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.

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?

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.

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.

I love IKEA most of the time. I hate IKEA because I want to spent way to much money there. Most of the items at this store I would classify as contemporary. They sell everything from furniture to silverware to kitchen cabinets. There is something for everyone there. I just bought this bookcase there:

I bought 12 baskets to put in there and am going to use it as a toy box of sorts. I saw it on display there like that and love it. They have whole apartment sizes rooms set up to show you how you can decorate with a limited amount of space. I also bought this computer desk there:

As I said, they have all sorts of things. If you live close to an IKEA, you should definitely check it out!