Hubby’s brother’s wife had a baby girl a couple of days ago. It had some problems and is still in the hospital, but should get to come home soon. Pumpkin is so excited about it and can’t wait to see her.

Two of my other brothers-in-law have little ones on the way as well. It looks like I’m going to have to do some baby shopping, huh? The Nest Baby Shop is a great place to buy baby gifts. They have lots of cute personalized items. I just love the personalized pacifiers!

There’s even a large selection of gifts under $25. And with all those babies to buy for, I definitely need to be frugal! They also have gifts for the new mom, siblings, and baby shower items. If you know someone who is expecting, do check them out.

I had to take Pumpkin back to the doctor yesterday. They gave her some different antibiotics. This morning we sent her back to school. She still isn’t feeling very well, but the doctor said she could go back today.

We took her out to eat after school in hopes that she would actually eat a little. And she did just that- eat a little. I want so badly for her to get back to her old self. If I could take the sickness away from her, I would do it in a heartbeat.

Video sharing is one of my favorite things about Web 2.0. I don’t get the time to seek out videos online very often, but every time I do I find something that makes me laugh.

It’s not just web users that are getting in on the act. Web marketers are realizing the value of a good viral video. For example, I’ve never played backgammon in my life. I don’t know the first thing about it. But BackgammonMasters.com has got my attention thanks to a video of their new animated mascot, Jean Claude the tiger.

Jean Claude is the star of a five part video series to promote the backgammon site, and he’s one cool cat. Viewers can win prizes for answering trivia questions after watching the videos, and are offered rewards for script ideas. You’ve just gotta love Jean Claude- he’s got style, attitude, and a used car empire. I can’t wait to see the rest of his videos. Below is the press release… read all about it!

http://www.BackgammonMasters.com is using a ground-breaking and original approach to promote and establish their skill game software in the online game market. Introducing the #1 Player at BackgammonMasters, Jean-Claude the animated tiger. BackgammonMasters creates a new dimension in online backgammon branding in their 5 part interactive animation series titled ‘Life According to Jean-Claude’. Jean Claude - Backgammon Masters Animated Tiger Movie BackgammonMasters brought this character to in a well-designed and cleverly scripted effort to illustrate to a wide audience the appeal of backgammon as a skill game truly loved and played by all people, from all walks of life from around the world. Jean Claude is BackgammonMasters’ pioneering mascot who is setting a new standard in online game entertainment. Viewers win prizes for trivia questions after viewing, and are offered rewards for suggestion any script ideas used. Clips can be easily forwarded to friends who will create the viral marketing buzz that only a character like Jean-Claude is capable of generating. “BackgammonMasters creates a new dimension in online backgammon branding in their 5 part interactive animation series titled ‘Life According to Jean-Claude’.” In the series we are exposed to a hilarious explanation and comparison by Jean-Claude of how to succeed at everything from playing backgammon to chopping onions, to fulfilling ones dreams and make important life choices. In the opening clip we, find Jean-Claude, a tiger, humoristic, mafia type, dressed in 70’s clothes (bell-bottoms and cream-colored shoes, a button-up shirt with a dice print and a large dollar sign chain around his neck) sitting in his trailer in the used junk car lot he manages. No, he doesn’t feel pathetic or sad amidst the junk, on the contrary. He is full of street smarts obtained during his many years in the University of Life. BackgammonMasters has maintained a high profile in the news lately not only because of Jean-Claude, they also recently launched a 3-in-1 game lobby offering games such as Backgammon, Poker and Perudo (Liar’s Dice), all in one download. To get a sneak peak at the animations go to: http://www.backgammonmasters.com/jc.html To download the BackgammonMasters 3-in-1 free software go to: www.backgammonmasters.com Report by Gammonish.com - online backgammon resource for news and information. To learn more about the backgammon game and online backgammon rules visit http://www.gammonish.com.

Pumpkin is sick again. I was so hoping that we were done with this now that the cold weather is starting to break. But no such luck.

She was fine Wednesday when she went to bed, other than a slight cough that she had had for a couple of days and I had attributed to allergies. But about 4:00 on Thursday morning, she woke us up saying that she had a headache. She got in bed with us, then decided that she would rather lay on the couch. She ended up vomiting a couple of times. Hubby’s mom watched her while I worked, and I made an appointment to take her to the doctor after work.

I felt sure she had this awful stomach bug that has been going around. But the doc said it was strep, and gave her antibiotics. I stayed home from work with her on Friday, and already had the weekend off anyway. She’s still feeling pretty bad. If she’s not doing much better by tomorrow evening, I’m taking her back to the doctor on Monday.

