This week for my Thrifty Thursday post, I'm talking about having a girls night in!
We all need a moment to relax, and Moms, we're notorious for not taking time for ourselves in a kid free environment. It can also get very expensive to go out and have fun together. What to do? Host a monthly girls night in! Each month, rotate who hosts the get togethers, and leave Dads at home in charge of the kids. You can potluck with full meal options - or my favorite - everyone bring a dessert!
You can stop by Redbox, and pick up a movie that is for us ladies only, and have fun! Not interesting in viewing movies? You can have a Spa night in, and take turns doing manicures and pedicures. Or how about hosting a closet swap? Trade off those clothes that no longer fit since your last baby or you just don't care for.
30 September 2010
Contest: Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich
Do you make creative peanut butter sandwiches?
I admit I don't. Outside of using peanut butter in a couple of dishes (mmm.... peanut chicken!) and baking from time to time, I consume my peanut butter on a spoon - I always have a jar on the counter for a quick protein pick me up. (I keep a flat of 12 on hand in my food storage because I love it so much!)
Jif Peanut Butter is hosting the Ninth Annual Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest. Parents, head on over to www.jif.com and www.jifenespanol.com and download the entry form. Then bring your 6 to 12 old into the kitchen, and let them loose to make their own peanut butter sandwich creation! Sandwiches will be judged on creativity, taste, appearance, nutritional balance and ease of preparation. They are accepting entries now through October 22, 2010, so head on over to the website and check it out for more legal information, as well as to download that entry form. The grand prize is a $25,000 college scholarship, with four runners up snagging themselves $2,500 scholarship. (I know at the cost of college these days it doesn't sound like a lot, but every little bit helps!)
Moms, don't feel left out - you can compete for a seat at the judging table for the final event of the Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest. To enter this one, you'll need to submit an essay of 250 words or less in the Fifth Annual Jif Moms Voice Their Choice Contest, describing how you, or a mom they know (so those without kids aren't completely left out), make the best choices for their families. Again, just head over to the website for more information!
Speaking of Jif, even if you aren't interested in entering the contests above, you HAVE to check out their recipe for the Thai Chicken Pizza. I think I just drooled all over the keyboard. I'm thinking it's for dinner tomorrow!
I admit I don't. Outside of using peanut butter in a couple of dishes (mmm.... peanut chicken!) and baking from time to time, I consume my peanut butter on a spoon - I always have a jar on the counter for a quick protein pick me up. (I keep a flat of 12 on hand in my food storage because I love it so much!)
Jif Peanut Butter is hosting the Ninth Annual Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest. Parents, head on over to www.jif.com and www.jifenespanol.com and download the entry form. Then bring your 6 to 12 old into the kitchen, and let them loose to make their own peanut butter sandwich creation! Sandwiches will be judged on creativity, taste, appearance, nutritional balance and ease of preparation. They are accepting entries now through October 22, 2010, so head on over to the website and check it out for more legal information, as well as to download that entry form. The grand prize is a $25,000 college scholarship, with four runners up snagging themselves $2,500 scholarship. (I know at the cost of college these days it doesn't sound like a lot, but every little bit helps!)
Moms, don't feel left out - you can compete for a seat at the judging table for the final event of the Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest. To enter this one, you'll need to submit an essay of 250 words or less in the Fifth Annual Jif Moms Voice Their Choice Contest, describing how you, or a mom they know (so those without kids aren't completely left out), make the best choices for their families. Again, just head over to the website for more information!
Speaking of Jif, even if you aren't interested in entering the contests above, you HAVE to check out their recipe for the Thai Chicken Pizza. I think I just drooled all over the keyboard. I'm thinking it's for dinner tomorrow!
Review & Giveaway: Lovable Labels
If you have kids - or even pets that are on the go with you a lot - you've probably scrambled more than once trying to find your child's belongings when you're at a busy place. If your child is in daycare, or off to school, you know that anything without a label bearing your child's name on it is probably not going to make the journey back home. I know when we hit the mall "playground", I'm always scurrying around trying to make sure both shoes, coats, and toys, come back home with us! (Chuck E. cheese was a NIGHTMARE a few weeks ago! LOL)
Lovable Labels is a Canadian company that makes multi-purpose labels with your child's name (or pet's?) on them, and they can be ordered in a variety of different styles and uses. There are labels meant for books, toys, games etc, labels for shoes, even little dog tags that are perfect little girl purses and little boy backpacks. Don't have kids or pets? They also have labels perfect for organizing your home.
Lovable Labels let me pick out any of the Back To School label packages, which includes over a 150 different labels for just $44.95. I choose the Diva design with my daughter's name on it. (I know some of you will be shocked I didn't choose the Classic Black design)
What I really love about these is that these labels come in a little book, so I can toss it in my everything-but-the-kitchen-sink bag, and have it with us all the time, so when new toys, books, clothes, etc are bought while we are on the go, I can take a quick moment and slap a tag on it.
Here's a view of the Press N Stock Clothing Dots (label) on one of our daughter's shirts after it's been washed:
And a tag on RJ (over the Hedge, for the non-parents) so he doesn't get lost:
Only at Confessions of a Psychotic Housewife could you get mooned by a stuffed racoon - LOL! Ah, things are interesting around here, aren't they? ;) I really like the labels, I thought they were cute, and they are easy to use - no ironing necessary for the clothing labels. (Although they do carry some iron-on labels, if you're interested in those, go check them out!)
Here comes my public service announcement: be very, very careful when placing labels on your child's things that they aren't glaringly obvious to predators. Try to place labels on clothing and wearables/carry-ables on the inside or on the label upside down, for instance, so it's a little harder to see when worn, but easily found when needed.
Win it! Lovable Labels would like to give one of my readers their own Back To School package of their own, just like mine. (Well, not just - obviously, it will have your child's name on it! lol) To enter, head on over to their site, and let us know which design you'd choose. Easy, peasy!
As always, you can receive extra entries for:
-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway 1X (leave the link in your comment below or @psychotichouse)
Enter to win BTS Lovable Labels http://goo.gl/fb/CJyQl ends 10/16 @psychotichouse
That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends October 16th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US and Canada only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)
I received the package stated above in order to test out and share my opinion of. One winner will win a prize package as stated above, and fulfilled by the giveaway sponsor.
Lovable Labels is a Canadian company that makes multi-purpose labels with your child's name (or pet's?) on them, and they can be ordered in a variety of different styles and uses. There are labels meant for books, toys, games etc, labels for shoes, even little dog tags that are perfect little girl purses and little boy backpacks. Don't have kids or pets? They also have labels perfect for organizing your home.
Lovable Labels let me pick out any of the Back To School label packages, which includes over a 150 different labels for just $44.95. I choose the Diva design with my daughter's name on it. (I know some of you will be shocked I didn't choose the Classic Black design)
What I really love about these is that these labels come in a little book, so I can toss it in my everything-but-the-kitchen-sink bag, and have it with us all the time, so when new toys, books, clothes, etc are bought while we are on the go, I can take a quick moment and slap a tag on it.
Here's a view of the Press N Stock Clothing Dots (label) on one of our daughter's shirts after it's been washed:
And a tag on RJ (over the Hedge, for the non-parents) so he doesn't get lost:
Only at Confessions of a Psychotic Housewife could you get mooned by a stuffed racoon - LOL! Ah, things are interesting around here, aren't they? ;) I really like the labels, I thought they were cute, and they are easy to use - no ironing necessary for the clothing labels. (Although they do carry some iron-on labels, if you're interested in those, go check them out!)
Here comes my public service announcement: be very, very careful when placing labels on your child's things that they aren't glaringly obvious to predators. Try to place labels on clothing and wearables/carry-ables on the inside or on the label upside down, for instance, so it's a little harder to see when worn, but easily found when needed.
Win it! Lovable Labels would like to give one of my readers their own Back To School package of their own, just like mine. (Well, not just - obviously, it will have your child's name on it! lol) To enter, head on over to their site, and let us know which design you'd choose. Easy, peasy!
As always, you can receive extra entries for:
-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway 1X (leave the link in your comment below or @psychotichouse)
Enter to win BTS Lovable Labels http://goo.gl/fb/CJyQl ends 10/16 @psychotichouse
That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends October 16th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US and Canada only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)
I received the package stated above in order to test out and share my opinion of. One winner will win a prize package as stated above, and fulfilled by the giveaway sponsor.
29 September 2010
To My Etsy And Handmade Creators
I'll be doing a Holiday Gift Guide again this year, and if you would like to have your store/site included, shoot me an email (look to the right for it) with a link to your store. I'll be including you on the resurrected Friday's Featured post. I love seeing all the beautiful creations, and I know others do too!
If you are a reader and you know of a store that should be featured, feel free to email me about them too!
If you are a reader and you know of a store that should be featured, feel free to email me about them too!
Review & Giveaway: Fish Taco Mexican Fiesta Night
I bet you didn't know that this coming Monday, October 4th is National Taco Night, did ya? You didn't? I know, it's another holiday every time you turn around. Hey, it gives you an excuse to celebrate! Celebrating means FUN!
Gorton's, makers of tons of great fish you'll find in your grocer's freezer aisles, wants you to consider hosting a Fish Taco Mexican Fiesta Night!
We all know fish is good for you, but it's hard to come up with new ways to serve it to our families. Gorton's has everything from Battered Fillets to Grilled Shrimp to Salmon and Tilapia Fillets (and more!) - all of which could be used for Taco Night for a different spin! Need some recipe ideas? Check out WeLoveFishTacos.com, where you will find ideas such as Crunchy Fish Tacos:
Products:
•1 package of Gorton's Fish Sticks or Gorton's Tenders
•1 package Ortega Yellow Corn Taco Shells, warmed
Garnish Suggestions:
•1 cup lettuce, shredded
•2 tomatoes, chopped
•1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
•Ortega Thick & Smooth Taco Sauce
•Ortega Diced Green Chiles
I made this idea - well, close. I used soft tortillas, Gorton's Tenders, spinach, corn nibblets (drained), salsa, and a bit of shredded Cheddar cheese:
Nom, nom! DH was asking when I would be making them again! I normally shy away from making fish at home, because my house always ends up smelling like a fish market since it's small, but it wasn't bad at all! (I guess because these were in the oven, instead of a frying pan on the stove?) If you are looking for a more grown up idea, check out the Avocado & Mango Lime-Grilled Shrimp Tacos - those look so yummy!
