Review of Totino's New Pizzeria Rolls

One of my favorite foods (besides ketchup of course) is pizza in any way shape or form (well I do have some limits - example - you'll never find me partaking of an olive, goat cheese and spinach pizza). So when I got a chance to review Totino's new flavors of pizza snacks for free and I would be given a prize pack for myself courtesy of General Mills and MyBlogSpark, I said a big "yes please!" I was told to try all 3 new flavors which are Cheesy Garlic, Chicken Parmesan and Meatball Marinara. Unfortunately since it's such a new product the two grocery stores that I routinely shop at (Food Lion and Giant) does not carry them yet. But I was able to find 2 out of 3 flavors at another grocery store chain (Safeway) further away from the castle. They come in a 40 count package. I tried the Cheesy Garlic and Chicken Parmesan. The store either did not carry the Meatball Marinara flavor or else it's a popular flavor because I could not find them anywhere.

My favorite was the Cheesy Garlic because the cheese was actually stringy when melted (which is a good thing). They are full of cheesy, oooey gooey goodness. For those people who do not enjoy cheese - what is wrong with you?? It's good just as they are but I think they would also taste great with a tomato dipping sauce. The Chicken Parmesan didn't taste very chickeny to me, the ingredients list chicken but it must be very finely chopped. It still tasted good, but just not as I expected them to be.

As far as I know, their new line only comes in the big 40 count package. I like their smaller boxes (the 15 count snack) and would like be more likely to buy them if they came in the smaller boxes rather than the big bag. Full confession - I buy the smaller boxes - which is supposed to be 2.5 servings, but I can easily eat an entire box at one sitting. Even though they are called a snack food, I eat them as a lunch. I don't think of snack foods as something that should be warmed/cooked.

If you "like" the Totino's facebook page Totino's on Facebook, from time to time they have limited time coupons that you can use.

Disclosure: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills and Totino's through MyBlogSpark.

Me and Oprah Winfrey in June issue of Essence magazine

Yes, you read that right. Me and Oprah are in the June issue of Essence magazine. But we are a few pages apart. The clutter article is on page 83 if you want to leaf thru it while standing in line at the grocery store. I am glad that the article was not on the reverse side of the two McDonald's coupons that are on page 87 because I plan on cutting those babies out.

I was on the radio CJAD in Montreal today for a talk about garage sales. Ahhhh Montreal. That reminds me of a girls trip to Montreal taken years ago (pre-marriage). Met some cute French guys and ate a lot of croissants. Double yum. Montreal is just a quick 3 hour drive up the highway from upstate New York.

My Big Announcement

Ok, here it goes. My big announcement. Today is the 20th anniversary of my 30th birthday! So feel free to call in sick for work, take a vacation day and/or celebrate any way you see fit.

I know you are in disbelief - and thinking that must be a typo. How can it be the 20th anniversary of my 30th birthday since I am so young, vibrant and energetic?? Easy - just living the good life! Better living thru yardsales!

And incase you would be so inclined to send a gift to commemorate the event, what I really would like is a ticket to go see Ellen DeGeneres for her 12 Dsys of Giveaways this December (so that gives you some time to acquire a ticket for me).

What happened to April???

Well here it is May already - and so sorry for the lack of posts lately. I know I know, a day without a post from me is like a day without sunshine.

Anyhow, I will be back soon with a BIG announcement on Monday so I will definitely be posting again soon.

Scored some good buys today including vintage Mego and Mattel action figures from the 70's for .50 each.

Oh, I don't want to tire myself out so much so I will end this now. I'll be back on Monday.

Nobody wants to buy your pee stained mattress

If you are thinking of trying to sell your pee stained mattress at a yardsale, save some time and don't bother.

I don't think I specifically put that on my yardsale tips page but I guess I need to.

p.s. my apologies for not posting a picture of actual pee stained mattress. I did not have my camera with me this morning and haven't figure out out to download pics off my $2 semi-smart phone.