I hadn’t even heard that strep was going around. But her teacher’s assistant called on Friday to check on her, and when I told her what was wrong she said that a lot of kids had had it. In a way I’m glad it was strep instead of the stomach bug, because I’ve heard some pretty bad horror stories about that one. I’ll just be so relieved when she gets all better.

When I was younger I didn’t mind it, but these days I just can’t stand to feel like I’m running around like a chicken with its head cut off. And for the past few days, that’s exactly what I’ve felt like.

Yesterday in particular was a doozy. I worked a full day, picked up Pumpkin from school, took her to Hubby’s parents’ house, then went back to work for a meeting. That lasted an hour and a half. As soon as that was over we had to take Pumpkin to basketball practice. When that was over, I picked up some dinner and headed home. I scarfed down my meal, then gave Pumpkin a bath and put her to bed, somehow managing to wash and dry two small loads of clothes in between. Then I took a shower and hit the hay.

I know plenty of people who live life like that every day. But I prefer to do things at a slightly slower pace. Maybe it’s just old age.

Easter is coming up. Are you ready for it?

Of course you need to get Easter baskets for the kids, but have you thought about the other people who are special to you? Parents, brothers and sisters, friends… Wouldn’t it be nice to send them an Easter surprise?

GourmetGiftBaskets.com has some scrumptious Easter gifts that you can send to anyone you choose. They have a variety of themes, including an Easter breakfast basket and a chocolate gift basket that’s to die for. Best of all, they will let you put anything you want into a basket so that it is tailor-made to suit the recipient.

If you want to send someone a special Easter gift, see what GourmetGiftBaskets.com has to offer. You’re sure to find something that’s just right.

For any Spongebob Squarepants fans out there, there is an “Ain’t Patrick’s Day” Spongebob marathon on Nicktoons today. Those of you who are not Spongebob fans but have kids who are might want to keep those youngsters away from the TV today.

Pumpkin absolutely loves Spongebob. I kind of like him myself, but all day is a little much for me to watch, or even hear in the background. I guess I’m going to have to find something to do with Pumpkin away from the house later on to save myself from it.

I love leather furniture. I saw a leather sectional at the furniture store a couple of weeks ago that would have been so perfect for our living room. But even if I could have afforded it, I probably would have passed. I have a hard enough time keeping the couch I have now clean and looking good, so leather would be quite a challenge.

Those of you with leather furniture know the importance of having the right leather cleaning products. You can find anything you need for leather cleaning and repair at Metro Guardian. They have commercial-grade leather cleaners, conditioners, and repair kits to keep your leather furnishings looking great. They also have some innovative products to protect and clean your upholstered furniture, if you haven’t been brave enough to indulge in leather.

Maybe one day I will have some nice leather furniture. If it happens before Pumpkin goes to college, I will definitely have to have a cabinet full of nothing but leather cleaners, protectors, and repair kits.

I had a rough time getting Pumpkin ready for her basketball game this morning. She wanted to wear her hair a certain way that would not hold up well during the game, wear jewelry, and such… just being difficult in general. She asked me why I had signed her up for basketball, and I reminded her that she had said that she wanted to play.

I got her to the game, and she wanted to stay right by my side. The coach asked her to play one quarter, but she refused. She didn’t want to play the last quarter either, but I told her she needed to get out there and do her part. So she got out there on the court, but she just wouldn’t pay attention or anything.

We had a little talk about it. She said she just wasn’t good at basketball. I know she could do much better than she is if she would just pay attention and try. But it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. I’m thinking about taking her out of t-ball as well, because if she isn’t even going to try it seems like a waste of time and money. And we don’t have much time or money to waste right now.

I signed her up for basketball because she seemed interested in it, and I thought it would help her gain self-esteem and learn about teamwork while having a good time. But I’m just not seeing those kinds of results. Advice, anyone?

If you are without insurance but need prescription medication, you know how expensive it can get. Health insurance can be expensive, especially if you have preexisting conditions. So how can you save money on the medicines you need?

You could get a free prescription drug card that will give you discounts on your meds. You can get one at YourRxCard.com that will save you up to 75% off of all FDA approved prescription drugs.

Anyone can get the discount card, so if you or someone you love needs help paying for their prescriptions you have nothing to lose by signing up. You can print a card straight from the website, so there’s no waiting for it to arrive in the mail. You can start using it immediately.