Plus, if you decide to host a Fish Taco Mexican Fiesta Night of your own, take some pictures of your family enjoying the fun - you'll be able to enter to win some great prizes, including the grand prize: trip for four to All-Inclusive Allegro Playacar Resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico for 3 nights, plus 12 Gorton’s and 12 Ortega VIP FREE product coupons and your taco fiesta photo published on www.welovefishtacos.com. You have until October 7th to enter, so hurry and have some Fishy Fiesta Fun! For more information, and to enter, be sure to check out the official contest page.
And don't forget to visit Gorton's website, because you'll find a printable coupon to save $0.50 off any Gorton's product! (It's a Bricks coupon) If you don't have a printer, or have problems - don't fret. If you contact their customer service, they will gladly mail a coupon to you. (Which has become rare anymore, hasn't it?)
Win it! Thanks to the folks over at Gorton's, two lucky readers will each win a free product coupon for their choice of Gorton's products to help have a Fish Taco Night of their own! Feeling like shrimp? fillets? grilled or battered? Whatever you want! To enter, head on over to WeLoveFishTacos.com and tell us which recipe sounds like a winner for your family's Fish Taco Mexican Fiesta Night.
As always, you can receive extra entries for:
-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway 1X (leave the link in your comment below or @psychotichouse)
Enter to win Gorton's products http://goo.gl/fb/6J0r2 ends 10/16 @psychotichouse
That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends October 16th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)
I received free product coupons from Gorton's in order to have a Fish Taco Mexican Fiesta Night, no other compensation was given. Two winners will win the prize stated above, thanks to the generosity of the giveaway sponsor.
Gorton's, makers of tons of great fish you'll find in your grocer's freezer aisles, wants you to consider hosting a Fish Taco Mexican Fiesta Night!
We all know fish is good for you, but it's hard to come up with new ways to serve it to our families. Gorton's has everything from Battered Fillets to Grilled Shrimp to Salmon and Tilapia Fillets (and more!) - all of which could be used for Taco Night for a different spin! Need some recipe ideas? Check out WeLoveFishTacos.com, where you will find ideas such as Crunchy Fish Tacos:
Products:
•1 package of Gorton's Fish Sticks or Gorton's Tenders
•1 package Ortega Yellow Corn Taco Shells, warmed
Garnish Suggestions:
•1 cup lettuce, shredded
•2 tomatoes, chopped
•1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
•Ortega Thick & Smooth Taco Sauce
•Ortega Diced Green Chiles
I made this idea - well, close. I used soft tortillas, Gorton's Tenders, spinach, corn nibblets (drained), salsa, and a bit of shredded Cheddar cheese:
Nom, nom! DH was asking when I would be making them again! I normally shy away from making fish at home, because my house always ends up smelling like a fish market since it's small, but it wasn't bad at all! (I guess because these were in the oven, instead of a frying pan on the stove?) If you are looking for a more grown up idea, check out the Avocado & Mango Lime-Grilled Shrimp Tacos - those look so yummy!
Plus, if you decide to host a Fish Taco Mexican Fiesta Night of your own, take some pictures of your family enjoying the fun - you'll be able to enter to win some great prizes, including the grand prize: trip for four to All-Inclusive Allegro Playacar Resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico for 3 nights, plus 12 Gorton’s and 12 Ortega VIP FREE product coupons and your taco fiesta photo published on www.welovefishtacos.com. You have until October 7th to enter, so hurry and have some Fishy Fiesta Fun! For more information, and to enter, be sure to check out the official contest page.
And don't forget to visit Gorton's website, because you'll find a printable coupon to save $0.50 off any Gorton's product! (It's a Bricks coupon) If you don't have a printer, or have problems - don't fret. If you contact their customer service, they will gladly mail a coupon to you. (Which has become rare anymore, hasn't it?)
Win it! Thanks to the folks over at Gorton's, two lucky readers will each win a free product coupon for their choice of Gorton's products to help have a Fish Taco Night of their own! Feeling like shrimp? fillets? grilled or battered? Whatever you want! To enter, head on over to WeLoveFishTacos.com and tell us which recipe sounds like a winner for your family's Fish Taco Mexican Fiesta Night.
As always, you can receive extra entries for:
-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway 1X (leave the link in your comment below or @psychotichouse)
Enter to win Gorton's products http://goo.gl/fb/6J0r2 ends 10/16 @psychotichouse
That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends October 16th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)
I received free product coupons from Gorton's in order to have a Fish Taco Mexican Fiesta Night, no other compensation was given. Two winners will win the prize stated above, thanks to the generosity of the giveaway sponsor.
Contest: ¿Que Hay De Cenar?
My fellow Latinas (and everyone else too, I'm not trying to leave you out!), you probably keep Crisco products in your pantry at all times, right? I use it to make tortillas, my family's favorite garlic cheese biscuits, and a lot of other recipes. My mom always used Crisco, and I guess I've always remembered that, since I do too! Actually, I bought a store brand once from Grocery Outlet, and I was totally unimpressed. For the little bit of money difference, I'll stick to Crisco!
Over on Crisco's Spanish page, CriscoEnEspanol.com, they are holding a promotion, ¿Que Hay De Cenar? (What's For Dinner?) (Even if you don't speak/read Spanish, you can head over to the page, because in the upper right hand corner, you'll see the word English - click it, and you can head over to Crisco's English site, where you can check out some great recipes, as well as go here to enter the contest I'm about to share with you in English!)
As part of the contest, you can enter to win some great prizes: the grand prize is a gourmet cookware set and a one year supply of Crisco products, valued at $1,000. Plus, TEN winners every day will win a $20 gift card! And if you enter, you'll also receive a coupon to save on your next purchase of Crisco products! You can enter every day, now through December 31st, 2010. For contest rules, and to enter, head on over!
Good luck if you decide to enter too! Those shiny new pots and pans call my name. I'd be in heaven!
Over on Crisco's Spanish page, CriscoEnEspanol.com, they are holding a promotion, ¿Que Hay De Cenar? (What's For Dinner?) (Even if you don't speak/read Spanish, you can head over to the page, because in the upper right hand corner, you'll see the word English - click it, and you can head over to Crisco's English site, where you can check out some great recipes, as well as go here to enter the contest I'm about to share with you in English!)
As part of the contest, you can enter to win some great prizes: the grand prize is a gourmet cookware set and a one year supply of Crisco products, valued at $1,000. Plus, TEN winners every day will win a $20 gift card! And if you enter, you'll also receive a coupon to save on your next purchase of Crisco products! You can enter every day, now through December 31st, 2010. For contest rules, and to enter, head on over!
Good luck if you decide to enter too! Those shiny new pots and pans call my name. I'd be in heaven!
Giveaway: Maroon 5 - Hands All Over
You super lucky ducks. Seriously, I am jealous of y'all. Remember my review post from the other day of the new Maroon 5 album that just hit the streets, Hands All Over?
Go ahead and read the review if you haven't already. I'll be right here when you get back.
Where were we? Oh yes! You will have noticed at the bottom of that post that I mentioned an upcoming giveaway.
I love hosting giveaways - especially when it's for cool stuff! Speaking of cool stuff, Maroon 5 launched a photo competition over on IBeatYou.com, challenging their die-hard fans to submit their own photos of things they can’t keep their hands off. (Ahem, keep it clean!) For more details, and to enter - head on over to the official contest page, where you could win a Limited Edition 3D Box-Set.
Win it! One lucky winner is going to win an autographed copy of the new Maroon 5 Hands All Over CD! Yes, it was in their hands, touched by them - and it could be yours! Ready to own this cool memento and be the envy of Maroon 5 fans? To enter, tell us which track off the Hands All Over CD you think is going to be your favorite. (You'll find a complete track listing on my review post)
As always, you can receive extra entries for:
-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway 1X (leave the link in your comment below or @psychotichouse)
Enter to win autographed Maroon 5 CD http://goo.gl/fb/9jqAR ends 10/16 @psychotichouse
That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends October 16th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)
I didn't receive anything for writing this post, but one lucky reader will win the prize stated above, as fulfilled by the giveaway sponsor.
Go ahead and read the review if you haven't already. I'll be right here when you get back.
Where were we? Oh yes! You will have noticed at the bottom of that post that I mentioned an upcoming giveaway.
I love hosting giveaways - especially when it's for cool stuff! Speaking of cool stuff, Maroon 5 launched a photo competition over on IBeatYou.com, challenging their die-hard fans to submit their own photos of things they can’t keep their hands off. (Ahem, keep it clean!) For more details, and to enter - head on over to the official contest page, where you could win a Limited Edition 3D Box-Set.
Win it! One lucky winner is going to win an autographed copy of the new Maroon 5 Hands All Over CD! Yes, it was in their hands, touched by them - and it could be yours! Ready to own this cool memento and be the envy of Maroon 5 fans? To enter, tell us which track off the Hands All Over CD you think is going to be your favorite. (You'll find a complete track listing on my review post)
As always, you can receive extra entries for:
-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway 1X (leave the link in your comment below or @psychotichouse)
Enter to win autographed Maroon 5 CD http://goo.gl/fb/9jqAR ends 10/16 @psychotichouse
That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends October 16th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)
I didn't receive anything for writing this post, but one lucky reader will win the prize stated above, as fulfilled by the giveaway sponsor.
