5 Minute Friday

Today's word for a five minute type it all out is:  Hero

I think of all the things that do not mean hero to me.  I begin X-ing out ideas of heroes.  Football players, no.  Basketball players, no.  Actors, no.  Actresses, no.  Big business peeps, no.  What's left?

We spent childhood looking at all those types of people and putting a crown on them.  That crown wasn't one of hero but one of plain out infatuation.

You get older and you realize that maybe a true hero is someone that may not have a lot of glitz and shine but maybe its just that they made it through hell and walked out unscathed.

What is a hero to me?

Rikki's mom-in-law battling blood cancer and smiling her way through it.  That's a hero.

Those kids you see on the St. Jude's commercials.  Sweet, innocent children who may not make it to the next birthday because they have to face a trial and tribulation that we wouldn't wish on our worst enemy.

The cop who was working his beat and stopped to throw a football with a kid in the ghetto.  That is heroic  You know why?  Because he busted the stereotype of the white cop in the ghetto.  He busted the mold that said he'd be a jackass for getting out of his car.  He formed a bond with a kid and maybe just maybe the way of life surrounding that kid will not be able to penetrate into him because he's made a friend in blue who isn't yelling at him but throwing the football with him for the hell of it.

The teacher who works with your kid and gets paid in peanuts but gets more hurdles placed in front of them each year.  She/he is bringing the work home at night and putting her kids on the backburner.  See, if she wants to continue to make a way for her biological/adopted kids she has to make sure your kids will have all their ducks in a row for class tomorrow.  I bet you didn't get that memo.  She's buying those two kids in her class who wear shorts to school on twenty degree days winter coats.  He's picking up some extra snacks to shove in a book bag for that kid that comes to school ravenous because whoever he's living with this week doesn't get the idea of nutrition is more valuable than a case of Marlboro Reds.  And you say, well they get the whole summer off - most of them end up working a job in the summer and trying to pull together what your kid will learn next year in those "months off".

The nurse that stayed past her shift to hang out with you her patient.  You were afraid and she saw it.  She stayed with you because leaving you would have broken her heart.  

The doctor that did the procedure at no cost because he knew the people couldn't afford it and he knew it needed to be done or life would not be the nicest to you.

Heroes are people we see every day - driving the fire truck, serving up a meal, taking her kids to dance class or baseball.  We just don't normally see them as heroes because we have to wait for someone to tell us about them.  

Time to open our eyes and see if we cannot achieve some type of heroic trait about ourselves that will make others say - I could do that.

Time to thank the heroes that are in our midst every day.  With out that little push to continue they may just decide to back down.

What a scary world that would be.

sNOw Day

I am not a fan of snow.  

Correction:  The idea of snow is nice around Christmas and New Years but come late January I don't want to see it, smell it, feel it, hear about it.  I hit spring/summer mode in late January.  That's just who I am.

My six year old, however, loves it.

As you know we live in the South and the South deals with the idea of snow about like a meth head deals with a sale on Sudaphed.  The people go a little crazy.

For weeks we have had horribly cold (unnatural) weather down here.  We've had bipolar weathermen and women telling us we'd see white stuff falling from the sky....only to have nothing falling from the sky.

On the day of the snow my daughter said, "It won't snow mom.  They never get it right.  They should go back to school."

And what did it do?

It snowed.

We received nearly 2 inches of snow.  To translate that to northern terms - 2 inches in the South is the equivalent to 2 feet in the North.  Everything shuts down....schools, doctors offices, daycares, milk and egg production...everything.

My little bit got out of school at 12:30.  And here's a photo journal of her snow day.

This would be enticing to her mother if it were on the beach....with sand...and summery weather.

Watching the big sister prance around in the weird white stuff on the ground.

His view - warm, dry, with food.  Perfect.

Semi frozen precipitation = a happy kindergartener

My favorite part of the snow:  birds.  Mr. Cardinal was the gatekeeper of the feeder.  His honey was watching from the fence post.

The next day nearly 2 inches....have a fun day at work dad.

Saving $ in 2014

The majority of Americans will file their taxes in the next three months and of those numbers the majority will get a bit of a refund.

The average refund?  $2800.00

So lets talk about that money.

