Mom Life in the PNW

Caught Me Some Clams for Clam Chowder!

I went clamming for the first time in my life down in Coos Bay, Oregon. The drive is a little far, but its a FREE place to stay and I am all about the frugal living if you haven’t gathered that by now. Once I started getting the hang of it, I enjoyed it… but apparently you’re not supposed to crack the shells, or at least try not to. Let’s say about 1/3 were cracked by me, at least the big ones were. The razor clams were a little bit more tricky to get to and get out since they can move and bury their selves deeper into the sand. Those tricky little bastards! So we didn’t get our limit on those ones, but I think we did well overall since we all got about 8 or 9 each.

The worst part about it, is their neck or breathing tube, whatever you want to call it (reminds me of a nasty looking elephant penis)… and cleaning them. Oh god the cleaning is so nasty. I just stood there for a good 20 minutes allowing the men to do 4 buckets full of clams, but they weren’t going to let me gawk for very much longer. I did not want to squeeze their poop sacs or cut them open and remove the tendons from the shell. I will tell you this, its a lot easier to get the meat out of these clams than it is crab. Not sure if i like the taste as much but we have about 3, 1lb bags I can use for clam chowder.

I love me some clam chowder, so I guess it was all worth it in the end.

Next time, I’ll catch em and the men can clean em.

1609907_756217604422262_606489263946417178_n

My husband all elbow deep

10 Shopping Sites to Score Amazing Deals!

10 Shopping Sites to Score Amazing Deals!

If you love saving money as much as I do, you’re going to want to check out these 10 sites listed below. I was recently asked how I find all the deals and freebies that I do. Well, I am about to tell you. I get help because there’s not enough time in the day to hunt for these deals myself and list them all here in a timely fashion. These sites make it simpler and way more efficient, which in turn makes me happy. Because they are deals, this means they are time sensitive. So if you see something listed for a price you’re willing to spend, you may want to jump on it and fast. Once it’s posted on SlickDeals, it’s availability is usually limited.

 

10 Sites for Amazing Online Deals

View Post

Unique Volcanic Grown Flowers for That Special Someone

Have you ever seen or heard of a floral service provider who actually grows their flowers on a volcano? Neither did I until I found The Bouqs. The flowers are picked and cut when you order and are shipped directly from the farm in South America, so you know these are super fresh and aren’t sitting in a warehouse somewhere slowly dying. I love that since we all know how fast some flowers can die, more specifically my favorite flower, the lily. We have them planted in our garden and they last maybe 7 days at most and then wither away. So sad since they’re so pretty.

I ended up ordering the Desperado bouquet on TheBouqs for my sister and her husband for their recent marriage, which features 12 dozen pink roses and purple dianthus flowers or similar accents for $40 with free shipping. I loved how it popped in the online catalog photo, which is why I ordered it. But when it arrived, it didn’t have the purplish colored flowers; it was mainly all pink. I think the purple is what helped make it stand out more so I was slightly disappointed there, but they’re still beautiful regardless.

10011193_10201633404791973_8826383213391978405_n

 

You can also write a personalized message for free and have it sent out with the flowers, which I did. They also give your recipient a card featuring information about the company to show how unique your flowers truly are.

1613988_10201633432392663_4289322213800884497_n

 

The flowers had little cloth bags at the end of them that were filled with water to keep them fresh and well hydrated. You could tell that they were packaged with extreme care. I can even order them ahead of time every year and save 10% when I set up the concierge. I don’t think I will ever use another flower service ever when i can send these uniquely grown and well cared for flowers from TheBouqs.

Dentists: Such Ripoffs

So I had my dental appointment early this morning at a new dentist office to get my impacted wisdom tooth looked at and the rest of my teeth since it’s been a couple years since I’ve been to the dentist for lack of insurance reasons. Apparently I need to get 3 of 4 wisdom teeth cut and removed and have a few small fillings done. I swear the dentist told me I had 2 cavities on my right side and then 1 on the left, but when I went up to the check out counter to discuss costs with the receptionist, she listed 5 cavities. Hmm, I am not sure if they’re trying to swindle me here or if the dentist made a mistake. I know what I heard was correct, but it kind of makes me weary since I know some places practice this shady nonsense to get more money out of you.

