Best Pizza in McKinney, TX at Amato's Restaurant

Amato's Restaurant located on Virginia Parkway in McKinney, TX has the best sicilian pizza in McKinney and North Texas. Scott Amato is from New York and this is true NY style sicilian pizza. We usually order a large and take home the leftovers. The best way to reheat the leftover pizza and keep the crust crispy is to use a pizza stone in the oven.

Amato's also serves delicious Italian meals and sandwiches. Great food and great service!

New York City - Here we come!

I am so excited to be headed to New York City with my 2 sisters, niece and nephew next weekend. I love the city especially during the holiday season. I love all of the decorations and holiday spirit in the air. We will only be staying in the city for one night on this trip. However, we can cover alot ground in 36 hours.

We are staying at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. We like staying at this hotel which is located in the middle of the theater district and close to the subway, Bryant Park and within walking distance to Rockefeller Center. This is my nephew's first visit to the City and we plan on taking the double decker bus tour which is also a great way to get around the city.

Other places we plan to visit are the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center, Macy's Herald Square, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Central Park, and many stores and street vendors for some shopping. We also will spend some time in Little Italy and Chinatown.

I am looking forward to seeing my sisters and having a great time in New York.

Be Green with Holiday Gift Wrap

In my attempt to live a life that is more green, I am no longer buying gift wrap. Don't get me wrong, I love beautiful gift wrap. However, wrapping paper is another area where you cannot only save money for the holidays but also where you could live more green.

Most of us have newspapers, ads, magazines, and tissue paper that could be reused creatively to wrap gifts. Use your imagination. You could go for a black and white theme using newspaper offset by beautiful red curling ribbon. Or you could go for more colorful wrapping paper using advertisement inserts from the Sunday paper. You could also use plain white paper and create your own patterned gift wrap.

Rather than buy new gift cards, consider using your old holiday cards to add a special touch to your packages.

Save money, live green and show your creativity!

Save on Holiday Gift Giving

This past year I have been working hard at simplifying my life. And now I am working to simplify holiday shopping. Rather than buy new gifts, I am going through my house and rounding up things that are in good condition but no longer needed by me or my family. I have a collection of jewelry, candles, books, sweaters, and home accessories that I will be regifting this year to. It supports my objective to live more green, while also saving money.

I would love to hear about your regifting experiences and other ways that your are simplifying the holidays.

Holiday Cards for Troops-Holiday Mail for Heroes

Are you and your family looking for a way to give back this holiday season? You should consider sending holiday cards to the troops. Created by the Red Cross, Holiday Mail for Heroes allows people to mail Christmas cards and personal greetings to soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines overseas and at home to veterans and family members of deployed active duty military members.

More info is available at: redcross.org/holiday mail

I gathered up all my extra holiday cards and started writing messages while watching TV. I also plan to take in extra cards to work on Monday so that I can gather up additional holiday messages for our troops.

This is an easy, inexpensive way for your family to give back for the holidays!

Walt Disney World Souvenirs are Cheaper at Wal-Mart

On a recent trip to Walt Disney World, we rented a car so that we could eat offsite and visit other attractions in the Orlando area. One of the best cost savings opportunities we found was on a visit to a nearby Wal-Mart. We had looked at Disney souvenirs at Downtown Disney but had not yet bought anything. Good thing we didn't. Wal-Mart had a large selection of Disney frames, tshirts, beach towels, and other knick knacks for a fraction of the price offered onsite at Disney. The quality of these items was just as good or near as good as those offered on-site at Disney but were significantly cheaper. So it does pay to venture outside of Walt Disney World if you have a car and are interested in saving a few dollars!

Disney's All Star Resort is a winner for Families!

We picked the Disney All Star Resort for our stay at Walt Disney World. It is one of the economy or value resorts and it was really worth it. The hotel rooms were large enough with 2 double beds, a small table, drawers and TV and small but manageable bathroom. We also rented a small refrigerator for drinks and snacks.


Our room was near to the main pool area which was very nice and clean. There were more than enough chaise lounges and restroom facilities nearby. Lifeguards kept a watchful eye over the pool to ensure safety first.


