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Mother and Daughter Review of Skechers

Friday, June 30, 2017



Review by: Cynthia (my mom)





"I think I got hooked on Sketchers when I first saw my 20 year old grandson wearing a red pair. They were so striking and looked so neat, and since then I have seen others with Sketchers in different colors and they seemed to call to me. Well, I finally got my own pair and I must say I love them! Mine are the Skechers D'Lites- Reinvention. The memory foam is so comfortable, the thick base keeps stones and other hard surfaces at bay. I would give Sketchers an A+. You'll see me wearing my Skechers all the time now!"




Review by: Monique ( me )




"For years I have been reviewing and wearing Skechers. I like that there are so many styles available and so many types of shoes to review- from sport, to casual to boots to sandals and so much more, that there really is a shoe for every outfit you'll wear daily with Skechers." 

"With summer here, I spend as many good days as I can getting out for a walk with Gerry. My current sandals for walking are showing and feeling wear, and I was needing more distance between my foot and the road! I had a foot injury years ago that still effects me to this day as well as arthritis in my foot so good shoes are important when walking. The sandals I chose to review were the Reggae-KookySoft web fabric upper in a strappy river style sandal with stitching accents, quick closure and supportive comfort midsole- that were great for walking, and also quite fashionable!"





SKECHERS is an award-winning global leader in the lifestyle footwear industry, designs, develops and markets lifestyle footwear that appeals to trend-savvy men, women and children.

Getting Back The #Money You Deserve From #Debtors

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Are you a landlord struggling to deal with tenants who are refusing to pay rent? Have you leant your services to a customer that is refusing to pay up? Whatever the situation may be, owing debt from someone is never fun. Whilst you may feel you have all the power, there are actually a great number of laws protecting those in debt that can make it quite difficult to get money back from someone that is being stubborn or ignoring your calls. For those struggling with debtors, here are the steps that you should take.

Get on the phone

Your first course of action, if you have a phone number, should be to ring up your debtor. Don’t come at them ranting and raving as this could be ground for harassment. Similarly, ring them at a sensible time that they’re likely to pick up at. Be short and sweet about how the debt needs to be paid and try to negotiate a way of getting them to pay it up. Follow up with phone calls until they have paid. If they continue to ignore your calls, refuse to pay up or say they will pay up but don’t, you can take things one step further.

Send letters

Often it’s legally required to give proof of the debt in writing. Sending letters to the debtor’s residence is one way to do this. Continue to ring them up whilst sending letters. If they keep ignoring, don’t worry – you will be able to take things up a notch. Feel free to personally deliver the letter, but act calmly and respectfully. Save copies of every letter as they may be needed later as legal proof.

Hire a collection agency

There are plenty of debt collection agencies out there that can call up and send letters for you. They know the professional tone to take and all the legalities involved, and their official presence could help to show the debtor that you mean business. If they continue to ignore, a debt collection agency then has the rights to knock on their door and retrieve the debt by seizing items. Be prepared to not get all the money you hoped for – an agency may be required to take a percentage of the money won.

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Get legal help

Debt attorneys may be required to file a lawsuit against a debtor, or help defend against a debtor that has also sought legal help. At this stage, things can get ugly, but so long as you have followed all the previous steps and have kept proof of the debt, things should run in your favour. The case may go to court, so be prepared to give evidence.

Don’t harass the people owing you money

The number one tip along the way is to stay calm and courteous. Harass the debtor and they may respond more defensively or deliberately make life harder for you to get back your money. Nine times out of ten, a debt can be paid off without having to get lawyers and agencies involved simply by peacefully negotiating an agreement.

4 Ways to Track Your #Finances

Whether you run a business or you just want to keep better track of where your money is going every month, keeping track of your finances is so important. The problem is that many people start off with a commitment to keep track of their spending but they gradually lose this discipline over time.



Well, in this blog, we will cover four different methods of tracking your finances to see if any suit you. When running a business, you may want to develop your financial skills with an online accounting MBA as this can give you an entrepreneurial edge. You may have tried one of these before, in which case it might be time to try one of the other methods so that you enjoy more success.