I didn’t agree to anything since apparently they’re estimating that its going to cost almost $1,000 to get 3 widsoms removed and 5 fillings, and no, that’s not total, that’s just the amount I’d pay at the time of service with insurance covering the rest. I’ve never had to pay the amount upfront before, so I found that a bit odd. And, they’re tacking on IV sedation for like $400 of that total, so I am definitely not going along with that. Honestly, I am not that nervous or scared or too worried about it really, I just want them out, so I can be over with the random infection/swelling/mild pain that comes with the 1.

Impacted-tooth

So in about 6 weeks when they get the absolute total from insurance that I would have to pay, then I can proceed or find a different dental office. I mean, I’ve already waited this long, 6 more weeks probably won’t kill me… but the bill probably will.

You can read this guys story about how Dentists Are Ripping Us Off. He went to 50 different dentists offices and all of them gave vastly different diagnoses and prices. Unfortunately it happens and he’s living proof!

6 Great Gifts for Mom at Best Buy!

6 Great Gifts for Mom at Best Buy!

Mother’s day is almost here! Have you thought about what you’re getting for mom for her special day? Although I think moms should be loved and adored everyday of the year, it’s always nice to know that you’re appreciated on at least one.

Mother’s Day happens to fall on May 11th this year, so you still have a couple weeks to find a gift if you haven’t already. And I decided to put together 6 Great Gift Ideas for Mom at Best Buy that all types of moms would probably enjoy.

GreatestMom_01

Image1

1.) Keurig Elite Single Serve Brewer (On the Go Mom):

I absolutely love my Keurig. It’s nice to have a single serve brewer that you can stick in a thermal cup and then head out the door with.  The best part is, you’re not wasting coffee, which means you’re saving money comparative to the the 12 cup brewers.

 

2.) Floor Mopping iRobot (Busy Mom):

If I had tons of wood/laminate/tile floor, I’d probably have this on my list of must haves for those times I don’t always have time to mop. I mean, who wouldn’t want their own personal robot slave?

 

3.) KitchenAid Ultra Power-Tilt Head Stand Mixer (Foodie Mom):

Although I don’t enjoy cooking too much, I think if I had one of these bad boys, I’d probably be more inclined to love cooking/baking for my family. Most of the time I am dealing with a hand mixer, which is annoying because it doesn’t always do or work the way I want it to. This would probably alleviate some of my cooking problems. One day you shall be mine KitchenAid Stand Mixer!

 

4.) Ninja Professional Blender (Entertainer Mom):

This is one of those things I absolutely feel is a must have when you have parties, BBQ’s or just random visitors. You can make delicious margaritas, soups, appetizers and much much more with this awesome blender! I can’t wait to use mine more this summer. I envision a lot of boozy slushies this summer.

 

5.) Samsung Gear 2 Smart Watch with Heart Rate Monitor (Fitness Mom):

This is one of those things that I feel like is a cool thing to have, especially if you take fitness serious and don’t like packing your phone around with you while you’re being active. Track your heart rate, take photos or videos that automatically get sent to your phone once you sync it, use blue tooth for calls, play music, watch videos and more. I don’t think it gets any better or easier than this!

 

6.) Samsung Galaxy Tab 4:  Tech Mom

I honestly don’t know what I would do without my tablet. I take this with me practically anywhere, everywhere cause wifi is the norm nowadays, which is nice, so I can stay up to date with the business aspect of this blog, social media, and family. I probably carry this thing around with me more than I do my phone, which is kind of sad. LOL

 

If none of these ideas work for you or have caught your eye, then check out the latest for the greatest mom in the Best Buy Gift Center that have a low-price guarantee and free shipping with qualified purchase . 🙂

GreatestMom_03

 

 

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free