It's All Over...

It's a little sad when Christmas is over.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...  However, the porch pots have fallen over in the wind, and the Christmas tree is raining needles.  The twinkle lights have started to randomly blink or go out - one strand at a time. Gift wrap is to be found wadded up in unlikely places - like under a bathroom rug or stuffed in a vase. The empty clothing boxes and battery packaging adorn every room.  While bedrooms are littered with little black toy tie downs, and candy-cane wrappers.

Like sand, little bits of Christmas get everywhere! So, although it's over, Christmas is still with us!

[caption id="attachment_695" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Watchin' movies....[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_692" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Visit with Santa![/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Went shopping...[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_697" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Stole mom's phone...[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_698" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Played in the snow...[/caption]

Christmas Trees!

Having the perfect tree for Christmas is a matter of taste.  Artificial, freshly cut, or made from recycled items.  From traditional trees to cowboy boot trees.


(Penny's Vintage Home)

From unique mason jar trees,


(Eclectically Vintage)

to beautiful blue and white, and burgandy and copper.


(from The Family Room)


(City and Burbs)

To a warm welcome in the foyer:


(from Life in My Empty Nest)

I love looking at them all.  But my favorite trees are the trees that have home made ornaments, and imperfect limbs.  They start off a little Charlie Brown-ish, but when the lights are strung and the kids are done, you can't imagine your home without it.  What's your favorite?

If you're looking for a place to drool over lots of beautiful decorations, hop over to Thifty Decor Chick and check out the link party!

 

The Kids' Bathroom

I've mentioned how my mind jumps from one thing to another. Today, in true form, I'm jumping from decorating the Christmas tree to dehumidifying the bathroom.  It's a natural transition, don't you agree?

Here's why I'm pontificating on bathrooms rather than dreaming of sugarplums - I cleaned the kids' bathroom (yup, it's a glamorous life). With yellow rubber gloved hands and Clorox at the ready, I pondered how we have been in our house only a year and a half, but we already have a moisture issue in the kids' bathroom. Not only is it physically impossible for the kids to get anything in the waste basket, it is also a near impossibility for them to turn the exhaust fan on.

I know bathrooms are inherently moist. That's why it doesn't necessarily occur to people, myself included, that efficiently getting rid of that moisture is essential every day. However, it is.

That warm and steamy mist from the shower gets into everything. The woodwork, the paint, the flooring. And that causes water damage. But worse:

Moisture = Mold.  Mold = Health Hazard.

Therefore, whether you are talking to your modular home builder about options, or looking to improve you existing home, a bathroom exhaust fan is essential.  Boring. But. Essential. (Equally as essential - sitting your children down and telling them to turn the fan to ON.  But more on that later.)

You can buy a fan separately or buy a fan and light combination. Although a pretty chandelier would look way cooler, the fans/light fixtures are not all ugly.  I promise. For example, this one looks good and has a night light for kids: Hunter 83001 Riazzi Bathroom Fan with Light and Nightlight, Brushed Nickel

Whether you're buying a bathroom exhaust fan or a fan/light combo, they are rated by their ability to remove moisture.

The first way is by the amount of air the fan can move. This is measured in CFM, or cubic feet per minute. Powerful fans can earn ratings as high as 150 CFM. When choosing a fan, be sure to equip larger bathrooms with a more powerful fan.

Bathroom exhaust fans are also rated by how loud they are.  Yup, they're loud and annoying.  It may sound as if you're in the bathroom of a 747, but, I personally find mold more annoying than the noise. The noise of the fan is measured in sones, and a quieter fan will receive a lower sones rating. Ultra-quiet fans may offer a sones rating of 0.3, while more intensive fans can score 3.5 or higher.

How long do you run the fan? Running the fan while you shower, and then for 20 minutes after, is plenty of time to remove moisture from the bathroom, thus avoiding water-soaked woodwork, peeling paint, mildew, and possible breathing problems from mold.

So, kids, (yes I mean you, guys), armed with this essential information, you now need to USE the fan. It's not too late. Not only will you have a nice bathroom, if you use the exhaust fan from now on, I will call Santa and have your names moved to the "Naughty" list to the "Nice" list.

 

Decorating the tree

The little man had more fun putting the wire hooks on the ornaments than he did hanging them...



While my 11 year old rearranged most of what the little one hung...

While the 14 year old hacked my iphone...



We got it done in the end...

Tools You Need

Having a conversation with Big A is usually very helpful.  But some days, well, not so much.

Me:  Which tools could you not live without when it comes to the house?

Big A:  My car-washing mitt.