Review & Giveaway: Libman Freedom Spray Mop
I test stuff out so you don't have to. It also means I need a bigger janitor's closet - and the salary to go along with it - haha! ;) The latest addition to the janitor's closet, and the test subject today, is the new Libman Freedom Spray Mop.
Libman is a company definitely known for their American made mops, and they have been around since 1896. The Freedom Spray Mop is an environmentally AND wallet friendly mop that comes ready for you to use - it uses re-useable microfiber pads, and whatever cleaner you would like to use. You can use cleaner that you've gotten on sale, dishwashing soap and water, or vinegar and hot water. You can even use just plain water. The choice is yours! You just fill up the bottle, and a moppin' you will go. (Confession: I actually sing that sometimes when I am mopping.) No batteries are necessary either.
The mop also uses microfiber pads that easily attach to the bottom, but this one is a little different than others on the market - it has green strips throughout it - they kind of look and feel like Easter basket grass. I will admit that these made me a tad bit worried about the claim of it being "Scratch Free". It is supposed to help you lift tough dirt that's caked into the floor though. Storm's opinion? If you have super pricey flooring and would freak out, test this out in a small hidden spot before going full throttle just to be safe. I had absolutely no problem with my wooden flooring. (Don't use it on unfinished wood floors, though!)
Once again, I ignored mopping my floor for several days just for you. I know the floors probably don't show it in the picture, but they were super icky thanks to the rain we've had. Good thing we wear slippers around here, because ew!
I used a bit of Murphy's Floor Cleaner and some hot water for my trial. You just squeeze the trigger a few times, then do the mopping dance, and voila - clean floor. (Remember to be careful that the spray doesn't get on furniture or bookshelves! Watch where you are spraying!) I did notice it taking a little longer to dry, but it was naptime, so no biggie. ;) Here's the clean floor:
Again, I know it's hard to see. (I hereby promise that when/if we build from scratch, I will be sure to make at least one room with light colored tile just so it's easier to see on before and after photos!) Depending on how much flooring you have, you certainly should have enough "solution" to clean at least one big room, or several smaller rooms. Here in the teeny tiny house (lol), I was able to mop the living room, kitchen and hallway before changing it out. I would suggest having several microfiber cloths ready to go if you A) don't mop very often so have a lot to clean up or B) have a lot of floor space to cover. I had no problem with the microfiber cloth moving while using it, and it also has this little tab that is supposed to make it easier to pull off - honestly, I just rip and pull. I have vinyl gloves, I'm not worried about ick all over my hands! ;)
Tip: If you're new to the world of microfiber, let me give you a heads up that you are not supposed to wash them with fabric softener. If you use fabric softener on all your laundry, you may want to start a separate bin for your cleaning rags, and get a couple of extra pads so you can do them all at once in a load of laundry. Skip the bleach too - these will ruin them!
All in all, I couldn't find any complaints with the Freedom Spray Mop. It's a good price, doesn't harm the environment like some floor cleaning options, cleans as promised, and it's easy to use.
You can find the Libman Freedom Spray Mop at your favorite brick & mortar retailer (I've spotted it at both Fred Meyer and Target) for around $19.99 to $24.99, depending on the store. If you're interested in giving it a try, there's currently a $5 rebate available on their website for your purchase, so be sure to take advantage of that! (You can always use the savings towards a back up microfiber cloth) And for my fellow contest lovers, there is also a contest on the site right now that includes a trip to NYC with a VIP visit to see the set of Martha Stewart! (If you win, you'll take me with you, right? lol) As you can probably guess, I entered that one faster than the blink of an eye. ;)
By the way, you can also follow Libman's page over on Facebook for new product information, and of course, sales and deals! (Psst - they sometimes hold giveaways on there, too!)
Win it! Thanks to Libman, one lucky reader will win their own Freedom Spray Mop to help with their cleaning duties! Because I love to torture you (LOL), to enter, just confess how often you mop your floors. Don't worry, no one is judging you, so be honest!
As always, you can receive extra entries for:
-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway 1X (leave the link in your comment below or @psychotichouse)
Enter to win Libman Freedom Spray Mop http://goo.gl/fb/5Mfpm ends 10/9 @psychotichouse
That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends October 9th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)
As a member of the Mom Bloggers Club Review Team, Libman sent me the Freedom Spray Mop and an extra microfiber pad to test and try out in my home. All opinions are my own. One winner will win the prize stated above, as fulfilled by the giveaway sponsor.
Libman is a company definitely known for their American made mops, and they have been around since 1896. The Freedom Spray Mop is an environmentally AND wallet friendly mop that comes ready for you to use - it uses re-useable microfiber pads, and whatever cleaner you would like to use. You can use cleaner that you've gotten on sale, dishwashing soap and water, or vinegar and hot water. You can even use just plain water. The choice is yours! You just fill up the bottle, and a moppin' you will go. (Confession: I actually sing that sometimes when I am mopping.) No batteries are necessary either.
The mop also uses microfiber pads that easily attach to the bottom, but this one is a little different than others on the market - it has green strips throughout it - they kind of look and feel like Easter basket grass. I will admit that these made me a tad bit worried about the claim of it being "Scratch Free". It is supposed to help you lift tough dirt that's caked into the floor though. Storm's opinion? If you have super pricey flooring and would freak out, test this out in a small hidden spot before going full throttle just to be safe. I had absolutely no problem with my wooden flooring. (Don't use it on unfinished wood floors, though!)
Once again, I ignored mopping my floor for several days just for you. I know the floors probably don't show it in the picture, but they were super icky thanks to the rain we've had. Good thing we wear slippers around here, because ew!
I used a bit of Murphy's Floor Cleaner and some hot water for my trial. You just squeeze the trigger a few times, then do the mopping dance, and voila - clean floor. (Remember to be careful that the spray doesn't get on furniture or bookshelves! Watch where you are spraying!) I did notice it taking a little longer to dry, but it was naptime, so no biggie. ;) Here's the clean floor:
Again, I know it's hard to see. (I hereby promise that when/if we build from scratch, I will be sure to make at least one room with light colored tile just so it's easier to see on before and after photos!) Depending on how much flooring you have, you certainly should have enough "solution" to clean at least one big room, or several smaller rooms. Here in the teeny tiny house (lol), I was able to mop the living room, kitchen and hallway before changing it out. I would suggest having several microfiber cloths ready to go if you A) don't mop very often so have a lot to clean up or B) have a lot of floor space to cover. I had no problem with the microfiber cloth moving while using it, and it also has this little tab that is supposed to make it easier to pull off - honestly, I just rip and pull. I have vinyl gloves, I'm not worried about ick all over my hands! ;)
Tip: If you're new to the world of microfiber, let me give you a heads up that you are not supposed to wash them with fabric softener. If you use fabric softener on all your laundry, you may want to start a separate bin for your cleaning rags, and get a couple of extra pads so you can do them all at once in a load of laundry. Skip the bleach too - these will ruin them!
All in all, I couldn't find any complaints with the Freedom Spray Mop. It's a good price, doesn't harm the environment like some floor cleaning options, cleans as promised, and it's easy to use.
You can find the Libman Freedom Spray Mop at your favorite brick & mortar retailer (I've spotted it at both Fred Meyer and Target) for around $19.99 to $24.99, depending on the store. If you're interested in giving it a try, there's currently a $5 rebate available on their website for your purchase, so be sure to take advantage of that! (You can always use the savings towards a back up microfiber cloth) And for my fellow contest lovers, there is also a contest on the site right now that includes a trip to NYC with a VIP visit to see the set of Martha Stewart! (If you win, you'll take me with you, right? lol) As you can probably guess, I entered that one faster than the blink of an eye. ;)
By the way, you can also follow Libman's page over on Facebook for new product information, and of course, sales and deals! (Psst - they sometimes hold giveaways on there, too!)
Win it! Thanks to Libman, one lucky reader will win their own Freedom Spray Mop to help with their cleaning duties! Because I love to torture you (LOL), to enter, just confess how often you mop your floors. Don't worry, no one is judging you, so be honest!
As always, you can receive extra entries for:
-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway 1X (leave the link in your comment below or @psychotichouse)
Enter to win Libman Freedom Spray Mop http://goo.gl/fb/5Mfpm ends 10/9 @psychotichouse
That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends October 9th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)
As a member of the Mom Bloggers Club Review Team, Libman sent me the Freedom Spray Mop and an extra microfiber pad to test and try out in my home. All opinions are my own. One winner will win the prize stated above, as fulfilled by the giveaway sponsor.
28 September 2010
Fortune Cookie Says...
Such wisdom in one tiny fortune, isn't there? We certainly have more than our fair share of bad cards here - as do many folks right now, but we're hanging on, right?
Random Thoughts Tuesday - We're Live
I'm back online... none too happy about having to buy a new modem, but, oh well. Me - internet = cranky. I wanted to tell Qwest where to go, but once it hit me that I would probably be without internet for about 3 days until a new provider would install us, and it's the end of the month so bills are due... I just bit my lip and said forget it. I've had enough hassle lately, I'm not going to add to it if I don't have to.
It could be worse.
I may regret saying that. lol
So I was in Facebook, and an ad at the side was talking about how their law firm is a "boutique family firm". Seriously? Boutique? What are you, fancy girls dresses? That alone would make me want to run FAR AWAY from your firm. You're not a clothing shop, you're supposed to be a serious business.
*rolls eyes* (Stupid is as stupid does? lol)
For the most part, I prefer cloth napkins, but I can't help myself for the fun design ones - you know, the fancy ones that come in like packs of 25, not the giant bulk packages of 250. I love when I can find them on clearance for under 50 cents a package. They are great for little tea parties, too. ;)
Ice cream should be it's own food group.
