Thank God for Kids

Note:
This is the mushiest post I will ever write.
Bear with me, and I will go back to my usual sarcasm tomorrow.
***********

Growing up in my family, Christmas music consisted of Willie Nelson, John Denver, and The Oak Ridge Boys - to name a few. Oh, my sister and I complained about our parents subjecting us to those country classics.  We wanted to listen to modern Christmas songs, from Band Aid, and The Pogues "Fairy Tale in New York".  (Okay, they're not modern NOW..)  But secretly, my favorite Christmas album was The Oak Ridge Boys, and particularly the song "Thank God For Kids".  I think I liked it so much because it was reassuring to me.  If The Oakridge Boys liked kids, then surely my Mom and Dad liked me!  Even if I did swim in ponds, and refused to wear dresses...

Now that I have kids of my own, I really, really love that song. Because now I know the meaning behind it.

But today was, well, one of those days.  As you may know, we built our house about a year and a half ago.  It cost quite a bit of money, and took a lot of work to get it the way we wanted it.  We are in the house honeymoon period, and more than a little house proud.

However, despite our best efforts to keep our home clean, and to decorate, and DIY -  today I noticed the following:

The carpet in the living room has little drip stains dribbled from one end to the other (presumably milk).  There's a hole in one of the bedroom walls (another Tonka truck incident).  The kids bathroom has a water damaged baseboard, because the shower curtain is constantly left open.  Big A just had to pull out a toilet because someone thought it was okay to flush a q-tip.  There are air-soft "bullets" all over the yard, and Nerf bullets all over the house.  There's a half finished go-cart in the hedge row. The cabinet housing the trash, has something resembling spaghetti sauce permanently dripping down the inside of the door.  There are grimy fingerprints on every light switch and faucet handle.... And I could go on.

C'mon guys! This is our beautiful new home!!!

And then I heard that song today.  And I got a little weepy.

Because that song made me think - despite all that dirt and mess and naughtiness, thank God for kids.  I could live in a perfectly clean home, with no clutter and no mess.  But I'd rather be listening to my kids belly laugh, and run around chasing one another in the evenings.  I'd rather have them building forts in the living room, and helping me make meatballs in the kitchen. Regardless of dribbles and grime.

So that's the way it is.  "And we'd all live in a quiet house with-out Big Bird or Mickey Mouse and Kool Aid on the couch...Thank God for kids."

(*Now, had I won the power-ball, the kids would have their own house.  With a maid.)

 (Listen to Thank God for Kids here.)

(Or buy it: Christmas With The Oak Ridge Boys)

 

 

Cyber Monday!

Shop Amazon - Cyber Monday Deals Week

Well it's Cyber Monday.  I'm sure there are billions of deals out there to be had.  I have my shopping list.  And am going to, at some point, check out the prices on pricegrabber, and AMAZON.

If you're a woman, the most difficult people to buy for are:  Dad and Hubby.  Why is it that men (sorry men), are so hard to buy for?  I'll tell you why!  Two weeks before Christmas, men invariably buy the things for themselves that they've been wanting for the past 6 months. Am I right? Or am I right?  (Can I get a high five here?)

Also, men want things we, as women, have no interest in.  I wish I could buy Dad a set of Calaphalon pans.  I could wrap them in a pretty apron adorned with cool set of tea towels. It would be so much easier.  And Big A.  It would be so nice if he wanted a hair straightener and Ionic hair dryer..  Wrapped in a beautiful plush towel with cute hair ties for a ribbon.  Awww.

But unfortunately, that's not the real world.   In reality, I am trying to find the coolest most sought after man toys.  Like a Cordless Power 18 volt Retracting Reciprocating Man Saw, that's also powered by Beer.  Or a 52" Laser Plasma Blue Radon TV with a Remote that also powers the truck, the oven and flushes the toilet.

So, with great pessimism, I dug in to do a little research, and I have found a few man-suitable ideas, which you might find useful for the men in your life.

First I found something that is APPARENTLY very sought after by all men.  It's a Pocket Saw.  I have no idea how this works, and I seriously can not fathom wanting one.  However, I am assured it is a cool gift for outdoorsy types, sporty types and camping types.  It is highly reviewed and only $23.81!



The next cool present is noise cancelling headphones.  Comfy while you mow the lawn  - and noise cancelling - read:  tune out the wife.


Similarly, if you need a little more warmth with your tunes, and comparable wife ignoring capabilities:


Keep your "man hands" warm with these gloves.  Perfect for snowmobiling, skiing, or snowblowing!



I like this laptop bag cuz it's waterproof.  Carry a laptop while riding a bike or camping without taking any chances.



