Part of my job, as I see it, being a homemaker is to do everything possible to watch our budget, spend money wisely and make the house run as efficient as possible. T makes the money and I make sure his money is well spent and saved. That is why I have become very aware of coupons and the benefits (and challenges) they present.
It may seem easy. You get the Sunday paper and cut out coupons from the ads. No problems, right? Well, not necessarily. It is a bit more of a science project than that. There is small print, mandatory quantities, hard to find products and other challenging issues that tend to follow most coupons you will find. Here are some that I have encountered recently.
Mandatory quantities
It looks like a great deal - $.55 off of a jar of Pace Picante Sauce. We use this salsa so much it is now a staple in our pantry. I cut the coupon and look forward the savings. After a full grocery trip and a full cart, I head to the register with my items and coupons. The polite, toothless Walmart cashier tells me, "this coupon is for TWO jars of Pace." Well, what am I going to do? Hold up the other 20 people in line to go get another jar of Pace so I can use my coupon? No. I decide I will hold on to the coupon and use it on my next trip. In this case, I wouldn't have minded getting two jars since it is a staple in our house. But I am not going to get cussed out by Jim Bob in line to go get another jar in order to use my coupon that day. So much for that savings.
Other mandatory quantity coupons 'makes' you buy more of a product than you actually need or will be able to use before it expires. Be sure to read the fine print thoroughly and make a note on your shopping list of the quantities the coupon requires.
Even more fine print
I found a coupon for a 'buy one, get one free' Reese Peanut Butter Cup bar. These are T's faves and I thought I would surprise him with, not just one, but TWO Reese's bars. While standing in line, I picked up two small packages (the ones with 2 cups in each). I, then, put those down and picked up the larger bars that have four in each. Might as well get the larger one for $1 with the second free. I smiled at my resourcefulness and my thoughtfulness for T.
Well, no go. She rings it up and it turns out it is for the smaller packages. Not only does she not ring up the bars anyway (which is fine), she doesn't offer to grab me a couple of the smaller ones which was much easier for her to reach than for me to reach since I was already past the rack and was having my personal space encroached on by the shopper behind me. No Reese Cups this trip and no coupon used.
Watch those expiration dates
I am pretty good about this because I go through all my coupons each week I go to the store. But there are times where I get a little red faced when the cashier graciously tells me that 'this coupon is expired - do you still want the item?'
Sometimes coupons can't beat the generic brand
There are some items that I just can NOT do generic such as Heinz ketchup...it must be Heinz. But there are some items that I can do generic and can't even tell the difference. When I put my grocery list together (which I do in order of the aisles at the store), I note the items that I have coupons for so that I can pull them when I am looking at the product. Many times I will find that it is less expensive to scrap the coupon for a certain name brand and just go with the generic version. Coupons aren't ALWAYS good deals. Coupons are more of a marketing campaign for companies to get you to try their product. So it doesn't always mean it is the best deal.
Place coupons on the little shelf next to the card machine so that you don't forget to present them to the cashier
And, if you have a buy one, get one free - place it with the product it applies to on the belt for easy collection by the cashier. It saves them from having to look back on the receipt to find the price to enter for the free one.
Check out coupons.com and other online coupon resources
There are many of them out there and they work just as well as newspaper coupons. I use coupons.com and eversave.com. I am in the process of finding more resources as well.
Don't skimp too much
I am really trying to be very efficient and keep our food budget low. This means coupons for restaurants and other activities that we can do together or as a family with Tay. But don't skimp on things where high quality is very important. In my mind, this would be produce. I have been so frustrated shopping at Walmart for our groceries. On the one hand, the prices for our staple grocery items are a lot better than other grocery stores plus I can buy other things for the house, garden, electronics, etc while I am there. But their produce has NEVER impressed me. I am changing the way I do my shopping. I am doing all of my groceries other than produce at Walmart on Thursdays and then doing produce shopping at Sunflower Farmers Market on Fridays. I am actually taking my first trip their today and will let you know how it pans out.
If you have any coupon suggestions or tips, please leave comments. I am always interested in money saving ideas!!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Movie review - The Last House on the Left
Or was it on the right??
I don't watch many horror movies...actually, I am too harsh of a critic to watch many movies at all. Most are way too predictable, have continuity issues, are plagued with a weak plot or weak characters or are just pretty dumb overall. It takes a pretty incredibly made movie to make me like it. I don't know if this is from working in video production most of my life or the fact that there have just been some really bad movies out there for most of my life.
Last House on the Left (I will refer to it as LFL - or was it on the right?) fits in the WAY too predictable category along with the "let's make this bleed just to be gorey" category. Haven't these characters in the movie seen horror movies themselves? Don't leave the gun laying down for the bad guys to pick up, don't go into a stranger's hotel room, when running from the bad guys, stop whining and making so much damn noise!! When you find a hiding place, STAY THERE until you know the coast is clear. Always keep your back to the wall when foolishly seeking the bad guy (instead of just getting the heck out of there). If you have something to bludgeon the bad guys head with, why bother trying any other method of killing him. Just do it!!
T and I were pretty impressed with the reality of the first thirty or so minutes of the movie. Other than the bad acting by the parents of the kid. There was a scene, actually, that made T feel pretty nauseous and seemed very "real" thinks to the halfway decent acting job of the teenage girl. But it all kinda went downhill from there. Even T, who loves most movies and isn't as harsh of a critic as I am, found humor in the overt "horror movie" cliches that flooded the remaining hour and a half. I prefer "horror" movies based on reality versus those based on ghosts, men in masks or the like. But to just show blood to show blood? That gets old. To add more gore by doing ridiculous mutilations that don't seem to help the death process or the task at hand...plain silly.
Take my critique with a grain of salt or don't take it at all. I am VERY hard on movies so you may really enjoy the hour plus out of your life. But, I have to say, if T doesn't find it to be a decent movie that he would add to his millions of owned movies, I say...eh, skip it.
Now was it right or left??
I don't watch many horror movies...actually, I am too harsh of a critic to watch many movies at all. Most are way too predictable, have continuity issues, are plagued with a weak plot or weak characters or are just pretty dumb overall. It takes a pretty incredibly made movie to make me like it. I don't know if this is from working in video production most of my life or the fact that there have just been some really bad movies out there for most of my life.
