Destin Snow Birds Delight!

I just love Destin. It is so nice here and the same every year. It means a lot to me to be able to get away in the middle of the coldest time up North. Yay for Destin!

Shopping Trips to Costco!


by Bebbi




Well, I went and did it. I got a membership to Costco even though Sam’s is right around the corner from my house and my mom works there. I have to say, I have had the membership less than a month and I have had so much fun cheating on SAM!

My place of employment had a special offer for employees; if you join at Costco you get a booklet full of coupons to make it worth your while. I haven’t got the coupons yet, they will come in 2-4 weeks. They did give me a $10 gift card for joining too. That was so nice of them!

Someone wrote a blog a few days ago about “unexpected pleasures” or things that turned out to be less than what was anticipated, well, Costco has brought me a lot of joy and has been even more fun that I ever imagined!

First off, I went with Mr. Bebbi and we looked all around. I got so many steps in, and I enjoyed seeing the different items and trying the Costco samples. We stayed for several hours. At their snack bar, they have Churros instead of Pretzels and they still have Polish Sausage which Sam’s quit carrying a while back. I like the Churros a lot and Mr. Bebbi likes to get a Polish now and again. The drink cups are smaller but that is fine, free refills both places! Mr. Bebbi loves to tease me about the snack bar. I always enjoy getting a soda and a snack while I shop!



After my awesome trip with Mr. Bebbi, my daughter and her boyfriend hadn’t been so we went to look around! We walked and walked all the aisles, comparing prices again. I bought a couple of things I saw the first time that I was still pondering. We figured out that the size made a differences when we compared to Sam’s so we would have to keep that in mind when comparison shopping. My daughter commented on how surreal it was to be in a place that looked so much like Sam’s and yet was different. They didn’t have as many half prices deals after Christmas like Sam’s did. I guess they didn’t over buy some items.




Okay, so the next trip was with my Mother! I stayed overnight with her and we decided that we would go and look around at Costco the next day. She and I walked the whole store again. She really enjoyed it because no one that she worked with was there and she bought a few things. We split a piece of pizza. It was really fun.

Okay, so the next time I went was last night [Sat. January 2, 2009], I took my daughter’s boyfriend’s grandmother! Okay, I know that is a stretch, but I enjoy so much going and walking around and looking at everything!! We walked all around, looking at all the stuff again. I bought some more items that I was pondering. I called my mom at Sam’s and we compared the prices of peanut butter. The peanut butter at Sam’s was two 40 oz for $7.07 and the peanut butter at Costco was two 48 oz for $8.48. That makes it exactly the same price per ounce regardless of which you purchase ($0.09). Silly huh? Well, I guess I win the prize on the blog for most price comparison shopping! Also, did you know that the Joint Juice was $0.17 cheaper at Sam’s than Costco’s for the exact same item! Too fun, huh!!

The next planned trip is with my son and his girlfriend. She is a Costco virgin and my membership is going to get her in! I can’t wait!

What places do you enjoy to go and shop/look around? What big unexpected pleasures did you get out of something that you didn’t expect? Do you comparison shop? Okay, enough questions, I hope you enjoyed my shopping experiences at Costco!! Woo hoo hoo

I am so excited about this! I got my entry put on the Virgin Healthmiles blog on December 23rd and I just saw it today. I am so proud. If I win, I get to have 1000 healthmiles! Please go and comment if you have time, so they can see how popular and wonderful I am...Hehehe..just kidding!

The blog is located at http://liveactive.typepad.com/healthmiles/

Here it is copy and pasted below:


23 December 2008
Member Spotlight: Beverly F

Here's a great member story that we wanted to share for some seasonal inspiration:


"My name is Beverly. I have been a HealthMiles member since June 2008. Since that time I have lost 50 pounds (as of [December 7, 2008] when the picture was taken).

This picture represents the new place that I am when I shop! I go to the BACK of the parking lot! Did you know that it can add 300 or more steps just by parking at the last spot on the lot and walking up to your favorite store?

I have a funny personal story about this. When I was not taking care of my health, my oldest son got tired of my complaining about getting a close parking spot, he parked at the back of the lot and we laughed (and I complained) about walking all the way up to the store.