Me:  I said for the HOUSE.

Big A:  Honey, the only tool you need in this house is my brain.

Me:  I'm pretty sure you just called yourself a tool.

Clearly, I wanted his help making a list of the tools that a new home owner would love as a gift. But I guess I'm on my own!

Here goes:

Compound Mitre Saw.  Big A couldn't live without this.  For quick accurate cuts, but long rips are not possible. It's relatively small, and therefore portable. Big A uses his for moulding. I really need to learn to use this so that I can make my own frames!  From wikipedia: A compound miter saw has a rotating vertical pivot allowing the cutter head and blade to be tilted sideways in addition to the horizontally rotating table. This allows vertical and horizontal angled cuts as well as cuts angled in both planes. (In English: it can cut angles).

Cordless Drill.  Every home owner or apartment dweller needs a cordless drill.  Use it to drive screws and drill holes.  The battery size is important for long periods of use and a short charging time.  Look for a drill with a reverse switch and a keyless clutch.  Try the drill in your hand to make sure the fit is good.  The size of the handles and weight vary.

Gorilla Cart.  Forget wheelbarrows.  This is easy to load and unload.  A new home owner has a lot of hauling to do and this makes it much easier.  It doesn't tip over, and you can load it with gravel, rocks, lawn debris, groceries, garbage, mulch, etc.  The handle comes off so that you can attach it to a lawn mower or ATV.

Nail Gun.   If you have any major work to do that requires hammering, a nail gun will make the job go a lot faster and save your shoulders! A nail gun requires an air compresser.  There are cordless nail guns, but they drain the battery very quickly, plus, if you buy an air compresser you can use that for lots of other things.

Air Compressor.  For me the main consideration is portability.  An electric air compressor can be used for nail gun, staplers, filling tires, blowing spider webs away... There are kits sold that include nailers, staplers and air compressors.

Power washer.  I love the power washer.  As long as you choose one that is light enough to easily move it around, you can't go wrong.  We have one that is very heavy, so I can only use it when Big A is here to move it where I need it. You can clean the grill, your car tires, the porch, sidewalks, outdoor rugs (carefully), remove old chipping paint...

That's it for now.  If Big A comes up with any useful suggestions, I'll update this post.  However, I'm not going to hold my breath - he's busy washing his truck.



Shop Amazon - Top Holiday Deals in Tools

 Important note:

If you give any of these as gifts to a woman, best to give it WITH a pair of earrings or new boots.  Tools are useful and great gifts, but, let's face it, they don't make your ears or feet look good.

Holiday Porch Pot

I've got a great idea for decorating your porch or any area outside. Make a Holiday Porch or Garden Pot.  It's essentially free - using planters you already have, branches and dirt!  (If you're nervous, you could attend a garden center workshop or class on making porch pots, as most garden centers will be happy to help.)  Or you could do what my Mom and I did a couple of years ago just wing it!  They came out great, and were really easy, so it's now a Christmas tradition.  The awesome thing about this is you can decorate them for the holidays, remove the decorations after the holidays, and the greenery will last months.

First, scour the woods, or your yard, or your family's yards, for pine boughs. Get some really big ones, some  medium and some large.  Mix up the textures or stick with one flavor...  I chose to use three different kinds of fir. (I'm no gardener, so I can't tell you what kind they are!)

We have one pine tree in the yard.  One.  So, we did what we had to: clad in ski masks and black clothing under the cover of darkness, we filled the back of the truck with boughs stolen from my parents house. Only joking - they said we could.  However, if we didn't have that option, Lowe's and the local garden centers do sell bundles of boughs.

Anyway, I piled all the branches in my gorilla cart and wheeled them to the front porch area.  The first year we did this I learned not to put the pots together and then try to move them.  Large containers of dirt and branches are heavy and awkward.



So, I put the branches on the ground in piles of large, medium and small.  And then I put gloves on, because I had sap all over my hands...



I took the pots and filled them with dirt.  I didn't have enough dirt I'm too lazy to dig dirt from the yard, and I didn't want to leave holes in the yard, so I bought a bag of plain dirt from Lowe's. It was under $2 for 40 lbs.  (A note here about buying dirt - if the dirt is stored outside, and you live in a cold climate, be sure to make these pots before the dirt freezes.  Otherwise you will have to put the dirt in your living room for 3 days to let it thaw - don't ask how I know this.)

A note here - when I plant live plants I usually put empty plastic bottles in the bottom of the pot to take up some space and save on potting soil, especially if my planter is large.  However, in this instance I filled the pots up with all dirt.  Do NOT put plastic in the bottom of the pot to take up space, because you want plenty of room to push the branches way down in.  You don't want all of your hard work blown all over your yard during the next big wind!