Last House on the Left (I will refer to it as LFL - or was it on the right?) fits in the WAY too predictable category along with the "let's make this bleed just to be gorey" category. Haven't these characters in the movie seen horror movies themselves? Don't leave the gun laying down for the bad guys to pick up, don't go into a stranger's hotel room, when running from the bad guys, stop whining and making so much damn noise!! When you find a hiding place, STAY THERE until you know the coast is clear. Always keep your back to the wall when foolishly seeking the bad guy (instead of just getting the heck out of there). If you have something to bludgeon the bad guys head with, why bother trying any other method of killing him. Just do it!!
T and I were pretty impressed with the reality of the first thirty or so minutes of the movie. Other than the bad acting by the parents of the kid. There was a scene, actually, that made T feel pretty nauseous and seemed very "real" thinks to the halfway decent acting job of the teenage girl. But it all kinda went downhill from there. Even T, who loves most movies and isn't as harsh of a critic as I am, found humor in the overt "horror movie" cliches that flooded the remaining hour and a half. I prefer "horror" movies based on reality versus those based on ghosts, men in masks or the like. But to just show blood to show blood? That gets old. To add more gore by doing ridiculous mutilations that don't seem to help the death process or the task at hand...plain silly.
Take my critique with a grain of salt or don't take it at all. I am VERY hard on movies so you may really enjoy the hour plus out of your life. But, I have to say, if T doesn't find it to be a decent movie that he would add to his millions of owned movies, I say...eh, skip it.
Now was it right or left??
Monday, August 31, 2009
"Stay"cation Day 1
I have been so excited for this week to get here. T taking some time off from work to just hang out at home and do whatever comes to mind. His "stay"cation is my "stay"cation as well! It is just nice having some "us" time and a whole day...and whole week...to do what we want, when we want, however long we want, etc.
Today was day 1. I got up pretty early, as usual, and did as many chores as possible before T woke up. I was able to accomplish my usual morning routine before he got out of bed. I made him his favorite breakfast - sausage biscuits - to kick off the week. Afterwards, we hung out together and just moved slowly in the direction of getting ready.
We decided our first stop today would be the RV lot. Yes, you read that correctly. We have been casually chatting about the possibility of buying an RV for family road trips. We thought that would be a great idea for the kids and for our furry babies as well. The RVs we are interested in are the all-in-one daddies where you can get up and walk around during the road trips. Bathroom, kitchen, shower, bedroom, TV's etc. Now, this isn't an immediate purchase plan but we are doing some research. We figure it is a fun way to see the country with kids in tow. Easier than flying from city to city. And, even though I am not a good road warrior, I would be much more willing to hit the highway if I knew I could get up, walk back to the kitchen, make a snack and hang out with the furry (and skinned) kids.
When we mentioned this idea to Tay, she was so funny. She was very interested at first but then said that she didn't think she would want to use the bathroom. We were confused and asked why she wouldn't want to use the bathroom. She said she didn't want it to back up. This was a direct link to the Robin Williams movie "RV" that we have watched together in the past. We started laughing and told her that we would be sure that wouldn't happen. I think she would totally LOVE the RV and I actually think I will too!
We have been studying the financing of having an RV, the parks that you can go to (even some that are considered "resorts" with pools, golf, etc.) and the idea of taking trips to Louisville (especially around Derby time). It seems more and more appealing! And, since T works from home and can essentially work from any destination, we could take more time vacationing than those who have office jobs. Other than the times he would need to travel for work. And, as for storage, there is a place right down the road from us that stores RVs so that would be perfect.
We looked at several RVs (which have been closed up in the Tucson heat for days, I'm sure) - from the most basic model to the most awesome! It was so damn hot in those things because they were baking in the desert sun without the air conditioning blasting. But they were pretty cool to look at and it definitely peaked our interest even further. We learned a TON about RV'ing from the sales guy. This guy was great. A true desert dude with the spirit of adventure in his blood. He has an RV himself and takes him family on the road frequently. He had great tips and information and wasn't the least bit pushy. We learned so much and now it is just a matter of listing our priorities - what we think would be important features for us.
There is still a new family car in the future for us - probably within the next year. I asked T what kind of timeline he was thinking and he is thinking pretty near future for both. Turns out financing for an RV is over a longer period of time than a car so we could almost do both. He is very serious and, when he is this serious over something...don't be surprised if we pull up to an RV park near you soon!
After melting in the sweltering heat of the RV parking lot, my head was spinning and I was feeling a little weak in the knees. We decided it was time to cool off and find some lunch. We ended up hitting Buffalo Wild Wings where T had a Kiltlifter beer (and, yes, I had a small sip) and I had an iced tea. We both had our usual 4 piece tenders and buffalo chips with yummy sauces. We talked about the RVs, which ones we liked, how often we thought we would use them and, of course, how much the kids (all of them) would like it. Nothin' like dreamin'.
We left lunch and headed up the road towards home. Of course we were all the way across town so we had a ways to go. We made a pit stop at Ross so that I could look for some maternity camis. Ended up not finding camis but did pick out a couple of maternity shirts that didn't look like maternity shirts. Actually a couple of them were regular shirts but just in a large. I was looking for longer sleeves for when the weather turns cooler (which is hard to imagine right now) and for when I go home in October. Since I didn't find any camis there, we went to Target where I ended up getting two maternity camis (black and white) and a cute casual shirt.
I'm pretty excited (and very lucky) that my friend Jill has packed me up some of her maternity clothes to use. She says that she has some cooler weather items which will help me out a ton! I am planning on another visit to see her and her kids next Tuesday. We had such a great time catching up last week, I can't wait to hang out with her again.
We stopped by a plant nursery after Target. We are looking for a plant to replace the one I killed outside the front door. Looking for another victim. There is a great place in center of town called Green Things. Not only do they have a ton of plants, trees, etc, they also have goats and peacocks! Of course, leave it to me to start conversations with the animals. I am sure there are plenty of strangers that have wandered past me and wondered if I had a mental challenge. Well, for their information, I do! I even talked for a balloon that had escaped from a sign and was heading to the sky. I talk for and to everything!