Excel Spreadsheet

If you are an Excel expert then keeping track of your finances on a spreadsheet may be the right option for you. Even if you are not too well-versed in this method, there are plenty of pre-made templates there to help you out. On the positive side of things, you have all your finances displayed on one page which gives you a great overview of everything. This way, you can easily see what you are spending and what you can potentially cut back on. However, you do have to remember to manually input the figures on a regular basis.

Handwritten

Some people think that the handwritten approach works best for them, particularly if they are not the most computer literate people in the world. You can also always carry your budget around with you in notebook form or just on a piece of paper. The act of writing everything down physically really does imprint every expense in your mind, but the obvious disadvantage is that this is a laborious process which can feel outdated in the digital age.

Online Budget Tracker

There are plenty of online budget tracker apps out there like Mint, allowing you to connect all your cards up with the service so you can let it keep track of your spending. You can place all your outgoings into categories so you can tell where your money is going every month. Though this is a very convenient option, it does remove you from the budgeting process somewhat so you don’t really notice where your money is going so much.

Smartphone App



There are new budget tracking apps coming out all the time so you really can take your pick, experiment and work out which one works best for you. People always carry their smartphones with them, meaning that you always have your budget to hand as well. You can enter your expenses in real time and categorize everything, setting limits on what you should be spending. Though you will probably never get one that is entirely perfect for your needs, they are improving all the time and you will be able to find one that completes most of the tasks that you want it to.  

Buy Your Dream #Property Without Getting Ripped Off With These Helpful #Tips

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Let's face it, buying a house is a pretty expensive proposition. That's hardly going to come as much of a surprise to anyone. After all, buying a house is probably the most expensive thing that most people will do during their lifetime. However, just because you're probably going to end up spending a lot of money on a property, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try and get the best possible deal. This is especially important because it's surprisingly easy to end up getting ripped off when you're putting money down on a new home. Far too many people have found that trying to buy a house brings up a lot of opportunities for them to lose out on some pretty serious sums of money. Rather than allowing that to happen, here are some things that you can do to make sure that you don't end up getting ripped off.

Don't let real estate agents baffle you with jargon

Real estate agents are often extremely charming and friendly. You feel as though they have your best interests at heart, and there's a pretty good chance that they do. But in the end, it's their job to try and sell you a house, and they will say whatever they need to in order to get you to do that. Sure, when it comes to real estate, there are always going to be agents who will work hard to get you the best deal possible. However, there are also going to be those who will try to baffle you with complex jargon in order to make a house seem like a better deal than it is. If it seems like an agent is trying to confuse you in regards to the price of a property, confront them and demand that they talk to you straight about what it's actually going to cost you.

Have it inspected

Unless you have some kind of expertise in the construction of houses, you're probably not going to be able to spot any structural issues with a home outside of incredibly obvious ones. This is why it's incredibly important that you have an independent survey done of the property. Not only can that help you determine its value, but it can also help you to avoid buying a house that then requires huge amounts of money to actually make it livable in the first place.

Do your research

You should also make sure that you're doing as much research as possible into the surrounding area. If a house is a certain price, check if that's consistent with the rest of the houses in the area. There are plenty of places to find out how much houses have sold for in the past. You should also find out why a house is the price that it is. If it seems like it's an incredibly good deal, then look into that. It could be because it's in a rough neighborhood or it could be because of the degree of maintenance that needs doing on it. It might sound drastic, but it's important that, when you're buying a house, you stay suspicious of absolutely everything about it until proven otherwise.

The Ultimate #Gift Guide For Those Hard-To-Buy-For Relatives

Tuesday, June 27, 2017


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We all have those relatives - you know the ones; they are the ones who you never know what type of gift to get them when it’s their birthday or at Christmas. There are lots of different reasons why they might be difficult to buy for - perhaps they already have everything they want, or maybe the two of you just don’t have anything in common so you can’t even begin to imagine what to buy them!