Some people view that $2800.00 as a gift that they weren't expecting and they take it and blow it.  (Yes, people do blow money on stupid shit daily.)

Some people plan for that money and have budgeted for where it will go.

Some people expect it, get it, and act like they never got it and invest it.

Do you know who the smartest of the three are?

Nope, not number one.

Number two isn't very smart either.

Number three takes the blue ribbon.

Now let's face the music.  Today people have debt and they are either digging the hole of debt deeper or they are filling the hole in.  

My tip today:  Take your refund money and start filling that hole of debt in.

My financial guru of choice is Mr. Dave Ramsey.  I also like Suzy O too.  Both of them may agree with me on this...

Look at your debt - most people have credit card debt, school loan debt, car debt, and a mortgage.  What has the smallest balance?  That is what you need eliminate first.

If your Visa card has a balance on it and your Visa card is the least amount in your debt category lets get that shiz paid off STAT.  Best advice on this?  Apply the large payment and destroy the card.

If you eliminate the smaller balances first then you should have more lettuce to put towards the large balances.

Oh and stop with the shopping sprees.  You need to account for every penny in your name and weekly runs to Target will not alleviate your problems.

State refunds are much smaller than those the feds bestow on the population.  

The average state refund is around $300.  

Here's the deal you're a human and you're a lot like a doggie.  You want to be rewarded with a scratch behind the ears.  For humans the scratch behind the ears may be a mini vacation, a spa day, a golf day, a weekend in a cheap hotel room....whatever.

Use your big refund to get ahead on your debt and use that little bonus check from your state to do something nice for you and the family.  Put it in your vacation account or your Christmas account or your family fun account.  Just account for it and be smart on what you do with it.  I doubt you'll run into a random $300 check again for a year.

This closes up the Saving $ in 2014 posts.  Next month I'm focusing in on something a little more fun but equally meaningful.  

Spring Fever

And it is just the end of January...sheesh!

I must admit this winter has been super cold in North (by God) Carolina and this is abnormal!  I am used to a few seventy degree days mixed in in January but this year...didn't happen!

Well guys I am giving up on snow and ready for blooming dogwoods (mine was removed in the great remodel of 2013) and blossoming bulbs.  I have decided to show off some pins I just love that have me amped up for spring 2014.

Pin Here

I love this because my favorite flower on the earth is the tulip.  The second reason I love this is the use of the white pitcher. That is just simple elegance.  Of course I have no where in my home that this would fit but it doesn't mean I cannot not love it!

Pin Here

Next up - if you know me know me then you know I love birds.  Like an old lady loves her daily shows and her cardinals I love birdies.  Spring means even more birdies on my feeders and more chickens in my coop.  I love it.

Pin Here

My second favorite flower I bought last year and went crazy over them - Ranunculus.  Ahhh they are amazing flowers and so brilliant.  I cannot wait to get more this year for my new deck!

Pin Here

Spring means fun fashion and breezy clothing (but add a top layer because we freeze in the morning and when the sun goes down.  I love this outfit!

Pin Here

MY GOD PEOPLE!  Does this not scream out spring yummy?!?!?!

Pin Here

All our friends know we are outdoors people.  With our new porch/deck whatever you want to call it I need something along these lines to hang up!

Pin Here

Yes, we are at a great place and it is time to get back to entertaining and opening up our homes again.  C'mon spring!  We're ready!

My Pioneer Woman Day

One of my favorite people on this earth is Ree Drummond.  If you don't know her then you may know her alias...The Pioneer Woman.  You know the woman off the Food Network?  The one married to the Marlboro Man.  The red head that lives out in Oklahoma on a ranch the size of Tennessee?

I just like her.

She likes the stuff I do - cooking, good looking men, bags, taking pictures, books.

I had a kind of Ree Drummond day.  Well at least in my brain it was Ree Drummond day.  Not really because it involved much cooking (I did make chili, oatmeal bake, and brownies that day so maybe I did a lot of cooking) but it involved me and the hubby being in the pasture with his dad's cows cutting up a fallen tree.

This isn't Oklahoma.  This place has rolling hills and you cannot watch your dog run away for three weeks here.  But on a January day that was clear with a blue sky and fourteen bovine surrounding us as we worked up that fallen tree I felt like The Pioneer Woman with my Marlboro Man.