We walked through the first couple of rows at the nursery before the heat beat us out. I think the RV shopping (and sweating) was enough heat for us for one day. We headed back to the car, told the goats goodbye and headed home.
Our timing to get home couldn't have been better. Once we got here, T made us both his famous (and awesome) chocolate shakes (think Wendy's frosties but better) and we stood outside. There was a light rain coming through and the smell of sweet creosote in the air. I now understand the phenomenon I used to make fun of when I first moved out here. I always watched in amusement these people who would peak their heads out at the first sign of rain...like they were seeing rain for the first time. Now that I live in the drought of the desert with one of the weakest monsoons on record, I am doing the same thing. I literally stuck my face in the rain just to remember what it felt like. T and I cracked a window by the red sack in the living room and listened to the rain hit the patio. The rumbles of thunder and the light but warm breeze filtering through felt so great. Especially in the air conditioned house!
So here we are...T is on the Mac researching RV parks and resorts while I sit here and tell you what an awesome day we had together.
I am planning on working on my Halloween party invitations tonight. This will be the first year with kids at the party. Londyn is a given guest since all babysitter options will be here as well. Since that is the case, and since we will have one next year, I figure I need to open it up to anyone who wants to bring their kids. It wouldn't be right not to. So this year there will be a kids area and I will have activities for them to do while the adults are socializing. I am going to have a costume contest for the adults as well as the kids. There will still be beer pong for the older "kids" and I am hoping to utilize the back patio more this year as well. So we will see how this all goes. I hope people will still come even though kids will be here. Maybe even more will come. We are planning on having Tay so I am hoping kids will be here to keep her occupied. Be looking for your invitation soon if you live in the Tucson area!
Tomorrow's plans are up in the air at the moment. The groomer will be here around 9 for Jackson's spa hour. After that, who knows. We may attempt the plant search again along with a couple of other things. Tomorrow night we are having dinner with a couple that we both used to work with at the Westin and their almost 2 year old son. That should be a great time!
Little housekeeping tip for the day. Fresh flowers. Now, I have always been one who never liked receiving cut flowers. It always seemed like, by the time I trimmed the ends and put them in the vase, it was barely a few days before they would be dead and stinky. But, recently I learned that T loves fresh flowers in the house. It is something that makes him feel very good. So, every Thursday grocery trip I pick up a bouquet of flowers (there are nice ones at Walmart for $5) and separate them out in separate cylinder vases. There is a bundle in each bathroom and a few in a vase in the kitchen. Since they are changed out weekly, they never get gross or stinky. And, other than the occasional spill on the floor when the cats are trying to get to them, they actually do add a nice touch to the house.
Now a quick note in the appleseed blog then off to do invitations...
Today was day 1. I got up pretty early, as usual, and did as many chores as possible before T woke up. I was able to accomplish my usual morning routine before he got out of bed. I made him his favorite breakfast - sausage biscuits - to kick off the week. Afterwards, we hung out together and just moved slowly in the direction of getting ready.
We decided our first stop today would be the RV lot. Yes, you read that correctly. We have been casually chatting about the possibility of buying an RV for family road trips. We thought that would be a great idea for the kids and for our furry babies as well. The RVs we are interested in are the all-in-one daddies where you can get up and walk around during the road trips. Bathroom, kitchen, shower, bedroom, TV's etc. Now, this isn't an immediate purchase plan but we are doing some research. We figure it is a fun way to see the country with kids in tow. Easier than flying from city to city. And, even though I am not a good road warrior, I would be much more willing to hit the highway if I knew I could get up, walk back to the kitchen, make a snack and hang out with the furry (and skinned) kids.
When we mentioned this idea to Tay, she was so funny. She was very interested at first but then said that she didn't think she would want to use the bathroom. We were confused and asked why she wouldn't want to use the bathroom. She said she didn't want it to back up. This was a direct link to the Robin Williams movie "RV" that we have watched together in the past. We started laughing and told her that we would be sure that wouldn't happen. I think she would totally LOVE the RV and I actually think I will too!
We have been studying the financing of having an RV, the parks that you can go to (even some that are considered "resorts" with pools, golf, etc.) and the idea of taking trips to Louisville (especially around Derby time). It seems more and more appealing! And, since T works from home and can essentially work from any destination, we could take more time vacationing than those who have office jobs. Other than the times he would need to travel for work. And, as for storage, there is a place right down the road from us that stores RVs so that would be perfect.
We looked at several RVs (which have been closed up in the Tucson heat for days, I'm sure) - from the most basic model to the most awesome! It was so damn hot in those things because they were baking in the desert sun without the air conditioning blasting. But they were pretty cool to look at and it definitely peaked our interest even further. We learned a TON about RV'ing from the sales guy. This guy was great. A true desert dude with the spirit of adventure in his blood. He has an RV himself and takes him family on the road frequently. He had great tips and information and wasn't the least bit pushy. We learned so much and now it is just a matter of listing our priorities - what we think would be important features for us.
There is still a new family car in the future for us - probably within the next year. I asked T what kind of timeline he was thinking and he is thinking pretty near future for both. Turns out financing for an RV is over a longer period of time than a car so we could almost do both. He is very serious and, when he is this serious over something...don't be surprised if we pull up to an RV park near you soon!
After melting in the sweltering heat of the RV parking lot, my head was spinning and I was feeling a little weak in the knees. We decided it was time to cool off and find some lunch. We ended up hitting Buffalo Wild Wings where T had a Kiltlifter beer (and, yes, I had a small sip) and I had an iced tea. We both had our usual 4 piece tenders and buffalo chips with yummy sauces. We talked about the RVs, which ones we liked, how often we thought we would use them and, of course, how much the kids (all of them) would like it. Nothin' like dreamin'.
We left lunch and headed up the road towards home. Of course we were all the way across town so we had a ways to go. We made a pit stop at Ross so that I could look for some maternity camis. Ended up not finding camis but did pick out a couple of maternity shirts that didn't look like maternity shirts. Actually a couple of them were regular shirts but just in a large. I was looking for longer sleeves for when the weather turns cooler (which is hard to imagine right now) and for when I go home in October. Since I didn't find any camis there, we went to Target where I ended up getting two maternity camis (black and white) and a cute casual shirt.