But worry not; there’s no need to scratch your head and spend ages trying to figure out what to buy anyone ever again. Not now that you have this ultimate guide for all those hard-to-buy-for relatives in your life!

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Your Partner

Even though you may know your partner better than anyone else, there can still be times when you find that you are completely stuck for present ideas. This is especially the case if your partner hasn’t given you any indication of what type of gift they might like. Have you asked yours but haven’t had a straight answer yet? No problem, there are lots of suitable gifts for men who have everything. For instance, how about a golf break? If your man loves practicing his swing out on the golf course, you might want to buy him a weekend away at a popular golf hotel. Lots of specialist golf hotels offer golfing experiences that include various golfing-related activities. Other great ideas for gifts for men who seem to have everything are things like food tours of your favorite city or sailing experiences.

Your Mother-In-Law

Lots of people still feel like they need to impress their mothers-in-law even when they have been part of the family for a few years. So, there is no wonder that many people try and find a very fancy and sophisticated gift for their mother-in-law. As a result of the high standards we put on ourselves, it can often be difficult to find a gift that lives up to these expectations. Getting her a weekend away will certainly go down very well. Where you send her will certainly depend on her tastes and preferences. If she would prefer a relaxing break, you could send her to an all-inclusive spa hotel. Looking for something a little more adventurous? Well, how about an activity weekend. There are lots of ranches that provide horse riding opportunities, or she may prefer to go on a hiking weekend.

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Your Sibling

Siblings can also be very difficult to buy for, especially if you don’t live too close to them and rarely see them these days. If you only ever see each other at family gatherings, then you might feel like you don’t really know them as well as you did when you were kids. So, you might be stumped when it comes to buying them a gift! But buying for your sibling doesn’t have to be so difficult. One great option is to get something with nostalgia value that might remind them of your childhood together. How about a photo album filled with lots of photos of the two of you together? You could include images from your childhood as well some newer ones. If you both had a favorite toy when you were children, you should see if you can buy a similar one now. That’s a fun idea for a gift that will hold a lot of sentimental value.

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Great Aunts And Uncles

It can be very difficult thinking of a gift to buy relatives who belong to a different generation than us. If your great aunts and uncles are still with us, they can be particularly difficult to buy for as you will need to find a gift that is practical for them if they are particularly frail or elderly. Why not get them a pretty bunch of flowers? Flowers never fail to put a smile on people’s faces! If your great aunt or uncle doesn’t have any serious dietary requirements, then you will also be able to buy them a box of delicious chocolates. Even if they suffer from diabetes, they can still enjoy chocolate. Just make sure it is suitable for diabetics!

Sometimes, buying gifts for relatives can be a very tricky business. But, hopefully, this blog post and ultimate gift guide should have given you some great inspiration next time Christmas or a relative’s birthday rolls around. Still stuck for ideas? Try Googling to find some more gift guides online. There is lots of inspiration out there - you just need to know where to find it!

A Bit of Work and a Bit of Money- But Done

Monday, June 19, 2017

You may have remembered our June 15th post, where I mentioned we were bottoming out every time we came into the driveway in the back with the RV. It was a problem that had to be fixed.



Gerry was able to call a neighbor with a bob cat and get a hole dug to take out the mixture of dirt that was in there. Dirt that was causing us to sink into the back driveway with the RV- especially since our lot is built in a muskeg area.
Once dug, he ordered 5 yards of limestone chips-for $110, filled that in, but seemed to be still sinking. So used the dirt that was pulled out and used it as a topper to seal the limestone chips.


He also used another neighbor's compactor to pack it.
So end result: we have a back driveway that will allow us to drive the RV in and out without sinking.



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Kind Deeds By People Who Have Won the #Lottery

Winning lottery is a dream for most of the people, but some have the extraordinary luck to win it. Just imagine suddenly you can afford the entire luxurious thing you want. Most of the lottery winners spend the money only for themselves and their loved ones. But there is a rare breed of winners, who share their winnings for the betterment of the world. The kind-hearted people donate their money for the improvement of society, supporting local sports and for other good deeds.