What made it more Pioneer and less Ree was the fact I had no camera on me.  I also had no phone on me.  It was just me and the husband and the cows and the chainsaws and the wood-splitter and the pasture and simplicity.

I even made up songs about splitting wood in cow poop.

So I scoured my old photos to try to bring the day back to the blog....

Monday, May I?

This should be titled: Monday, May I...tell you I sucked last week.

Last week I said I would:

1.  Find a mirror for over the mantle.

I did not.

I did however see on a fellow blogger's page she was trying to decide whether to change up her entry way and take her mirror out or leave it in.  I loved her mirror, as it would fit our home perfectly, and said she should get rid of the mirror and let me know how much she wanted.

I never heard from her.

Uncool.

That was the extent of my mirror search.  I will look at another time...perhaps spring.








2.  Feel pretty.

Ok I did this one.

Wednesday of last week I went to the miracle worker Liz and had my hair made grey free (thanks to five gallons of bleach, industrial strength).  I also had a fresh cut and boy did that put some pep in me step.  When you go blonde and you have chemical water (is the water department out to prove survival of the fittest....wait mine is well water, back up!) and when you have chemical water your blonde can go bad so I bought me some good old lady Shimmering Lights.  I toyed with a new flat iron since mine is too small but of course didn't purchase one (Valentines idea love...).  I also hydrated my skin really well over the weekend since my skin has went on strike and began drying out and falling off (leper I may be).

Oh and I also had my Mirena removed.  No, I do not want more children.  Yes, Mirena is a form of demon and it was residing in my womb!!!  I am not the kind of girl who can handle Mirena.  The way it killed me was well...various.  It stripped me of emotion and made me very serial killer minded - ok not really killing or even serial but it made me pretty numb.  It also created this severe PMS side effect that literally made everyone take cover and think of relocating from being around me.  And if that isn't enough it got on the freeway going 150 miles per hour and chunked my libido out the window.  I was two minutes from the convent door ya'll.  Mirena made me sad and gross and not a fun girl to be around.  After a conversation with my clinician she told me to lay back and when I was told to cough to do just that.  Within seven minutes....the same time it took to birth my son....I was free from Mirena and back to good ole pills.  She said I would start feeling "back to normal over the next two weeks"  two days later I was starting to feel like me again.  That's purdy.

3.  10 Minutes of Cardio

Heartbreak ya'll....no pun intended.

I didn't do it.  But then again maybe I did?

However, excuses are cheap and mine is cheap but it is honest.  I have the death hack.  My lungs and bronchioles are like at war with me.  I have the cough of a six pack a day smoker.  I hate winter.  I freakin' hate winter.  So here is what I did do.  On Sunday the hubs and I spent 2 hours working a tree - this isn't country speak for dirty things in nature.  His dad had a tree fall in his pasture and we went over and cut the tree up for use as fire wood.  So for roughly two hours I carried logs to the truck and threw them in the bed and I also moved limbs (to a pile my husband told me to move them to and then back to where they originally were...um yeah).  No, I didn't complain because I actually enjoy doing manual labor sometimes.  So I said I'd do 10 minutes cardio x 7 days...which is like 70 minutes.  Instead I spend two hours 120 minutes x 1 afternoon and that's like way more than those seven days so go me and screw that death hack!!!

February is next week and this will return - ten minutes of cardio a day....maybe hehe.

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This week

1.  Figure out how to manage the recycling.

Ok we have WAY more recycle than trash each week.  Our trash company (who strangely enough also does recycle) gives us two bins to fill up for recycle.  I need like six and I am not kidding.  I had three bins last year but that is too eco friendly and they took my third bin from me.  Assholes.

I now have more recycle piling up around the house and I do not want to throw it in the garbage.

So I'm on a mission to be more savvy about packing my recycling so it all goes out on Monday night and I'm not left with half my laundry room decorated in cardboard and plastic that can be turned into new cardboard and plastic products.  Or tires...they make tires out of plastic now I hear.

2.  Clean out my car.

Since we're back to a two car household I need to clean out my car.  When you have two small humans riding with you it is way easy to be a rolling disaster.  Hello Goldfish, burger wrappers, juice pouches, used tissues, etc dotting the floor and backseat.

