26 November 2008

Travel Reminders

If Traveling by Air:

1. Put your Name and Phone Number on the Inside and Outside of all your luggage, including your carry-on.

2. Don't pack your Medication, Money, Keys, or your Phone Charger in your Checked Bag.



Happy Thanksgiving.

05 November 2008

Fitness & Yoga Channel

It is a rare moment when I flip through more than a few television channels before I settle with something I have taped already on my DVR. The other night I did just that and came across a Free On Demand Channel that was full of exercise programs.

If you have Time Warner in the City of Erie it's channel 537, the LifeSkool On Demand Channel. You will find here Fitness and Yoga programming; as well as Abs, Cardio, Dance, Pilates, Yoga, Toning and short exercises programming which you can do after the kids go to school.

On the same channel you can toggle right to Hot Cars, Karaoke Challenge, Kids $ Family, Love Life, Magic, Music, and Schirripa Cooks episodes.

13 October 2008

Take the Test..McCain or Obama..

If you are still undecided who to vote for take this test from ABC news website. It will show if you agree more with Barrack Obama or John McCain views.

08 September 2008

Jet Blue Auctions on eBay

JetBlue Airways Corp. is auctioning off more than 300 round-trip flights and 6 vacation packages this week on eBay, with bids starting between 5 and 10 CENTS.

The auctions include one and two person round-trip, weekend flights to cities including Boston, Chicago, New York, and Orlando.

You can access the auctions through Jetblue.com/ebay.

01 August 2008

Crocs Warning

It has come to my attention that those who wear Crocs shoes should use caution when using escalators. There have been numerous accounts of injuries when the bottoms of the shoes get stuck in the teeth or cracks of the escalators.

There are been numerous accidents across the globe read some stories here and here.

25 July 2008

Butterfly Garden Plant #3





Purple Coneflower
Perennial

This plant grows abundantly and the butterflies love it. Check out my First Butterfly Blog. Also known as Echinacea purpurea this beauty will grow about 3 feet and will multiply itself. Once established you can transplant throughout your yard and your neighbors yard for that matter.
Plant in full sun.

21 July 2008

Butterfly Garden Plant #2




A Butterfly Bush is staple in a Butterfly Garden. This variety has reached about 8 feet in height by 3 feet across, I have 3 other butterfly bushes but are much smaller still. I prune back early spring and patiently wait for spring growth. The purple flowers bloomed less than a week ago. This perennial loves a sunny area and will thrive year after year.

The Butterflies and Hummingbirds absolutely love this plant so be sure to plant one that you can see from an indoor window.

18 July 2008

Butterfly Garden Plant #1




Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) 'Camelot Cream' attracts hummingbirds blooms early summer grows 3 to 5 feet.
These flowers bloomed early June and were here for a few weeks. Very nice attractive white bloom with red speckles, very pretty. I planted three separate plants about 4 feet from each other. It will take a couple summers for them to multiply and fill out.

13 July 2008

First Butterfly!






I spotted my first Butterfly of the summer Sunday morning on my Purple Coneflowers in my Butterfly Garden. This butterfly is called a Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele.)

Although there is a flower petal shadow on him you can still see some great detail.

I have been working on my Butterfly Garden since I moved into my home 6 years ago. I have planted mainly perennials that attract Butterflies and Hummingbirds. I believe this will be my best summer yet, for observing Butterflies!

12 July 2008

Presque Isle Evacuation

I was at the beach yesterday, a.k.a. Presque Isle State Park and it began to rain and everyone at the beaches started to evacuate the area.


I'd like to share some shortcuts that helped me get out quicker.

One key shortcut is when you are leaving the park and if there is lots of traffic near the Stull Interpretive Center (a.k.a. The Nature Center Beach) you can make a right and follow the beach road out towards the entrance of the park.

Another is if you are exiting Pettinato Beach (a.k.a. Beach 8) you can exit left to the main park road, which is quicker than following the one lane road towards the Parks Playground and towards the Lifeguard Center.