I'm pretty excited (and very lucky) that my friend Jill has packed me up some of her maternity clothes to use. She says that she has some cooler weather items which will help me out a ton! I am planning on another visit to see her and her kids next Tuesday. We had such a great time catching up last week, I can't wait to hang out with her again.
We stopped by a plant nursery after Target. We are looking for a plant to replace the one I killed outside the front door. Looking for another victim. There is a great place in center of town called Green Things. Not only do they have a ton of plants, trees, etc, they also have goats and peacocks! Of course, leave it to me to start conversations with the animals. I am sure there are plenty of strangers that have wandered past me and wondered if I had a mental challenge. Well, for their information, I do! I even talked for a balloon that had escaped from a sign and was heading to the sky. I talk for and to everything!
We walked through the first couple of rows at the nursery before the heat beat us out. I think the RV shopping (and sweating) was enough heat for us for one day. We headed back to the car, told the goats goodbye and headed home.
Our timing to get home couldn't have been better. Once we got here, T made us both his famous (and awesome) chocolate shakes (think Wendy's frosties but better) and we stood outside. There was a light rain coming through and the smell of sweet creosote in the air. I now understand the phenomenon I used to make fun of when I first moved out here. I always watched in amusement these people who would peak their heads out at the first sign of rain...like they were seeing rain for the first time. Now that I live in the drought of the desert with one of the weakest monsoons on record, I am doing the same thing. I literally stuck my face in the rain just to remember what it felt like. T and I cracked a window by the red sack in the living room and listened to the rain hit the patio. The rumbles of thunder and the light but warm breeze filtering through felt so great. Especially in the air conditioned house!
So here we are...T is on the Mac researching RV parks and resorts while I sit here and tell you what an awesome day we had together.
I am planning on working on my Halloween party invitations tonight. This will be the first year with kids at the party. Londyn is a given guest since all babysitter options will be here as well. Since that is the case, and since we will have one next year, I figure I need to open it up to anyone who wants to bring their kids. It wouldn't be right not to. So this year there will be a kids area and I will have activities for them to do while the adults are socializing. I am going to have a costume contest for the adults as well as the kids. There will still be beer pong for the older "kids" and I am hoping to utilize the back patio more this year as well. So we will see how this all goes. I hope people will still come even though kids will be here. Maybe even more will come. We are planning on having Tay so I am hoping kids will be here to keep her occupied. Be looking for your invitation soon if you live in the Tucson area!
Tomorrow's plans are up in the air at the moment. The groomer will be here around 9 for Jackson's spa hour. After that, who knows. We may attempt the plant search again along with a couple of other things. Tomorrow night we are having dinner with a couple that we both used to work with at the Westin and their almost 2 year old son. That should be a great time!
Little housekeeping tip for the day. Fresh flowers. Now, I have always been one who never liked receiving cut flowers. It always seemed like, by the time I trimmed the ends and put them in the vase, it was barely a few days before they would be dead and stinky. But, recently I learned that T loves fresh flowers in the house. It is something that makes him feel very good. So, every Thursday grocery trip I pick up a bouquet of flowers (there are nice ones at Walmart for $5) and separate them out in separate cylinder vases. There is a bundle in each bathroom and a few in a vase in the kitchen. Since they are changed out weekly, they never get gross or stinky. And, other than the occasional spill on the floor when the cats are trying to get to them, they actually do add a nice touch to the house.
Now a quick note in the appleseed blog then off to do invitations...
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Nothing better...
In my mind, one of the best things in life is a clean house! It feels amazing and makes me feel so happy and comfortable. My anxiety level increases as the dust increases or if things aren't in their place. I examined some of my chores, products and pet peeves as I was cleaning over the past couple of days and wanted to share.
What is YOUR favorite chore?
Or do you have one? I think mine would be vacuuming. The steps leading upstairs aren't so pleasant and certainly works up a sweat. But I LOVE vacuuming. It is very therapeutic for me. Silly things I love about it like the lines that it creates on the carpet. It makes everything feel so clean and fresh. I use Arm & Hammer pet deodorizing powder on the carpets before I vacuum which leaves a fresh scent in the air. I used to be crazy about Glade Plug-Ins but, since being pregnant (with a nose that is ultra sensitive), I can't stand how strong they are right now. But the deodorizing powder makes the house smell fresh but not strong.
What is YOUR least favorite chore?
Mine, bar none, is bathrooms. I absolutely HATE cleaning bathrooms. I think it is the tub and toilets that really gets my goat. Especially now with a belly in my way while I am trying to clean our garden tub. Currently I am using Arm & Hammer bathroom cleaner as well as Mr. Clean magic sponge. The Mr Clean magic sponge is incredible for cleaning tubs. I swear I can remove any bit of dirt, stain or water spot with this thing. Mix it with the cleaner and you have one heck of a sparkling tub!! And it doesn't take much elbow grease.
With my newfound gut, I have to spray the wall side of the tub first and actually get in the tub to clean it so that I don't have to lean over the side. Then I do the other half. It isn't convenient but I have to learn a system. I'm not sure how I will continue this chore easily as I get larger and larger. But I am sure I will make due.
Then there are the toilets. Since moving out to Tucson, I have noticed that not all toilets (or toilet water) are created equal! Out here, for some reason, the bowls gets really stained. I can only assume it is from the quality of water in the bowl. In Kentucky, I never had to use a pumice stone to scrape off the nasty on the sides of the bowl. A simple scrub with a toilet brush and some cleaner did the trick. Not here. At some point during your cleaning life, you will have to snap on the rubber gloves and pumice the grime off of the sides of the bowl. It is so disgusting - I HATE cleaning toilets.
For regular cleanings, we use the Clorox wand with the little round refills. My Kentucky cleaning used to consist of toilet bowl cleaner with a toilet scrub brush. T turned me against them when he brought to my attention the nasty germs that can collect on those brushes...makes sense. So we now go with the disposable refill thingies. The only thing is, I don't feel like I can get as much grime off as I want with those things. But that takes us back to the convo regarding the pumice. It probably wouldn't come off even with a steel brush!!
