Anyone who has read my blog or hung out with me for more then 5 seconds knows how much I love to crochet. I have been crocheting for about a year and a half now and I truly love it. I feel a certain amount of Zen when I am happily hooking away.

So if you are looking for a little bit of Zen, why wouldn’t you want to have a fantastic tool as well? That is where the Furls crochet hook comes into play. As you can see by these pictures this is not just a tool but a piece of art. A truly beautiful crochet hook to look at. The hook that I am blessed to have is from the Heirloom Wooden hook line. I have a size J hook and the wood I have is purple heart but you can choose from several kinds of wood. Each of the furls hooks is handmade just for you when you order it.

The best thing about these hooks? Not only are they beautiful and stunning to look at but they feel fantastic as you crochet. I am a person that likes to crochet for long periods of time when I can. If I have a day off from working I have been known to crochet for 8 hours or more, the biggest problem that happens when I crochet for these long periods of time is hand fatigue. It almost never fails that my hand will cramp up, my fingers will get sore and I have to take a break from the project I am working on to rest my hand.

This has not happened for me yet while using my Furls hook. I made sure to test this hook a great deal before I sat to write my review. I completed the last half of a Queen Size afghan, two shawls, a baby blanket and started my Dad’s Christmas present (an Afghan that is 300 stitches across) so far I have not had any hand fatigue. The furls hook fits my hand like a glove and truly is comfortable no matter how long I have been working on a project. The wood is smooth and stays cool (no slipping due to hand sweat) and very light weight compared to other hooks I have used.

I would highly recommend the Furls hooks to any of my fellow crochet friends. Not only do you get a fantastic tool to work with you have a piece of art right in your hands to help you create more art.

I plan to make a Youtube video of how this hook works for readers to see as well!

(cross posted to Creations of Bastet blog)

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I have been taking this product since it was supplied to me by the company for an honest review after testing it. I have to say A-RX Weight Loss is a quality product. It is not a get skinny fast product, however it does work and I have not noticed any side effects personally. I have had some stomach issues and other small problems with products in the past, but that is not the case with A-RX. I take the product as directed with my breakfast and I go from there. It gives me a nice boost of energy so I can really get through and drive my routine for the morning and afternoon and I do not feel like I need to snack every 20 minutes or so like I have in the past. I would recommend this one to try out and I have seen a weight decrease of 6lbs since I started.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

So I admit the first time I took this towel out of the package I thought no way could it be as good as they said it was it is so thin. I am happy to say the towel proved me dead wrong. I have been putting it through the paces since I got it because I am going on a trip in April to Europe and wanted something that fit nicely in my luggage but would get the job done when I needed it to. In all honesty this one has exceeded what i thought it would do by a mile. It even helped when we had a pipe burst in the garage due to the polar vortex (thanks old man winter). Two thumbs up for this one from me. Thank you Shandali for giving me the chance to try out a great product that I love!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Tradeshows are the bread and butter of anyone who is getting a business off the ground or launching a new product within their business. Whether you are a small business just getting started or one of the big guys like windows everyone does trade shows.  The problem with so many people being in one place is trying to stand out and you have to stand out or you will not get noticed it really is that simple.

Go big or go home: One way to stand out is to make your booth and everything in it Big and stand out. Now that does not mean you want to go and get some of those gorilla balloons from car dealerships but make your displays big, noticeable and bright stand out colors.

Make sure you treat your sales literature like it’s important. It can be too easy to not want to have people focus on reading but the sales literature is the crux of what you want people to understand about your product. So do not treat it like a throwaway if you do, they will too.

Make sure you are front and center in your booth and when you are not there that you have someone else front and center. When you have someone who looks approachable and is friendly to people as they come you are more likely to get attention. No one likes to approach a booth where someone is just sulking in the back.

If you want more tips and tricks on tradeshow displays at Exhibits etc click the link.

Take time is right around the corner and no one is looking forward to that. However if you are a large business or small business owner you are probably looking forward to that even less then everyone else. I know personally I do not look forward to tax season at all. Yes I tend to get a refund (like many) however the idea of putting it all together is always exhausting.

That is why I firmly think you need to invest in the help of a Tax professional. Tax law is one of the most rapidly changing laws out there and it can be hard to keep up especially for business owners. If you miss something even something that seems little you can get in big trouble with the United States government. The best idea is to hire someone who knows what they are doing and go through it with them.

Another choice if you do not like the idea of brick and mortar is buying software that also has live help. I cannot stress enough how important it is to not do your business taxes alone. Personally I always think it is better to pay a fee to a professional then get fined by the IRS. If you want to educate yourself more about why it is good to have a tax professional click here for additional info.

Yes I know it is currently winter and almost Christmas time, however if you are like me you plan ahead especially when it comes to what the kids can do in the summertime.  The summer vacation time of school being out leaves a lot of parents wondering what to have the kids do for the whole time they are off school. Well I did a little bit of brainstorming while I was planning and decided there are three key and fun activities to have the kids do this summer.