I recently visited some relatives in Maine who owned roosters , they said that the roosters feasted on the deer ticks. Why don't park rangers get some roosters in the Peninsula to eat all the deer ticks that could carry Lyme Disease?

03 July 2008

Cheap Luggage

Airline employees see many styles, brands and makes of suitcases. We see a lot of broken zippers, lost wheels and broken handles.

My best advice to those searching for a new piece of luggage is to first check out Rynn's Luggage website, the company is based in Pittsburgh, PA.

This is where we send our passengers luggage to get repaired or replaced. They have the best luggage for your money and always have great deals on quality luggage for your next trip.

Also, be sure to put your name and phone number on all your luggage INSIDE and OUT, when you are traveling. This will eliminate any mix-ups with the unfortunate case that your luggage does not arrive with you at your destination. You will be guaranteed to be reunited with your dirty underwear if your baggage gets lost in transit.

18 June 2008

Rainbow Around The Sun






Yesterday, while we were at Waldameer, I took these pictures of a Rainbow around the Sun. I have never seen such a thing and was truly thrilled.

I learned that when you see a rainbow around the sun, also known as "sundogs", there are high clouds overhead and that it's usually a sign that rain is on the way, which in yesterdays case was true. Those clouds are made of tiny ice crystals, which will refract the sunlight like a prism will.

I feel very fortunate to even see such a sight, and I also have to note that Waldameers new roller coaster The Ravine Flyer was so much fun, what a great ride.

12 June 2008

Cheap Airline Tickets

The following is a list of online reputable travel services to purchase your airline tickets through. Be sure to check their ticketing fees for the best price comparisons.

Additionally, Us Airways has increased the Airport (reservations completed at the airport) ticketing fees from $20 to $35 per ticket for US or Canada and $45 per ticket for International which includes the Caribbean, Latin America, Transatlantic and Transpacific flights. Also if you make reservations through the reservations number 1-800-428-4322, those fees have increased from $15 to $25 for US and Canada and $35 for International. US Airways has NO ticketing fees for electronic ticket reservations online.

Check out some of the following websites for your best airline reservation rates:

Us Airways
Shermans Travel
Travelocity
Expedia
Kayak
Orbitz
Hotwire
CheapAir
OneTravel
SmartFares
Priceline
Farecast
Travelation
CheapFlightSales

Happy Travels.

27 May 2008

Northwest Airlines Goes Mobile

Northwest Airlines Corp. is testing a paperless boarding pass that will let travelers use their mobile phones to board their plane.

Northwest will debut the E-Boarding pass in IND (Indianapolis) on Wednesday, 28th of May 2008. It will work like this: when a passenger checks in for a flight they can choose to send their boarding pass to their mobile phone or PDA instead of printing it out. The mobile device will then display a bar code like image on its screen, which will then be scanned by the gate agent at the boarding point. Continental is already testing a similar system in IAH (Houston). Northwest has plans to expand the system to other cities in the near future.

I believe it will take a long while before ERI (Erie) starts using such a system considering they don't have the scanners for easy boarding yet.

My only question is how smoothly are you going to get thru TSA security?

23 May 2008

Bye-Bye Pretzels

Effective June 1, 2008 Us Airways will no longer serve complimentary pretzels or snack mix in domestic coach class. Although, if you are traveling Trans-Atlantic or first class you are still provided a free snack.

Can you blame them? With crude oil above $125 per barrel, this is another cost saving strategy for the airline.

It should be no time at all, that all airlines are cutting back on snacks. What's next? Probably the free soda!

19 May 2008

Spinning Class Revamped

While in your spinning class you can now take a virtual tour of the Wine in California, the Spanish in Mexico, or the French in Guadeloupe Tour.

The 6 disc set features 12 different 45 minute tours. During the Spanish tour you pedal through Mexico while learning the language and traveling through different cities including Puerto Vallarta.

To learn more check out the company who came up with the grand idea, Connect18.

I think it sounds fun and would add a new twist to the same old spin class, treadmill or elliptical machine. I am going to suggest this program to the Downtown YMCA.

16 May 2008

Ticks at Presque Isle

Ticks are a common known insect at Presque Isle, but if you are educated about how to protect and identify ticks there is no need to panic.