Two-way radios.  Two words: man toy.  These are not only useful, they're a toy.  What guy wouldn't want these?  And, to my fair sistas - no need to wander around the basement or yard looking for your man when it's time for dinner - "Come in Big A. Come in Big A. Dinner's ready. Over."



And now, last but not least.  Every guy needs a Leatherman if he doesn't already have one.  And for those of us who remain easy to buy gifts for, a Leatherman is very handy for us too!



So I guess there are a few options out there, without having to search frantically for some outrageously named power tool - there seem to be plenty of original, but cool and useful gifts to choose from!  What have you bought?  Do you have any good ideas?

Black Friday

Today is Black Friday.  I don't like Walmart at the best of times, but I avoid it like the plague when it's Black Friday.

However, today I was gonna have to face my fears.  I needed to buy a flat screen TV for the kids play room.  It was half price, so heading out to the madness seemed unavoidable.  But the universe must have had different plans for me today, because as it turns out, I mis-read the Black Friday Flyer and missed the sale by 12 hours.  AND, I found out I missed the sale before I left the house! Phew!

What to do?  What to do? (Looking around house...)

Having a lot of time on my hands is never really a good thing.  That's how my kitchen ended up Pee Wee Herman orange one year...

Anyway, I got thinking. We have at least 5 bulky 500 lb tvs sitting around. With technology advancing and new models being released every 30 minutes, what's one to do with all of the out of date tvs?

That's when it hit me: it's my duty to try to find a use for the old televisions.  And, with Pinterest and DIY blogs, where you can find brilliant ideas for upcycling anything, I was certain I would find an ingenious use for them.  Big A would marvel at how resourceful I could be....

But I was wrong.  After a little research it was obvious that not even Pinterest could help with an old tv.  I now know that I will not be upcycling my old televisions - I will be donating them to charity.

But just in case YOU are a little on the loony side, here are some ridiculous ways to get crafty with old televisions:

Here's my favorite.  Turn it into a mini-bar!  I can just see myself in a in a floral dress, checkered apron, and white heels, mixing up a martini for Big A:



Or, here's another wonderful idea. God knows how, but you could turn an old TV into a fish tank:

This is the easiest and perhaps most useful of all the ideas I found:  tie a chain around the thing, and use it as a boat anchor.



I don't know if this is cute, or disturbing.  You could use an old tv as a crib for your baby.



And if by any chance your flat screen dies on you (the horror!), here's an idea.  Just gorrila glue on some legs, and you've got yourself a kitchen table!  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Decorating the porch

Big A asked me today if I had any ideas for decorating the front porch.  Ooooh no...

I'm the Queen of twinkle lights and I love decorating for the holidays.  But, if I'm the Queen, Big A is the KING.  He loves it when it's all done.  But like most kings (if my history lessons and historical fiction books served me well), Big A blusters and grumbles his way around the castle.  And nothing brings on serious bouts of bluster more than decorating for Christmas.

So, in an effort to reduce the huffing and puffing, I thought I'd get some Christmassy ideas from Pinterest for our front porch.

This is for you, Sire.

 Christmas porch decorating ideas from Pinterest:

We have two artificial trees that we usually put on the porch, and I don't know if I like the color - maybe just white lights...

Redneck style!  Or, maybe not...



Love this one - we could totally do that!



Lights in window boxes - easy and so pretty.



Maybe...



Could easily make some big planters with pine boughs.  I did this with my Mom and the kids a couple of years ago and they were gorgeous!



And I love the idea of wrapping the tree trunks - looks cool!



So what do you thing King A?  Something you could work with?  Or am I gonna end up in a tower waiting to have my head chopped off?  (I hope not, cuz I'm rather fond of my head where it is.)

The Washing Machine saga continues...

SO, the washer is gone.  (Deep sigh).  It's been a long couple of days.  Really, it was quite traumatic.

Here's why it was so traumatizing:

The laundry room is off of our kitchen, and has a door that we can close.  It is also where our one year old lab sleeps over night. She is a chewer so she sleeps with the washer and dryer.  Our lab is also a Nervous Nellie.  She gets anxious at any little change - when I move furniture around she pants and gets anxious.  I knew that.  Ohhh, hind site is totally 20/20...  The night the washer died, the dog went to her room, and all was well... until I woke to whining and crying and panting.  I ran to the laundry room, for the second time that night, and discovered something no one should have to discover at 3 a.m.  Nervous Nellie had diarrhea!  ALL OVER!  Apparently the doggie loved that washer!