How do YOU feel about laundry?
Well, I happen to enjoy laundry...most of the time. It is probably the most cyclical chore that I know of...you can NEVER truly be done with laundry. Unless you are doing laundry naked!! And, no I do not do laundry naked.
But laundry doesn't offend me and, once I am caught up, I try to stay that way. I have a system. There is a laundry bin in our closet and a small hamper in Tay's room. I empty both when they are full (I usually empty Tay's after she leaves) and take them to the laundry room. I sort the clothes into the three part hamper in the laundry room. Once that hamper gets half way full, I do the loads.
I think my favorite part is probably the part most people don't like - the folding and putting away. I love folding clothes and have a certain way everything has to be folded. That's because the way I fold the items is how they best fit in their final destinations.
My other favorite part of laundry is the smell. I love how it makes the house smell fresh and the fact that you can smell it on the outside of the house thanks to the dryer vent. Mix the smell of good laundry with a crock pot dinner and you have my own little heaven.
What are YOUR daily chores?
Mine are:
*Let Jack outside, clean his ears, feed him
*Give each cat their "snack" (wet food) along with Jazzy's meds
*Make bed
*Empty dishwasher
*Wipe down counters
*Water the front plants
I make our bed every morning and, when Tay is here, I make her bed every morning (and even pick up her room a bit to make it less of a chore after she leaves). I swear there is nothing better than slipping into a made bed at the end of the day. It makes me crazy if my bed isn't made before lunch time! I am usually on it as soon as T gets up for the day! There have been a couple of weekend mornings when he was planning on getting back in bed after using the bathroom but, when he came out of the bathroom, the bed was already made. Oops.
I remember when I was a kid, I hated making my bed. I never understood why anyone would make their bed when it was just going to be unmade by the end of the day. Now I know why. It definitely makes the house look buttoned up and straight but it also keeps the sheets and comforter in place. I don't know. There is truly something about getting into a made bed...
As for dishes, this is another "thing" of mine (maybe in the category of household pet peeve). I hate dishes left in the sink overnight. I do not like getting up to crusty dishes piled up in the sink. Again, it raises my anxiety level. So, every night after dinner, I clean up which includes getting the dishes in the dishwasher, washing the pots and pans/knives, etc that don't go in the dishwasher and then starting the dishwasher before heading to bed. The next morning (every morning) I empty the dishwasher and put everything away (including the pots and pans, etc). This has become such a routine I was able to keep it up most of the time during the first trimester when I felt like a dog just crapped on my head.
Finally, I use antibacterial spray and wipe down all of the counter tops as well as the items that are sitting on the counters. This is probably a little overdone because I wipe everything down after dinner the night before as well. However, our cats eat their "snacks" (wet food) on the counter every morning while I am emptying the dishwasher so it doesn't hurt to give everything another wipe down.
I bought Lysol Antibacterial All Purpose Cleaner at my last grocery run because I had a coupon. We usually use the Windex All Purpose AntiBac but I thought I would give the other brand a try since I could use a coupon. I am not happy with it. I definitely prefer Windex. Especially since you can use the Windex on glass as well. But I will make due until this bottle is gone.
Then, when all of that is done, I water the front plants that aren't on irrigation. There are five bushes/plants that need to be watered. I need to add to this mix sweeping off the front landing. We have an exterminator that comes once a month to keep our bug population to a minimum and, especially lately, it has been a bug cemetary out the front door. I need to get a good broom and sweep the carcasses away.
What are YOUR favorite cleaning products?
My faves are:
*Werner Stainless Steel cleaner - it is a miracle worker on our appliances
*Good ol' Pledge
*Windex All Purpose Antibac
What chore do YOU refuse to do?
The only thing I refuse to do is litter boxes and that's only because the President of the Pregnancy Club might hunt me down and off me. So T does that for now...well, he sometimes does it...with a lot of "reminders" from me. Once I am able to do that again, I am happy to handle all of the chores.
But, things that T takes on that I really don't do...he handles the backyard which includes pulling weeds, fertilizing the plants, picking up Jack poop, etc. He also enjoys washing the cars which I really don't so much. So I guess he handles more of the outside chores (including trimming trees and such) and I handle the indoor chores (minus the litter boxes for a couple more months). It works out quite well.
If you have any tidbits, tips or cleaning product reviews, please let me know. I am always open to new ideas!!
What is YOUR favorite chore?
Or do you have one? I think mine would be vacuuming. The steps leading upstairs aren't so pleasant and certainly works up a sweat. But I LOVE vacuuming. It is very therapeutic for me. Silly things I love about it like the lines that it creates on the carpet. It makes everything feel so clean and fresh. I use Arm & Hammer pet deodorizing powder on the carpets before I vacuum which leaves a fresh scent in the air. I used to be crazy about Glade Plug-Ins but, since being pregnant (with a nose that is ultra sensitive), I can't stand how strong they are right now. But the deodorizing powder makes the house smell fresh but not strong.
What is YOUR least favorite chore?
Mine, bar none, is bathrooms. I absolutely HATE cleaning bathrooms. I think it is the tub and toilets that really gets my goat. Especially now with a belly in my way while I am trying to clean our garden tub. Currently I am using Arm & Hammer bathroom cleaner as well as Mr. Clean magic sponge. The Mr Clean magic sponge is incredible for cleaning tubs. I swear I can remove any bit of dirt, stain or water spot with this thing. Mix it with the cleaner and you have one heck of a sparkling tub!! And it doesn't take much elbow grease.
With my newfound gut, I have to spray the wall side of the tub first and actually get in the tub to clean it so that I don't have to lean over the side. Then I do the other half. It isn't convenient but I have to learn a system. I'm not sure how I will continue this chore easily as I get larger and larger. But I am sure I will make due.
Then there are the toilets. Since moving out to Tucson, I have noticed that not all toilets (or toilet water) are created equal! Out here, for some reason, the bowls gets really stained. I can only assume it is from the quality of water in the bowl. In Kentucky, I never had to use a pumice stone to scrape off the nasty on the sides of the bowl. A simple scrub with a toilet brush and some cleaner did the trick. Not here. At some point during your cleaning life, you will have to snap on the rubber gloves and pumice the grime off of the sides of the bowl. It is so disgusting - I HATE cleaning toilets.