Little did I know, that once I started Virgin HealthMiles, I would CHOOSE to park there and be excited to walk. This Christmas, park at the back! There are so many advantages!

1. No cars squeezing in next to you.
2. No people coming up right when you are coming back to your car that you have to wait on!
3. Lots of steps!! Which could mean more money to spend once you get up to the store!

Thanks so much for this program.... It has helped me so much to take care of my health and has probably saved my life!"

Way to go, Beverly! That looks like a well-loved GoZone :-)

Have your own stepcount strategies that you'd like to share? Post a comment.

Posted on 23 December 2008 in member spotlights | Permalink | Comments (1)

Wishing Wells

by Bebbi (originally posted on Night Owls 11/14/08)

Ever since I was a young child, I have always loved wishing wells. It used to be that every chance I got to throw a penny in a fountain or well and make a wish, I would. For me, wishing wells hold the hopes and dreams of my youth. Also, I loved shooting stars, picking up pennies, and any other way that you can make a wish. I do still, to this day, pick up pennies and say, “See a penny, pick it up and all the day you’ll have good luck.”

I guess that is the Disney child in me, the whimsical, wistful, naïve child who dreams of rainbows, lollipops, tooth fairies, Santa Claus, and all things magical. I think my first memory of far away lands was probably the Wizard of Oz. Also, I loved H.R. Puff ‘N stuff, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Chronicles of Narnia and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. To me, wishing wells are one of those truly mystical things. It is the Happy Magic, the good and the sweet kind that isn’t scary or ugly.

When I was at my dad’s house this past weekend, I was walking (yeah, I know, you hear about *that* enough) and came across this awesome wishing well. I have seen it before, but now I have an outlet for the thoughts and stories that turn around and around in my head! I decided I would take some pictures of it and write a little piece.

In August, when Shiann and I went to my dad’s house, I walked by that well. As I passed it, I thought that maybe, just maybe, it was a real wishing well. Just by itself, in the middle of this property, quietly waiting for someone to come along and grant any wish that one would want to make. The odd thing is, I haven’t made a wish in it yet. Actually, I hadn’t gotten really close to it until this last visit. I don’t want the disappointment that comes with finding that awesome magic that I have in my imagination isn’t real. I would rather just dream. Sometimes, fantasies are way better than the realities. I love that little sparkle of hope and innocence in me, but I will keep my fantasy and I will not go to that well and make a wish. Does that sound cynical? Maybe I should make that wish? Would you throw a penny in and make a wish?


I think the wishing wells of today are those chain emails that come around. Forward this to 10 of your closest friends and your wish will come true. Forward this, and in exactly 11 minutes and 11 seconds you will get a phone call that will change your life. Hmmmmm, I don’t usually send them. I will send them if it is a pretty picture though. Those do not fulfill my need for my wishes to come true, they just make me feel a lot of pressure that if I don’t send them, something bad is going to happen.

Frank Kafka said, “Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.” I see beauty in this old wishing well and with that, I can touch and live those hopeful moments of my innocence again. Maybe I will go and pitch a penny in it the next time I visit my dad.

Tokyo, Japan

My son is in Tokyo. I am so excited for him! It is the adventure of a lifetime. He went with a friend. Here is a picture he has on his website.

Disney & Cocoa Beach

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Well, I just came back from the most amazing Mother's Day ever! I went to Disney and Cocoa Beach with my children and we had a great time. We walked 6 1/2 miles and hit all the best rides at Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom & Epcot (ok, maybe not ALL the best rides but a good portion!)

Grandma & Grandpa's House

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This house has a lot of meaning to me. When I was growing up we would go to my Grandparent's house almost every Sunday. My Grandfather had mini bikes, antique cars, an antique shop and all kinds of interesting stuff. Some of my best memories from childhood are of this place. It looks a lot different now. The swimming pool is gone, the orchard is not kept up or non-existent and the big pine tree in front is long gone, but the memories of all that come through when I look at these pictures.

This house seemed so big to me when I was little. It may not really be big, but it is huge in my mind and in my heart!

I hope I can be the grandparent that my grandparents were to me! :) RIP Viola Shores-Kennedy and Denton Shores, your memories live on!