The snack bar restaurant area was much better than expected with a large menu at reasonable prices. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks and ice cream are offered most of the day. I recommend that people eat breakfast at the hotel before heading to the park.


The Disney transportation buses offer a ride to and from all of the parks, Downtown Disney, etc. They do not go to every hotel though. So if you are planning a visit to another hotel you will need to transfer buses at Downtown Disney. So plan enough time if you a booked a reservation for a character breakfast at another hotel. The concierge can provide assistance on gettting to another location via the transportation system.

Although the higher priced Disneyworld hotels are beautiful and offer upgraded amenities, if you are on a budget the All Star Resort is a great choice!

Headed to Disneyworld for Family Trip This Week

My niece, Nicole, is a Flag Girl in the Bethlehem Catholic High School Band and they are appearing at Walt Disney World this week. This provided us with a great opportunity for an extended family trip to land of Mickey Mouse!

My youngest sister, Donna who is Nicole's mom, is traveling with the High School Band as a chaperone. I wish her luck having to account for all of those teenagers! Thank God they are flying to Florida and not going by bus.

My sister, Diane, my nephew James (Nicole's brother), our parents and I are meeting up in Florida on Tuesday. This is two days ahead of the band but we wanted to take advantage of lower air fares and have some time to hang by the pool before the high school kids arrive. We are staying the Disney All Sports Resort. It is one of the lower end resorts at Disney and I had stayed there on a previous visit. It just so happens that this is the same hotel that the band is staying at. Since we will be spending money on multi day tickets, we tried to save some money on the hotel since we wouln't be in the room that often.

I can't believe the price of admission tickets in to the Disney parks. They seem to go up every year despite there being economy issues. The more days you purchase tickets for the lower cost per day. However, a one day pass is roughly $75. Now I know why families save for years for a trip like this! I can remember when a one day pass cost $35. I guess I am showing my age.

My nephew James is 10 and has never been to Disney. He is really looking forward to this trip and also being away from school for a couple of days. My sister and I have to keep our energy up for him while also looking out for our parents. Multi-generation trips are fun but also present unique challenges in everyone staying together. This is another reason we are staying onsite so that my parents could head back to the hotel if they need a break. It may be me needing the break though!

I will providing updates on our trip during the week.

I bought my first Garmin GPS unit today!

I don't know about you but I hate getting lost. Mapquest is great in providing directions but you need to plan ahead to ensure you have all the directions you will need. However, I got hooked on the Garmin GPS system while traveling on business and renting cars along with a GPS unit.

The Garmin was so easy to use in providing directions in cities that I did not know very well. I consider it to also being a security blanket that will hopefully keep me out of "bad" areas. In addition, it is preloaded with hotels, restaurants, and entertainment spots so in many cases you don't even need to have the exact address in order to get directions. If you make a mistake and don't follow the directions, you will receive a "recalculating" message. This could be annoying but in the end the Garmin will get you headed back in the right direction.

Next week I am traveling to Orlando for a family trip and I had planned on renting a Garmin with my Avis rental car. The rental cost was $12 a day and would total around $70 for the time I needed it.

Rather than rent a unit every time I rent a car, I decided that the $179 sale at Best Buy today was a good one and one for which I would get return and safety many times in the future. I can also use it when I am home and trying to locate an address I am not familiar with.

My challenge now is to figure out how to change the female voice to a male voice on my Garmin!

Zin Zen Wine Bar, McKinney, TX

Last night my husband and I headed over to the Zin Zen Wine Bar located in Adriatica Village on Virginia Parkway in McKinney, TX. We had been there a few times before and we wanted a low key evening. Zin Zen offers a pretty broad wine selection and also a good menu for a light dinner and or snacks.

Zin Zen also had a singer last night named "Buzz" who played some great ballads from the 70's and 80's while playing guitar. On a previous visit, we had the pleasure of hearing a jazz singer who was also very good.

Zin Zen offers comfortable indoor seating consisting of couches, chairs and tables. There is also a very nice patio outside with tables. There are also several stools available at the bar.