The kitten is never going to grow. Well, she's not really a kitten anymore - we found her a year ago in August... but we still call her the kitten. Between her and Sabbath, both are at/under the 5 pound mark. Housekeeping cat is double their weight - and the muffin man is like a tank next to all of them. Earthquakes happen when he runs through the house.
Speaking of itty bitty pets, at the dog park the other day was this tiny little teacup dog. My rabbit was bigger than her. LOL I could see confusion in my Corgis' eyes - the itty was barking, but it was so small they thought it was something they should be chasing up a tree. LOL
Yes, I wanted to snatch her and bring her home. What's one more pet? ;)
I am counting down the time until DH comes home today. We still have a lot of stuff to do around the house, too. Go figure, we did all that winterizing on the windows, and put away the fans & AC - and it hits the upper 70s this week. It was so hot in here yesterday - talk about annoying! (At least we don't live in LA and their 113 degrees yesterday - holy smokes!!!)
The Latest Winners
The winner of the DiamondEarrings.Org Giveaway is:
Barbara said...
I would love a beautiful diamond cross necklace. Thanks
And the winner of the Gain Dishwashing Giveaway is:
wgbc1446 said...
I haven't tried Gain yet, but I would get the Apple Mango Tango.
Congratulations! I'm sending both of you emails - remember you have 48 hours to get back to me! :)
27 September 2010
It Is Neverending Around Here...
Our modem just died, and apparently, it's just past the warranty, so off to buy a new one. Be back up as soon as I can.
I can't make this stuff up. Bah!
I can't make this stuff up. Bah!
Blog Tour: Healthy Choice Steaming Entrées
Mom Central recently asked if I wanted to be a part of the Healthy Choice Steaming Entrées blog tour.
It's no secret that I loathe the microwave. I don't use it - ever. Never, ever, ever. On the other hand, my DH seems to think it's the greatest kitchen appliance ever. LOL ;)
Rather than spend $10 a day for DH to buy his meal at work and a snack or drink, we always pack his lunch/dinner/whatever meal depending on his shift that day. (Can you imagine if I didn't? That would be $50-60 a week! *faints!*) Now I try to make sure that several dinners a week have enough leftovers for DH to take to work the following day, but there isn't always extra depending on what I am making. Sandwiches just don't cut it for the guy - he likes it with lots of veggies and things piled high, so by the time he would eat it, the sandwich would be a soggy mess.
So I always keep about a half dozen frozen meals in our deep freezer for those days when there are no leftovers. The problem with some of the meals available on the market - well, have you looked at their ingredient list? And have you seen them prepared? They don't look anything like the picture on the box, that's for sure! Sometimes I will buy a brand or flavor I've never seen before (thanks to Grocery Outlet and their variety lol), and DH will tell me to never buy it again, it was so blah. I know there was one dish, he took a bite, and threw the rest away, because it was that bad! Healthy Choice is one of the few brands that he usually enjoys every one he's tried, so I knew he'd be thrilled to participate in this tour!
Healthy Choice has a new line of frozen microwavable steaming entrées. The steam-release vent means my DH can toss it in the microwave and not worry about messing with it - you don't need to peel the film off on top or stir everything around. It sounds like it's such an easy thing to do, but sometimes they are so busy, he's lucky to get five minutes to eat. They sent over two meals for us to try: the Sesame Glazed Chicken, and the Roasted Chicken Verde.
Now he made both of these at work, so I don't have any photos to share of the cooked meals. (Well, he tried with his cell phone camera, but they came out horrible, so I'll spare you the blurry, dark photo lol) He said they were as easy to prepare as they claimed, and that these tasted a lot better than some of the frozen meals I've sent with him in the past. His favorite of the two was the Sesame Glazed Chicken - he's actually asked for me to buy more of them, so I'd say that's definitely two thumbs up from him!
I'm very happy, because the calorie content of these are MUCH better than many other brands. I don't know if you can see it in the picture above, but the Roasted Chicken Verde clocks in at just 240 calories. This is great since I am trying to get DH to loose a little weight to help with his blood sugar count. It also contained 30% of his daily veggies, too.
The suggested retail price of the new Healthy Choice steam meals are about the same as the other meals: $2.50. I found them on sale the other day for just $1.50, so look for a good deal and stock up if you are interested in trying them! Healthy Choice also has a page over on Facebook, so you may want to "like" them to be in the know for not only new products, but deals and coupons - and giveaways too!
I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Healthy Choice and received samples of their new steaming entrées to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.
It's no secret that I loathe the microwave. I don't use it - ever. Never, ever, ever. On the other hand, my DH seems to think it's the greatest kitchen appliance ever. LOL ;)
Rather than spend $10 a day for DH to buy his meal at work and a snack or drink, we always pack his lunch/dinner/whatever meal depending on his shift that day. (Can you imagine if I didn't? That would be $50-60 a week! *faints!*) Now I try to make sure that several dinners a week have enough leftovers for DH to take to work the following day, but there isn't always extra depending on what I am making. Sandwiches just don't cut it for the guy - he likes it with lots of veggies and things piled high, so by the time he would eat it, the sandwich would be a soggy mess.
So I always keep about a half dozen frozen meals in our deep freezer for those days when there are no leftovers. The problem with some of the meals available on the market - well, have you looked at their ingredient list? And have you seen them prepared? They don't look anything like the picture on the box, that's for sure! Sometimes I will buy a brand or flavor I've never seen before (thanks to Grocery Outlet and their variety lol), and DH will tell me to never buy it again, it was so blah. I know there was one dish, he took a bite, and threw the rest away, because it was that bad! Healthy Choice is one of the few brands that he usually enjoys every one he's tried, so I knew he'd be thrilled to participate in this tour!
Healthy Choice has a new line of frozen microwavable steaming entrées. The steam-release vent means my DH can toss it in the microwave and not worry about messing with it - you don't need to peel the film off on top or stir everything around. It sounds like it's such an easy thing to do, but sometimes they are so busy, he's lucky to get five minutes to eat. They sent over two meals for us to try: the Sesame Glazed Chicken, and the Roasted Chicken Verde.
Now he made both of these at work, so I don't have any photos to share of the cooked meals. (Well, he tried with his cell phone camera, but they came out horrible, so I'll spare you the blurry, dark photo lol) He said they were as easy to prepare as they claimed, and that these tasted a lot better than some of the frozen meals I've sent with him in the past. His favorite of the two was the Sesame Glazed Chicken - he's actually asked for me to buy more of them, so I'd say that's definitely two thumbs up from him!
I'm very happy, because the calorie content of these are MUCH better than many other brands. I don't know if you can see it in the picture above, but the Roasted Chicken Verde clocks in at just 240 calories. This is great since I am trying to get DH to loose a little weight to help with his blood sugar count. It also contained 30% of his daily veggies, too.
The suggested retail price of the new Healthy Choice steam meals are about the same as the other meals: $2.50. I found them on sale the other day for just $1.50, so look for a good deal and stock up if you are interested in trying them! Healthy Choice also has a page over on Facebook, so you may want to "like" them to be in the know for not only new products, but deals and coupons - and giveaways too!
I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Healthy Choice and received samples of their new steaming entrées to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.
DVD Review: Let's Hear It For The Laurie Berkner Band
My family and I recently received a copy of the new Nickelodeon DVD, Let's Hear It For The Laurie Berkner Band, to review.
If you're unfamiliar with Laurie Berkner, she's the first children's singer ever to appear in a music video over on Nickelodeon. She has fun songs for the preschool and kindergarten set that are easy to sing along with, and most importantly - dance! Here's the song list:
1. “Who’s That?”
2. “Victor Vito”
3. “Five Days Old”
4. “My Energy”
5. “I’m A Mess”
6. “In The Clouds”
7. “Pig On Her Head”
8. “The Cat Came Back”
9. “Farm Song (That’s What I Did On The Farm)”
10. “I Really Love To Dance”
11. “I’m Me And You’re You”
12. “Sneaks”
13. “I’m Not Perfect”
14. “Rocketship Run”
15. “Magic Box”
16. “Fast And Slow (The Rabbit And The Turtle)”
You'll want to clear some space in front of the TV if you don't have it already, so the kiddos can dance along to it. I'll admit this is one of those DVDs that can grate on my nerves after the first viewing, but it's not about me - it's about my daughter who loves music! I'm feeling the "I'm A Mess" song myself right now - LOL! (I confess that "The Farm Song" has been in my head since this DVD arrived! lol)
Let's Hear It For The Laurie Berkner Band also contains some special features - Moose & Zee Music Videos. You'll recognize them from Nick Jr if you have cable. There are four videos: "Everywhere I Go”, “Music Makes Me”, “Words of Wonder”, and “We're Going on a Trip”.
By the way, Laurie tours, and if you hit up the website, not only can you pick up other titles, you can find show dates! There's all sorts of fun stuff available on the site.
Let's Hear It For The Laurie Berkner Band will be available this Tuesday, September 28th, 2010. It has a total running time of 44 minutes, and is not rated - best for the under 5 crowd. It's full screen format, and it has a suggested retail price of $16.99 - though Amazon has it available for $13.99 as of this posting.
You know the drill: I received a copy of this DVD in order to share my thoughts. No other compensation was given, all opinions are my own, yada yada, yada.
If you're unfamiliar with Laurie Berkner, she's the first children's singer ever to appear in a music video over on Nickelodeon. She has fun songs for the preschool and kindergarten set that are easy to sing along with, and most importantly - dance! Here's the song list:
1. “Who’s That?”