Update on the exciting world of Yardsale Queen

So before March ends, I figured I'd better at least grace my blog with my presence at least once! So to quickly update everyone on my status, here goes. I've been busy, as usual. Buying stuff and more stuff.

And in sad news, my local fav grocery store fixed their prices. There was a glitch on certain items in the store which made certain things cheap. For instance, certain brands of laundry detergent were ringing up at $1 a bottle (when it should have been $2.99) and another brand that was ringing up at $1.72 instead of the normal $6.89 price. I think I'm the only one who realized it. I am still in mourning. I was a dreaded shelf-clearer many times over and over. And I did donate a lot to the local no-kill animal shelter since laundry detergent is always on their wish list.

The past few days there was a ginormous multi-day estate sale going on, so I went to that and took pics. Didn't buy anything too exciting there. For a 10 bedroom, 11 bath house (plus a urinal) the most exciting thing I found was a $1 purchase on a vintage tin of bandaids for my vintage bandaid tin collection.









The house is so damn big, it's tiring for me to think about what a pain in the ass it would be to maintain. Or say if you forgot something, how the heck are you go to remember where you last put something? Who wants to clean 11 toilets? Not me.

This Valentine's Day, get her what she really wants

The Clipper Coupon magazine came in yesterday's mail.  I always look thru it since sometimes there are some good restaurant coupons in it.  Well this issue is Valentine's related with a cover that says "give her what she really wants".  Can you guess what the woman wants??? Maybe like a day of pampering at the spa?? Or just some time to relax? Maybe, or maybe not. The answer to the age old question of what women want, is answered below.



I went to a nice event a few weeks ago - a work party held by my husband's work. It was held after hours at the Smithsonian Institute Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. As I've said before and I'll say it again - I love me some nuclear power. Hoity toidy food, open bar, music and Imax.   Plus I got to spend some alone time with the Hope Diamond - without having to be amongst the riff raff and the commoners. Now if only I had thought up a way to lose the security guard.









Nice little bauble:
















Similar to what I like to wear around the castle:


 Ohh spooky how the dinosaur has so many ghost bubbles surrounding it.




And now, drum roll please...... the answer to age old question "What do women really want???"

The answer is:  bathrooms, countertops, kitchens, carpeting and sinks.

So God made a farmer....

and they had 11 children and a big barn. One of those children - who grew up to be my aunt - passed away recently at the age of 92. Going thru some old photo albums, I found some barn pics that took back in high school using black & white film. I'm so glad that I have these photos since I don't think anyone in my large extended family took photos of it.

The pond in winter was good for ice skating. Having to shovel it off first - not so much fun.

Decluttering books

So DH's book collection was getting out of control so I did something that kinda turned into a pain in the ass for me. I saw a nice bookcase ($25) on Craiglist so I went and bought it for him so he would have room to expand his collection.

So as he is going thru our bookshelves, he starts weeding out all sorts of cool books of MINE - and decides we don't need them anymore. I don't think so. If he thinks I am getting rid of my "How to Pick Up Men!" book (copyright 1972) he is crazy. If anyone ever asks me for picking up men advice I will need to have a resource handy since I am pretty rusty.

For example I'll give you a tip from the book (page 58). To get a conversation going, go up to a man and ask him the size of his chest. Explain that you are knitting a sweater for your brother.

You're welcome.

My first thrift store buy of the year

Here's a pic of my first thrift store buy of the year.  Bought on Jan. 2 for $5.  It's a sewing machine cabinet (minus the sewing machine).  I plan on refinishing it and giving it to my mom (who needs a table about this height).

Just a post to say I'm alive

Happy New Years to all and just a quick post to say that I'm still alive and still amassing my fortune in junk.

Just returned from a trip to upstate New York where I got my annual re-qualification in driving in hazardous and treacherous snow covered road conditions.  And managed to find an estate sale to boot!

