Author Archives: blogqueendiane

Highs and Lows of November

Posted on December 2, 2014 by blogqueendiane

Can’t believe it’s December — and the holidays are coming right up.  November flew by! Here’s a recap. Good things 1) Did my first webcam phone call ever — very cool! I could see my son, his wife, and their … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Friday, bucket list, fitbit, polga, road trip, scrapbooking, stand-up computer desks, Thanksgiving, thoughts tips and tales | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Yikes! When Did Ugly Christmas Sweater Parties Start?

Posted on December 1, 2014 by blogqueendiane

I’ve always loved decorated Christmas sweaters, vests and t-shirts, and have worn them during the holidays for years. Every year on Black Friday, I happily rise before the sun comes up, dress in a festive top, arrive at the mall … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas sweater, tacky Christmas sweater, tacky Christmas sweater party, thoughts tips and tales, ugly Christmas sweater | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Money Saving Christmas Gift Idea #2 – Zip it Drain Cleaner

Posted on November 26, 2014 by blogqueendiane

When you find a product at the right price that really does the job – you’ve just gotta spread the word. If your sink or bathtub is not draining properly, the Zip it Drain Cleaner — a low-tech gizmo that costs … Continue reading →

Posted in bargains, Christmas, Christmas gift, Christmas present, thoughts tips and tales, zip-it drain cleanr | Tagged , , , , , | 30 Comments

Celebrating Ten Thousand Blog Hits in Six Months

Posted on November 24, 2014 by blogqueendiane

Gee, I guess the title said it all, right? Anyway, I’m thrilled to have gotten more than 10,000 (!!!) hits on Thoughts, Tips and Tales in a little over six months since its inception (six months and six days, to … Continue reading →

Posted in blog hits, thoughts tips and tales | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Use Unpleasant Credit Card and Earn a Free Cruise

Posted on November 20, 2014 by blogqueendiane

A friend recently told me about how, over the years, she and her husband charged all the things that were particularly distasteful – pap tests, plumbers’ bills, tires for the car, etc. – on a credit card offered by Carnival … Continue reading →

Posted in Carnival cruise, credit card, free cruise, thoughts tips and tales, unpleasant credit card | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

25 Adult Advent Calendar Gift Ideas

Posted on November 19, 2014 by blogqueendiane

Advent calendars have been used to mark the days until Christmas for thousands of years. Today, they’ve become a fun way for kids and adults alike to count down the days in December — and they offer you a chance to … Continue reading →

Posted in adult advent calendar, advent calendar, Christmas, Christmas gift, Christmas present, gift a day, gift-giving, gifts, thoughts tips and tales | Tagged , , , , , , | 29 Comments

News Updates about Christmas Shopping Bargains

Posted on November 18, 2014 by blogqueendiane

Everybody wants to save money when buying holiday gifts, right? Did you know that… Walmart is abandoning the one-day-only “Black Friday” sales and will offer its best deals over a five-day period beginning the last week of November this year? … Continue reading →

Posted in bargains, Christmas, Target, thoughts tips and tales, Walmart | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

December Daily — a Fun Way to Document the Holidays

Posted on November 17, 2014 by blogqueendiane

A great way to record precious memories and capture the best of December is to create a December Daily scrapbook. You can set up album pages with background paper in November and create a tentative list of some of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas, December Daily, December Daily prompts, family, friends, holiday decorations, memories, scrapbooking, thoughts tips and tales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

It’s a Small World

Posted on November 13, 2014 by blogqueendiane

Isn’t it amazing sometimes how people you know show up in the strangest places? Here are some examples: 1) Years ago, we got a new minister at church; he seemed to have a great sense  of humor and he introduced … Continue reading →

Posted in friends, thoughts tips and tales | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Amazon Echo — the Coolest Christmas Gift of 2014

Posted on November 12, 2014 by blogqueendiane

— **Update Jan. 13, 2015: I registered to be “invited” to buy the Echo in early November and, for two months, when I checked my account on Amazon, it said this: Thank you for your request. If selected, you will … Continue reading →

Posted in amazon echo, best gift, best present, echo, gifts, thoughts tips and tales | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments