Chapter 27

I love to shop!

Doesn't everyone who knows me know that?! Yes, of course you all do...so much that I became a "Personal Shopper" for a friend, and my family this week. It is so fun to do that! I love get deals for others, when they don't have the time, or the means...this week, it was luggage...sound fun? It was, actually. My friend, Bonnie is going abroad next year, and she was interested in luggage for that trip- she had mentioned it a while ago, and I just stored that in my brain till a later date (yesterday). I was online, at Kohl's, of course, trying to use a 30% discount and free shipping, and I ran into the luggage sale...remembered that she was looking for some, and called her right away! That simple, a $160.00 set of 6 pieces for $42.00 after tax and free shipping- now THAT is a deal! Such a good deal, that I remembered that my in-laws' luggage was falling apart when they were here last month, so I called them, and offered them the same sale- perfect! It even ships directly to them, with the simple click of my keyboard! Viola! Then, within that conversation, my mother - in- law says she thinks she wants to buy a set for a daughter...one more click, and viola- she gets a set shipped directly to her too!

I am good!

I should get paid for this!

Seriously, I love it! It is such a simple thing, but saving money is something I am really good at- probably better than I am at most other things!

Speaking of Bonnie, she came over this week to try out my new bathroom....she looks like she's right at home...don't ya think?!

Chapter 26

Okay, so my pitty-party from Monday is over, and I am feeling much better- thank you to those who consoled me during my flea breakdown! I finally "saw the light" in the Orkin man, and realized it is his job to paint the worst possible picture for me, so that I would bow over and fork out the obnoxious amount of cash for his work. I get it, and he was good at it! Seriously, had the voice of reason (Dana) not come home and said, "Yeah, NO WAY!", and painted me the realistic picture, I so would've signed over our savings for a year to that man- sometimes I love the voice of reason more than my own voice....thank you, honey! So, anyway, I am better, and despite the one flea I found on my cat today, I haven't seen a single carpenter ant, or any other pest, and I am finally sleeping soundly again!

I found these cute pictures today of some of my friends' kids playing Twister, and they are so cute... I love that they have so few cares in the world, and that playing games, like Twister is just for fun...how many times a day do I play games with my kids, just for fun? Um, none...most days, but this day, I did, and it was really....fun! This week I had sort of felt like my problems were really that bad, but seeing these pics reminded me that life is like "twister" sometimes, and I just need to let go, and have fun- these pics did the trick!

Monday, Monday...

I really don't like Mondays; laundry, cleaning from the weekend, and that's about all I accomplish in the mornings...today, however, I did all that AND I chatted with the Frontline people about my FLEAS!! Yes, yes, yes, we still have them!! AHHHH!! It has been 4 whole months since the pesky pests have invaded my home and I can't seem to get rid of them!! After receiving information on how to obtain my refund from Frontline, since after 3 months, it didn't quite do the job, I decided to call the Orkin Man...wow...that is an interesting story...are you ready?
Well, he came right away, I mean right away to help me rid my home of the fleas- I was thankful that I was on the priority list, since that is not the way things usually go with customer service, right? So, as soon as he came, he tromped around my house, trying to "see what I can stir up". Well, he found one whole flea- one, whole flea in my entire house- I guess the Frontline and my incessant vacuuming is really doing something...well, he only found one, that doesn't really mean much, I have come to know. That just means there are thousands probably lying in pupae stage in my carpet...gross, I know...I didn't say this was a pleasant story, it isn't! Okay, so he then comes upstairs, to where I am in the kitchen, holding dead ants...DEAD ANTS! Oh, man, this is really bad...carpenter ants...these are the ones that eat the wood in your house and live in your walls...good thing the ones he is holding are dead! Well, he proceeds to say that there are live ones living in the walls...did he just say what I thought he said?! Now, I have a flea and an ant problem?! Now, it is getting worse, and I feel my heart having palpataions! I take a deep breath and another, and another.
This man is really nice, I have to say, he has been with Orkin for 35 years. I am not sure how someone can be an exterminator for that many years, but whatever, he seems happy to visit pest homes. Everyone has to do something, right?! Okay, so this really nice man lays out the pricing guide for ridding my home of pests...but first he paints this really horrible picture of the flea life cycle, as well as the carpenter ant cycle, and says that the fleas will continue to live, forever, blah, blah, blah, if I don't treat them NOW! I get it, I get it- I don't want them around anymore either!! However, despite this cost, I still have to treat the cat with the Frontline continually- what?! I thought you would take care of the problem! Now, I have another purchase product?! This is not what I want to hear- and neither is this part...
The price- outrageous!!
$175 for one treatment, one month and NO GUARANTEE! No guarantee that in 32 days, the bugs are still here-
$250 for two treatments, back to back and NO GUARANTEE that they aren't still in my house after 61 days-
Are you kidding me?!
Okay, here is the funny part...$175 for month one, and $85 every other month for a year! This, one for the price tag of $762 does come with a guarantee- really?, well, thanks!
Seriously, what would you do?!
Well, I'll tell you what we decided-
We are going to continue the Frontline, since it is working, be it that she still has some here and there, and I will still vacuum every day, yes, everyday for the remainder of my life, no, just for the next 3 months or so till it starts to warm up, then we will make a decision regarding anything further....but $762, no way!!
So, now it is snowing, and sleeting, and I am going to bed! I have to vacuum first, though...

We don't mess around...

We don't mess around, oh no,
We don't mess around, oh no,
We don't mess around,
We just get down...
That was one of my favorite chants in high school for football, but the reason I like it now, is because we (I) didn't mess around when it came to doing the bathroom, I just did it! I started on Sunday, deciding to re-do it; Monday, choosing the color of paint, and pricing the new mirror, light bar, and such; Tuesday, buying all the stuff- new fixtures, and supplies, including paint; Wednesday taping the room (a huge chore I hate!); Thursday painting till midnight, and taking this 1/2 done picture; and Friday, finishing the paint, and with the help of our sweet neighbors, hanging the new medicine cabinent, light bar, shelf, clock and towel hanger! WOW! It is finally completed! I just bought the rugs today, decorated the new shelf/cabinet and hung the beautiful curtain (thanks, Mom!). Oh, and you can't see it in the pics, but I bought this adorable white basket with green gingham lining, that I sit on top of that shelf- and my mom is going to make green gingham shower curtain rings- I can't wait! I so love this room now, I think I could spend all day in there! Too bad it's a bathroom, and my children and husband are in there more than me!! Just kidding!!

So, this is the 1/2 done pics, since I forgot to take a complete before: The room was always just white walls, and I had a floral shower curtain, it did match, but we got that curtain for a wedding gift nearly 10 years ago...SO time for a change...I am not into floral bathrooms anymore...the cabinet hanging there was so rickety, and it took up nearly the whole wall and stuck out really far- hideous; and the medicine cabinet and light bar are clearly outdated- don't miss them at all!












And these are the after...so much nicer, in fact, I think we decided that we just might stay in this house another year or so...we'll see...for now I am just going to enjoy it!




Oh, and another great part about the re-do, it only cost me around 200 bucks, including supplies! This is awesome! Just needed a few days and a few dollars, and Viola!

Chapter 25

Today I began the re-doing of our bathroom! Whoo hoo! SO exciting, seriously, it is exciting, to me, anyway...it has been an interesting beginning to it as well. Jennifer told me yesterday to remember to take a "before" picture and then an "after" one when it is finished...of course, I forgot! I got so excited about starting tonight, that I took down the shower curtain, and began painting 2 of the walls! Sorry about the before look that you will miss...it wasn't anything wonderful anyway...but you will get a first hand look of the finished product this week, I promise! After this first coat dries, in about an hour, I am going to do coat 2, then take down the cabinet and wash that wall so I can paint it in the morning while Celeste watches Diego! See, I have a plan!
The process of deciding to re-do the bathroom began on Sunday, when we tentatively decided that we may want to put our house up for sale in the summer...it is not a "we are for sure moving" thing, we are just thinking about it. So, I thought that since we have several projects to complete prior to moving, I could at least start with the smallest room to re-do, our bathroom. I decided to do it in an earthy green...decorators are saying earth tones are in now...so I chose a Behr color of "Grasshopper Wing"- sounds interesting, right?! I wonder who picks the names of paints, wouldn't that be a great job?! Your day would be spent out in nature finding things that look just like this fantastic color of paint that someone else created! I think that is sweet! Celeste and I ventured to Home Depot, where we bought a new register cover (that alone is a great change in the room!), a new medicine cabinet, a new light bar, and the Grasshopper Wing paint! Off to a great start, right?!
I got home, and right away, took a brush and painted a small swatch behind the door of the Grasshopper Wing- right away, I knew it wasn't going to be such a wonderful color for my bathroom, but the paint says it's non-returnable...great, 30 bucks of "Goose Poop" paint- I changed the name of it, because that is what my children thought it looked more like, (they are right, by the way!)...so I call Home Depot and ask if they can add some white to it to make it more like able. They say sure, so I head there right away. The very nice paint man says that he can't lighten it to the color I really want, so he will just give me a brand new gallon!! So nice! I couldn't believe it...I didn't even have my receipt with me- I have renewed faith in customer service again! Thank you, Home Depot...so now I have "Promenade"- a more pastel shade of earthy green that I like much, much better! You tell me what you think...not today, of course, but when I do finish- come and see for yourself!!

Chapter 24

As promised, I took pictures this time of Celeste playing together with her little friend, Emma. They had a really fun time playing today, and they really loved getting their picture taken, well they loved seeing the picture more, actually! They are such sweet little girls, and I really love when they are playing nicely, and not stealing each other's toys, which is bound to happen when you have two 2 year old's together! I realize that, and so I play too, so that they learn how to interact without hurting one another! Too fun and so cute! This past Saturday was Alex's first Upward Basketball game, and these are the fun pictures from that game! He played really well, and received a red star for "defensive player of the game"! Go Alex, and Go Tigers!!

The fat lady has sung...

So, it's over...whatever, another Championship lost...there's always next year, but it would've been nice...I still love my Bucks, but Spitler is no longer on my love list! Just kidding, the penalties we suffered tonight and the interceptions are what killed us...I have to remember, it's just a game, and these are just kids...I love them anyway! September is not that far away, the Buckeyes will always be back!

Go Bucks!!

Well, tonight is the BIG game! What BIG game, you ask?! Only the BIGGEST game of the year-well, it's really part of 2007, but you get the idea! We are all decked out in our OSU gear for the day, and I can honestly say that I am so excited for kickoff tonight! I fear that last year's showdown will haunt us in some small way, but I believe that without all the Heisman publicity we had last year with our QB, the Buckeyes are reading to play without all the hype! They are out for revenge this year, and I am very anxious to see the Tigers go down! Last year we took our family's picture for the Championship game, and this year, we are doing it again, (hopefully it won't jinx us!). Here we are, ready to cheer our beloved Buckeyes to victory in New Orleans! Go Bucks!!