I had to wash the floor, the walls, the doors... It took hours.  My hair still smells like Pine Sol.

Where was Big A, you ask?  He was asleep.  And by "asleep", I mean pretending to be asleep! Let's just say there have been some pretty frosty glares aimed at him in the past couple of days...

Okay, I feel better having vented!

So, the set we have is stack-able and 10 years old - which means the dryer wont fit on another model washer.  No can do.  AND, as the washer is old, so we decided to buy a new one rather than sink a ton of money into a repair.

Apparently that big hole, is in a part that costs $183 to replace.  We looked it up.



So, there's that money, plus its about $100 to call a repairman just to look at the thing.  And something caused that hole.  But what? That's the million dollar question!  Therefore, we decided to buy a new set.

So now you've had your fill of drama with the dog and the washer death, do you want my washing machine and dryer buying tips?  I knew you would!

1.  The first thing we did was get on line and browse all of the reviews of the washers and dryers on amazonWe decided we wanted a stack-able washer and dryer, with a front loading washer.  Here's why:

The best front-loaders are proven to clean better than the best high-efficiency top-loaders.  And they don't necessarily cost more. Most can handle 12- to 20-pound loads. The front loader spins faster than high-efficiency top-loaders and that means better water extraction, which reduces drying time and energy consumption. Front loaders are quiet.  And, many can be stacked with a dryer to save floor space.  Which is handy because our laundry room requires a stack-able set.

2. Once you've found the appliance/s you want, go to pricegrabber.com and type in the make and model.  Find the cheapest priced appliance, even if it's at a store in "the kingdom of far far away", print off the page, and stuff it in your pocket, cuz you're gonna need that.

3.  Head to the store of your choice that sells the model/s you want.  We went to Home Depot, because they are very helpful there, they don't try to hard sell you.  Plus they're attentive, and knowledgeable, and fair.  (No commission from Home Depot I just like em!)

4. Home Depot will match any price, so take that cheapest priced piece of paper from pricegrabber, and hand it to the sales person.

5.  To get an extra discout, pay cash if you can.  If you pay cash, most places will give you a discount for making their sale easy.

6. Take a floor model = Get a discount.  (Do you really care if your dryer has a ding on the side, or a small scratch?  Me either.)

7.  When you're digging deep to pay for that new washer/dryer, "it's hard not to be tempted to buy into the extended warranty sales pitch - even if it will increase the cost of your purchase by hundreds of dollars." Just say NO!!!  Take the hundred or more dollars they want for a warranty, and throw it in your savings account for a rainy day.  "Although warranties may seem like an act of customer service that companies extend to customers, they are actually carefully calculated to be profitable for the companies that offer them."

(Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/07/warranties.asp#ixzz2CPQDZL1s)

8.  Consumers who purchase select energy-efficient household appliances may be  eligible for a state income tax credit.  Each state has different requirements for state income tax credits, so check that out!

9.  Furthermore, some power companies give rebates to their customers for purchasing  energy-efficient appliances. Check with your power company to see ir your purchases qualify!

Got any appliance buying tips?  I'd love to hear them!  Or, do you have any interest in a one year old lab?  She says she's not nervous, she's sensitive.  Call me. :)

The Washing Machine

Twas the night before Wednesday, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even my spouse. The pizza was stuffed in the oven with care, In hopes that Daddy soon would be there.

The children were looking cool in their threads, While visions of dinner danced in their heads. And me in my recliner, and the cat in my lap, Had just settled my brain for a long night cap.

When out in the laundry room there arose such a clatter, I sprang in my boots to see what was the matter. Away to the laundry room I flew like a flash, Tore open the door and landed with a splash.



The children afraid of this possible foe, Gave shrieks and hid below. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, a giant hole in the washing machine, and eight gallons of water all over the scene.





To be continued........ 

(Clearly I've lost my mind, but tomorrow I will post on buying a new washer/dryer combo in case you too are buying your family appliances for Christmas!!!)

Shopping Tips

I haven't even begun shopping for the holidays, but I guess I should.  'Tis (almost) the season!!!  After all, the Christmas music has begun on many radio stations, and WalMart and Wegman's have their decorations up and out on display.

I have, however, been thinking about shopping, and I'll share the details of my thoughts with you...  No problem, my brain hurts anyway.

I do use Amazon.com all the time for gift shopping, for my kindle purchases, and to research customer reviews of products (whether I'm buying from Amazon or not).  For those of you who do too, there are two things you may not be aware of that I hope will help make your shopping "trips" easier.

Don't get me wrong, I like shopping in actual SHOPS as much as the next gal.  However, there's something pretty satisfying about ordering on line, after confirming the product is well-reviewed, and then having it shipped - for free!