For regular cleanings, we use the Clorox wand with the little round refills. My Kentucky cleaning used to consist of toilet bowl cleaner with a toilet scrub brush. T turned me against them when he brought to my attention the nasty germs that can collect on those brushes...makes sense. So we now go with the disposable refill thingies. The only thing is, I don't feel like I can get as much grime off as I want with those things. But that takes us back to the convo regarding the pumice. It probably wouldn't come off even with a steel brush!!
How do YOU feel about laundry?
Well, I happen to enjoy laundry...most of the time. It is probably the most cyclical chore that I know of...you can NEVER truly be done with laundry. Unless you are doing laundry naked!! And, no I do not do laundry naked.
But laundry doesn't offend me and, once I am caught up, I try to stay that way. I have a system. There is a laundry bin in our closet and a small hamper in Tay's room. I empty both when they are full (I usually empty Tay's after she leaves) and take them to the laundry room. I sort the clothes into the three part hamper in the laundry room. Once that hamper gets half way full, I do the loads.
I think my favorite part is probably the part most people don't like - the folding and putting away. I love folding clothes and have a certain way everything has to be folded. That's because the way I fold the items is how they best fit in their final destinations.
My other favorite part of laundry is the smell. I love how it makes the house smell fresh and the fact that you can smell it on the outside of the house thanks to the dryer vent. Mix the smell of good laundry with a crock pot dinner and you have my own little heaven.
What are YOUR daily chores?
Mine are:
*Let Jack outside, clean his ears, feed him
*Give each cat their "snack" (wet food) along with Jazzy's meds
*Make bed
*Empty dishwasher
*Wipe down counters
*Water the front plants
I make our bed every morning and, when Tay is here, I make her bed every morning (and even pick up her room a bit to make it less of a chore after she leaves). I swear there is nothing better than slipping into a made bed at the end of the day. It makes me crazy if my bed isn't made before lunch time! I am usually on it as soon as T gets up for the day! There have been a couple of weekend mornings when he was planning on getting back in bed after using the bathroom but, when he came out of the bathroom, the bed was already made. Oops.
I remember when I was a kid, I hated making my bed. I never understood why anyone would make their bed when it was just going to be unmade by the end of the day. Now I know why. It definitely makes the house look buttoned up and straight but it also keeps the sheets and comforter in place. I don't know. There is truly something about getting into a made bed...
As for dishes, this is another "thing" of mine (maybe in the category of household pet peeve). I hate dishes left in the sink overnight. I do not like getting up to crusty dishes piled up in the sink. Again, it raises my anxiety level. So, every night after dinner, I clean up which includes getting the dishes in the dishwasher, washing the pots and pans/knives, etc that don't go in the dishwasher and then starting the dishwasher before heading to bed. The next morning (every morning) I empty the dishwasher and put everything away (including the pots and pans, etc). This has become such a routine I was able to keep it up most of the time during the first trimester when I felt like a dog just crapped on my head.
Finally, I use antibacterial spray and wipe down all of the counter tops as well as the items that are sitting on the counters. This is probably a little overdone because I wipe everything down after dinner the night before as well. However, our cats eat their "snacks" (wet food) on the counter every morning while I am emptying the dishwasher so it doesn't hurt to give everything another wipe down.
I bought Lysol Antibacterial All Purpose Cleaner at my last grocery run because I had a coupon. We usually use the Windex All Purpose AntiBac but I thought I would give the other brand a try since I could use a coupon. I am not happy with it. I definitely prefer Windex. Especially since you can use the Windex on glass as well. But I will make due until this bottle is gone.
Then, when all of that is done, I water the front plants that aren't on irrigation. There are five bushes/plants that need to be watered. I need to add to this mix sweeping off the front landing. We have an exterminator that comes once a month to keep our bug population to a minimum and, especially lately, it has been a bug cemetary out the front door. I need to get a good broom and sweep the carcasses away.
What are YOUR favorite cleaning products?
My faves are:
*Werner Stainless Steel cleaner - it is a miracle worker on our appliances
*Good ol' Pledge
*Windex All Purpose Antibac
What chore do YOU refuse to do?
The only thing I refuse to do is litter boxes and that's only because the President of the Pregnancy Club might hunt me down and off me. So T does that for now...well, he sometimes does it...with a lot of "reminders" from me. Once I am able to do that again, I am happy to handle all of the chores.
But, things that T takes on that I really don't do...he handles the backyard which includes pulling weeds, fertilizing the plants, picking up Jack poop, etc. He also enjoys washing the cars which I really don't so much. So I guess he handles more of the outside chores (including trimming trees and such) and I handle the indoor chores (minus the litter boxes for a couple more months). It works out quite well.
If you have any tidbits, tips or cleaning product reviews, please let me know. I am always open to new ideas!!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Well, we finally got some rain tonight which was very nice!! No big thunderstorm but a nice light rain. It made the evening a lot more tolerable!
I invented a dinner tonight using left overs. If you are interested, click over to The Dirty Details.
I started a binder for Tatum's kindergarten year. I wanted to have something to save her pictures and other school goodies for the year. I decided a binder would be perfect. There will be important dates, pictures, and any fun things she brings home from school with her. I will take some pics of it when I get it done.
More will be written as an update on the Appleseed blog tomorrow after our doctor's appointment.
Goodnight!!
I invented a dinner tonight using left overs. If you are interested, click over to The Dirty Details.
I started a binder for Tatum's kindergarten year. I wanted to have something to save her pictures and other school goodies for the year. I decided a binder would be perfect. There will be important dates, pictures, and any fun things she brings home from school with her. I will take some pics of it when I get it done.
More will be written as an update on the Appleseed blog tomorrow after our doctor's appointment.
Goodnight!!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
It can't be true!
I am actually posting in my Housewife blog! Believe it! I thought I would post a couple of random things to keep this blog somewhat on the map. I have disregarded it for so long. You know how it goes...you get a baby blog and all of a sudden you forget about all of your other blogs!