Put the largest branches in the middle and in the back, and jam them in the dirt.  (While I did this, I had "We're Jammin' " by Bob Marley going through my head.)  Next fill in the pots with the medium and the small branches.  You could easily trim your branches to make a more uniform look, but I wanted mine to be huge and rustic.  Turn the planter and just fill in any holes or blank spots.

In the beginning they look really ugly.

[caption id="attachment_669" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Ugly![/caption]

But keep turning and filling in. ( Meanwhile, ignore your husband when he looks at the planters, and then at you, as if you've lost your marbles.  Ignore the Time Warner tech who looks at you as if thinking "the poor dear thinks that looks good".  Ignore them, because they will look good, when you're done. )

[caption id="attachment_670" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Not as ugly...[/caption]

The next step was to add some bling.  I had only a few OLD dollar store decorations on hand. So I just used them for now. I used twist ties to secure them to the branches.  And, I twist-tied the bows to a stick and stuck the stick in the dirt in the front of the planter.



I think they look pretty good.  I am definitely stopping at the craft store later today to grab a few more berry-type stick-like ornaments (that's what they're called!).

So I'm happy this is done, and it was 70 degrees today, so I didn't have to freeze doing this.

But now we really need some snow to cover up all of this mud!  C'mon Mother Nature!  This is Central New York, not Miami!!!

Decorating the Kitchen (kinda)

Decisions. Decisions.

It's the little things, right?  So, can I justify writing a post on dish racks?

I have a dishwasher but a lot of things get hand washed.  Like good knives, heavy pots and pans, wooden stuff...

In my opinion I have a pretty sink with pretty counters.

[caption id="attachment_661" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Sink[/caption]

Therefore, I've been going without the ubiquitous sink rack, cuz I just don't like looking at them.  However, I have to admit, I'm kinds sick of pulling the good knives and spatulas out of the bottom of the second sink bay, still wet.  And my big heavy calphalon pans make a horrible noise on the bottom of the sink.  I guess it's time to invest in a sink rack.

Here's what I don't want:



I just don't want to see that.

So shall I get this:



Or this?



I'm leaning towards the latter because at least it will keep utensils off the bottom of the sink, and I won't have to see it at all if there's nothing in the sink. And yes, before you think it or ask it, I really am too lazy to put the sink rack away every time.  That's how I roll.

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?

Storm Preparation

I should be painting, but with the storm approaching, I'm choosing to lay low, and dream up comfort food to make before we lose power.  The threat of a storm always makes me think of my stomach, and a possible shortage of things to put in it.  (For those who know me, I'm sure this comes as no surprise).

However, I did prepare for the likely power outage, and getting into true survival mode, here's what I did:

Made coffee and put it in a thermos.
Took a shower.
Gathered 1 flashlight, which I found is not in working order.
Found one battery powered lamp, which is in working order.
Got laundry done.
Ran dishwasher.
Made spaghetti.
Made Currant Tarts.

SO, as you can see, if we lose power, I'm completely able to survive.  I'll be clean, have a lamp, hot coffee, cold spaghetti, and little pies!

(Seriously, I do wish everyone in the path of the storm well. And hope everyone stays safe.)

ENGLISH BUTTER TARTS (OR CURRANT TARTS) Makes 12-15

This recipe was passed down in our family from my great-grandmother.  Everyone who tries one of these mini-pies asks for the recipe.  Everyone!   I find dried currants where you find raisins in the grocery store, and also in the bulk food section.

• 1/2 cup real butter room temperature


• 1 cup granulated sugar


• 1 large egg


• 2 teaspoons vanilla


• 1 cup dried currants

For the Pastry

• 2 cups all-purpose flour


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 2/3 cup lard


• 3 -4 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

1. 
   
   To Make the Filling:.


2. 
   
   Wash the currants and drain them.


3. 
   
   Stir the sugar and butter together well. Mix in the egg and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the currants.


4. 
   
   To Make the Pastry:


5. 
   
   Mix the flour and salt together.


6. 
   
   Cut the lard into the flour and salt until the consistency is like crumbs. Gradually add enough of the water to make the dough hold together, and form it into a ball.


7. 
   
   Roll out the dough and cut out with a round cookie cutter and fit into muffin tins (regular size, not mini).


8. 
   
   To Assemble & Bake:


9. 
   
   Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees


10. 
    
    Put a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the filling into each unbaked tart shell.


