Pandora

A coworker of mine recently suggested pandora.com to me. It's a cool idea and I wanted to pass it along and suggest you give it a try.

It's a free internet radio station that lets you put in your favorite artist (or artists) and it will automatically generate songs by that artist and others in that genre. I really like it and I have already heard some new music and artists that I like. Plus, you can tell it songs you like and don't like and that helps it to know even more specifically what you like.

Tell me what you think about it if you try it! :)

Catching up!

Sorry for the lack of posting lately! I'll do a little catching up for you.

Recently it has warmed up considerably and we have had some beautiful weather. If I haven't mentioned it before, on a clear day it is absolutely stunning- with great views of the Olympic Mountains and water inlets all around. Plus you can see Mount Rainier in the distance, which is over 14,000 feet. I wish I had a picture to share with you... I'll try to get one in the next few weeks and post it.

This past weekend Joe and I went to a local Destruction Derby, where people fix up junk cars so they run, and then remove the glass. They race them and then at the end they all run into each other to try and be the last car still working. It was fun!

We also watched 3 movies- Dan in Real Life, Bella, and Memoirs of a Geisha. I enjoyed Dan in Real Life mostly because of Steve Carell from the Office (one of my fave shows). Bella was recommended by my friends Joel and Elena. This movie is very understated and has a good message, but overall I thought it was just OK (sorry Elena! We can see why you liked it!) My favorite of the bunch was Memoirs of a Geisha, which totally drew me in. Maybe it's because it reminded me of our trip to Japan.

Hope you feel a little more "in the know." Will try to get some more pictures on here soon!

Giving back

Thanks for reading my blog!



So far I am really enjoying it and welcome your comments (please leave me a comment to let me know what you think!)



Since this is sort of like my own webpage, I added a new sidebar which shows some of the missions, organizations and nonprofits that Joe and I support. Truthfully, the more I learn about and become involved with these nonprofits, the more I love them.



I share about this not because I'm trying to recruit anyone, but just because it has been a true joy to give to and be a part of what these organizations are doing. And I really believe that people often want an opportunity to be a part of something meaningful that gives to others.



I volunteered at the Voice of the Martyrs office several times during Christmas break (a Christian organization with headquarters in Bartlesville, Oklahoma!), and it was a wonderful opportunity to learn how they are serving the persecuted church worldwide. It also reminded me how thankful I am to have freedom of religion and the ability to worship Jesus without fear of what might happen to me or my family.



Also, a student that I knew from when I was a campus minister at Connecticut College had a link on his Facebook site about Kiva.org. Kiva is a really awesome tool that allows you to loan money to a business owner in the developing world. You can review profiles and requests and contribute as little as $25, which gets pooled with other lenders to provide a loan for a specific business purpose. When the loan is repaid, you can then choose to loan again or withdraw the funds. Joe really enjoys Kiva because it is personal- you can see the profile of who you are loaning to and what they need the money for. Plus, people who participate can use the same contribution to lend to possibly 5, 10, or even more different business owners over time. I love that!



I know MANY people are skeptical about nonprofits, and I think that healthy skepticism is a good thing. However, I think unfortunately it often prevents people from giving at all- and giving not only provides something needed to the receiver, but a blessing to the giver as well. I check to make sure that the organization is being audited by someone recognizable- like the ECFA for Christian organizations.

Aimee's Bargain Shopping Adventures, part 2

Ooh, my second post about bargain shopping. I know you are so excited to read this, so I'll keep it brief.

Proud Moment #1- My trip to Walgreens to redeem my $20 in Register Rewards (which are spent like cash in the store). I calculated so I would spend very little out of pocket on this trip. The total came to $20.75. So I owed 75 cents and paid with a dollar coin. The manager looked at me and said, "I've never had anyone pay for their purchase with just one coin before."

Proud Moment #2- My recent trip to the commissary (military grocery store). When ringing up my purchases the cashier complimented me on what good coupons I had. (I had 4 coupons totaling $4.50 in savings.)

I'm looking forward to more proud frugal moments in the future.

back to my newspaper days!

I've been working in the Children of the Nations (COTN) office for a few weeks now. So far, I have really enjoyed being part of the Communications Department because it is an opportunity to learn about and share what God is doing through the organization.

Last week I worked on a staff profile and feature story that are now posted on the COTN website. And more stories are in development! :)

It brought me back to my high school days, for the three years I worked on the newspaper. Although I still get intimidated interviewing people (even when they're nice), I enjoy the challenge of writing and telling a story.

Aimee's Bargain Shopping Adventures, part 1

I recently became interested in bargain shopping... and I wanted to share some of my excitement over a recent trip. Through finding the Money Saving Mom blog, I learned about how you can get great deals and items for free after rebate at Walgreens.

This week I found out about a deal where you purchase 9 Proctor & Gamble items and receive $20 in Register Rewards (which you can use like cash on your next purchase.) So, I purchased 9 items totaling about $24 after coupons- and got the $20 Register Rewards.

This is basically the equivalent of purchasing $44 worth of stuff for $24! I have to say, it made my day! The other picture is of 3 of the items I got for free after rebate this month. :)

Plus, Joe and I won a $20 gas gift card today just for filling out a survey about the Navy housing we live in. So Monday was a good day for saving money!

my Navy man!

I wanted to share this recent picture of Joe in his dress uniform. I'm very proud of him- he earned many new ribbons and was advanced to Second Class Petty Officer during the last deployment.

Sue's visit & Vancouver, Washington

Joe's mom, Sue, has been visiting us the past week and we've been getting out more than usual to show her around.

We enjoyed visiting some nearby state parks on the water, a rainy day trip to Seattle, eating out at excellent restaurants Silver City and the Boat Shed, watching movies and playing Monopoly and Sequence. Also, on Friday we drove down to Vancouver, Washington (just on the border with Oregon) so Sue could meet up with her brother for a day. Joe and I took the opportunity to relax and sightsee a little.

We started our day by going to Fort Vancouver. The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed getting a glimpse into life in the 1800s. I especially liked the pulley system to help them draw water out of the well, the bell tower, and the jail.

Later that night we enjoyed an improv comedy show in Portland, Oregon which turned out to be pretty good! Plus we had the opportunity to eat at Chipotle Mexican Grill which I almost never pass up.

Hope you enjoy these pictures- mostly of our visit to Fort Vancouver (and the jail there), the shadow picture and one of me on Joe's shoulders were taken at Fay Bainbridge State Park.