2. “Victor Vito”
3. “Five Days Old”
4. “My Energy”
5. “I’m A Mess”
6. “In The Clouds”
7. “Pig On Her Head”
8. “The Cat Came Back”
9. “Farm Song (That’s What I Did On The Farm)”
10. “I Really Love To Dance”
11. “I’m Me And You’re You”
12. “Sneaks”
13. “I’m Not Perfect”
14. “Rocketship Run”
15. “Magic Box”
16. “Fast And Slow (The Rabbit And The Turtle)”
You'll want to clear some space in front of the TV if you don't have it already, so the kiddos can dance along to it. I'll admit this is one of those DVDs that can grate on my nerves after the first viewing, but it's not about me - it's about my daughter who loves music! I'm feeling the "I'm A Mess" song myself right now - LOL! (I confess that "The Farm Song" has been in my head since this DVD arrived! lol)
Let's Hear It For The Laurie Berkner Band also contains some special features - Moose & Zee Music Videos. You'll recognize them from Nick Jr if you have cable. There are four videos: "Everywhere I Go”, “Music Makes Me”, “Words of Wonder”, and “We're Going on a Trip”.
By the way, Laurie tours, and if you hit up the website, not only can you pick up other titles, you can find show dates! There's all sorts of fun stuff available on the site.
Let's Hear It For The Laurie Berkner Band will be available this Tuesday, September 28th, 2010. It has a total running time of 44 minutes, and is not rated - best for the under 5 crowd. It's full screen format, and it has a suggested retail price of $16.99 - though Amazon has it available for $13.99 as of this posting.
You know the drill: I received a copy of this DVD in order to share my thoughts. No other compensation was given, all opinions are my own, yada yada, yada.
Menu Planning Monday - Some Good Deals
I hit upon a decent ground beef sale this weekend - 3 lb chubs for $3.79. Not as killer as the last time I stocked up, but I'll take it and run! I also found that Costco had knocked the price in half for the Panda Express Orange Chicken Sauce, so that was a great score! I snagged up three bottles, so I guess we'll be enjoying that a lot more! I think I might even go back later this week and buy more if it's still that price - with a pound of chicken at around $1.99 give or take, the rice I buy in bulk, some veggies, and that sauce, we can have a great meal for under $4.
Monday: review recipe for Johnsonville
Tuesday: Creamy Chicken Noodle Bake
Wednesday: south of the Border Bake
Thursday: Orange Chicken & Rice
Friday: recipe of the week
Saturday: Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken
Sunday: roast, potatoes, salad
Check out Organizing Junkie for other great Menu Plans!
25 September 2010
Happiness Is...
a big bowl of ice cream that can cure your troubles, and a good book to review. ;) I'm putting my feet up, leaving DH in charge, and vegetating the evening away!
Sigh...
Thanks to AAA, the car made it to be repaired. I'm going to look on the bright side: at least the bill didn't end up being as bad as I feared it could have been.
I am just super tired from all the drama. :(
On the other bright side, it's an absolutely gorgeous day outside, so I've been working on the yard. I still have apples to pick! YUM!
I am just super tired from all the drama. :(
On the other bright side, it's an absolutely gorgeous day outside, so I've been working on the yard. I still have apples to pick! YUM!
24 September 2010
I'm Not Going To Make It to 40...
I'm not - my stress level is just too high. DH just called, and said he was stranded at the side of the road because from what he can tell, the timing belt just went KAPOW!
Now mind you, this is the car from hell, and I've been smart enough to keep AAA on it, so of course he can get it towed - but it's 11PM on a Friday night here, and he's 20 minutes away from home, so wherever he gets it towed to, he's virtually stuck there unless someone else answers their phone and is willing to drive him home. Even then, it's a matter of getting BACK there, since we're a one car family.
You know the line in Transfomers where he calls the car Satan's Camaro? This is Satan's Sable. I can submerge it in holy water, and I don't think it would help. It's an evil money draining pit, and I know why I refuse to get my driver's license - my feet work just fine, thank you very much. *pound head* *pound head*
Now mind you, this is the car from hell, and I've been smart enough to keep AAA on it, so of course he can get it towed - but it's 11PM on a Friday night here, and he's 20 minutes away from home, so wherever he gets it towed to, he's virtually stuck there unless someone else answers their phone and is willing to drive him home. Even then, it's a matter of getting BACK there, since we're a one car family.
You know the line in Transfomers where he calls the car Satan's Camaro? This is Satan's Sable. I can submerge it in holy water, and I don't think it would help. It's an evil money draining pit, and I know why I refuse to get my driver's license - my feet work just fine, thank you very much. *pound head* *pound head*
Review: Farm Rich Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches
My family and I were recently invited to try out Farm Rich Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches. We seem to snack a lot here - I blame it on DH's schedule, sometimes our meal times are so off, we have to snack or our tummy's grumble waiting for him - so I am always on the hunt for "snacks" that won't completely kill dinner, either. I like Farm Rich's products because many of the larger sizes come in resealable bags, so I can just make a handful for snacking while we wait for DH to come home.
Did you know that the average sandwich has 1650 calories according to the Daily Plate?
Yikes! Two mini sandwiches from Farm Rich's Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches clock in at just 220 calories, allowing you to get the Philly Cheese steak taste without running a two hour marathon to burn off the calories consumed from it. ;)
I felt like I was in search of the Golden Ticket, because I could not find these at the local grocery stores. I finally found them clear up at the Super WalMart in Poulsbo - geez! They are super easy to make - just toss them in the oven (or I suppose you could use the microwave) and about 20 minutes later, you have snacking goodness to eat while watching the game or a movie, for kids to snack on while playing, etc:
My picture doesn't look as good as theirs does, eh? Sorry. :(
The Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches were crispy, and were a pretty good snack. DH certainly was in heaven! At just $4.99 (on sale, I think) for the big bag, they were also a pretty good value - try walking into a restaurant and ordering a platter of appetizers at this price - it's not happening! Next time I'm near Poulsbo, I'll bebraving the insanity of Super Walmart wandering in and picking up a couple of bags to keep in our deep freezer for last minute snacks and meals.
If you visit their website right now, you can also find a printable coupon to save $0.75 off any Farm Rich Snack!
Win it! One lucky reader will have their next football game/get together/movie night "catered" with THREE free product coupons for any Farm Rich product! To enter, visit Farm Rich's website, and tell us which three products you'll be picking out.
As always, you can receive extra entries for:
-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog (1 entry, your choice of ways to follow)
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back to my blog
-Tweeting about this giveaway 1X (leave the link in your comment below or @psychotichouse)
Enter to win Farm Rich Products http://tiny.cc/n66pg ends 10/9 @psychotichouse
That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends October 9th 2010 at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :(
I received a coupon to try out the product mentioned above. One winner will receive the prize above, thanks to the giveaway sponsor.
Did you know that the average sandwich has 1650 calories according to the Daily Plate?
Yikes! Two mini sandwiches from Farm Rich's Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches clock in at just 220 calories, allowing you to get the Philly Cheese steak taste without running a two hour marathon to burn off the calories consumed from it. ;)
I felt like I was in search of the Golden Ticket, because I could not find these at the local grocery stores. I finally found them clear up at the Super WalMart in Poulsbo - geez! They are super easy to make - just toss them in the oven (or I suppose you could use the microwave) and about 20 minutes later, you have snacking goodness to eat while watching the game or a movie, for kids to snack on while playing, etc:
My picture doesn't look as good as theirs does, eh? Sorry. :(
The Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches were crispy, and were a pretty good snack. DH certainly was in heaven! At just $4.99 (on sale, I think) for the big bag, they were also a pretty good value - try walking into a restaurant and ordering a platter of appetizers at this price - it's not happening! Next time I'm near Poulsbo, I'll be
If you visit their website right now, you can also find a printable coupon to save $0.75 off any Farm Rich Snack!
Win it! One lucky reader will have their next football game/get together/movie night "catered" with THREE free product coupons for any Farm Rich product! To enter, visit Farm Rich's website, and tell us which three products you'll be picking out.
As always, you can receive extra entries for:
-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog (1 entry, your choice of ways to follow)
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back to my blog
-Tweeting about this giveaway 1X (leave the link in your comment below or @psychotichouse)
Enter to win Farm Rich Products http://tiny.cc/n66pg ends 10/9 @psychotichouse
That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends October 9th 2010 at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :(
I received a coupon to try out the product mentioned above. One winner will receive the prize above, thanks to the giveaway sponsor.
Yoo Hooo....
Motivation, where are you? Have you seen it? I seem to have lost it!
Seriously, I could spend all day staring into nothing - and I have no excuse, because it's actually not raining today! Anyone else feel like zoning the day away?
Seriously, I could spend all day staring into nothing - and I have no excuse, because it's actually not raining today! Anyone else feel like zoning the day away?
23 September 2010
Thrifty Thursday - Consolidating Debt
This week for my Thrifty Thursday post, I'm talking about consolidating debt.
If you have a lot of bills, especially with unsecured debt, it's usually best to consolidate that debt into one bill if at all possible. Not only will you save the stress headache of the possibility of missing a payment - even banks can mess up a scheduled payment from time to time - but you can save quite a bit on interest, which may mean the possibility of your bills being paid off much, much faster!
There are several ways you can go about this:
Consolidate all unsecured credit card debt onto one card using balance transfer promotions that many credit card companies offer. If you do this, be sure to read ALL the fine print on ALL cards and debt involved. Be sure to use the credit card with the lowest rate AFTER the transfer interest promotions will expire.
Get a personal loan from a bank company. This one means you will need to have your credit in good standing, and even though you are clearing out debt, you're also extending your debt first to clear it out.
In a better economy, refinancing mortgages and borrowing from equity to pay the debts off would have been an option, but I really think you should run from any thought involving those now! With the volatile housing economy, you'd be playing a very dangerous game of roulette.
MSN Money has a GREAT little debt consolidating calculator you can use to get a general idea of what might be a game plan for you. It's hard to think about, but if you can clear out a couple hundred dollars each month in interest, you'll be able to be debt free that much faster!
If you have a lot of bills, especially with unsecured debt, it's usually best to consolidate that debt into one bill if at all possible. Not only will you save the stress headache of the possibility of missing a payment - even banks can mess up a scheduled payment from time to time - but you can save quite a bit on interest, which may mean the possibility of your bills being paid off much, much faster!