This is a great place to share a special romantic date or to hang out with friends. The mix of great wine, good food, and entertainment offer a wonderful evening.

Amato's Restaurant in McKinney, TX has reopened!

Amato's Restaurant located in McKinney, TX has reopened after being closed for several months. Amato's is our favorite local Italian restaurant. Scott Amato is the owner and chef. He cooks up delicious food that is served by a very attentive staff. The menu includes everything from Pizza, Salads, appetizers to pasta offerings, chicken and meat entrees and wonderful seafood entrees.

The restuarant is a great place to take families for a night out or for sharing lunch with friends or for having a special dinner with your special someone. They also can handle private parties.

Amato's still doesn't have their liquor license reinstated so you can Break Your Own Bottle of wine and save a few dollars as well.

Amato's is located on Virginia Parkway and Stonebridge Parkway in the Albertson's shopping center. I highly recommend that you head over to Amato's for a wonderful experience and delicious food!

Mezzaluna Pizza and Restaurant, Palm Coast, Florida

My favorite place to eat in Palm Coast, FL is a little Italian restaurant called Mezzaluna. It is located in the European Village near the Intercoastal Waterway. It is owned by family headed by Mike who moved to Florida from NY. He is a great guy and he has built an awesome business.
http://www.palmcoast.biz/portal/show_entry.asp?TYP=1&EntryID=2598

The menu includes pizza, pasta, calzones, salads, meat, poultry and fish dishes. The garlic knots are to die for. The portions are fairly large usually good for splitting with someone or taking home for leftovers. I have never had a bad meal at this restaurant. It is so delicious and very affordable. The atmosphere is family oriented and there is great people watching. You can sit inside our outside on the patio.

I highly recommend that you check out Mezzaluna when you are in or driving through Palm Coast. It is definitely worth it. You will not be disappointed!

Daytona Beach Dog Races

During our Spring Break trip, my sister and I went to the dog races at the Daytona Beach Kennel club. The races are now held at a very new location that also has poker available. You can also bet on all sorts of dog and horse races across the country. I was amazed and a little overwhelmed.

Dog races are a family affair unlike horse races. Families come to the races, especially those that are tourists. At first it looks like a fun actitivity. However, I have so many concerns about the greyhound dogs used for this "sport". I feel so sorry for them which is why I only go to these events once every 5 years or so.

There were also many people at the dog races who looked like they did not have the money to gamble. It looks like they come hoping to score a big win. We saw many of them leave very disappointed. Makes me wonder if that money was meant to pay the rent and now it is gone. I could see how people could get pulled in by the "rush". But these are the same people who can't manage their money, maybe depressed, etc.

People bet on a dog races using so many different methods. Some people go by the name of the dog, their number, or even those who get into all of the stats. I am somewhere in the middle. I try to look at the stats but to tell you the truth I really don't understand all of it. It becomes analysis paralysis. So then I look at the dog and it's name to see if I get a feel for the dog that will be the winner.

Well, needless to say, I was not lucky. I obviously did not have the right process to place bets. Hey but for $20 I had fun. My sister was much more lucky than I. It was a fun way to spend an evening.

Spring Break at Hammock Beach, Palm Coast Florida

I had the best time this Spring Break with my sister, Diane. We stayed at a condo at Hammock Beach which is an awesome resort located on Florida's east coast between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach. Check out their website at http://www.hammockbeach.com/.

We spent time reading and walking on the beach, reading and drinking by the pool, sightseeing, etc. It was the first time that two of us spent a whole week together without our husbands. It was also different since our other sister, Donna, was unable to come due to her work schedule.

One of our excursions was to the Daytona Beach Flea Market which is open every weekend. The flea market is spread over several large buidlings. There is everything from fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, vitamins, to discount tourist tshirts, jewelry, luggage, belts, etc. The only thing I bought were reading glasses which were a bargain at 2 pairs for $8!

Another excursion we took was to St. Augustine which is a beautiful historic city. I love looking in all of the little shops. There are also many photo opportunities in this town. I had the best hand scooped ice cream at Kirwin's. It hit the spot on a warm day.

The weather was great during our week at the beach. We couldn't have asked for a better week!