makes it easy for me to take to work with me and brew a cup when needed. Since it is an herbal tea, it has no caffeine, which is an added bonus for those of us who struggle with insomnia.  I find it the perfect tea to unwind with at the end of the day or even as a mid day treat.  I'm now looking forward to trying some more of Bigelow's line of teas.

Product Review: Snapps Cream Cheese Pepper Bites

Our local Dollar Tree store recently added a frozen food section and I was excited to see these Snapps Cream Cheese Pepper Bites in the case.  I love Jalapeno Poppers so I thought I would give them a try.  Upon opening the package I found this:

8, count em, only 8 of these bites.  I have them on a small cookie sheet so do not be deceived, these are small bites.  I followed the directions for baking them, let them cool a bit and then bit into one.  To put in kindly, they were awful!  They had so much spicy "heat" to them that they burned the roof of my mouth, my tongue and my throat.  I had to drink some milk and take a spoon full of sugar to get it to stop burning so badly.  Now, I like spicy but this stuff was way up there on the heat scale for peppers!  I ended up throwing the rest away and then made sure I took them directly outside to the garbage so the dog would not get into them and suffer the way I had. 

Bottom line is this...I would never recommend these to anyone and will not be wasting my money on buying them ever again.

Beautyrest Memory Foam Topper Review

My husband and I both have back problems and had been planning on buying a new bed soon.  We were debating on a memory foam bed or one of the Sleep Number beds.  Upon pricing them out we decided that we just could not swing either one.  Plan B then came into play. 

On Black Friday I noticed a huge price drop at Walmart for the Beautyrest 2" Gel Fusion Memory Foam Topper.  At a little under $30 we thought it was worth a try.  We put it on our Queen sized bed and then made the bed up as usual.

The first night, I noticed a big difference for me.  I slept better and did not wake up as sore.  I was also coming down with a cold at this time and I usually do not sleep well at all when I am sick.  I actually slept through the night.  My husband also slept better (he was also sick with a cold) and his back was not as sore when he woke up.  The following nights I found that continued to sleep well and actually started to wake up pain free and noticed that my husband's back was doing much better.  He has a job that is really hard on his back so this is a huge blessing.  One of the things that I had worried about was that the topper would be too hot.  I have not found that to be the case.  It is really comfortable.  I also worried that there might be a strong chemical smell to the topper.  We did not experience that at all.  Overall, I am very pleased so far with it.  It will be interesting to see how it holds up over time.

This was not a paid review...we were just very impressed with the product.  We bought it with our own money and were not given it to try out by the company.