Our DirecTV bill is around $70 each month ($840/yr). It is NOT a payment I enjoy making, but it is what it is.  We cannot get cable where we live, so DISH is our only other traditional option.  But lately, I’ve been trying to think outside the box a little and have been wondering if there’s another way. I don’t relish giving away money if I don’t actually have to, and I could certainly find other (more fun!) uses for that $840 each year, LOL! 

I came across posts at Go Graham Go and Thrifty Mama recently where they made the switch from DirecTV/cable and ditched the high cost plans. This has certainly encouraged me! I am looking more into options and equipment - we have the Wii (videos & whatnot), a Blu-Ray (Netflix, Pandora), and can also use one of the laptops as needed. 

My main concerns?

How clean and smooth will movies and shows play on TV via the Internet/laptop? Will it be the same experience as we have now with DirecTV?

I’m obsessed with my DVR and rarely watch live TV. Will shows on demand via the Internet replace my need for a DVR? I am certainly not loving the $300 pricetag for the Tivo box.

We watch A LOT of Disney Channel / Playhouse Disney shows in our house. Are they available outside of the traditional cable/satelite connections?

We also spend around $70 for landline phone + internet.  We are now up to almost $150 each month when you add this to DirecTV (about $1680/year total!). We won’t be able to completely eliminate this payment because we obviously have to have internet, but even if we could cut it in half and find an alternative to the landline phone, that would be a major plus. We have cell phones, but because of poor service in our area we cannot rely solely on them. Also because of our area, our options with internet are limited.

I’ve heard a little bit about MagicJack… you buy the equipment and pay a cheap annual fee, hook it up to your computer and you are all set.  Sounds great… but… It sounds almost too good, or too cheap, to be true.  How much is the equipment? How good is the service and quality?  I have Skype, but I always end up with computers that have no mic capabilities. I can only use Skype (voice to voice) on the Mylo, which I haven’t done in awhile. 

This is a bit of a rambling post, putting my thoughts down… I’d absolutely LOVE input as I explore the options and work toward a decision. If you’ve made either move from traditional services, I’d love to hear about your experiences.

I am *officially* entering the second trimester (I’m 12 weeks, and according to one site my first trimester ends April 28)!  The estimated due date is November 4, 2010!  We are so excited! (Obviously, I know, lol.)  Lil Roo expecially.  He can not wait to be a big brother and mentions from time to time that he wants the baby to be a boy with green eyes (just like him). Sooo cute! 

There is so much to do before baby arrives. What we offhandedly call “the office” (the computer used to be in there) is basically our storage rooma nd dump zone - eeek! It is GOING to be the nursery, but only after I spend a lot of time in there. There is MUCH decluttering, organzing and tossing to be done!  THe room has to be completely emptied, carpet cleaned, walls painted, then the decorating can begin.  Hopefully I have a supercharged nesting period, because I am going to need it! 

I just wish “morning sickness” (ha! That term so misrepresents what is going on here, lol!) for me actually ENDED with the first trimester. With Lil Roo, with was around the halfway point when it started easing up. So much with this pregnancy is just like my previous pregnancy, that I am sure it will probably be the halfway point on this one too before the yuck part starts easing. If I didn’t have such a SUPER HIGH sensitivity to the smell of minerals in our water when I’m pregnant, it might not be as extreme, but I do, so I cannot wait for that halfway point!! LOL!!

OK, there’s my update (and my whine, haha!), now I want to pick your brain!

What works best for you to prevent, help relieve, or help settle settle you / your tummy “after” when dealing with morning sickness and all over ickies?

What are you favorite maternity products?  I’m not even sure what all is “out there” for expectant moms. If you’ve reviewed maternity items, please give me a links - I’d love to check them out.

Thanks!  Now for some fun, cutesy stuff, hee hee……

Make a pregnancy ticker

It is time once again for the annual 5 Minutes For Mom’s Ultimate Blog Party (though technically I am a little late to the festivities).  If you aren’t already participating, there’s still time (hey, look at me, lol).  This is truly too awesome to miss for bloggers and non-bloggers alike.

