New Zealand

It's no secret that I would like to travel the world. In addition to traveling Europe, I would like to visit New Zealand. I actually have a blogging friend who lives in NZ, and I enjoy reading her blog and catching glimpses of everyday life in that country. I am always fascinated when she refers to gas as petrol or uses other colloquialisms. (I bet she finds some of my words and phrases just as fascinating.)

While I would love to visit, I don't think I'd want to go so far as to move to New Zealand. Despite the downward spiral in which I see my country engaged, I love being a citizen of the United States of America. I don't think there is another country on Earth that can compare to our great land.

Have you ever considered leaving your native land for another country? Would New Zealand residency tempt you to leave the land of your birth?

Review Your Car Insurance Coverage

The law of the land requires that vehicles be insured. Yet there are many vehicles that are either uninsured or under-insured. If you happen to get in an accident with such a vehicle, you and/or your insurance company will most likely end up paying for some or all repairs and medical bills resulting from the accident.

Assuming that you do have car insurance, do you know that your vehicle is adequately covered? If you aren't completely sure, call your insurance agent and ask him to review your policy with you. If you do determine that you need to increase your coverage, don't automatically assume that your insurance company offers the best value for your needs. Take the time to request quotes from other agencies. This does not have to be a time-consuming and tedious process. Instead of calling individual agencies, follow the example of many other drivers and shop online for a car insurance quote.

If you do not have car insurance, do remedy that situation with all haste. Take the advice in the previous paragraph and shop online for quotes. Whatever you do, make sure you get the coverage you need as soon as possible.

Mail Boxes

Have you ever looked at a neighbor's mail box and sighed with envy? I particularly like the ones that have a flowerbed at the base with climbing flowers twining around the post. I also like the mail boxes that have been hand painted - as long as the artist knew what he was doing, that is!

If you suffer from mail box envy, take a look at Mailboxixchange.com. They offer many types of mail boxes, including but not limited to single-unit mail box and post packages, wall mounted mailboxes, commercial mailboxes, and post mailboxes.

I mentioned that I like hand painted mailboxes, and I was surprised to see the large selection of scenes offered through Mailboxixchange. There were plenty of scenes to suit a wide variety of tastes: birds, flowers, hunting scenes, nautical themes, and landscapes are just a few of the types of illustrations offered.

If you prefer clean and classic lines, there are plenty of choices that fit that description as well. In fact, it seems to me that, no matter your preference, Mailboxixchange is the place to begin your search.

After Christmas Clearance

I love to shop the after Christmas clearance. The day after Christmas I went to Wal-Mart. I picked up some hairbrush/hairbow kits for the shoeboxes that I put together each year for Samaritan's Purse. I also bought some bath toy kits and other small things such as lipgloss. I like to use these throughout the year for my kid's birthdays, Easter presents, etc.

Today I was at Target and they already have their stuff marked 75% off. I was able to get a star for my tree for $5 rather than $20. I also purchased a jewelry box for $7.50. I wanted a jewelry box for Christmas, but couldn't justify paying $60-80 for one. This one wasn't that expensive and it's not exactly what I wanted, but the price was right. It will last me for many more years. When I get tired of it, I can always pass it down to my daughter or sell it at a yard sale for $5. :)

Rave: Chick-Fil-A

I was out shopping today and decided to stop at Chick-Fil-A. I rarely stop there because of the prices. I'm too much of a tightwad to spend $5 on fast food when I know I can get a sit down meal for the same.

Anyway, I decided to splurge on the Chick-Fil-A meal. I drove up to the drive thru and could not believe the line. It was wrapped completely around the store. My van was almost blocking the exit of the drive thru. As I pulled around, I saw a man standing on the sidewalk talking to customers in their cars. I could hardly believe what I was seeing.

Eventually, the man came to my van. He asked me if I knew what I wanted to order. I told him I did. He placed my order over his headset, told me my total, took my money, and in just a few moments another man came outside with my food and condiments. The man delivering the food was dressed nicely and did not appear to be in uniform. I'm guessing he was the owner.

I was in and out of Chick-Fil-A in a flash. When I drove up I was certain it was going to take 20 minutes to get my food. The people serving were very polite and when I left the man wished me a "Merry Christmas". It was a great experience.

Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are a money-saving addition to a room: using the fan during both winter and summer can lower your heating and cooling costs, and a ceiling fan that also has a light fixture means that you will more than likely not need to purchase additional light fixtures for that room.

We have had ceiling fans in nearly every room in both of the homes we have purchased. (We've only ever owned one home at a time.) In the first home we purchased, almost all of the fans needed to be replaced, and we found nice Hunter fans on clearance. They served us well, being both attractive and functional.

Our current home had no ceiling fan or light fixture in the living room, which we found rather odd. We ended up purchasing two nice standing floor lamps for $10 apiece, and they have solved our lighting problems. We still have not installed a ceiling fan, and we really need to do that. No-name or Casablanca fans, it really doesn't matter to me what brand we buy. I just want a decent and sturdy fan at a cheap price.

How often do you use your ceiling fans?

Attractions in Vienna and Germany

I've talked about Austrian attractions, including the famous Hofburg museum. There is so much to see and explore in this area of the world. It's nice to know that if I ever do get to travel to this region, there are plenty of Wien hotels from which to choose.

If you travel to Vienna, you might as well take the extra time to visit famous German cities, including Munich and Berlin. Berlin attractions include the Pergamon Museum, Brandenburge Gates, and more. Lodging is easily found at one of the many hotels in Berlin.

Travel in Munich should include stops at Marienplatz and the Olympic village. (How great would it feel to stand where your Olympic favorite/s stood?) End your day's journey with a good night's sleep at one of the hotels in Muenchen.

Other Germany attractions to view include the Bavarian Alps, Leipzig, and Lubeck. I love skiing and would be thrilled to get a chance to ski in the Alps. There are a wide variety of hotels in Deutschland (Germany), and I am sure that finding affordable lodging would not present any difficulty.

Have you ever been to Vienna or Germany? What was your favorite part of your trip?