Our next trip to Orlando is in just a few weeks, and excitement is already building around our house. The kids are eagerly planning which parks we’ll visit, and which rides they hope to go on. I’ve been visiting my favorite websites for the latest Disney news - you can find all sorts of things online, from new rides coming soon, to sneak previews on new attractions, to what special events are coming up at the parks. And while we’re staying at a Disney resort for our next visit, I’m completely open to staying in one of the numerous Orlando vacation homes in the areas around Disney, Universal, and Sea World. We’ve visited friends who have rented a vacation home for the week while they visited Orlando and the homes were not only stunning, but you have your own private pool and hot tub in some homes too. Sweet! Definitely beats sharing a pool with 500 other resort guests!

There was a huge article in our hometown newspaper this morning about the tax situation and the decisions being made in Tallahassee right now. At this point, I really don’t care what is done, as long as SOMETHING is done. Homeowners insurance and property taxes keep rising, but the homestead exemption hasn’t changed. I’d love to see it be a percentage of your homes value, or double if you’re a married couple, instead of it just being a flat rate. Years ago, when we bought our very first home, that $25,000 was really something - now, not so much.

Having just built a new home here in Florida within the past year, I still remember what it was like when we were out shopping for that house. Weekend trips to towns all over the Tampa Bay area, stopping at model homes, listening to builders and their sales people tell us why we should buy in their community. It was a lot of work, and extremely time consuming. We used several websites to help us find builders in the area, but we found most of them to be lacking in information. I wanted a site where I could get as much information as possible on each builder in one place.

The residents of south Florida are in luck, because such a website exists specifically for buyers and builders in south west Florida. The site covers builders from Tampa down south to Naples, and features pricing for each, floorplans, and community information. I really love how when you mouseover a particular builder’s icon, is shows you exactly where they build on the map. That’s a handy feature, especially when you’re comparing two builders. The site also features a search function, and homebuyer tips and resources about the area and what to expect.

Our schools do a good job of educating kids about the dangers of drugs. I absolutely love the D.A.R.E. program and what they’ve done to help kids all over the US. But as we all know, kids grow up, and the forget what they’ve learned. They give into peer pressure, and they experiment. What’s a parent to do when your child is in need of help? One thing you can do is to call this drug rehab hotline - it’s toll free, and you can get free advice on finding a drug rehab program in your area for your child, your loved one, or a friend. You’ll find a shoulder to cry on, someone to talk to, and solid advice on what your next step should be. Even though this isn’t a service based on Florida, you can find rehab centers right in your own area.

We’re going blueberry pickin’ this weekend!

A lot of people aren’t aware of all of the farms in Florida where you can pick blueberries, strawberries, and lots of other fruits and veggies. I’ve only been blueberry picking once before, and it was at a farm in New Jersey. I missed the season last year due to moving, but I was determined not to miss it this year. I called around to a few local farms and found one near my home, and we’re heading out early one morning this weekend to pick our fill of blueberries.

Want to know where you can pick your own? Here’s a neat website that shows you listings for farms that you can go to in every state, as well as what you can pick at each!

After driving the rental convertible we had all last week, I sure am wishing I had a little convertible Mustang of my own to tool around in. I think I’ve got enough car loans right now, but I suppose if I were going to take out any more personal loans or secured loans for any reason right now, it would be for something totally frivolous and fun like a new toy…Jim would have loved to have bought a new bike instead of buying a used one - I guess that would also qualify as a fun toy! Ooh…how about a jetski? Now THAT would be a fun toy, and one we could use a lot with all of the great beaches in here Florida!

I’m a scrapbooker, but there aren’t ANY scrapbook stores in my town. If I want supplies, I have my choice of a few general craft stores, or traveling to Tampa to visit some of the local scrapbook stores there. So obviously, I try to order as many things as I can online. Did you know that you can turn regular office supplies into scrapbooking materials? I found some great labels at PlanetLabel.com that could be used for cards and making pages. These brown kraft labels because of the texture. If you’ve ever used a krimper or wet your paper to give it a worn look, you’ll like these. You can still print right on them, but the rippled texture gives it a neat effect.

Or how about these neat photo glossy inkjet labels? They’re acid free and smudge proof, and come in a variety of shapes. I think I just saved myself a trip to the scrapbook store!

My recent city spotlight on Tarpon Springs was highlighted in a Carnival Of Cities this week, which was put together by Home Turf Media. There are lots of great submissions to enjoy, so head on over and see what others had to offer for this edition.

One of the first things we did when we bought our house was put up blinds in every single room. Our house faces south, and with no shade in the front yard, the sun is a killer. It’s amazing how hot it can make one of the upstairs bedrooms! In fact, the blinds weren’t enough for the 2 front rooms. We added room darkening drapes as well, to block the light and heat. We went with the faux wood, white 2 inch slats through the whole house, but there is a huge selection of blinds to be found online - styles and colors you didn’t even imagine. I’m considering putting up a Roman shade over the blings in my laundry room - it would soften the look of the window and block out some of the heat there as well. You can really personalize your house with some of the choices, and make it energy efficient at the same time!

What’s up with this delightful weather? Don’t get me wrong, I’m absolutely THRILLED to need a sweatshirt to be outside in the evening, but a little bit baffled as well. I can’t ever recall it being so late in April and still having such awesome weather! Last night we had the firepit going in the backyard, and the fireflies were out in the woods, and I needed a sweatshirt to sit outside.

Speaking of fireflies, I’m 30, and I’ve lived in this area my whole life. I have NEVER seen fireflies in Florida. Ever. New Jersey, yes. Florida, no. I called my kids and husband outside to see them!

I’ve seen a lot of the Sunshine state, and the states surrounding us. There’s only so many trips to Disney and the beaches of Florida that I can do, so my future travel plans will hopefully be a bit more exotic from here on out. There are so many places that we Floridians never even think of visiting, just because we don’t know enough about the locale or how to get there. How about visiting New Zealand? Thailand? Or taking holidays to Tenerife in the Canary Islands? I don’t think I’d be sick of the beach anymore if I got to go to a beautiful beach off the coast of Africa, in say, Playa de las Americas, Los Christianos, or even Los Gigantes! Millions of UK and European travelers visit destinations like this each year, and often get great deals on cheap holidays to places that Americans have never heard of. Why should the British get all of the fun? The island has beautiful resorts with shopping, golf, animal parks, theaters, water parks and more. It’s a bit like Las Vegas. With a beach. And more old world charm. With search engines that package cheap flights with great deals on hotel rates, you’ll be getting your passport stamped in no time at all.

I love to travel and see sights outside of Florida. I think I’ve been to 35 of the 50 states, but one state I haven’t been to is Washington. I was looking at a website tonight for Marysville WA Real Estate and was intrigued. It’s a small town in Washington state that was founded in 1878, and today, is home to 31,000 residents. The town was nicknamed the “Strawberry City” in the 1920’s, and has held an annual strawberry festival ever since. I wonder if Marysville real estate sells that as much as we sell our “berry” goodness here? The town of Plant City, which is not too far from me in the Tampa area, is also known for strawberries, and they have their own strawberry festival every year. I didn’t realize that Washington state grew strawberries!

Located in the same area is the town of Everett. You may recognize that as the home of the Boeing Company. The town has their own festival called Salty Sea Days - fitting, as they’re located on Puget Sound.

Not to be left out, another town near Marysville, WA has it’s own festival also. Lake Stevens celebrates Aqua Fest each year with a big fireworks display and lots of water related activities on the lake. (Reminds me of the Christmas boat parade we used to do in Tarpon Springs each year)