Ikea junk

One of the places we have been visiting a lot these days is Ikea. We are looking for furniture for our living room and bedroom. So far this past month we have gone there almost on a weekly basis. We have been buying stuff and returning things as well. Brandon loves it there. He likes using the barcode scanner and eating their cinnamon rolls.

The one thing that we do not like is that some of their furniture items are defective. Anna has been trying to put together a shelf for our living room, and the pieces do not align. 3 of the shelves are OK, but the other 2 are not. We took the items to the store to return and purchased another set, but it had the same problem. Oh wells, I guess you get what you pay for.

Investing in a tux

One of the best investments I made was purchasing a tuxedo for my wedding. Since then I wore it 2 times as well. I wore it on a cruise formal dinner, and I wore it to a friend’s wedding. If you think about it, renting a tux can run easily over $100. If you purchase one, you can make up the cost wearing it a couple of times.

But even with the cost savings, you may still be hesitant in purchasing a tux or tuxedo shirt. What can look sharper than you wearing a tux to a wedding or a formal dinner? You can look like James Bond. Many places offer alterations, so you can get that custom fit.

Life insurance needs

Many people fight over the idea of purchasing life insurance for themselves. Especially with the tough economic times right now, people do not want to spend the extra money on something they are not sure of. But is the security of the well being of your family important to you? If something were to happen to you, do you want your family to be taken care of? This is more important if you have a spouse and children. Luckily for me, my work provides us with life insurance, but many people are not that lucky. There are many options out there, so check them out. You want the best for your family so check online life insurance programs here.

Patio deals

We currently have a pool in our backyard, and during summer time a lot of kids and family come visit our house to use the pool. We do not mind because we like the company, but we really do not have a lot of outdoor furniture to entertain.

In my idea world, I would have a nice patio set where we can eat outside as well. I would also have a nice barbeque grill for summer time outdoor cooking. With all this at least we can throw a nice party.

With the summer months coming, I have been checking around for good deals on grills, outdoor pillows, and outdoor furniture.

Looking for outdoor furniture

The one thing we are looking for is outdoor furniture for our new house. Unlike many condos and townhomes in Irvine, we do have a sizable yard and patio area. The previous owner had done a lot of nice brickwork in the area. Once things settle down, I plan to purchase a bbq and some patio furniture. Places like Target and Lowes always has sales on these items, especially when the spring and summer seasons are winding down.

It will be nice when we can have a nice bbq dinner outside and enjoy the cool breeze on a long summer’s day.

Fireplace appeal

One of the things I like about our new house is that we have a fireplace. We had one at our old place, and I just think it looks nice. Even though we do not use it much, it makes the living room look a lot better, and it also adds value to the house. You do not have to get one of those fake fireplaces or electric fireplaces.

On the mantel you can put your LCD television or put pictures there. We plan to put pictures, since we do not like having to look up to watch television. But I have seen many homes were people put there televisions above the fireplace.

Family news…

My sister just got engage, and we are very happy about it. We went with her to get her ring resized, and it looks sharp. It has huge certified diamonds with a platinum band. She plans to have the wedding sometime next year. It is going to be a big event, since both sides of the family are huge. Even our side of the family can easily run over a hundred people. It should be a grand event, can’t wait for it to happen.

Rainforest Cafe promos

This past weekend, we went to the South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa to walk around. My son loves going on the merry-go-around there. On the ticket, they have a promotion for the Rainforest Cafe. Buy one adult meal and get a kid’s one for $1.99. The regular price for the kids meal is $5.99, so you save $4 using a $1 merry-go-around ticket.

They also have weekday specials on Monday-Thursday, you can get a kid’s meal for only 99 cents with an adult’s meal. And you do not need a coupon for this. I guess times are tough now. I was talking to my wife while we were eating, and we both remembered when this place was packed. You had to get a number and wait outside for about 20 minutes before they were able to get you a table. And now we went around noon, and half the tables were empty.

Brandon loved going there. He liked all the animals and rain fall. Plus he got a balloon animal there too. It is a neat place to take your kids, especially if they are around the 3-5 age group. In the Los Angeles/Orange County area, there is one in the South Coast Plaza and Downtown Disney. The food there is priced around $10-20. There is a wide selection of different meals to choose from including burgers, pizza, and different main dishes, so everyone in your family will be happy. If I eat any more here, I will have to take a look into some best weight loss pills. But their menu has some healthy alternatives include salad and pasta dishes.