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Timeless

Mrs. Mecomber — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:23:54 +0000

If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you know that I adore history. Historical artifacts, historical stories, genealogy, everything! In so many of our exploits seeing so many wonderful old articles from the past, I always walk away awed. HOW can such old, antiquated objects still exist or even still operate after all these hundreds of years? At Fraunces Tavern in New York City and at Fort Ticonderoga in Upstate New York, we gazed at articles owned by George Washington. I loved his old pocket watch, watch fob and watch key. It’s amazing that these things are still preserved! They just don’t make such things like they used to, either. Especially watchpieces. These “time” pieces are truly timeless when made well!

All my kids love wristwatches. A few of them have cell phones, but they still wear their watches. Problem is, the watches they have had are the “discount” watches from the local Wally World. Needless to say, I usually wind up (pun intended!) purchasing a new watch for each kid because the watches are so poorly made. 300 years from now, will museum visitors be treated to the junk from our landfills? Ugh.

It would have been better if I’d paid a little more and just purchased Citizen Eco drive watches for the children. Seriously, I could imagine George Washington wearing one of these watches, especially if it has a barometer or calendar. He and Thomas Jefferson were avid weather watches, I hear. You think this watch with its “perpetual calendar” would go over well?

P.S. My son saw me going through the BlueDial.com website and he came right over. “Wow, watches!” he said. I told you, my kids like watches!

Check out the store for some of the most beautiful watches you’ve ever seen. Truly, these are elegant timepieces. And who knows, maybe someday YOUR elegant timepiece will sit behind a display case in a museum.

Timeless

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Watch This!

Mrs. Mecomber — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:34:22 +0000

Well, the smartphone has taken over the world. OK OK, maybe I am exaggerating. A LITTLE. But it seems that the smartphones have replaced the GPS, the digital voice recorder (remember those?), the folded up mass of paper maps (I don’t miss those), and the wristwatch. I actually love a fine wristwatch, but I admit– I use my phone to check the time. My hands are always in water (I’m a mom, you know, always washing!) or I bang my wrists on things. But my kids LOVE their watches. They are one of the rare young people out there today who prefer to wear wristwatches. They don’t have smartphones, just *regular* cell phones, so it’s less convenient for them to yank the phone out of their pockets, flip open the phone and finally get the time. They prefer to twist their wrist a little and get the time that way.

A wristwatch can be a beautiful thing, too– a work of art and a timeless heirloom. A watch can last forever, too– I know because I’ve been in enough museums and seen enough really, really old ones! That’s why you should consider beautiful Citizen Eco drive watches if you are looking for the perfect gift or one-of-a-kind heirloom to pass down to your children. They are simply gorgeous and built to last. Who knows– maybe YOUR watch will make it in the museum someday! You’ll never know unless you get one!

Merry Christmas, friends!

Watch This!

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Sunglasses at Night

Mrs. Mecomber — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:54:48 +0000

I did it! I got a pair of cheap eyeglasses from the online glasses manufacturer, Zenni Optical. They are a really nice pair of glasses! After wearing metal frames for years, I opted for a festive ruby red plastic frame. It makes me look like a geek, but I like the glasses. They are very, very well-done and I am so pleased with tme. I did a thorough review at my home blog, FreakyFrugalite.com. I didn’t mention there, though, that I also got a nice pair of clip-on sunglasses with the glasses I bought. They make me look fabulous, darling. So now I can zip around in my snazzy Hyundai, wearing my geeky sunglasses at night in the city. wooooo!

Seriously, I do like my Zenni glasses. I really had no idea how they would turn out. I require a very strong prescription and I had a few doubts that a company who never saw me could make them just right. But Zenni did!

The frames selection is very nice, very diverse. The plastic frames are the most whimsical. You can get them in all sorts of colors and styles. I love these. They are red (yes, I have this thing for red!) with white swirls. I think they look very Christmas-y. Zenni sells their glasses so inexpensively, you can get three or four different pairs and they will all still be less expensive than the “store bought” glasses at the eye center. You could even order a few for your pals or family members. All you need is their prescription and pupillary distance measurement! Definitely check out Zenni. I am so pleased with what I got and I am definitely ordering from them again. Although, next time I may go with something pink or green… or lavender….

Sunglasses at Night

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Insurance Leaves Much to Be Desired

Mrs. Mecomber — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 18:09:02 +0000

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the insurance coverage. But for some areas, the coverage in New York State is woefully, woefully lacking.