11. 
    
    Bake @ 375 for 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbly and golden and crust is done. (Don't over-bake - the filling should not be too brown or crispy.).

Honesty report:  I do not make pie crust!  I buy it and cut it to fit in the muffin tins!

 

Bathroom Paint

Well, it's a cold and rainy day.  Which is fine, because the bathrooms need painting, and it's been put off for too long.

The first thing I have to tackle is choosing the right primer and paint.  Even if the bathroom is well-ventilated it's the perfect environment for mold and mildew.  And they're no fun!  So I think it's a good thing to prime with a moisture resistant primer.  The primer will help seal the drywall so that the high moisture won't cause any damage.

Then select a paint with "mildewcide" to retard mildew and mold growth. You many not have to do this if your bathroom is used by adults who use the ventilation consistently.  But if you have kids, you're probably going to want to do all you can to save yourself work down the road.  One thing my kids do manage to do consistently is leave the shower curtain open!

It's also best to paint with a semi-gloss paint so that you can wipe down the walls easily.  I won't show you a picture as proof, but little hands leave lots of fingerprints, especially in the bathroom.

Choosing the color for your bathroom is entirely personal.  However, I think I'll follow the tactics of beauty salons that use a pinky-peach, warm beige, or soft tan color, because those colors tend to make the clients skin look good in the mirror.  And I'm down with lookin' good in the bathroom mirror!  Who cares if it's all an illusion!

I once painted a bathroom bright yellow (so cheery, I thought), but it made me look like the walking dead (so creepy, I realized).

No one can have a good day lookin' like that in the bathroom mirror.  This time, the color we picked out is a warm beige, and I'm accenting with a forest green tile and dark brown accents.  I hope it makes me look good!  At least better than above!

Painting Tips

A while back I posted tips on painting.  (You can read that post here.)  At the end of the post I mentioned that I still have to paint the bathrooms - uh, I'm embarassed to admit, I still do.  But I'm going to get them done this week.

To get ready, I've been googling painting tips, and found some useful info, that I'm going to try out.

Tinted primer.  I've never bothered to use tinted primer.  But it does make sense, especially if you're going to use color, because the darker the color, the more transparent it is.  Weird (to me), but true.  If the primer is tinted you will use less paint.  Grey is the perfect “neutral” to correctly display a color. Even a white ceiling should be primed with a very light grey. This not only helps your white color show it’s correct tone, but, will also prevent you missing any spots because the grey is so easy to spot next to the white. (source) For a darker color paint, use a darker tinted grey primer.

Floetrol.  Paint conditioner or extender. Eliminate brush marks with a paint extender. A quick drying time seems like a good thing.  But when talking about paint, you want it to dry slowly. Floetrol slows down dry time of the paint which gives you more time to blend the brush and roller marks.  Just make sure to follow the manufacturer directions for mixing it in the paint.

Textured ceiling.  I do not have a textured ceiling, but this is a cool trick if you do.  Just run a flat edge screw driver along the perimeter of the ceiling to remove that small area texture.  This leaves a ridge so your brush bristles won't go into the texture.  Don't worry, you wont ever notice the missing texture.


source

One wall at a time.  It seemed natural to me to do all cutting in for the whole room, and then go back and roll. However I've read on more than one occasion that this is wrong with a big W. Finish one wall before starting another.  The paint blends better for a more professional look.

5 gallon bucket. If you have a lot to paint and need more than one gallon, use a 5 gal bucket and mix your paints.  Even though the paints are the "same" color, they can vary and it's best to mix!  PLUS, no need to use roller trays.  Roller trays are flimsy, and if you're anything like me, you may step in it.  Just sayin'.  A 5 gallon bucket is wide enough for your roller and a screen see here for details.



Fuzz free rollers. Wash your roller brushes before you use them.  Just put them under warm water with a drop or two of dish liquid. Run your hands up and down the roller until the soap runs out.  This eliminates all the fuzzies from the roller which will get stuck in your paint on your wall.

Common sense things I need remember:

It's going to take 2 to 4 days to paint an average sized room.
Or a room with a lot of cutting in.  It just is.

Move everything out of the room you are going to paint.  Just do it.

NEVER, ever, ever paint with kids, dog or cat in the room.

Two drops of paint can cover A LOT of floor!

Use a canvas drop cloth.  Not plastic.  Plastic does not absorb paint, and two drops of paint on the bottom of your shoe can cover A LOT of floor!

For very large walls, use an 18" roller.

Use a painters telescoping pole.
Saves time, and you shoulder and neck muscles will thank you.