Presque Isle in Erie Pa, has posted signs where ticks may be an issue. Please follow their advisories and if going into the woods be sure to wear long pants.

This
is what a tick looks like and some more information for your safety.

08 May 2008

What am I allowed to Pack?

Working for an airline I get this question a lot. What am I allowed to pack in my checked luggage and my carry-on?

Here is all the answers to your luggage prohibited and allowable contents.

I hope this serves you well.

Happy Travels.

05 May 2008

I Understand Yoga

I am finally on the Yoga wagon. I have found a class that I truly enjoy and my body and mind are reaping the benefits.

I took a yoga class a while back but found it too slow for my workout schedule at the time. I was turned on again from a fellow YMCA member telling me to try out the Power Yoga class at the Glenwood Y on Tuesday and Thursday at 11:30 by Ledys. It was exactly what my body and mind needed. I receive a complete body stretch and a rejuvenation of my mind. I truly immerse from class feeling so completely one.

It really is a class you may want to try out. I finally understand the benefits that yoga can provide for you internally and externally.

Attention: Virgin Mobile Users

I am one of those few people who does not carry a cell phone everyday. We do however have a cell phone, for that just in case scenario or if I need to contact my husband while he is on the road during the day. So the best deal for us was to pay as we go, we therefore ended up with Virgin Mobile.

I fortunately have found the way to save us on that expense. When you visit Virgin Mobile USA you can earn minutes, up to 5 minutes a day, by watching video ads and answering a question or two regarding the video. You can redeem a maximum of 75 minutes a month. You ask where do I find the free airtime on the site? Click: 1. Stuff 2. Sugar Mama 3. Follow Directions. What a great thing.

God Bless America.

28 April 2008

Virtual Fitting Room

Philadelphia International Airport has something new for us to pass the time between flights.

Located in the concourse between terminals A and B is Intellifit, a virtual fitting room. All you do is get inside a cylindrical kiosk, fully clothed, for a few seconds. This kiosk sends low-power radio waves to take detailed measurements of your body. The software then creates a free, FitPrint that can be used to find your perfect size in clothing brands like Lands'End, Gap, Nautica, Dockers, Jos.A Bank, Levi's and Nordstrom.

So the next time your stuck in Philly try something new and see what your free Virtual Fitting Room has in store for you.

23 April 2008

In The Motherhood

In the Motherhood is a website about mothers and their experiences. There is also these great short episodes starring Chelsea Handler, Jenny McCarthy, and Leah Remini. The short shows are hilarious and these three, smart women together is fantastic and so funny. Good for them and this great website....Check it out....

04 April 2008

Blown-In Insulation

I want to share my story about our family's experience when we trusted a company to blow insulation into the exterior walls of our home.

I am not going to name the company, but this is a well-known large company located in Erie with offices outside the Erie area as well.

We decided to have our home's exterior walls insulated in the Fall of 2006. We live in an older city home and knew there was absolutely nothing in-between our walls. We contracted a company after a sales guy assured us about his product and that the job would be well done by his crew.

Many flags were raised when the job was done. We were not to happy about their clean-up, the amount of siding they broke, and that they were blowing in the wrong insulation to begin with. Although I was not happy with the company's professionalism, the job was supposedly done and although I always had a suspicion, they were paid $300 less and were on their way.

In November 2007, I had a new cable line installed in a third floor room. Since the cable guy was drilling holes I asked him to check if he sees insulation. . . . He sees no insulation and this now leads me to the beginning of a fiasco to get the insulation company to return to my home and prove to me that there is insulation in my walls.

After, a few months of the run around, two guys finally come out and they confirm only about 1/4 of the house has been insulated. You have got to be kidding! They never insulated my home. These two guys proceeded to do the job that was never done a year and a half ago, with a promise to return a week later and finish a few other areas.

Meanwhile, I spoke with a lawyer friend and he says you need to contact the Attorney General if this issue cannot be resolved between us.