Even though this week we'll be good to get out of the 20 degree range I will be the weirdo cleaning out her car at the car wash that is closed due to the fact the water will freeze as soon as it is shot out of the tube.

3.  Go thru the laundry room war zone.

My laundry room has became the catch all (and its only been done like a month).  So I am going to strap on a belt of trash bags and recycle bags and donation bags and get that mess cleaned out.

If anyone has a storage box, you know the cute kind that is sorta decorative and sorta porch box, you want to sale hit this girl up.

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I found my camera over the weekend.  This could mean Brownie World has non smashed phone pictures beginning this week.  I said this could mean not this does mean....

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Oh its back to work this week.  Is it very odd to say I'm kinda happy about that?  I really am.  I get bored at home for many days in the winter.  I hate winter. Winter sucks.

What's For Dinner?

With the Super Bowl around the corner, NASCAR revving up in late February, and the boys of summer coming out of hibernation I figured I should share a brat recipe.

Yummy, fat hot dogs.  The pictures are bad because I'm using my stupid phone.

This is easy...

You need:

1 package of Hillshire Farms Brats (you pick your flavor, I go regular)

1 can of tomato sauce

1/2 a beer of your choice (dark is best)

1 - 2 onions diced 

1 - 2 green bell peppers

1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning

S&P to taste

On the stove top heat up a fairly large pan to medium heat, drop in a tablespoon or two of butter and sautee your onions and peppers.  This takes about five minutes.

Next throw your brats n beer in for about five minutes.

Next throw in your tomato sauce, seasonings, and S&P

Cover, reduce heat, simmer about 15 minutes.

Serve it up....eat it up....oh my delicious!

***If you do not want to use beer just use some  1/4c water***

Happy eating!

My new Friday hang out

My new Friday hang out is no longer Five on Friday but now 5 Minute Friday.  I just wasn't getting much out of listing five things that I randomly pulled out of my butt (I do that the other five days a week on here).

So here's the deal....you can join in too.

Click the button up there and get the details.  Link it up babies!

Join me!

Today's word:  Visit

Visit....when I hear the word I immediately see friends.  We are not necessarily at a special place but we are in each other's company laughing, smiling, having a great time.  No worries or cares just simply happy to be in each other's presence.

Visit...every day when I find my silent moment and open my Bible and my Jesus Calling devotion.  I visit with the one who made me.  The one who never fails me and who keeps me in His hand.  It is quiet visit but very powerful.  It gets me through the day.

Visit...something we should do more with our loved ones.  There should not be a "reason" it should just happen because it is necessity for us - to be with one another in harmony and community.  

Visit....maybe it is something of the past.  We are too wrapped up in our technological worlds that we allow chats and texts serve the spot for the tradition visit.  That is toxic to us, don't you think?  Forgetting true human companionship and instead relying on a piece of technology to link us. 

Visit....I like that word.

My five minutes just ended.

5 on Friday

I must admit I am getting bored with 5 on Friday.  This is probably my last one for a while...a long while.

So here goes it....

1.  I get to see my bestie!

Tomorrow is Master Will's birthday party.  He turned 4 last week.  This week he is partying down in the pool and my darling daughter is stoked to wear her new bathing suit at the party.  I am opting out of the water for a few reasons...1. My kid can swim.  2.  It is January.  3.  I'm not ready to don a piece of boobie covering nylon.  I'll stick to a sweater and jeans....ya know comfort LOL!

I cannot wait to see my Ashley!  It is been over a month.  That is way too long.  I know we won't be able to catch up because it is a birthday party but it will be good to be in the same room!  Hopefully....if I cross my fingers and toes we can plan a mama only date ASAP.

2.  Time to let a girl touch my privates.

Today is my annual spread 'em and squeeze 'em appointment.  I make light of it but it is critical that women not be afraid of getting checked each year.  Don't be afraid just do it.

3.  My son is 17 months old today.

That means in 7 months he'll be two.  What?  Yep.  I really like this age.  Oh and he's sleeping better so I'm really like in love with this kid now.

4.  Work break ending

My 10 day break from preschool is over as of this coming Monday.  I'm sorta glad because after 10 days at home during the coldest part of the year you get to going a little looney balls.  I don't care to go looney balls.  I'm secretly praying for a fast warm up and sticking of a fast warm up.

