Category Archives: Lifestyle

PC vs. iMac?

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Well, it’s that time again, time to upgrade my computer.  My current one is almost 7 years old…yes, you read correctly, 7 years old!  It’s so old, I couldn’t even download the free trial version of Photoshop! I know that nowadays, everyone seems to update their toys (phones, tablets, computers), almost on a yearly basis, but I sometimes tend to follow the train of thought “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it” (well not really, I just hate learning how to operate new electronic gadgets).  And when it comes to leaning how to operate these new gadgets, hubby is not much help. He hates it even more than I do.  Every time I need to upgrade my computer, I always come across the same question…is it finally time to make the switch?  Of course, by the “switch”, I mean from a PC to a Mac.  Let me start by saying that I love all things Apple.  I can’t live without my iPhone, everyone in my house owns one.  We also love our iPads and we listen to all our music through iTunes. As my husband says I love Apple, because all of their products are “pretty”.  As usual, he’s right.  I just love how beautiful the iMac is. But, beauty is not everything.  Every time I sit and use an iMac, after 5 minutes, I feel like I need a drink!  I don’t like the mouse, I don’t like Safari, and the “windows” all look weird to me…everything is in the wrong place!  Then hubby says  he “needs” to have a PC at home and he doesn’t like the iMac at all.  Now, I know many of you will disagree with me because you love the Macs, and that’s OK.  I think there are plenty of computers out there to fit everyone’s needs.

My new Dell...

My new Dell…

So…PC wins again.  We decided on a Dell All-in-One with a 27″ touch screen.  Well, at least it looks a bit like the iMac, but it’s still a Windows platform, which is what we’re used to.  Although of course, I think Windows 8.1 will drive me to drink too! All of those colorful boxes look very “pretty”, but it takes time getting used to.  Thank goodness there is still the desktop option.

Which do you prefer…PC or iMac???

The Blogmopolitan Quiz

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Have you ever heard of a Blogmopolitan Quiz? Well I had not, until I recently came across one a few days ago on I blog that I follow Two Thirds Hazel, (a really fun blog).  Apparently, there have been two other quizzes created prior to this one, all for us bloggers to get to know each other better, and of course, for fun too (who doesn’t love these internet quizzes?).

After finally figuring out how to complete this quiz on Photoshop (yeah, in my humble opinion, not the most user-friendly program)… here is my Blogmopolitan Quiz with some burning questions you may want answered!  Enjoy!

The Blogmopolitan Quiz 2

 You can get your own quiz to share in the fun HERE and it is also a fun link up (my first)!!!!

Beach Essentials

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Now that it’s summertime and many of us are going to the beach pretty regularly, I thought it would be helpful to come up with a list of must-haves at the beach. I always try to bring everything we might need for a long day, however I hate to carry things (like most of us), so most of these items make our trip to the beach a bit easier.

Beach Essentials Collage

1) Scout Beach Bag; www.scoutbags.com; Original Deano style $37.50, comes in a variety of colors and patterns, and monogramming is also an option. I love these bags, as they are very durable and fit an abundance of items.

2) J.Crew Open-weave trilby hat; www.jcrew.com; $32.50, much better than sunglasses by avoiding raccoon eyes while tanning!

3) Tile Beach Towel; www.landsend.com; $23.40, comes in a variety of colors, these are great, thick beach towels, which last a few years.

4) Ultra Hi-Boy 7 Position Beach Chair w/ Canopy; www.beachstore.com; $99.95, these are so practical, you can eliminate bringing a beach umbrella, one less thing to carry!

5) Hawaiian Tropic Lime Coolada After Sun Moisturizer; $7; sold at various drug stores as well as Target and Wal-Mart. I’ve been using this after sun care moisturizer for years, and my entire family loves it!

6) Igloo 28-qt Island Breeze Wheeled Cooler; www.walmart.com; $24.97, comes in others colors as well. These are great, and since it has wheels, it’s not as heavy to carry.

What are your beach must-haves?

Peacocks Everywhere

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While thinking of a topic for my first blog post, I came across some unexpected visitors, and then the idea came to me…

Imagine driving up to your house and finding four peacocks hanging out on your driveway? Well, these types of things happen, when living in Miami. On my drive every morning to my daughter’s school, we encounter plenty of peacocks, they just love hanging around in the neighborhood of Coconut Grove.  My daughter also sees them on her school campus at times. Every day we secretly wish that they would stroll down to our block, they are such beautiful birds!

During a mating session…

Having said this, when I mentioned our latest visitors to my neighbor across the street, she didn’t exactly share my opinion. She mentioned that peacocks can get very loud during the evenings, making ear-piercing sounds and keeping you from a good night’s sleep (this would definitely be a problem for me). I have actually been a witness to these sounds as I regularly take morning walks through Coconut Grove, and have been quite startled at times! They can also be very “messy”. As a matter of fact, there have been many complaints about these gorgeous birds from Coconut Grove residents. Some residents love having them around, as they are a living embodiment of Coconut Grove’s identity as a bohemian neighborhood. It’s completely natural to be driving down one of the neighborhood streets and find them smack in the middle of the road, with no intentions of moving. In my opinion, this actually helps slow down traffic, and I think it’s a benefit to the safety of pedestrians and kids, in a city that already has too many drivers speeding. However, many other residents complain that aside from the noise, they peck their cars, and poop all over their pools, driveways and porches.

On a nearby neighbor’s roof…

Well, as with all debates, some residents love them and some want them gone. My daughter and I love them, and we are so glad that our wish was finally granted and that we can expect to see them from time to time…of course, no poop in our pool please…

Do you like peacocks, would you like seeing them around your neighborhood?