Just this week I went to my eyeglasses store. The frames I purchased six months ago (for a whopping $250!) have deteriorated. The bronze color coating is flaking off, the metal is rusting and the frames are causing my skin to react in blisters. The store told me that they were awfully sorry, but they can’t do anything. I could order a brand new pair of glasses and pay retail or they could locate another pair of frames exactly like the old and pop in the old lenses. But the insurance will not pay for a new pair, and there is only a 30-day guarantee on new pairs. Problem is, the replacement frames are $80!! I’m not paying $80 for another pair of defective frames that I will only have to replace in six months. :-p

The eyeglasses store told me that my new insurance only pays a total of $39 every 2 years for glasses. Oh my gosh. That is AWFUL. I was flabbergasted, especially when I see that the insurance company has tons of coverage for mental illness, alcoholism and family planning. For many people, glasses are a medical necessity. Because my prescription is currently so high, my glasses cost about $200 to $250. Why are glasses SO expensive?! And why are insurance companies so stingy about the coverage??

Well, thank God there’s another choice. Zenni Optical. What you see is what you get– quality frames, quality lenses, good service– and no middleman or insurance paperwork hassles to mess everything up. I’ve heard about Zenni for a while now, but have been balking about ordering new eyeglasses. I think I’m going to check into them. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I’ll no doubt do a review about my experience in the near future!

UPDATE: Well, I just ordered a pair of glasses from Zenni! I did a little comparative shopping and Zenni was the only company that makes glasses stronger than -10 OD/OS! My prescription is -16 OD/OS so we’ll see how the glasses do for me. I can’t wait to get them!

Insurance Leaves Much to Be Desired

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NewYorkTraveler.net Gets a New Logo!

Mrs. Mecomber — Thu, 26 May 2011 16:16:27 +0000

After a year’s hiatus while we gutted and renovated our 1855 home in Upstate New York, the Mecomber team is back on the trail! My itinerary is a bit scattered this season, but it’ll be fun. I’m going to focus on a few places that have been getting media attention lately– places that may not be open to the public for much longer due to New York State budget cuts. I’m concerned that these place will close before I have had the chance to see them and write about them. One place in particular is the Nicholas Herkimer Home in Little Falls, NY.

We also intend on going camping for a bit in the Adirondacks (going to need plenty of bug spray for that). And we’ll be taking a few adventures out of state, too. We visited my brother in Virginia a few weeks ago– what a wonderful trip! I also visited Hill Cumorah and the old Joseph Smith homestead in February (I’ll have stories about that posted very soon). I’ll be going to Indianapolis this summer, and we do plan another trip to Virginia sometime. Not to mention all the amazing things we’re going to do in New York, like (hopefully) see a Civil War enactment in Peterboro and get to Saratoga to see Freeman’s Farm and Fort Ticonderoga. Of course, if any of you have suggestions, feel free to leave a comment.

In celebration of all this new activity, I’ve developed a “brand” for the blog, replete with t-shirts and car magnets! What do you think?

I’m planning on updating the blog theme, too, to reflect the new logo. This may take a little time, but I’m hoping that with the onset of a new year, New York Traveler will have a new look!

NewYorkTraveler.net Gets a New Logo!

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Home Away From Home

Mrs. Mecomber — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:15:37 +0000

The kids and I have been watching some outstanding movie and documentaries lately. In particular, we have been impressed with Travel the Road, a television series that ran on TBN and is available as DVDs now. It follows two, and then three, young men who decide to sell everything they have in the States, and travel around the world to dozens of countries to spread the Christian gospel. The men travel mostly to Third World countries but I think they do travel through some swanky European areas and maybe some exotic place like st tropez. They know no other language but English, and their journey is full of deprivation, harrowing experiences, joy and hardship. And lots and lots of passion. It’s really wonderful to watch them on their travels. It’s a learning experience.

When I was a young person, I wanted to do just that– travel the road, be a missionary. I never did become a “real” missionary, but I am more an “armchair” missionary and “backyard” traveler. I decided to start up this blog to keep a journal of all our homegrown travels. I could never be much of a world traveler, but I could still travel, even if I did travel only in New York State. Who knows, I still may travel the world. The most difficult part, I imagine, is finding accommodations. In your own country, you can rely on familiar brands… but how on earth do you go about finding, for example, reputable villas in France? How can you tell by saint topez pictures online that what you see is what you get?

This, I believe, is the beauty behind rental property providers. I have discovered quite a few myself, so should we decide to leave our native boundaries, I have an arsenal of reputable and reliable companies that can offer us good information and deals on lodging, food, and sightseeing. See– I’m all ready to go. I simply lack opportunity (and finances!).

If you own a home and would like to rent it to considerate travelers such as me you can also list your home for rent. I think that’s a great idea– renting your own home, earning a little money from it to enable you to travel further. I’d love to do that!

Anyway, rental properties are the creme de la creme when it comes to holiday accommodation. Make sure you make your plans with a reliable company that has a history of providing outstanding service and listings.

Home Away From Home

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Making Your Traveling Hobby Work For You

Mrs. Mecomber — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 22:34:44 +0000

I will soon see my fifth anniversary as a travel blogger, this July! I just can’t believe it. Has it truly been that long? We started blogging about our travels in July 2006. Before then, we’d visited so many enjoyable places that I longed for a way to journalize them. I started up a little blog on Blogger; two years later I bought my own domain here, and the rest is history.