5.  My hair

My girl Liz did me so right on Wednesday.  Due to my incredible grey problem I asked her to screw my regular color regimen and take me back to blonde.  Oh she did and oh my gosh I like myself again.  I really do!  I will keep me!  I will feed me!  I will love me!

Two Grocery Trips? Shoot me (no, don't)...

When I started on my insanity of saving money I would drive to three different grocery stores.  In one day.  To get each one's special deals.

That was stupid.

I mean really, ya'll.

I wasn't making recipes to go by for the week.  I was writing down what was on special that I would purchase.  Then I would stare at the bags from three different stores and be like, so yeah what am I going to do with this stuff?

That was so stupid.

I mean really, fo sho, ya'll.

I quickly learned (ok not too quickly) that that style of shopping may seem smart but after you account the time spent in the car, parking lot, pushing a buggy, etc then you realize it really bites.

I want a life that doesn't consist of going to three different stores, holding coupons, and then organizing my pantry.  Is that too much to ask?

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So here we are at the weekend before the Super Bowl.  That is an interesting situation.  It turns out my husband and my dad are going to cook for the Super Bowl (as in outdoorsy, manly, argh argh argh way).  That means they need loads of meat.  

We like to get meat at Sam's Club.

To beat the rush my husband wants to go this weekend.

Ok, fine.

It also turns out that tomorrow I get to go get felt up by my newly found out pot smoking OB/GYN.  (Turns out she's not doing my exam but the other chick is....damn that was going to be a super fun feel up time.)  

There happens to be an Aldi a mere ten minutes from her office.

Holy shebang.

I get to go to my favorite grocery store (lately I've been going to the local non Aldi due to shear convenience) and get felt up all in one day (in the name of cancer prevention).  

A trip to Sam's Club and a trip to Aldi means that I must do four things:

1.  Keep my regular grocery list for the week

2.  Take inventory of what I need that I use nearly every day

3.  Re-evaluate my regular grocery list and decide which of those items need to be purchased in bulk for better savings

4.  Create a stock up list for Sam's.

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My grocery list for the week looks like this:

Yep, there's what we're eating and what I need to purchase.  Except I have placed beside each item on the list side where to buy it at.

How do I figure where to buy something?  Simple, second grade math ya'll.

Canned goods are cheaper at Aldi.  No joke they are from 39 cents to 89 cents.  That generally beats out the regular grocery store and it totally beats Sam's on their canned food prices.  (A little secret canned foods are generally the same price as Walmart or Food Lion at Sam's, take the price and divide it by the number of cans in the box and you'll see it is not a deal.)

Fresh fruit and vegetables are an Aldi must.  They have the best produce.  I don't know anyone who will fight me on that one.  It is also so economical.  This week they are selling blueberries, strawberries, mangoes, blackberries for unheard of prices (lets just say from under a buck to less than two bucks...yeah great!)

Dairy items are generally cheaper at Aldi.  Milk is normally $1 - $1.25 less than the regular grocery store.  I will say that Sam's can be really competitive on the milk prices with Aldi.  When it comes to cheese you have to back up and check around.  I have found shredded cheese at Aldi is the same price as Food Lion.  However, block cheese is much cheaper!  (50% cheaper)  Since I grate my own cheese well you know...I buy it block style at Aldi.  Eggs are generally the same price as the regular store.

Side note:  my four hens are not laying, I hate them.

Butter for me is a Sam's purchase.  We use a lot of it.  It is so expensive so lets blame Paula Deen for that issue.

Meats are fresh at Sam's and it is our preferred place to buy meat.  We buy them in bulk and break them into smaller containers so we are covered for a month.  I still have several frozen pieces to fix next week.

After I have sorted out my groceries I run an inventory of what we have and what we don't have or are running low on that is best purchased at a club store.

This list is only for things we need in bulk and are a great price in bulk.

For us this is the list for this trip:

Waffles Must be more than 20 in a pack for no more than $9.00\

Meat I do not go crazy with a car that PETA would pass out over, and who cares if they do, I buy three packs of meats.  Sometimes its beef, pork, chicken and sometimes its beef, beef, chicken.  Sometimes its pork, chicken, pork.  Sometimes its bocky, moo, oink, and silence because fish don't make too many sounds.  I love some fish by the way.  Ummm hmmm  fishy fishy!

