A month or so ago, we decided to change from DirecTV to Dish Network. For the same amount of money, we could get a lot more stations. They also offered some great packages, and you are allowed to change your package at any time without having to renew your contract. It isn’t like buying condos for sale. You are allowed to change your mind. They have some good things and some not so good things I’d love to talk about.

First, the sales people spoke English. I could tell that they were here in the States. That shouldn’t be a big deal, but I want the person I am talking to understand what I am saying. The tech people, well, you can tell they are reading from a script. However, the level 2 tech people are again from here, so no issues here.

Next, we have the top package because that’s what Bill wanted. I don’t think we watch it enough. It has a ton of stations. However, there are some stations that still aren’t covered by the top package. I don’t think that is right. If you have that package, you should get everything.

Next, the sales people conveniently forgot to mention the $10 a month programming fee. I was not happy to see that.

I also didn’t care for the fact that we had to sign up for a 18 month contract.

Its not all complaints though. Their DVR has a huge learning curve (TIVO is easier to use), but is awesome. When the Bears game went into overtime, it still continued taping. My TIVO would have cut out. We have double the space too. We have 4 TVs and only 2 receivers. I love that they can hook it up like that.

Overall, there are definitely more plusses than negatives. I would definitely recommend them. If you decide to try them out, let me know and I can get you a code that will allow you to get some additional discounts!

EDIT:  We no longer have the $10 programming fee added to our bill, so disregard those remarks.

I have a couple little treats to show you that Madison will be getting for Christmas. I love getting her educational toys that she can learn while playing with. Here are a couple of toys that I got from Learning Resources:

Bill is a little worried about the number of pieces in this one. However, I told him that we can take some of the pieces and put them up. Here is the second thing I ordered:

I actually can’t wait to play with this one. It looks so cute and so much fun. Lastly, (and probably the most messy):

This gear set said 5 and up, but it looks like something right up Madison’s alley. She likes building. I could have easily gotten the whole catalog. I loved all the product choices! I loved that it told me what age it was appropriate for, and then I could make the decision from there. After Christmas, I am going to write up a product review on each toy and let you know what I (and Madison) think of them.

This show is on over at Discovery Channel. It is about a family who has two sets of multiples. They actually have a set of 6 year old twins and I think the sextuplets are three now. This show is about their life. I love it, because you get to see the real life of them. You see the fights. You see the frustration Kate feels with the kids everyday. You hear the noise. I complain about have two kids two different ages. I cannot imagine having 8 under the age of 8. Can you?

Want to know where to get exclusive deals and bargain news? Do you want to get cheap digital cameras, cheap HDTVs and other tech products for a great price? I am always talking about using great coupons and rebates, and this is the site to find great deals on the things you want. You can even subscribe to their RSS feed, so you get the latest and greatest deals as soon as they come out. They also update 24/7 and even on the holidays, so you can shop whenever you want and great deals. I love saving money (even though Bill doesn’t understand the concept that I am saving money by spending it).

Another great thing about this site is that you are able to compare the products you are looking at and read reviews. You are also able to see similar deals. They make it somewhat easier to figure out which product would work best for your needs. You can also choose to look at deals from only one store if you would like. You can also look at all stores and all coupons.

The site is extremely easy to navigate. You should definitely be able to find a deal on any tech item you are looking for.

Another one of Madison’s favorite books is Scooby Doo! Mystery Time is a book that teaches children to tell time and allows them to play sounds to go along with the story. Granted, the clock on the book isn’t Patek Philippe quality, but it does show kids how to tell time. You are able to move the hands and hit the time button. The book then tells you what time you have showing. There are also pictures throughout the story that correspond with buttons that make sounds below the clock. It makes the story much more interactive. On each page of the story, there is also a clock with what time the page is talking about. Madison loves it, because it is noisy. I love it, because it is teaching her things.

When I first came across InvestorBlogger, I thought it would be a website about investing.  I was pleasantly surprised when it wasn’t.  He has a little of everything (I love those kind of blogs).  He does reviews on others blogs as well as stock market information.  He even has a post about a trip that he took with his wife.  I enjoy the writing style, and it is an easy read.  The only thing I would change is that I think his header is too big.  I also found that it was somewhat hard to navigate the site.  If the header picture was also clickable I think that would help visitors get back to the home page.  Overall, it is a great read and would suggest you to go check it out.

I just had an appointment at Lenscrafters last night. I have to say they were pretty much equal to any other place I have gone for my eye exams. However, there are two things that really stick out for me. First, you can schedule your own appointment online! They email you to remind you that you have an appointment too. They also email you after your appointment. I love it! The other thing that I like was that I wanted Night & Day contacts. Normally, nobody carries these, and I have to wait and order them. They had samples on hand for me to put in plus they had boxes! The doctor was very nice though a little overly conservative. If you need an eye exam, this is a place to definitely check out.