The housewife life has been pretty uneventful over the past however long I haven't posted. I have bursts of energy and motivation that makes the house spotless followed by bouts of no energy which, luckily, falls over the time when the house is already clean. I am back into making dinner every night - sometimes high maintenance meals, sometimes burgers. But this is a huge improvement over the first three months I was pregnant!
I am working on finding something to do with my never resting mind! Since I have worked for the majority of my life, it is hard to just not work. Granted, house work is hard work and I know that I will certainly have my hands full come end of December. But, right now, I am really in desperate need to find something to occupy and challenge my mind. I certainly miss the meeting planning industry and am starting to dabble in some online networking with other planners. But I also enjoy writing. Therefore, I am researching and looking into freelance writing/blogging gigs. I am not quite sure what I can offer but I do think I can offer entertainment at the very least. Or maybe I am giving myself too much credit. Don't answer that...
In other news, I received permission to post pics of my new niece, Londyn. She will be two weeks tomorrow. Here are some pics from the hospital as well as Tatum and Londyn this past Saturday...
The new family
Londyn - exorcist style...look at the flexibility in that neck!
Tatum, Aunt Lauren and Londyn
"I think she farted on me..."
Happy new cousin
Last Monday was Tatum's first day of school. We met her and her Mom's whole fam damily at the school to send her off. Other than the frosty stares (mostly at me and my growing belly), everything went really well. Tatum had a look of concern all over her face that morning and was definitely overwhelmed with all the people, all of her family and just the whole concept. But she gave us a big hug before her class started and the last I saw was a big smile on her face. T talked with her later in the day. She said she had a GREAT time, made three new friends and was super excited that there were sugar cookies waiting for them after they had recess. I think she is going to really love school!
I have how many more years of this?
Really? That many??
There's a smile
Daddy, Tay and Michelle
Flag ceremony and morning announcements - Tay sitting with her class
Daddy can get a smile!
This is the look I got before getting a BIG hug!!
And lastly, here is a pic of a father/daughter project T and Tay worked on last weekend together. It is a crane made out of Leggo's. It was a long project but Tay worked through it! Now it is a favorite toy (among the cats as well).
This summer has been VERY hot and dry in the desert. If you believe in hell, here it is. If you aren't getting 3rd degree burns on your seat belt buckle, your flip flops are melting to the pavement as you walk. Today has been the first overcast day in weeks and it actually feels...less like a closed grill at high temperature and more like a kitchen oven at 375. We are hearing a faint rumor on the local news that we might get some rain over the next three days. I don't really believe them. I will have to see it first. But I will say it will be a welcome change from the sun! I swear I feel like we live on Mercury here. The sun even seems bigger out here than anywhere else in the world. What the hell? Exactly.
21 week post/update on Appleseed blog. See you there!
The housewife life has been pretty uneventful over the past however long I haven't posted. I have bursts of energy and motivation that makes the house spotless followed by bouts of no energy which, luckily, falls over the time when the house is already clean. I am back into making dinner every night - sometimes high maintenance meals, sometimes burgers. But this is a huge improvement over the first three months I was pregnant!
I am working on finding something to do with my never resting mind! Since I have worked for the majority of my life, it is hard to just not work. Granted, house work is hard work and I know that I will certainly have my hands full come end of December. But, right now, I am really in desperate need to find something to occupy and challenge my mind. I certainly miss the meeting planning industry and am starting to dabble in some online networking with other planners. But I also enjoy writing. Therefore, I am researching and looking into freelance writing/blogging gigs. I am not quite sure what I can offer but I do think I can offer entertainment at the very least. Or maybe I am giving myself too much credit. Don't answer that...
In other news, I received permission to post pics of my new niece, Londyn. She will be two weeks tomorrow. Here are some pics from the hospital as well as Tatum and Londyn this past Saturday...
The new family
Londyn - exorcist style...look at the flexibility in that neck!
Tatum, Aunt Lauren and Londyn
"I think she farted on me..."
Happy new cousin
Last Monday was Tatum's first day of school. We met her and her Mom's whole fam damily at the school to send her off. Other than the frosty stares (mostly at me and my growing belly), everything went really well. Tatum had a look of concern all over her face that morning and was definitely overwhelmed with all the people, all of her family and just the whole concept. But she gave us a big hug before her class started and the last I saw was a big smile on her face. T talked with her later in the day. She said she had a GREAT time, made three new friends and was super excited that there were sugar cookies waiting for them after they had recess. I think she is going to really love school!
I have how many more years of this?
Really? That many??
There's a smile
Daddy, Tay and Michelle
Flag ceremony and morning announcements - Tay sitting with her class
Daddy can get a smile!
This is the look I got before getting a BIG hug!!
And lastly, here is a pic of a father/daughter project T and Tay worked on last weekend together. It is a crane made out of Leggo's. It was a long project but Tay worked through it! Now it is a favorite toy (among the cats as well).
This summer has been VERY hot and dry in the desert. If you believe in hell, here it is. If you aren't getting 3rd degree burns on your seat belt buckle, your flip flops are melting to the pavement as you walk. Today has been the first overcast day in weeks and it actually feels...less like a closed grill at high temperature and more like a kitchen oven at 375. We are hearing a faint rumor on the local news that we might get some rain over the next three days. I don't really believe them. I will have to see it first. But I will say it will be a welcome change from the sun! I swear I feel like we live on Mercury here. The sun even seems bigger out here than anywhere else in the world. What the hell? Exactly.
21 week post/update on Appleseed blog. See you there!
Friday, July 17, 2009
When the boss is away...
I sometimes feel like that, when the boss is away (T is out of town), I seem to slack more on the job. I start kinda leaving things laying around, I am little slow getting a dish in the dishwasher and I avoid the necessary chores until he gets back (such as bathrooms). I guess it is like this in any job. Not that I need to be micro-managed because I don't work well under those conditions either. But I think I am more motivated when T is here and working so hard in his office to also work hard to pull my weight. And here I am blogging in my PJ's watching the clock so that I get to the gym on time. I am meeting up with Amber - a local BFF that I haven't seen or caught up with in a while - at her place for salads and pool! Ahh, tough life! The toughest part? Remembering the raft!