When I first started, we were a one-income family trying to squeeze out the cash for gas and admissions. Traveling with a large family can be very expensive, so I looked for some way to earn a little money on the side, to pay for gas and travel expenses. I had no idea that I would not only be Making money blogging for travel expenses, but I have been able to build an entire career around blogging and traveling and freelance writing. It’s been nothing short of thrilling.

Of course, I was a rookie– and therefore I had to learn most everything by trial and error. Even 5 years ago, blogging (especially professional blogging) was an anomaly. Today, however, the tables have turned. Today, there are even college offering courses on blogging and Making money blogging. If only I had had such opportunities then!

Ashworth College is offering online courses in blogging and Making money blogging with an accredited Professional Blogging Career Diploma. It looks like a phenomenal course. Lord willing, if I have time, I just may take it. Even though I am experienced, there’s still a lot to learn. And blogging is an ever-changing venue. I remember “back in the olden days” when blogs were primarily textual!

If you are a budding young blogger or traveler, maybe you’d like to check out the course. I have loved the journey– both traveling AND blogging. It’s been a marvelous adventure. Here’s to many more years.

Happy trails.

Making Your Traveling Hobby Work For You

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Super Deals on Glasses

Mrs. Mecomber — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:01:06 +0000

We’re gearing up for a new travel season! We are all pretty excited since last year was so sparse. But I have no plans to do any major renovations this year (Lord willing). So we have hopes of being out and about frequently this year.

I’m trying very hard to get all the necessaries done before summer, so that we can relax. One of them is eye exams. Three of the four kids wear glasses, and looks like they’ll all need new ones this year. *sigh* We don’t have insurance, so you can imagine how expensive eyeglasses can be for us. BUT I am going to try Zenni Optical prescription eye glasses for them this year. If you haven’t heard about Zenni Optical yet– where have you been?? LOL. Zenni has been hot news for a while. Clark Howard mentioned them, and they were featured on various news shows. Zenni Optical sells eyeglasses for a tiny fraction of the cost of retail glasses. Honestly, I don’t see how people can afford those super-expensive retail eyeglasses. Zenni Optical offers really nice frames and exceptional customer service. I saw these classy red frames and fell in love. I have this *thing* for red glasses.

Zenni Optical eliminates the expensive middle man. You go to their website, browse through the frames (many of them are discounted as low as $6!), and fill in the prescription for lenses. Zenni has an entire help page to assist you with the forms and how to get your prescription. Thank God I have an optician who is a nice guy and will give me the prescription information without a hassle.

If you need some nice eyeglasses, definitely give Zenni a try. The website is very user-friendly and the prices are too irresistible.

Super Deals on Glasses

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Before You Go Anywhere…

Mrs. Mecomber — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:18:18 +0000

…see Billy! He’s so smart!

I’m talking about Billy’s Savings Club. Billy is the bow-tied, bespectacled mascot of Billy.com. It’s a really cool site. I follow Billy on Twitter so that I can discover deals and excellent tips. Billy.com is a resource website. They specialize in a few certain things (such as movers, like movers in San Francisco, or San Jose movers, or just about everywhere). But Billy also has lots of information about saving money– coupons for purchases at retailers; state moving guides and moving information; ways to save on groceries; freebies available for children who get good grades in school; menu planning; tax tips; freebies of the week; and a bunch of links to frugal saving websites. It’s a great resource for the traveler, too– you can use the state moving guides to quickly view basic rules and regulations about driving and licensing, marriage, and taxes.

Billy also has tips on ways to save on entertainment (including ways to save money while traveling and visiting museums), and more. The articles are very readable, concise, and helpful. I see that Billy is adding more and more content every time I visit. Nice.

Save some bucks, get some great money-saving ideas– see Billy.com. If you follow him on Twitter, you’ll get even more information (such as freebie alerts!). Great stuff!

Before You Go Anywhere…

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Get Good Rates

Mrs. Mecomber — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:05:37 +0000

Got a business? It’s important to get a comparable business insurance quote, to obtain the right coverage to ensure that you are fully protected. Moreover, you don’t want to pay more money than you need to, do you? And who has tme to go chasing down insurance agents anymore, going over the numbers and coverage details? I know I don’t!

See Netquote.com for an easy, convenient way to compare insurance quotes. Netquote has been featured on CNN Money, Oprah, and The Today Show. It’s easy to use Netquote– you can do everything online. All you do is enter the coverage you want, submit your contact information, and wait for Netquote to provide that data to insurance carriers; you will be contacted with quotes tailored to your preferences and needs. You can get quotes from all the top insurance carriers: Allstate, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Progressive, and more) for your location, whether it be Alaska business insurance or Hawaii business insurance or group health insurance, or New York State home or auto insurance. It’s all very easy to do.

No one wants to pay more than they have to for insurance! Get some good rates and compare what’s best for you and your business or personal needs. Check out the site!

This post was brought to you by your friends at Netquote.com.

Get Good Rates

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