There are several ways you can go about this:
Consolidate all unsecured credit card debt onto one card using balance transfer promotions that many credit card companies offer. If you do this, be sure to read ALL the fine print on ALL cards and debt involved. Be sure to use the credit card with the lowest rate AFTER the transfer interest promotions will expire.
Get a personal loan from a bank company. This one means you will need to have your credit in good standing, and even though you are clearing out debt, you're also extending your debt first to clear it out.
In a better economy, refinancing mortgages and borrowing from equity to pay the debts off would have been an option, but I really think you should run from any thought involving those now! With the volatile housing economy, you'd be playing a very dangerous game of roulette.
MSN Money has a GREAT little debt consolidating calculator you can use to get a general idea of what might be a game plan for you. It's hard to think about, but if you can clear out a couple hundred dollars each month in interest, you'll be able to be debt free that much faster!
I Covet These...
With all this rain, aren't these Dirty Laundry Raindrop Zebra Boots fun?
I won a $20 gift card to Zappos from The Life of Rylie...and Bryce too! (thank you!) so I am out looking - and I'm spending it just on ME! ;) I could use some new hiking boots too... oh, what to choose!
I won a $20 gift card to Zappos from The Life of Rylie...and Bryce too! (thank you!) so I am out looking - and I'm spending it just on ME! ;) I could use some new hiking boots too... oh, what to choose!
22 September 2010
Recipe: Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta
I suppose a box of Hamburger Helper is easier to some people - but I promise this one is worth the extra effort! If you are wanting leftovers, or have a hungry family - double the Mac N cheese in the recipe to two boxes. (You'll see that in my pictures because DH takes leftovers to work) If you're feeling frisky (lol) I recommend using the Velveeta Mac N Cheese - but you can use any brand. (I'm using your basic store brand in the photos!)
1 box macaroni & cheese (milk & butter as package directs)
1 pound ground beef
6-8 strips bacon diced
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Brown the ground beef and drain (ignore the fact that I am using sausage instead! lol)
While the meat is browning, cook the macaroni and cheese as the box directs. I would only use one cheese packet though, and save the second cheese packet for another dish. (Side hack: those packets added to regular dry mashed potato mixes make for cheesey mashed potatoes at half the cost of the usual packages)
Next, cook the bacon. I do mine on the stove top, you can do it in the oven if that's easier. You'll want to mix the bacon and the sausage together once it's done. (If my bacon looks a little off to you, it was turkey bacon)
Add in the can of tomato soup, and stir the meat well:
Then you'll want to mix the pasta in:
Here's where you have a choice to make - you can either add the shredded cheese on top, and place a lid on the skillet, and let it melt for about 5 minutes, or you can pull out your trusty casserole dish and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. I prefer it in the oven myself:
Yum:
Now I bought everything on sale, and I stalk Safeway for marked down packages of bacon & meat myself, so my prices will probably differ from yours. It still shouldn't cost much more than $5 for the dish, and would serve 4-7 people, depending on serving size. (Use more mac & cheese to stretch it, if you need to.)
Macaroni & cheese: 33 cents (x2)
1 pound ground sausage 99 cents
bacon: 50 cents
tomato soup: 50 cents
milk, butter, cheese: 99 cents
total: $3.64
1 box macaroni & cheese (milk & butter as package directs)
1 pound ground beef
6-8 strips bacon diced
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Brown the ground beef and drain (ignore the fact that I am using sausage instead! lol)
While the meat is browning, cook the macaroni and cheese as the box directs. I would only use one cheese packet though, and save the second cheese packet for another dish. (Side hack: those packets added to regular dry mashed potato mixes make for cheesey mashed potatoes at half the cost of the usual packages)
Next, cook the bacon. I do mine on the stove top, you can do it in the oven if that's easier. You'll want to mix the bacon and the sausage together once it's done. (If my bacon looks a little off to you, it was turkey bacon)
Add in the can of tomato soup, and stir the meat well:
Then you'll want to mix the pasta in:
Here's where you have a choice to make - you can either add the shredded cheese on top, and place a lid on the skillet, and let it melt for about 5 minutes, or you can pull out your trusty casserole dish and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. I prefer it in the oven myself:
Yum:
Now I bought everything on sale, and I stalk Safeway for marked down packages of bacon & meat myself, so my prices will probably differ from yours. It still shouldn't cost much more than $5 for the dish, and would serve 4-7 people, depending on serving size. (Use more mac & cheese to stretch it, if you need to.)
Macaroni & cheese: 33 cents (x2)
1 pound ground sausage 99 cents
bacon: 50 cents
tomato soup: 50 cents
milk, butter, cheese: 99 cents
total: $3.64
CD Review: Maroon 5 - Hands All Over
I recently had the chance to download and listen to the new album from Maroon 5, Hands All Over.
Hands All Over is the band's third studio release. I totally loved their song "Harder the Breathe" so I was interested in hearing how the new album sounded. Produced by legendary producer Mutt Lange, it's almost destined to contain some good hits, right? Here's the track listing:
1. "Misery"
2. "Give a Little More"
3. "Stutter"
4. "Don't Know Nothing"
5. "Never Gonna Leave This Bed"
6. "I Can't Lie"
7. "Hands All Over"
8. "How"
9. "Get Back in My Life"
10. "Just a Feeling"
11. "Runaway"
12. "Out of Goodbyes" (with Lady Antebellum)
There are other editions out too that have tons of bonus tracks, so if you're a big fan, be on the lookout for those - some are acoustic, some are live. (and there's even a cover of Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"!) Downloading digital copies (LEGALLY!) will score you some of them - check out iTunes.
"Misery" was the first release, and it's been out for several months now leading up to the release of the album yesterday, September 21st. The second single that's just been released is "Give A Little More". If you haven't heard either of the songs yet, well here I am to deliver! lol
If you've enjoyed the band's previous albums, you'll probably enjoy this one too. (Psst! I'll be holding a giveaway soon!) My favorite track was "Get Back in My Life". I'll admit though, I'm not overly fond of the album cover.
Washington folks, they'll be playing the Tacoma Dome on October 12th, and tickets are still available.
I received a download of this album in order to share my opinions. No other compensation was given.
Hands All Over is the band's third studio release. I totally loved their song "Harder the Breathe" so I was interested in hearing how the new album sounded. Produced by legendary producer Mutt Lange, it's almost destined to contain some good hits, right? Here's the track listing:
1. "Misery"
2. "Give a Little More"
3. "Stutter"
4. "Don't Know Nothing"
5. "Never Gonna Leave This Bed"
6. "I Can't Lie"
7. "Hands All Over"
8. "How"
9. "Get Back in My Life"
10. "Just a Feeling"
11. "Runaway"
12. "Out of Goodbyes" (with Lady Antebellum)
There are other editions out too that have tons of bonus tracks, so if you're a big fan, be on the lookout for those - some are acoustic, some are live. (and there's even a cover of Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"!) Downloading digital copies (LEGALLY!) will score you some of them - check out iTunes.
"Misery" was the first release, and it's been out for several months now leading up to the release of the album yesterday, September 21st. The second single that's just been released is "Give A Little More". If you haven't heard either of the songs yet, well here I am to deliver! lol
If you've enjoyed the band's previous albums, you'll probably enjoy this one too. (Psst! I'll be holding a giveaway soon!) My favorite track was "Get Back in My Life". I'll admit though, I'm not overly fond of the album cover.
Washington folks, they'll be playing the Tacoma Dome on October 12th, and tickets are still available.
I received a download of this album in order to share my opinions. No other compensation was given.
Book Tour & Review: A Hope Undaunted By Julie Lessman
I recently received the new book, A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman, to review.
A Hope Undaunted is book number one in the new Winds of Change series.
The story is set back in the late "roaring twenties", and follows Katie O'Connor - the typical "new" woman (well, she's only 18) of this time: she's determined, full of spunk, and ready to take on the world in a law career AND still find the perfect husband. (Hmmm... looks like times haven't changed at all for a lot of women in almost 90 years, has it? lol) Her choices: Luke McGee, the annoying kid from years past who grew up on the poor side of town, or Jack Worthington, a rich, and well connected man. (insert dramatic drum roll)
In the beginning, you'll see Katie struggle after Jack stiffs on a check at the local soda counter, steals a soda glass, and then kick a dog in his hurry to rush out of the place. (There's the deal breaker right there if it was me.) You'll find out the embarrassment of Katie when she was younger as well. Jack ends up getting his rear end kicked by the waiter (or soda jerk, as they were called) - and guess who that might be? Yes, none other than Luke. (who ends up feeding the dog when he discovers it's skinny and underfed)
...at that point, it was already solidified in my mind that Katie better pick Luke, or I was going to hate her character forever. LOL Does she? Well, you'll have to read the book to find out! I can't give away everything in this book! ;)
Now, A Hope Undaunted is an inspirational historical romance, and while there are a few questionable moments by other characters in this book, you're not subjected to "play by play" ahem, scenes, and you will see characters relying on their faith in God and praying. I thoroughly enjoyed losing myself in this book, and I'll happily pick up the next book in the series when it's released down the road. (We have to wait until NEXT YEAR! Why do they do this to me? I'm impatient!)
By the way, if you're familiar with the author's previous series, The Daughters of Boston, you'll recognize Katie. I haven't read that series yet myself, so I've placed it on hold at the library to get caught up on!
A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman is an oversized trade paperback that retails for $14.99. It's a longer read at 505 pages long (there is a LOT going on in this book!), and is published by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
I received a copy of this book in order to read and share my opinions of. All opinions are mine, I'm not a literary critic, just an avid book reader. ;)
A Hope Undaunted is book number one in the new Winds of Change series.