A week later the two guys never returned. From this then started numerous calls, complaints, emails, and consumption of my time. I finally had it resolved where I got my money back, plus some. Although I never needed to send my letter to the Attorney General I wonder how many homes this company promised to insulate and never did.

Fortunately I listened to my instinct, even though it was nearly 2 years later.

07 March 2008

Ice Storm 2008


We have a huge maple tree in our backyard that is in the middle of the property line of our neighbors.

This tree is old and branches fall quite often, but nothing like what fell to the ground on Wednesday. First one branch fell, which is about 15 feet at least. I was just about to walk in the backyard to get a better look at the damage to my fence and to see just how big this branch was, when my 4 year old called me into the living room to show me something she "wants for her birthday" on the TV, just as I was walking back through the house to exit my back door, down came this branch that made you stand in awe for a couple of minutes. This branch is at least 40 to 50 feet in length and just missed my garage by about a 1/2 a foot. The branch broke more of the fence and one of my bird feeders, but still amazes me how it missed my garage by just a hair. The ironic thing is that my home insurance will only cover the clean-up and removal of the tree branch if it WOULD have hit my garage, plus cover the damages to the garage. My pictures don't show the mass volume of the tree but you can get the idea.

Thankfully no one was injured and it shows what the power of mother nature can do.

03 March 2008

Flight Tracking

This is a great website to track flights.

Flight Aware is a free website, with no need to register, all you need to do is insert the airline and flight number. If you don't know the flight number the website will assist you. The site shows you where that aircraft is between the two cities you are tracking. It's pretty cool.

This is a great site to bookmark, especially when you need to pick someone up at the airport and want to know the ACTUAL arrival time.

29 February 2008

New Baggage Policy

US Airways has announced it will begin charging $25 fee for those who check a second bag.

This fee applies to travel on or after May5, 2008. Travelers who purchased tickets before February 26, 2008 for travel on or after May 5, are exempt from this new policy.

There are a few exemptions:
All Dividend Miles Preferred members
Confirmed First Class and Envoy passengers at time of check in
Star Alliance Silver and Gold status members
Active military personnel in uniform with ID
Unaccompanied minors
People checking assisted devices

Passengers are able to have one carry-on, one personal item, and one checked bag (under 50 lbs) free of charge.

For more information visit US Airways.com.

Happy Packing!

26 February 2008

My White Cabinets

In August 2007 I shared my kitchen refinishing cabinets experience, these are some of the after pictures I was never able to display properly.

Although my kitchen is still being updated the cabinets made a huge difference for such little money.

The cabinets paint color was "Abby White" from Lowes'. If you don't have a sander already I recommend the Craftsman Mouse hand sander, it's simple.








25 February 2008

Butterflies In DCA

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History located in Washington D.C. has opened its newest exhibit, Butterflies and Plants: Partners in Evolution, February 15, 2008.

This is where you walk among hundreds of live butterflies, in 1,200 square-foot pavilion with more than 400 butterflies.

If this is something you have never done it is a must. We toured a similar exhibit at the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls, Canada, which was so much fun for me and my children.

There is an admission for the pavilion with the exception of Tuesdays, which is free of charge, first come, first served policy.

This is just another great thing to do with your family in Washington.

22 February 2008

Nonstop to London

US Airways has announced new nonstop service from Philadelphia (PHL) to London's Heathrow International(LHR) airport.

US Airways begins service March 29, 2008, so be sure to book your flights early.

Happy Travels.

19 February 2008

Cinderella at Station Theatre

As a follow-up to the new at the Station Dinner Theatre, we went to see Cinderella Sunday, February 17, and thought the show was fantastic.

Not only did we laugh out loud numerous times, but I also found a lot of adult humor intertwined in the dialogue that was too funny.

The children were equally impressed with the show, and were entertained the whole time, there were numerous audience participations.

The meal was served before the show began, which was served family style with as many helpings as needed. Our meal consisted of real chicken tenders, tator tots, chicken salad croissants and a fruit and vegetable plate which was all served by a cast member, not yet dressed for their role. During intermission the cast served a basket of cookies for the table, which was exciting for the children, because now the wicked-stepmother was serving our table.