An Amazon Prime membership is absolutely worth looking into, and will only cost you $79 per year. You can start with a one-month free trial, or if you're a student or a parent, the Amazon Student and Amazon Mom programs offer other benefits - such as free books, and discounts on diapers!

One membership can be shared with up to four additional people, so you and your family members can all receive the membership for one fee.

Basically, you get free two-day shipping and $3.99 one-day shipping on eligible orders.  And, it doesn't matter how large the items are, the shipping is free. Furthermore, with prime membership, you get free video streaming - either to your laptop, tablet, or your TV.  So, not only do you save with shipping, you save for movies (The other movie rental companies cost about $90 a year).  For me, this was a no-brainer.  The video streaming alone is cheaper than the other movie rental companies, and the free shipping can't be beat.  PLUS, you get a free ebook rental per month, and discounts on ebooks.

When you shop, you may have noticed that Amazon will randomly drop their prices.  Sometimes by A LOT.  A sofa can go down from $2000 to $800 overnight.  It's frustrating to think that if you want to buy something from amazon you might miss a price drop.  But there's a solution.  Here's my second tip - go to Chintzee. You just type in the item number you are looking for and you will get an email alert when the price drops.

Pretty cool, huh?  Do you have any shopping tips for the upcoming holidays?  I would love to hear them!

Happy shopping!

One Year, Twenty Wishes

I confess, there has been a lull in my enthusiasm this week.  I wasn't sure what my lack of enthusiasm was due to, I just know that I found a lot of excuses for why I didn't have time to do any projects - busy with kids: such as helping with homework, cooking dinners, and being a taxi driver.  I had shopping to do and cleaning to do.  And, honestly, money is tight. Christmas is coming, as well as a wedding, and several birthdays.  I don't have a lot of money to purchase a can of paint, much less any other DIY supplies like wood, curtain rods, fabric...  But then this morning two things happened to knock me out of my funk.

First, I sat down with my cup of coffee to catch up with some other blogs I try to read everyday.  Thrifty Decor Chic, wrote a great post about getting out of debt. I enjoyed the post, and made a mental note to do a little more research in this department.  Thank you TDC!  I look forward to looking into your suggestion in depth.

And then I stumbled over to Life in the Thrifty Lane who wrote about a "One Year, Twenty Wishes", which is being hosted by Truly Lovely.  This is a list of things you want to do, NOT what you think you should do.

Cool!  I LOVE lists.  I make to-do lists almost every day, and it helps me clear my mind.  I'm not being overly dramatic, but I think making lists helps me sleep better.  It's all down on paper, so I don't obsess about what I have to do.  I can sleep, and look at my list in the morning.  But I never thought of keeping a list of things I WANT to do!

FUN!

So, here goes!  I warn you, this is for fun - I'm not trying to win any "parent of the year", or "wife of the year" awards!

 ONE YEAR, TWENTY WISHES

1.  Take the kids to the movies once a month.

2. Get out with Big A once a month for dinner, a movie, a walk, whatever...

3. Go for a walk every day.  I don't make the time for this anymore.

4. Get a massage.  I even have gift certificates, and I don't even make time to use them.

5.  Find the perfect foundation. Every girls dream isn't it?

6.  Be a better baker.  This may be an unrealistic wish.  I SUCK at baking.

7.  Get stripes for my new car.

8.  Find the time to fill my ipod with all the music I've been meaning to download.

9.  Read a book a week, by my fireplace.

10. Spend a lot more time with my family.  All of them.

11.  Go sledding this winter.

12. Overcome being cold, so that I can sled a lot this winter. :-)

13.  Eat more veggies.  (This may seem like something I have to do, but it's not at all!  I like veggies, but my family does not, so I don't eat as much as I want to.)

14.  Buy several new pairs of cowboy boots (deep, I know!).

15. Figure out the perfect, and quickest way to straighten my hair (extra deep!).

15. Learn to take better pictures, either with my camera or with my phone.

16.  Get good pictures of my family, all of them, and find a really cool way to display them.

17.  Get some awesome pictures of my home and the area we live in.

18. Learn how to make my blog better, and quite frankly, monetize my blog.

19. Eat whole lobster with butter at least 4 times this year. (Yes!  I'm glad I thought of this one!)

20. Last but not least, win a lifetime of free Big Macs.  (What? It could happen.)

Okay, as I read this over, I realize most of these are a little on the shallow side.  And I also realize I probably should have had breakfast.  But this is a list of things I want, not need, to do... SO, what would you do if you had 20 wishes?