The story is set back in the late "roaring twenties", and follows Katie O'Connor - the typical "new" woman (well, she's only 18) of this time: she's determined, full of spunk, and ready to take on the world in a law career AND still find the perfect husband. (Hmmm... looks like times haven't changed at all for a lot of women in almost 90 years, has it? lol) Her choices: Luke McGee, the annoying kid from years past who grew up on the poor side of town, or Jack Worthington, a rich, and well connected man. (insert dramatic drum roll)
In the beginning, you'll see Katie struggle after Jack stiffs on a check at the local soda counter, steals a soda glass, and then kick a dog in his hurry to rush out of the place. (There's the deal breaker right there if it was me.) You'll find out the embarrassment of Katie when she was younger as well. Jack ends up getting his rear end kicked by the waiter (or soda jerk, as they were called) - and guess who that might be? Yes, none other than Luke. (who ends up feeding the dog when he discovers it's skinny and underfed)
...at that point, it was already solidified in my mind that Katie better pick Luke, or I was going to hate her character forever. LOL Does she? Well, you'll have to read the book to find out! I can't give away everything in this book! ;)
Now, A Hope Undaunted is an inspirational historical romance, and while there are a few questionable moments by other characters in this book, you're not subjected to "play by play" ahem, scenes, and you will see characters relying on their faith in God and praying. I thoroughly enjoyed losing myself in this book, and I'll happily pick up the next book in the series when it's released down the road. (We have to wait until NEXT YEAR! Why do they do this to me? I'm impatient!)
By the way, if you're familiar with the author's previous series, The Daughters of Boston, you'll recognize Katie. I haven't read that series yet myself, so I've placed it on hold at the library to get caught up on!
A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman is an oversized trade paperback that retails for $14.99. It's a longer read at 505 pages long (there is a LOT going on in this book!), and is published by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
I received a copy of this book in order to read and share my opinions of. All opinions are mine, I'm not a literary critic, just an avid book reader. ;)
21 September 2010
Random Thoughts Tuesday - WAKA WAKA WAKA!
MASCOT FIGHT!!!!
Poor Brutus. lol I feel a National Championship coming on this year!
I want to go bowling for some reason. We haven't been since high school. We keep saying we're going to go, but never end up. lol
Last night I was still up on the computer but DH was asleep... I look over and he's got one of the dogs in his arms like a teddy bear, and they are snoring in unison... even better was that the dog was dreaming and running in her sleep. I couldn't help myself, I started laughing hysterically.
DH put the trash can outside on the curb without the trash. Gah!
So yesterday we stopped into the pawn shop because it is cheaper than a movie for us, and I swear I stepped into a time warp, and it was 1993. It was like I was in an episode of Doctor Who or something. Or maybe they were just having a retro party and I missed the memo - I don't know - but it was actually kind of frightening.
While I am typing this, I'm also having a conversation on messenger with one of our friends about bears being like ninjas.
Did you just picture Fozzy Bear as a ninja? If you did, you need to hang out with us. Waka waka! LOL
Creepiest bear ever:
Since we're on the subject of bears, is anyone else curious to see the new Yogi Bear movie coming out around Christmas? They have the voice done right from what I can see in the trailer.
Direct link for the feed readers
See how my mind works? Now I have the Bear Necessities song stuck in my head.
Yet another direct link for the feedreaders. I know, you hate me now.
I wish they'd make a Snagglepuss movie. Snagglepuss ROCKS!
Exit, stage left!
Who Wants To Visit Outer Space? (Winner!)
The winner of the Wonders of the Solar System DVD giveaway is:
degood said...
I follow your blog as degood with google friend connect.
Congratulations! Email is being sent, and you know the drill: 48 hours to get back to me. :)
Book Review: The Skin Map By Stephen Lawhead
I recently received a copy of the book, The Skin Map by Stephen Lawhead, to review.
The Skin Map is book one of the Bright Empires series.
To many, hearing the words "skin map" probably gives them a vision of people being skinned to use their skin for the map. Throw that out. Well, although it IS made from skin.
I'll admit it, I was rather shocked to see Thomas Nelson publish a book talking about Ley Lines. To me, they are more known for religious themed books, with a few bibliographies, memoirs, and cook books thrown in for good measure. But supernatural and magick?
Bring it on. ;) The Skin Map is the tale of Kit Livingstone, who's great-grandfather appears to him one Murphy's Law ridden day in a London Alley and tells him that time travel does exist, in thanks to Ley Lines - magical lines that criss cross throughout Britain. Cosimo (his great-grandfather) whisks him away - from a less than interesting life, might I add - and they are off throughout time in search of "The Skin Map" - the only known map of the Fey Lines. The Skin Map was created by a traveler who had the map tattooed on his skin. After his death, well, you can guess what happened.
Of course, they are not the only ones in search of the map. But is the map itself the prize? What does the map really lead to?
I got your attention there, didn't I? ;)
If you like historical fantasies with a dash of mythological thrown in, I think you'll find this one delivers and is an entertaining read - you'll want to continue on in the series, however, to understand and see everything concluded. Just reading this book will leave you questions you want answered. I'm impatiently waiting for Book Two - entitled The Bone House, that should be out next September from what I've read.
...seriously, that's the one thing that drives me nuts about series books. I hate waiting for the next one. I love instantly reading the next one. Sigh! Also, if you love unique looking books, the pages are "off" so it looks like a handbound book, and there are symbols on the cover, as well as on some of title pages. (Ditch the dust jacket for a fun, older looking book on your shelves!) This one makes a good gift for those into this style of book. (Fans of series such as The Dresden Files will enjoy it.)
The Skin Map by Stephen Lawhead is available now as a hardcover book at your favorite local bookstore, as well as download for your Kindle or other e-reader. It contains 398 pages, plus a few more pages of an essay by the author at the end of the book. The suggested retail price is $24.99, although Amazon has it for $16.49 as of this posting.
I received a copy of this book in order to read and share my opinion of.
The Skin Map is book one of the Bright Empires series.
To many, hearing the words "skin map" probably gives them a vision of people being skinned to use their skin for the map. Throw that out. Well, although it IS made from skin.
I'll admit it, I was rather shocked to see Thomas Nelson publish a book talking about Ley Lines. To me, they are more known for religious themed books, with a few bibliographies, memoirs, and cook books thrown in for good measure. But supernatural and magick?
Bring it on. ;) The Skin Map is the tale of Kit Livingstone, who's great-grandfather appears to him one Murphy's Law ridden day in a London Alley and tells him that time travel does exist, in thanks to Ley Lines - magical lines that criss cross throughout Britain. Cosimo (his great-grandfather) whisks him away - from a less than interesting life, might I add - and they are off throughout time in search of "The Skin Map" - the only known map of the Fey Lines. The Skin Map was created by a traveler who had the map tattooed on his skin. After his death, well, you can guess what happened.
Of course, they are not the only ones in search of the map. But is the map itself the prize? What does the map really lead to?
I got your attention there, didn't I? ;)
If you like historical fantasies with a dash of mythological thrown in, I think you'll find this one delivers and is an entertaining read - you'll want to continue on in the series, however, to understand and see everything concluded. Just reading this book will leave you questions you want answered. I'm impatiently waiting for Book Two - entitled The Bone House, that should be out next September from what I've read.
...seriously, that's the one thing that drives me nuts about series books. I hate waiting for the next one. I love instantly reading the next one. Sigh! Also, if you love unique looking books, the pages are "off" so it looks like a handbound book, and there are symbols on the cover, as well as on some of title pages. (Ditch the dust jacket for a fun, older looking book on your shelves!) This one makes a good gift for those into this style of book. (Fans of series such as The Dresden Files will enjoy it.)
The Skin Map by Stephen Lawhead is available now as a hardcover book at your favorite local bookstore, as well as download for your Kindle or other e-reader. It contains 398 pages, plus a few more pages of an essay by the author at the end of the book. The suggested retail price is $24.99, although Amazon has it for $16.49 as of this posting.
I received a copy of this book in order to read and share my opinion of.
20 September 2010
DVD Review: Tinker Bell And The Great Fairy Rescue
My family and I recently received the new CGI animated Disney movie, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue, to review.
Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue comes before we meet Tinker Bell in Peter Pan. It tells us the story of how Tinker first met a human girl named Lizzie, and how her friends try to rescue her after she's been "caught" in Lizzie's adorable little fairy house that she has made. After she sets Tinker Bell free (after saving her from a really plump calico cat lol), Tinker ends up staying and telling Lizzie all about fairies.
This movie is a little girl dream come true. Fairies GALORE! This is another movie that you'll want to own on Blu-Ray, the detail and the colors are incredible! Now the movie itself is set in the UK, but each of the fairies have their own accents - my DH got a kick out of the Southern fairy, lol. (Actually, that says everything - my DH usually avoids the very obvious girly-girl movies and leaves that to us girls - he watched this entire movie with us and was laughing and totally enjoying it just as much! It really is a movie for the entire family - OK, most families... I know some boys wouldn't be caught dead with fairies, but there are some boy fairies in this movie!)
The best scene? Look for the cat wearing a crown of catnip at the end during a picnic. Hysterical!
Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue is available on Blu-Ray combo pack. For those who do not already have a Blu-Ray player, this is a great option because both discs are available - you can go ahead and purchase this movie without worrying about waiting to upgrade after you get a Blu-Ray player. For those of us who already have Blu-Ray players, it's great too - we can use the standard disc on computers and in the car with our portable DVD players! Plus, both discs contain the same great special features. You'll also receive a digital download that you can add to your iPads, laptops, etc.
Speaking of the special features, there are some fun ones on this: an interactive fairy field guide, where you answer questions about fairies and "build" your own field guide. (Note: You'll want to play this after viewing the movie, because most kids won't know any of the answers. Also, some questions don't seem to be covered during the movie, so unless your child is already a fairy know-all, they might struggle with some of the answers) There's also a feature on building fairy houses, which your daughter will probably want to do right away after viewing this movie. ;) And there is also a great preview of the upcoming movie, Tangled, about Rapunzel that we can't wait to see!
