If I would let Madison write my blog, this would top her list of favorite things for all time. If you liked Lego Star Wars, then you will love Lego Star WarsII:  The Original Trilogy. How does the Lego version differ from the regular Star Wars games? Well, they are rated E (for Everyone). They are also easier for kids to play. Also, you have unlimited lives. If your character dies, it just starts back up again. There is some humorous scenes like when you walk in on the Storm Troopers taking a bath (they have swim trucks on!) and you get to see the innerworkings of the Death Star with all its bulk cable and metal and stuff (you have to blow it up too). Bill even loves this new games. There are so many new levels and tricks you have to learn to get through it! Madison is only 4, and she can beat most adults at this game (she’ll also tell you exactly how to play it). Granted, it isn’t the most educational thing for kids. However, it makes a great reward. It keeps their attention (both kids and adults). It isn’t too hard for either age group either. It is pretty easy to figure out and is very entertaining. This is a must have for any Star Wars fan!

Not technologically inclined enough to use a plasma cutter? Then this universal remote is for you! My mom bought these for my husband, my dad, and my brother in law for Christmas this year. After the good laugh, we tried it out, and they actually do work really well!

The remote itself is about 11 inches long so you don’t ever have to worry about losing it. Ever. You are able to control up to 8 different devices with this remote. It has a hassle free code search button which discovers the device codes automatically, so you don’t have try and look them all up. The buttons are huge, so if you wear glasses, you won’t even need them! I also love that fact that there is a sleep timer set up also. We are good at this house for falling asleep with the TV on all the time.

If you are in the market for a great gag gift or need a remote you can’t possibly lose, this is it!

The Discovery Channel has another great show that I have to tell you about. It is called Dirty Jobs. This show is great since the whole family can watch it. The premise is pretty easy — people write in with the “dirty job” they have. Mike Rowe, the host, goes to their job site and does their dirty job for a day. It is amazing, because there are so many jobs out there that you never knew that existed. He has done everything from being a skull cleaner to a sausage linker to a hot tar roofer in the middle of summer. He’s taken gum off the sidewalks, cleaned the gas tanks in planes, and cleaned the sewers in New York (at least, I think it was in New York). There was even a show with birds that puked on him. Sometimes, you truly wonder if he should get some Raleigh personal injury lawyers on staff, because I don’t think he always knows what he is in for. They have never shown him get hurt (yet). However, we have seen some definite OSHA violations.  If you need to appreciate your job or want some great TV viewing, then tune in to Dirty Jobs.

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.

Do you have a DVR yet? I’ll warn you — once you start recording your shows, you’ll never want to stop. To be honest, I no longer even know when some of my favorite shows are on anymore. I set my DVR to the shows that I like, and it does all the hard work and recording for me. There are several brands out there like TIVO, but they all pretty much do the same. The only notable exception is that TIVO makes suggestions for you. It looks at what you record and then records things it thinks you will like. Personally, I never watched anything under my suggestion list. Most cable and satellite companies do charge a monthly fee for this service (on top of the cost of the DVR). However it isn’t anything you are going to be need a cash advance for. I think DirecTV charge us $5.98 and Dish Network is charging us $5. However, it is well worth it. I don’t have to watch commercials when viewing my recorded shows. I am able to watch the shows that Madison can’t watch (I just watch them after she’s sleeping). I am able to record cartoons for Madison, so when Noggin goes off for the day, she can still watch cartoons. I am also able to use those cartoons for a bargaining chip.

I love my DVR. It is something I could live without, but I would be completely miserable.

I wasn’t thrilled to be sitting at the airport at 4 am this morning. I am definitely not a morning person. However, a couple of things stood out for me, and I want to pass on that information.

Midway

First, I enjoyed the curbside drop off for my bags. No waiting in line or anything. It also took less than five minutes. They guy gave me great directions to get to my concourse and off I went. Even though it was extremely early, there were many shops and restraunts open. I had a bacon bagel from McDonalds which was right next to the concourse I needed to be at. As for security, that always sucks. However, it was done quickly and efficiently. It took me less than five minutes to get through.

Southwest

First, I have to start with how easy it was to book my ticket. I went online and was able to see all of the ticket prices and times after I did a search. You could also see this for the flight there and the flight back. On the search, you are able to set the parameters to what works best for you.. Because I bought my tickets online, I was able to print the boarding pass the day prior. No waiting in line for that either! I think this enabled me to use the curbside check in. There were also several stores right by my concourse. I am not sure if Southwest had anything to do with that or not. Either way, it was nice. They also started a new boarding procedure today. I am not sure if it is just in Chicago or not. They took everyone with the letter A and the number 1 - 30 board first. I had A53, so I boarded shortly after. Once on the plane, I was able to pick any seat I wanted. I ended up sitting in row 4 and in seat A which is an aisle seat. I was expecting a lot less leg room and room in general. I am completely satisfied with my seat. We were given a box of snacks to eat too! It had some chips ahoy crisps, cheese and crackers, and trail mix. We were also given some peanuts (the staple of airline travel). The other thing that impressed me was that I was able to get a free refill on my Sprite. The flight attendant asked me if I wanted more — I didn’t need to ask. The flight crew was nothing but kind, helpful, and courteous. I couldn’t have asked for more. The pilot was helpful before and after liftoff letting us know that we were running early and that the temperature was around sixty degrees (it was only 30 degrees in Chicago). The pilot also warned us before we hit a bit of turbulence that it was coming. The seats were comfortable enough that I dozed off (and slept through the turbulence). I also did not have to worry about needing joint and muscle pain relief, because I was so comfortable. I can only hope that the rest of my day goes as well as this has so far.

My recommendation is to fly Southwest. I was thoroughly happy, their prices are affordable, and their prices are excellent. I know I will be using them again.

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.