Not only are there TONS of great people to meet - there are Linky lists for blogs, Twitter, and Facebook - but there are OODLES and OODLES of fab-u-lous prizes.  A few of my favorites (mentioning them here gives me a chance at winning my preference - how cool is THAT?):

US39 - Hilton Garden Inn 2 night stay
US40 - Holiday Inn Main Gate East, Kissimmee, FL, 3 day / 2 night stay
USC17 - $200 Apple GC
US19 Hasbro Preschool Package
INTL2 Custom WP Blog Design

And if those have already been picked, any of the following (in order of preference, lol) gift cards, since I will soon have LOTS of baby stuff to get (or maybe something special for me, depending on which GC, heehee):

USC8 - US112 - USC37 - USC35 - US104 - USC35 - USC39 - USC13 - USC15 - USC3 - US73 - US74 - US87 - USC34 - US2 - US32 - US15 - US52 - US61 -  US107 - US88 - US100 - US113 - USC36 -  US31 -  US37 - US55 - USC32 - USC40 - USC44 - USC41

And if all of those are spoken for too, lol, anything for baby, maternity, or preschoolers would work for me. I’m easy. 

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Now, a little about me in case this our first time “meeting”…   I’m Christy, I’m married to a professional firefighter and I am the WAHM of Lil Roo, our three year old (he’s turning four this summer, how fast time goes by), and our new on-the-way bundle of joy.  We also have a very spoiled four-legged daughter, Halie.  She is an American Pit Bull Terrier and if you believe anything the media says about them, you’ve been misled.  She’s awesome, everyone that meets her loves her and most want her for their own.  We also have a cat, sometimes two.  Both of those pet stories are for another day, heehee.

I started blogging in the Spring of 2008 (looks like I’m upon a bloggiversary of sorts) at MultitaskingMama.Wordpress.org, then after a couple months moved over to Shake The Salt.  I recently created Savvy Frugalistas, where I now post deal / freebies oriented stuff. It is sporadic right now (24/7 morning sickness basically has much of my life on hold or going in slo-mo), but in the future I’d like it to be more frugal-community focused - there are so many wonderful frugal bloggers that I’d love to spotlight and give a little special attention to. 

I created Homespun Preschool and Making It A Home, and blogged there a bit with my buddy Kim, but they just aren’t working out for us, so I think we are going to let them go. Instead of helping me organize my blogging, it just provided an extra responsibility that my heart isn’t in right now.  All reviews from Homespun will be moved so they will still be accessable after the site comes down.  It happens, ebb and flow, trial and error, some things work, some don’t.

Projects I am working on, that will be launching this year that I’m pretty excited about, are Florida Fun Reviews and Sweet Posh Baby!  FFR will focus on family activities & travel within Florida (and perhaps an excursion here and there outside of the Sunshine State) and will launch this May/June.  SPB will be a catalog of reviews on products for babies, mamas-to-be, daddies-to-be, new parents, young children, etc and will launch this September. 

You can find me at any of these blogs, plus at Simply Sensational Divas Review, and on Facebook and Twitter.  I am also available by email.  You can keep up with any of the blogs by following on Facebook / NetworkedBlogs or via RSS (email is an option of that works better for you):

Shake The Salt - Facebook/NB - RSS
Savvy Frugalistas - Facebook/NB - RSS
Florida Fun Reviews - Facebook/NB - RSS
Sweet Posh Baby - Facebook/NB - RSS
SSDR - Twitter - Facebook/NB - RSS

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 A quick little plug about my newest “obsession” - and by obsession I mean something I LOVE but don’t have to spend a lot of time at for it to work: SwagBucks. I’ve been messing around with it for a couple months and I am up to $50 in Amazon Gift Cards.  I ONLY do the free stuff, and pretty much just searches (I try at least each day but sometimes not every day) and codes when I come across them.  Join me there and feel free to ask me any questions - I’d love to help. 

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Thanks soooo much for stopping by…. please leave a comment and a link to your blog if you have one.  I’d love to hear a little about you and any comments on my blog (or suggestions on dealing with 24/7 morning sickness, lol).  I love meeting new people.  BTW, are you going to BLOGHER ‘10 in NYC?  I’ll be there!!! Look for me - I’ll be the short, very pregnant one, haha!!!