 

Sleep away camp:

I went to sleep away camp when I was a kid and I loved every minute of it. I loved it so much that I actually became a counselor at the same camp when I was an adult. There is something fun and liberating about getting to spend time with other kids your age and just run around in the woods with someone other than your parents. If you would like to send your kids to sleep away camp you can click here to learn more.

Drive in movie:

Going to see a drive in movie is something that has been forgotten but it can be a great thing to do in the summer. Load up the kids in the car with some snacks and go take in a double feature. There is nothing quite like the experience of a drive in. Best to get it in before all the theaters are gone.

Go to the Beach:

Go to the beach and build a sandcastle. This one may seem again like an old fashioned idea but it is a timeless and very fun one. Kids are over connected these days. It is scary when you see how young kids are getting cell phones, tablets and all those fancy devices. Taking them outside and showing them the activities out there is one of the best things you can do.

Design and the interior designer is a hot topic these days with all the reality shows you can watch about them now. From seeing what is being re-designed in Miami homes on Real Housewives of Miami and the Miami interior designer they used to the fantastic escapades of Jeff and Jenny in Los Angeles. Interior design is just simply everywhere but there are some things you should keep in mind selecting a designer for your own home; don’t just go with the first one you meet with.

Do they go along with your design tastes? :

While it is always good to broaden your horizons in design if you are someone who prefers vintage and repurposed things you might not want to go with a designer who is known for minimal or completely modern.

Check credentials:

Do not just take someone’s word for it, not in today’s market. Ask for references and ask for credentials and then follow up. You need to make sure that they are who they say they are and have done the schooling they say they have.

Know your project:

Know the scope and how big your project is. There are some designers who specialize in smaller projects and some in larger ones. You need to make sure that the project and the designer suit one another.

Interview:

It can be easy in a fast pace society to just want to do things over the phone and hire the first one that seems right. Do not forget the important step of interviewing the designer that you want to work with you. Meet with them personally and have a list of questions prepared.

Know the fees:

Make sure you know the entire fee scale before you sign anything. Every designer works differently and their scale will be different. Just because you have worked with one doesn’t mean their scale will be the same as another designers.

Luxury it is something many (if not all) of us dream of but not everyone can afford. Sometimes even if you can afford some items there are still those big ones that are either out of reach or you just cannot rationalize yourself into getting. What are dreams for however if not to enjoy the idea of getting something that is the highest of luxury? This time of year it can be fun to dream of gifts and the high life so here are 5 of my top “maybe someday” or “Oh how I wish” luxury items.

Who would not love to cruise around the world on a dream yacht like this or others you can find at www.umtmarine.com. It can often seem the rich and fabulous all own these lovely yachts but I think a lot of them rent or pay for a weekend. I would love a yacht…would be nice to work on my tan.

 

Vintage is the thing and I can fully admit I stalk vintage shops like a well honed shopping vixen. I have never found an item like this but oh I would love to own this 1920’s Louis Vuitton shoe trunk at only $68,500 it is possible right?

A castle. Yes I know it is a typical little girl dream but who doesn’t want a castle. You can actually buy them these days although the upkeep (aside from the purchase price) has to be huge.

This bit of bling by Repossi is a price on request item which to me says expensive. It sure is pretty though isn’t it?

This is a $5,000 dollar of limited edition champagne. I mean think about that for a second drinking something that cost $5,000.

My Dad and Mom are getting up there in age and while my Dad is settled in (they are divorced) it has been a harder time deciding what I can do with my Mom. While Mom is not unable to take care of herself it is just getting to be too much in a cold weather climate and mostly on her own. So before things got to a bad point I suggested we look at some warmer weather retirement communities for her. When she did not fully shoot down the idea I thought we were on good and solid ground.

We have looked at many places from California to Florida and Atlanta 55 plus communities. In the end Mom decided that Atlanta was the right place for her and let me tell you I have never heard her feel so happy and just in love with an area. While she may have been raised a northern girl at heart she is loving the southern life and has fully thrown herself into it. I am so happy that together we were able to find a place that suited her and made her happy. The area has a lot of activities for her to enjoy and she is enjoying exploring her new surroundings since moving there this year.

Buying any kind of real estate is something that can be either an investment or just an enjoyment for a family. I know a family member who has been looking to move to Florida and has been looking at Fort Lauderdale waterfront condos for sale and I happen to have a friend who has a Condo in downtown Fort Lauderdale so suggested we go and check out her place.

Well I can say the trip was a huge success, not only was the view positively stunning but my family member was able to get a real feel for what it would be like to live in Fort Lauderdale. The weather while we were there was positively perfect and of course that is not always the case but it set everything to its best advantage. The night life was suitably wonderful and there was a good variety of wonderful restaurants to pick from that anyone will enjoy. A little bit of a something for everyone atmosphere.

I can say if I was going to move down to the area I would want a condo in a building like my friend that is for sure. When you look out from her windows you have a stunning look at the skyline, the surrounding area and the water. Needless to say the trip was a win for everyone.