Job well done by the cast and crew at the Station Dinner Theatre.

18 February 2008

Moon Palace Resort

Moon Palace Resort located in Riviera Maya, Mexico, is an all-inclusive resort I vacationed at for our honeymoon.

Although that was now over 7 years ago, I am itching to go back. You never need to leave the resort. This resort had everything you can imagine, nice restaurants, pool, beach, spa, night club, many bars, gift shop, outdoor water activities and golf. We had a great time.

I always recommend this resort to anyone who wants to travel to Cancun. Although you fly into Cancun, the resort is not situated on the main hotel drag in Cancun, so you don't feel you are in the hustle of tourists. The best part is you can take an afternoon and check out the sites in the City. The resort bus will transport you to any of their other all-inclusive Palace resorts free of charge, where you can also eat and drink for free. We had the bus take us to The Beach Resort on the main drag in Cancun, we then had lunch and a couple drinks before we headed into the tourist shopping areas and further into the old city where the locals hang out.

Moon Palace is next door to their sister hotel, Moon Palace Sunrise Resort, so you actually have two resorts in one, with twice as many restaurants and bars to visit, within walking distance of your room.

This resort is for those who want a combination of activities and/or to relax at the pool, beach, or bar all day. A resort that accommodates every personality.

Happy Travels.

17 February 2008

Georgia Beach Vacation Idea

This all-inclusive island in the United States, was once a private family retreat. Little St. Simon's Island has five cottages with 15 guest rooms, so you will never feel crowded on your romantic beach vacation.

This luxury eco-resort has gone green and is only accessible by boat from Savannah (SAV) or Jacksonville (JAX). There are plenty of outdoor activities that are all part of the all-inclusive rate.

Check out their website for more information littlestsimonisland.

13 February 2008

The Thermometer

Thermo comes from the Greek for "heat" and meter from the Greek for "measure".

In the mid-1600's Ferdinand II, was the first to seal the thermometer isolating it against shifts in air pressure.

In the early 1700's Daniel Fahrenheit, a German physicist devised the temperature scale and the alcohol and mercury thermometers. The centigrade scale was devised by Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius.

12 February 2008

US Airways Dividend Miles

The US Airways Dividend Miles program will change effective May 1, 2008.

Dividend Mile Members will now earn actual number of miles flown instead of earning a minimum of 500 miles per segment. Tickets purchased on or after March 12, 2008 for travel on or after May 1, 2008 will begin this affect.

Happy Travels.

11 February 2008

The Station Dinner Theatre

The Station Dinner Theatre has announced its new Children's Theatre troupe.

Your lunch and show includes appetizer, meal, and dessert, water, juice or coffee or tea. You can reserve your tickets by calling the Station box office at 814-864-2022.

The following is a list of upcoming shows:
Doors open at Noon show begins at 12:30.

Cinderella-February 16,17
Peter and the Wolf-March 25,26,29,30
Alice in Wonderland-June 21,22
The Emperor's New Clothes-August 16,17
Henry's Halloween Howlabaloo-November 1,2.

Enjoy.

09 February 2008

SkyMall Gifts

If you are looking for a unique gift for someone, check out SkyMall.

This is a magazine that is put in the front seat pockets on passenger airlines. You can order online or call the 800 number for assistance. SkyMall has everything for everyone and is worth taking a look.

I have ordered a few items from them and the shipping was exceptionally fast.

07 February 2008

Tupperware

Are you looking for a trust-worthy, knowledgable Tupperware consultant?

Andrea Nesselhauf has over 30 years experience and knows her products. Looking for a catalog or looking to have a Tupperware party yourself call her at 814-838-4723.

17 January 2008

McDonald's in the Mall

I have recently learned that the McDonald's inside the Millcreek Mall will be closing at the end of this month.

I understand the reason for this closing is that McDonald's built a brand new restaurant on Interchange Road.

I guess there may be a lot of children disappointed that they can no longer play in their play land. I will be curious as to what will takes its place inside the Mall as this McDonald's has been a popular spot for children for years.