Frozen veggies  This can be cheaper at a regular grocery store with coupons, do math.

Butter   Damn Paula Deen

Eggs (cheaper at the Sam's ya'll unless you have friends who have like fifty billion chickens in their backyard and they begin laying and they have eggs coming out the wazoo and they say to you to come get a truck load)

Peanut Butter  Much cheaper at Sam's.  I live for peanut butter on hot toast.

Cereal bars (kid loves them)  Do the second grade math but they should be cheaper, we like housebrand!

Canned fruit This is up in the air, last time it wasn't a good deal but we bought anyway because we can claim temporary stupidity.

Dairy Free Creamer  Cheaper at Sam's if you buy their brand which is good.

Bread Sam's does 2 for a certain price.  If price is less than $3.60 then I'm cool with it.

Trash Bags (only buy at Sam's)

Dish washing Tablets  To be honest, I just like the comfort of a HUGE BOX OF DISH TABLETS.

Multivitamins (kid)  Smart to buy these at Sam's good price and will last 12 months.

Multivitamin (adult)  See above.

Baby wipes  When they have wipes in stock this is the place to buy them.  I bought a 8 month supply last year for less than $16, that is bangin'.

I know my prices so I know what is a deal and what isn't.  My husband really hates how I do the math on every damn thing he picks up.  I know you do honey, I see it in your eyes.  Just keep your mouth shut and we'll have a nice trip.  OK?  OK!

And to go ahead and put this out there....even though my list looks like that for Sam's, I will not end up purchasing all that stuff in that trip.  I really do scrutinize the pricing and unit size.  I'm seriously out to save money not drown it in Sam's Club.  (However, I could so drown it in Sam's Club....so easily.)

Yeah I kinda have a crush on Sam's.  Damn.

Saving $ in 2014

We are a nation of consumers.  We find "peace" in shopping.  Ok whatever.  Today I want to take a look at what we're buying to save us some loot.

I'm going to introduce you to the things you should not be buying brand new.  Some of these are pretty "duh" and others may catch you off guard.  Here we go...

1. Books

You like to read?  Cool.  Don't buy a book.  Instead check it out from a library or borrow it from a friend.  You can join book clubs and trade books.  If the free options are not working for you then try out a store that sales used books.  The cost is often 50-90% off what you would pay at your local book shop.  As much as I love my Nook I hate buying books on it - so I really don't!  I take advantage of the free reading apps and download the free books.  For example:  Lifeway has a Lifeway reader app.  I downloaded it for free and then they sent me an email they had put a wide assortment of Beth Moore Ebooks on sale for FREE!  I ended up getting 10 free Beth Moore books for the Lifeway App that I use on my Nook.  Pretty cool right?  If you buy books on your tablet you are at a loss of making a little money back when you read and want to sale it on your local online yard sale site.

2.  Video Games

This really urks me.  Video games are stupidly expensive.  Do you really think you need to blow a tank of gas on a game?  Oh well, to each their own.  Don't buy those games brand new.  Save the $60, wait a few weeks until people start beating the game and then buy it at a reduced rate (50% sound good?).  Also, try renting them from your local Redbox.  $2 to try a game and see if you like it beats the pants off of blowing $60+ on a game you find out in five minutes you hate.

3.  Toys

I hate buying toys.  They are expensive and they lose the kid's attention within 2 hours.  Do not buy new toys.  Instead hit up children's consignment stores and sales to find that "it" toy for your kid.  You won't feel half as crappy when they are bored with it after thirty minutes as you would if you had blown $80 on it at Christmas.  This totally goes for baby toys too.  You have two hands and Lysol wipes?  You can clean that bad boy and the kid will love it because they don't know what new is!

4.  Home Accents

This hits close to home!  If you are on a budget then you need to keep your home costs low.  Decorating your humble abode can be done effectively by shopping consignment stores and also taking advantage of spring moving sales.  You can purchase everything from art work to furniture to linens at specialty consignment stores for housewares.  

5.  Sports Equipment

Spring is less than 60 days away and that means it will be time to hit up the bases, courses, and courts.  Save yourself some major lettuce by hitting up used sporting goods shops to get bats, gloves, clubs, balls, rackets and more at deeply cheapened prices.