Who are these modern saints? There are lots of incredible stories and some of them are given below –



Story of Roy Cockrum

Roy Cockrum won 259 million dollars, was the biggest amount won by anyone in the Tennessee lottery history. But he didn’t spend all of these for himself only. He took care of his old parents and gave the rest of the money to create a better world. He founded Roy Cockrum Foundation. It is a non-profit organisation for helping nonprofit theaters. The total money went to the New York City Godman Theatre. Cockrum is famous for his good deeds.

Colin and Chris Weir

This lovely couple won a gigantic 161 million pounds in a jackpot. They are known for helping a young teenager who lost his leg to cancer by donating him a new prosthetic limb. They helped a lot of athletic improvement projects and extended their helping hand for the refurbishment of a historic paddle steamer. The couple also used their money to help a young Scottish Tennis player for his professional training.

Jim Dancy

Jim Dancy won $10,000 in the Michigan Lottery Club Keno game. Though the money was little in comparison to the other lottery winners, he was influenced by his close freeing Julie and decided to give away all his winning money to the people who need it more than him. He donated the amount to the Greater Kalamazoo United Way, and in this way, he took a step to make the world a better place. In an interview, he said that it was the ‘best day’ of his life.

Anonymous Donor

In 2011, the pastor of the Maryland Church was astounded to find a lottery ticket of amount $30,000 in the collection plate. That time the Church was going through some financial crisis, and the sum helped them a lot. Another Church Georgia also received $80,000 in the same way after they got burglarized. Maybe it was the God’s helping hand.

Les Robins

Les Robins, a junior high school teacher, won a huge amount of $111 million Powerball Jackpot in the year 1993. After winning the money, he created Camp Winnegator, a day camp near the waterfront home of Robins with 226 acres area. Riding tables, gym, pool, golf course and many other fun activities are there in the camp. Kids between 6 to 16 love to hang out here during the summer. 

Bob Erb

A lottery winner can easily leave a good tip for a restaurant. But the story of Bob Erb was different. He paid $10,000 for a burger and fries and told the restaurant owner to keep it because his daughter had cancer. The first thing he did after winning $25 million was to donate $1 million to 420 Day, an annual event advocating marijuana legislation. Erb also rewarded $20,000 to each of the employees of the gas station from where he bought the lottery ticket and also donated money to a school.

Hilda Floyd

Hilda Floyd won $1 million in the Idaho Lottery’s Million Dollar Raffle. From the very moment she purchased the ticket, she promised that if she had won it, then she didn’t spend it for her luxurious. She kept her promise and donated 90 percent of the winning amount to charities and churches. She claimed that spending for her own needs would not make her as happy as helping others did. She was an inspiration to many other people.

Ray & Barbara Wragg

In January 2010 the senior couple won the lotto jackpot of $11.8 million. In December they donate the majority of the money to the needy people. It is quite interesting that the couples didn’t stop playing lotteries so that they won again and could give all away to make people happier. 

For all those who are new to Powerball, getting to know the game can be interesting. A person needs to pick five numbers from a chosen set of numbers. Over the years, the odds of winning the game has greatly been increased which is drawing big attention from the players. Thus, winning Powerball numbers is not as difficult today as it was a few years back. You need to ensure that you pick a reputed and recognized Powerball operator to make sure that the game is fair and your money is secured.

Happy Father's Day!

Sunday, June 18, 2017



You Know What They Say

Thursday, June 15, 2017

You know what they say- "every time you move it costs you money!" So true.
Well, not in the literal sense of moving- but going out.

We took a two day trip with the RV to Prince Albert, Sask. ( 5 hours south, with the RV and stops for the dog). Jakey had a dental appt. for a cleaning, (which he seems to need usually every 6 months on average- mainly due to his breed type ( Yorkie).



We were lucky he didn't need any teeth pulled this time, but with fluids, teeth cleaning, x-rays, a nail trim and flea and tick treatment, it costed a grand total of $467.73.