By the way, if you purchase this movie, there's a deal running where you can get a charm bracelet and charm for the cost of shipping.
Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue is available on DVD tomorrow - Tuesday, September 21st, 2010. Rated G, this one will enthrall all ages, and there are no questionable moments, but one or two slightly scary moments for the younger set. (nothing over the top! No violence, no bad language, etc, etc) The total running time is 77 minutes long (not including special features). The suggested retail price is $39.99, but if you head over to Amazon, it's available for just $21.99 on pre-order as of this posting!
I received a copy of this DVD in order to view and share my family's thoughts on. No other compensation was given.
Menu Planning Monday -
Well, we didn't end up making yesterday's menu because I was too tired from all the cleaning, so I'm moving it to today. We took a lot longer than I thought we would moving furniture around yesterday and cleaning up, so I didn't get as much done on the food front as I was hoping to. On the bright side, I did discover that I have a nice stash of olive oil, BBQ sauce, and yummy marinades so far!
I'm making a lot of chicken dishes, because I have a huge tray of chicken that I'm defrosting. Normally I split them when I come home into meal sized bags, but this tray I purchase at Save-A-Lot, and they freeze a lot of their meats for some reason. Oh well, it will be easier in the week once I've cooked most of it, to just portion it out! I always laugh at the $6.99 for 12 oz of cooked chicken in the meat department - people are crazy to buy it. ;)
Monday: Grilled Chicken Florentine
Tuesday: Honey Chicken & Pineapple
Wednesday: Spicy beef Roll Ups
Thursday: Spaghetti & meatballs, garlic bread
Friday: recipe of the week
Saturday: Creamy Chicken Noodle Bake
Sunday: Slow Cooker Ginger Spiced Chicken, salad, rolls
Check out Organizing Junkie for other great Menu Plans!
19 September 2010
ARGH ARGH ARGH!!!
So that area of the floor in the bedroom was apparently A LOT worse than what we had thought - it's actually about a foot wide by about 5 foot long. We're going to have to replace the entire flooring in the bedroom because there are other very weak spots, and I am so irritated right now. It's the start of the rainy season which makes just about an remodeling project a royal pain. We ended up having to move the bed in such a weird place that it's going to be super annoying getting in and out... and to make matter worse, when we moved the bed, we broke part of the bed frame! And apparently the water damage from the air conditioner was worse than we thought, because there's water damage on the bookshelf that was on the other side of the bed!
Geez, can't we catch a break? I really don't even want to mess with this project. I'd rather cut our losses, try to find some land, and just throw up a couple of tents, and work on building a house ourselves. DH cringes at that thought - I don't know what scares him more, no running water, or no electricity for his beloved gaming systems! LOL!
Let our plight be a learning lesson to all: the money you spend on a the inspections before purchasing a house are worth every penny! Do not go without it, and don't think you're cut out to fix a house that needs completely overhauled by yourself if you've never fixed a house before. Just because they can do it on TV in less than three weeks, does not mean you can!
Geez, can't we catch a break? I really don't even want to mess with this project. I'd rather cut our losses, try to find some land, and just throw up a couple of tents, and work on building a house ourselves. DH cringes at that thought - I don't know what scares him more, no running water, or no electricity for his beloved gaming systems! LOL!
Let our plight be a learning lesson to all: the money you spend on a the inspections before purchasing a house are worth every penny! Do not go without it, and don't think you're cut out to fix a house that needs completely overhauled by yourself if you've never fixed a house before. Just because they can do it on TV in less than three weeks, does not mean you can!
Rolling Up The Sleeves
DH has the day off today, so we're doing some more winterizing around the house. The first order of business is to insulate all the windows after I finishing cleaning them (I think my most hated chore after cleaning the bathroom!) It stopped raining for awhile and the sun is out at least for a few minutes, so it helps make that chore a little bit better!
...and DH just said since it's sunny we should go take a batch of boxes to the recycling center, so I guess we'll do that as soon as he has it allcrammed loaded into the car.
We still have one load of junk left from those people to take to the dump, so I guess we'd better get a move on and do that the next dry day. Can you believe we are over halfway through September?
Then next we are going to move things around in the bedroom today. Due to the one area of the floor we have to be careful too much weight doesn't go on in (it's about 10" in diameter), and plus, the bedroom becomes our "den" in the winter months because it's really the only area that we can close off and use a space heater (this way we're not up all night trying to feed the fire) Well, the kiddo's room too, but it's so tiny, forget that. lol
My goal this week is to also make a complete inventory of what we have in our food storage, and restock as much as possible (budget wise) before the end of the month. We'll see, I guess. I know we've used quite a bit without replacing lately, with the sales being so blah. I may have to re-adjust my sale price points that I use to decide if it's worth stocking up or not - the government may say there's no inflation in groceries, but I can say um, YEAH, there is here in Washington!
This week it will be time to harvest our apple tree, which means apple butter! YUM! That and fresh bread, Fall is a wonderful time of year! :)
...and DH just said since it's sunny we should go take a batch of boxes to the recycling center, so I guess we'll do that as soon as he has it all
We still have one load of junk left from those people to take to the dump, so I guess we'd better get a move on and do that the next dry day. Can you believe we are over halfway through September?
Then next we are going to move things around in the bedroom today. Due to the one area of the floor we have to be careful too much weight doesn't go on in (it's about 10" in diameter), and plus, the bedroom becomes our "den" in the winter months because it's really the only area that we can close off and use a space heater (this way we're not up all night trying to feed the fire) Well, the kiddo's room too, but it's so tiny, forget that. lol
My goal this week is to also make a complete inventory of what we have in our food storage, and restock as much as possible (budget wise) before the end of the month. We'll see, I guess. I know we've used quite a bit without replacing lately, with the sales being so blah. I may have to re-adjust my sale price points that I use to decide if it's worth stocking up or not - the government may say there's no inflation in groceries, but I can say um, YEAH, there is here in Washington!
This week it will be time to harvest our apple tree, which means apple butter! YUM! That and fresh bread, Fall is a wonderful time of year! :)
18 September 2010
Meet My Hero
Craig Grant started out with one cat, and he now has 660 cats.
Yes, I said 660! That's not a typo. This man has saved countless kitties' lives, and even more touching?
He's built them all a village, complete with a little WalMart!
And here people think I overdo it. Who, me? Pffft! Seriously though, the little village is shelter for all the kitties, who live on 30 acres of paradise down in Florida. If you'd like to learn more about Craig and his Caboodle Ranch, you can check out this story that was just featured on him, and I hope you'll visit his website. Each cat costs about $550 a year to take care of - each one is spayed or neutered, and they are kept up to date on their vaccinations, as well as any other medical care they might need. (which I know how expensive that can get with just my zoo!) Helping to spread the word about Caboodle Ranch helps out, even if you can't afford to donate!
Seriously, you HAVE to go check out the photo gallery on Caboodle's website. It is AMAZING what this man has done! One day we will have our 30 acres, and we can go to town on rescuing! I'm not sure we'll end with as fun of a "town", but I think we'll have fun trying! Bring on the mayhem! ;)
Yes, I said 660! That's not a typo. This man has saved countless kitties' lives, and even more touching?
He's built them all a village, complete with a little WalMart!
And here people think I overdo it. Who, me? Pffft! Seriously though, the little village is shelter for all the kitties, who live on 30 acres of paradise down in Florida. If you'd like to learn more about Craig and his Caboodle Ranch, you can check out this story that was just featured on him, and I hope you'll visit his website. Each cat costs about $550 a year to take care of - each one is spayed or neutered, and they are kept up to date on their vaccinations, as well as any other medical care they might need. (which I know how expensive that can get with just my zoo!) Helping to spread the word about Caboodle Ranch helps out, even if you can't afford to donate!
Seriously, you HAVE to go check out the photo gallery on Caboodle's website. It is AMAZING what this man has done! One day we will have our 30 acres, and we can go to town on rescuing! I'm not sure we'll end with as fun of a "town", but I think we'll have fun trying! Bring on the mayhem! ;)
17 September 2010
Rain, Rain, GO AWAY!
Ugh, Fall is already here - and living in the Seattle area, that means the rainy season has arrived.
The I'm going stir crazy! season.
The how do I keep the kid entertained? season.
The wet dog climbing on the bed before I can stop them! season.
The hurry up and toss me something to catch this latest leak! season.
How long until June? lol It's been raining for a few days now, and it's supposed to rain through next week. Boooo!
The I'm going stir crazy! season.
The how do I keep the kid entertained? season.
The wet dog climbing on the bed before I can stop them! season.
The hurry up and toss me something to catch this latest leak! season.
How long until June? lol It's been raining for a few days now, and it's supposed to rain through next week. Boooo!
GO STORM!
Not me this time, silly! (Though I'll happily take your cheers, too!) You might remember back in June, my family was lucky enough to attend a WNBA Seattle Storm game. I was really hoping we'd get to attend more games this year, but it just didn't work out. We're ready for next season though, and I'm excited to share with you that the Seattle Storm has won the WNBA Championship! CONGRATULATIONS TO THE STORM!!!
If you are local to us, tonight over at Key Arena there is a FREE party going on! Starting at 7PM, there will be a parade and then a championship celebration. Go on down and support your local team! Plus, it's a frugal event - you can even bring your own food and drinks, since the concession stands won't be open. (There will be free Coke product drinks while supplies last though)
If you are local to us, tonight over at Key Arena there is a FREE party going on! Starting at 7PM, there will be a parade and then a championship celebration. Go on down and support your local team! Plus, it's a frugal event - you can even bring your own food and drinks, since the concession stands won't be open. (There will be free Coke product drinks while supplies last though)
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