In My Bag

As you probably know, it is very important to make backups of any files that you don’t want to lose. For me, this would be photos and email. I have an iPod that I update regularly, so I consider it my backup solution for music. But for photos, I have need of reliable media to burn copies to.

The HP DVD-Rs that I have used have never failed me. They work great for documents, photos, music, videos and anything else you can imagine!

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I want to do something special for my husband. While we both work and probably log equal amount of hours most weeks (yes, I am that busy working from home!), his job is much more physically demanding than mine, and definitely more stressful. Plus there’s the driving time to and from work, and I know how much he hates to drive.

I have one idea in mind, but it would take a lot of planning, and a significant amount of money. It’s something I hope to pull off by the end of the summer. I’m so tempted to just jump and do it this weekend, but unfortunately those pesky little things known as “bills” always want to be paid first.

Today has been a really quiet day. I did some blogging, started a new book (check out my Good Reads to see what’s on my reading list!), read some of the confessions at True Mom Confessions, and did a bit of research on titanium rings for a writing project I wrapped up just a little bit ago.

I need to get geared up for July and then August! Ack! Summer is just whizzing by. My son’s second birthday is in two weeks, and then we have a swim party to plan for on August 5th. Whew!

Cryo-Cell is a cord blood banking company. Their services include sending you a professional and easy to follow kit to use for collecting cord blood, and then processing the cord blood and storing it at one of their centers. You should make plans to receive the collection kit at least thirty days in advance of when your baby is due. Instructions will be sent to you, to your doctor or midwife, and another set of instructions are included with the kit. After the collection process is complete, Cryo-Cell’s AirNet service will make arrangements to pick up the sample and have it delivered to Cryo-Cell within 48 hours of the initial collection.

So, why should you consider cord blood banking? What you’re really looking for in cord blood banking is the safe storage and preservation of stem cells. These stem cells are valuable for treating and sometimes curing various disorders and diseases, many of which can be life threatening. Some things that can be successfully treated with stem cells include certain cancers, anemia and leukemia. Babies are a guaranteed match to the stem cells found in their umbilical cord blood, and siblings and parents have a one in four chance of matching.

For more information, check out the Cryo-Cell website at cryo-cell.com.

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I have been plucking and shaping my eyebrows for three years, and in that time I have tried my fair share of tweezers. I have also lost many pairs of tweezers along the way. But there is one pair I try very hard not to lose, an even buy spares of: Revlon Expert tweezers. These tweezers have a slanted, thin, precise and very well defined point, and the tweezers themselves are smooth with a matte finish, and feel good to hold in your hand.

I love these tweezers!

I haven’t had to worry about shopping for steam cleaners, because my mom lends me hers (a Hoover) whenever I need it. Sadly, my mom has had her steam cleaner for almost ten years, and I have only been borrowing it every now and again for the last four, but I’m sure I have used it more than she has!

Speaking of steam cleaning, I need to tackle my living room rug again. I just did it a few days before my birthday (back in June), but it’s looking grungy again.

My husband has a computer that I honestly think is a piece of crap. He prides himself on building his own PCs, and he did just fine with the last one… until it blew up in February of 2004, when he installed/messed with a cooling fan while the computer was on. So the one now… ugh. I kid you not, every single part right down to the damn tower ITSELF has been replaced, and it’s still not working properly. So now he’s yapping about better video cards and maybe a new motherboard and a BIOS update… and I’d rather save up the money, not put another penny towards his existing computer, and get him something brand new.

Last week my husband and I were in Staples, and they had a sale going on for many of their GPS systems. I admit, I had the extra money to spare, and I was very tempted to buy one. But I held off, because I hadn’t had the chance to read reviews and find the best GPS system out there. That was Monday, and we’re now into Thursday, and I still haven’t had the chance to look up reviews.

So, if you have a GPS system, tell me which one you have and why you like it so much!