The dream log is still pretty crazy. I had a dream last night (or may have been this morning) that incorporated a couple of my recurring themes. I was at the airport with my Dad, SMom, T and Tay (I think, at one point, my Mama and Papa where there too). I felt like we were running late because we were all kinda rushing around. T was talking to Michelle (Tay's Mom) on one of those sit down phone booths. I guess she wanted to talk to Tay. So Tay got on the phone and I could feel the anxiety that we were running late. Somehow, I ended up going on through security but, before I could, the lady at the security chair wanted my ticket - an ACTUAL ticket, not my boarding pass. I couldn't find what she needed but she said that she could look it up by my luggage tag number (she called it a tracking number).
Dad was going through security with me. We were kinda cutting in line since we didn't need any of the buckets for our stuff. Somehow during this whole process, I had asked my SMom how much time we had before the flight left and she said 20 minutes. Dad and I rushed through and started running down to the gate. I don't know what we thought we could accomplish by getting there before everyone else - but this is a dream!
As we were running down the terminal, there were glass windows all around and you could plainly see out of the far window that we were running towards - a perfectly formed tornado (this is a recurring dream for me...being in a glass structure with tornados around me). We quickly turned around and started running back the other way to get away from the glass windows. You could see to the sides of us other funnel clouds and things being picked up off the ground. We ran even harder. That's when we heard a huge crash and looked in front of us. A fireball was making its way down the hallway so we were trapped. I threw myself on my Dad to protect him and the fire went right over us. I woke up.
It was still dark outside when I woke up so I tried drifting back off to sleep. Usually I can't continue a dream at that point. Once I break it, I can't return to it. But this time I did. Dad, SMom, T, Tay and I were all in the airport. I think Jackson was there too - he definitely was later in the dream. We had found our gate right in time but then I had to go to the bathroom. I was sitting on the toilet and felt like I drifted off to sleep or something. Because all of a sudden I jolted off the seat and realized that a lot of time had passed! I quickly washed my hands (in a very odd sink) and headed back out to the gate. When I exited the bathroom, the airport was almost empty - especially our gate. Dad and SMom had gone on. T and Tay stayed behind waiting for me.
I was completely freaking out and crying that I made us miss the plane. Especially since I didn't know what had happened in the bathroom. T and Tay didn't seem too concerned. We started to walk back out of the airport - I assumed that we were going to find an airport hotel to stay in until we could catch a flight the next day. Somehow we made friends with a family that was standing out there. They were really nice and taught Jackson (see? He turned out to be there too) how to walk on his back legs. Then I woke up.
I keep reading that the hormones and the amp'd up emotions cause pregnant women to have strange, vivid dreams. The thing is, I have ALWAYS had VERY vivid dreams - in color, with distinct smells, etc. And now they are just that much more intense. Several times over the past couple of months I have awoken crying - my pillow wet. Or laughing out loud! Which happened last week! It is pretty bizarre but, with the length of these dreams, I feel like every night is a full feature film.
Wanna interpret my dream from last night?
I guess that's it for the housewife. A quick note on the apple seed blog and maybe I will actually vacuum a little. =P
The dream log is still pretty crazy. I had a dream last night (or may have been this morning) that incorporated a couple of my recurring themes. I was at the airport with my Dad, SMom, T and Tay (I think, at one point, my Mama and Papa where there too). I felt like we were running late because we were all kinda rushing around. T was talking to Michelle (Tay's Mom) on one of those sit down phone booths. I guess she wanted to talk to Tay. So Tay got on the phone and I could feel the anxiety that we were running late. Somehow, I ended up going on through security but, before I could, the lady at the security chair wanted my ticket - an ACTUAL ticket, not my boarding pass. I couldn't find what she needed but she said that she could look it up by my luggage tag number (she called it a tracking number).
Dad was going through security with me. We were kinda cutting in line since we didn't need any of the buckets for our stuff. Somehow during this whole process, I had asked my SMom how much time we had before the flight left and she said 20 minutes. Dad and I rushed through and started running down to the gate. I don't know what we thought we could accomplish by getting there before everyone else - but this is a dream!
As we were running down the terminal, there were glass windows all around and you could plainly see out of the far window that we were running towards - a perfectly formed tornado (this is a recurring dream for me...being in a glass structure with tornados around me). We quickly turned around and started running back the other way to get away from the glass windows. You could see to the sides of us other funnel clouds and things being picked up off the ground. We ran even harder. That's when we heard a huge crash and looked in front of us. A fireball was making its way down the hallway so we were trapped. I threw myself on my Dad to protect him and the fire went right over us. I woke up.
It was still dark outside when I woke up so I tried drifting back off to sleep. Usually I can't continue a dream at that point. Once I break it, I can't return to it. But this time I did. Dad, SMom, T, Tay and I were all in the airport. I think Jackson was there too - he definitely was later in the dream. We had found our gate right in time but then I had to go to the bathroom. I was sitting on the toilet and felt like I drifted off to sleep or something. Because all of a sudden I jolted off the seat and realized that a lot of time had passed! I quickly washed my hands (in a very odd sink) and headed back out to the gate. When I exited the bathroom, the airport was almost empty - especially our gate. Dad and SMom had gone on. T and Tay stayed behind waiting for me.
I was completely freaking out and crying that I made us miss the plane. Especially since I didn't know what had happened in the bathroom. T and Tay didn't seem too concerned. We started to walk back out of the airport - I assumed that we were going to find an airport hotel to stay in until we could catch a flight the next day. Somehow we made friends with a family that was standing out there. They were really nice and taught Jackson (see? He turned out to be there too) how to walk on his back legs. Then I woke up.
I keep reading that the hormones and the amp'd up emotions cause pregnant women to have strange, vivid dreams. The thing is, I have ALWAYS had VERY vivid dreams - in color, with distinct smells, etc. And now they are just that much more intense. Several times over the past couple of months I have awoken crying - my pillow wet. Or laughing out loud! Which happened last week! It is pretty bizarre but, with the length of these dreams, I feel like every night is a full feature film.
Wanna interpret my dream from last night?
I guess that's it for the housewife. A quick note on the apple seed blog and maybe I will actually vacuum a little. =P
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