Chapter 23

It has been an interesting past few days of this new year...On Tuesday, I hosted a luncheon for my good friend Katie who is moving to Texas this weekend. It was a happy/sad occassion for those of us who attended. I would like to say we had a great time, because it is always fun to be around other women who you are good friendds with, but at the same time, it was hard because we all knew this would be the last time we would all be hanging out with Katie as a group. I love having luncheons for my friends, the crappy part being, that I usually only have them when someone is moving! Terrible friend, aren't I? I will miss Katie, but I know we will stay in touch since we blog...the cyber way to remain friends! I love it! I didn't do too much yesterday, except for attend a RS meeting from "you-know-where"! Just kidding, it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't that good, either! I have to say that I just don't like when a few people's opinions dominate a meeting, especially from those who aren't even in charge! I just walked away feeling like we accomplished very little, and are still clueless about what to do next! I love being in RS, I really do, but sometimes certain people take over and what they say seems to take control, and nothing changes. For example, a sister that was there mentioned that not many women attend a group she heads up...well, it for 1. it is on a Saturday (a sacred day in our house, and probably many others'), and 2. not everyone is interested in her group! I just wanted to say, "if people aren't coming, there is a REASON, and if they really wanted to come, they would!" Seriously, there are too many groups going on, and some of us just want to be with our families' and we attend probably only one other group (playgroup for me). Anyway, it was interesting to say the least. The consolation was that I got to sit with Bonnie, Jennene, and Delinda, who made the time there easier! And Ulli had us play a really fun game- our saving grace!

Today was another busy day...Leah had her follow up appointment with Dr. Dave, her Opthamologist about her chalazion. Well, it has gone down a bit, though it is still a bit pink, irritated he says, and so we will continue to do warm compresses and lid scrubs till it eventually goes away! I am hoping that is soon! The poor thing has dealt with this since September! She is a trooper, and thankfully really likes Dr. Dave- he "makes me laugh", she says. I did, however, find out interestingly, that Leah is going to be a candidate for glasses as time goes on...she is leaning towards near-sightedness...just like her Dad was! Thanks a lot, Dana! I figured so, as I watched her read the letters on the eye chart today...wow! She really can't see far away! That's okay, I think she will look adorable in glasses...someday...not too soon, I hope!

That said, we concluded the day with baths and family movie night, "Batman" is tonight's movie of choice...Leah keeps asking when the Joker is going to appear- again and again...if only she as a "Patient as a Penguin", one of her things that makes us laugh!

Here are a few adorable pics of the girls in their new Pottery Barn towels I got for them...so cute! Oh, and one of Celeste as Diego- her favorite gift from Aunt Liza!
Each time I put Celeste in her "Bunny" towel, she makes the funniest faces, and is so happy.......that is until it is time to get jammies on, and then if the Diego jammies are dirty, she isn't that cute little bunny anymore! Thank goodness I did the laundry...

A New Year has come...

Well, Happy New Year 2008! I am having a hard time believing that it is 2008 already! I think 2007 passed by quicker than any other year- is that possible? Maybe it's just me, but I really do think it did! I resolve every year to change something in my life- simplify it, in a new way each year. This year, I resolve to change and simplify my life by:

1. Being nicer to my family...I have come to see myself differently than I ever wanted to be these last few months. I have a shorter temper, less patience, and am quick to react. I don't want to be this way, so, I have resolved to be better.

a). Say a prayer each morning to help me through the day

b). Smile more

c). Laugh WAY more

2. Not sweating the small stuff...we have all heard it before, I have more than a dozen times, and it sounds simple enough, but sometimes, for me, anyway, I have a really hard time doing this. I let the little things get to me, and they can quickly take over my day. I want this to change as well, so I have resolved to do better.

a). Say a prayer each moring to help me not sweat the small stuff

b). Smile more

c). See the BIG picture

3. Keeping this blog up to date and as a journal of the things in my life. I have found great joy through typing up a few thoughts every few days, and I want to continue so that I can see the progress I have made through the year, and my children can see all that we have accompished. I want to keep a journal, and write more often, so I resolve to do that.

a). Say a prayer each morning to be happier

b). Remember that it is important to do

c). Find a smile in every simple act I do, so I can record it

So there it is...my 2008 resolution list. I do try to SIMPLIFY my life in some small way each day, but sometimes it just doesn't happen. I am hoping that by seeing this list (I put it on my fridge-cause I see that about 2008 times a day!) I will simplify my days and achieve these simple goals.