More to come, I promise.

I've been a bad bad blogger

I know. 

But once I win tonight's lottery, I will have lots of free time to blog. But actually, I will just hire some assistants to do that for me. 

Awkward moment at a Yard Sale

This past Saturday I was at a yardsale with a husband, wife and kids running their sale.  I asked the woman how much the women's shoes were.  She calls over to her husband "honey how much are your shoes?" He answers a dollar a pair.  Then the kid chimes in - Mom why does Dad wear women's shoes.  She answers "Your Dad has small feet"
 
p.s.  Yes, I bought a pair. No, they weren't high heels.  I bought a pair of  Primo by Clarks in like new condition.  So what that a man may or may not have worn them.

World's Largest Garage Sale Review - Warrensburg NY

I usually visit my mom and family in upstate NY at least once during the summer. But this year it just didn't happen (summer just went by too fast!) - so when I saw that Southwest Air had a $98 roundtrip deal from Baltimore to Albany NY - I booked a long weekend for me and Jacob. Worked out well - we left on a Thursday night and came home on Monday. He missed just one day of school since there was no school on the Friday.

As luck would have it, it was the weekend of what is advertised as "The World's Largest Garage Sale" in the town of Warrensburg, NY - which is about a 30 minute drive from my sister's house. Official Website of the World's Largest Garage Sale

Did I buy stuff? Yes, yes I did. But only food and no bargains. I went with my sister, my niece and Jacob (who I have mentioned before is not a patient shopper). So I mainly went for the experience, not really expecting to find any real bargains. Plus it was drizzling and/or raining the entire time. But that didn't stop the crowds - not at all. I can't imagine how crazy crowded it would have been had it been a sunny day.

Will I ever go back to the World's Largest Yard Sale? Probably not. I do like finding bargains and it's easier to do that when you aren't in competition with loads of other shoppers. And I like not having to pay to park when I go to a garage sale.

Some pictures from the day

garage sale traffic jam (see the beginning of Adirondack mountains to the left)







The only place to park was in $10 parking lots


my shopping buddies


a stream of rainwater pouring off a tarp ceiling of one of the booths


a carwash was temporarily converted to a garage sale


We did some shopping at Oscar's Smokehouse.  Rachael Ray grew up in the Adirondacks and has a home nearby.


Garage Sale ATM


pretty house spotted


All kinds of food for sale


even saw people walking around eating onion blossoms - which I think is an odd food to eat while walking around and shopping.


garage sale crowds


there was some sort of garage sale bus, but we never found out what that was about.


So all in all, I think calling it the World's Largest Garage Sale is false advertising. Because to have a garage sale, you need a garage and there was no ginormous garage covering us all from the rain.

My Storage Wars friends - what I did on summer vacation - Part 2

During my trip to Los Angeles back in the summer, I hung out with some new friends and had some cocktails.   If you watch Storage Wars, you know who they are.  We also stopped in and gave Jarrod from the Now and Then Secondhand Store and Storage Wars the thrill of meeting me.  You can just see the excitement on his face. 

On the day when I met up with my new friends, I had had a very busy day and unfortunately given my hair and make-up team the day off, so I had to go as-is.









Ok, you know I think getting autographs is silly, but I knew it would be something my mom would like.   Therefore I was able to get a free Christmas gift for her (because I'm generous that way). My 80 year old mom loves Storage Wars (and Pawn Stars)




Laura Dotson and Nabila Haniss (and of course the guys too - even Dave Hester) were awesome.





Yes, that car parked outside the Now and Then Thrift store really did have a yardsalequeen.com ad on the back (that is my MIL's car and I brought one of my magnetic signs with me to California)








Jacob spotted an empty chair at the Now and Then Thrift Store, so his butt had to fill it.



Next up on my blog agenda, my trip to the World's Largest Garage Sale - (not to be confused with the World's Longest Yard Sale).