We did take in our recyclable bottles and cans towards the gas- which now the recycling center also takes milk jug so that is a bonus! Got $45 for those.

Gas there and back was $290 ( cheaper Gerry feels than if we would have towed the SUV and we didn't)..but saved us on the hotel. ( Also $48 to register the RV for 8 day minimum). We parked in the Super 8 parking lot- (we asked- so no fees for camping for us!), and also used their free Wi-Fi! We figure it still was about $80 more than if we would have just took the SUV and stayed in a hotel. But nice to have our home and own bathroom on wheels! 


Got myself a "new to me" computer monitor for $12.99 at a thrift store- but realized when we came home we don't have a cord for it- so we'll have to look for one of those here. ( I'm just using a small TV monitor right now). If this works okay.. I'll have saved myself at least $100!

While traveling we also noticed a leak in one of the toilet valves ( which we figure happens form rough roads) so had to get a part for that- $90! Plus caulking for the roof- another $20+.With a stop at grocery store, and buying some clothes.. it was at least a $1,000+ trip. I did save $20 on lunch at Montana's though with Scene reward points!

Coming home, we made a stop off the road, and the tire pressure monitor system was beeping. Gerry checked and the extension valve had rubbed against the tire enough to start a leak, so he was lucky he all the tools, etc he needed and in a gravel pit, so was able to fix that- a delay that costed us a later arrival home of an extra hour, but we made it home! 

All I can say is I'm so glad Gerry is so handy- he can fix everything! He even helped some sales clerks at one store, who were struggling with bending a clothing rack! They were most grateful.


Our backyard is very soft, and it's where we park the RV.We noticed this once again when pulling into the back yard last night. We were talking and will have to come up with something that is cost effective to fix it, as at times it can make it difficult to get in and our of the back yard with the RV.






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Grand American Adventures Highlights #Colorado

Wednesday, June 14, 2017


The great state of Colorado in Western USA is a place that is famed for its stunning and incredibly diverse landscape. Here you will find the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, river canyons, rolling hills, desert, thick forest and plenty more. It is for this reason that it is such a popular tourist destination and each year people flock to escape to nature and see these amazing sights for themselves. Although it is possible to see these areas by yourself, many find it easiest to explore Colorado’s natural highlights by booking on an adventure holiday with companies like Grand American Adventures.

There are many highlights to see in Colorado, but here are a few of the best natural wonders:

Rocky Mountain National Park

Top of this list is this mesmerizing National Park in northern Colorado. It is one of the most visited parks in the world, yet due to its size it can still feel like you are completely alone. Here you are treated to dense forests, alpine lakes, meadows and dramatic mountain peaks, which can be explored either on foot, but many people also come for horseback riding, camping, fishing, climbing and other fun activities.

Garden of the Gods

An awe-inspiring sight, the Garden of the Gods is a registered National Natural Landmark found in Colorado Springs. It consists of towering sandstone rock formations that soar up to 300 foot into the sky - these contrast beautifully against the snow-capped mountains and bright blue sky behind. The public park features 15 miles of trails, allowing you to get right up close to the gigantic structures and explore the unique surroundings.

Pikes Peak

One of the legendary “fourteeners” (mountains reaching over 14,000 feet) - this is one of the most famous and popular mountains in the entire world found in Pike National Forest. Fortunately, it is easy to reach the summit as you can drive right to the top or take the scenic railway which takes around three hours. Prepare yourself for astonishing views from 14,115 feet!

Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
Found in central Colorado in the Elk Mountains, in this impressive 181,535-acre area you will find the world-famous Maroon Bells twin peaks which are regarded as one of the most photographed landscapes in the States. You will find plenty more photograph opportunities with the alpine forests, meadows, high alpine lakes and wildlife spotting opportunities.

Colorado is, unquestionably, one of the most beautiful states in America due to its remarkable scenery. These are just a few of the highlights, but there are many more just waiting to be uncovered.

4 Things You Think You Understand About #Money But You Really Don't

Monday, June 12, 2017

Money is a strange thing. It's something that we all deal with daily in one form or another. But few of us are actually experts on it. Which is kind of silly really because then we have to pay people like accountants and financial advisers to get advice on what to do with it! But most people don't even do that. In fact, most folks are so unaware of how little they know about handling their own finances that they believe they are dealing with their money it the right way.  When in reality nothing could be further than the truth.
How to budget
One area in which folks think they know what they are doing, but often don't is budgeting. It's the kind of thing that we see as a pretty basic skill. Yet so many of us get this wrong every month.
In particular, not budgeting for everything that you need realistically is something that a lot of folks are guilty of. It's easy to write down all of the basics like food, rent, and electricity, and then forget all about bits and bob that seem more frivolous like toiletries, that new suit you wanted for work or some car polish for your wheels.

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But the thing with budgeting is that it needs to be authentic. That is that it reflects everything that you will buy and that you can't do without.

For example, you may need that suit for an important meeting at work. It's not an essential regarding your life won't end if you don't have it, but also there is a good chance you will buy it this month. That means leaving out of the budget just because it isn't essential, is unrealistic and it will throw your figures off. Meaning you can easily lose track of your budget and get into debt.

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A more realistic budget would include the suit, and may even include adjustments to other things that will help offset the costs of it. Budgeting in this way, you will have a true representation of where your finances are.
Then you will be able to make other financial judgments that are beneficial. Not one that is based on a skewed view of what is happening. Something that can go on to lead to a spiral of financial problems.
How to consolidate your loans

Something else that folks think they understand well and don't is how to consolidate their debts properly.
Debt validation is a term for the activity of paying off multiple debts with a single loan. The idea is that one debt is more easy to keep track than lots of loans. So then you don't miss payments and end up incurring late charges. It is also designed so that the single payment will be more affordable for you. Freeing up more money that can be included in your everyday, monthly budget and so increase your quality of life.
However, the biggest mistake here is that some folks don't do their research before they agree to a consolidation loan. They use the first company that they come across on the internet without doing their due diligence, and that can lead to problems.
It can mean that instead of finding a reliable company, they end up signing up with an unreliable one. One that can change the interest rate on the loan willy nilly. Or one that has a poor customer service rating. An issue that always makes dealing with the financial issue even harder than it already is.

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The key here is to know who you are signing up with and exactly what you are signing up for. Read the information that each company provides you, including the small print, and all online reviews of the service that customer like yourself have received. Then you can be sure that you are picking the best one.
How to save on shopping
Most folks think that they are clever if they go for the buy one get one free deal when shopping. They think they are saving money this way. But nothing could be further than the truth.

In fact, it's just a clever psychological ploy to sell you things that you think are reducing the cost of your shopping. While all it is actually doing is convincing you to purchase products that aren't on your list and that you don't really need.

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Shopping the offers only works if you need that product anyway. Otherwise, It's just a waste of time and money. In fact, there are much better ways of being frugal with your shopping.

One of those is to never go food shopping when you are hungry. This is because it's so much easier to get distracted by all of the delicious treats that are on display at the supermarket when you are feeling peckish.
It can also help you to save money if you plan your meals in advance and take the list with you. Then you only end up going down the aisles which the ingredients you need are in. Hopefully missing out the more tempting but nonessential products that can raise your bill.

Or even better why not order your shopping online and get it delivered? This is the most extreme way of ensuring that you only get what is on your list. If you can get a regular payment deal on the delivery charges as well, it can end up saving you a fair bit of money off your weekly shop.
How to increase your wealth
Lastly, most people are under the belief that they know how to increase their wealth and economic value. But is this really the case?
If you needed to double your wealth in the next ten years, could you do it? Well, most people would say yes, and promptly look for a promotion or a new job. But what if that wasn't part of the mix?
In fact, there are ways of increasing your wealth and that have nothing to do with employment and working in the traditional sense of the word. These include being savvy with your savings and looking for the highest interest rate, giving you the best return.

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Or it could include taking some of your capital and investing it in things like property or stock and shares that you hope would increase in value over time.
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