I am so excited! We were able to get her a plane ticket with sme unused points on our one credit card!
She missed her flight this morning, but is still on her way. It just gives me a few extra hours to spiff up the house!
She is coming to see Ryne off on his first day of school, something she has done for all of her grandkids.
I also have a pretty long list of projects for her to help me with, so its really a working vacation!
She'll be here in 6 hours!!!! Yay!!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
It only took a few days!
Blanket Chest - Before
Blanket Chest - After
Buffet - Before
Buffet - After
Now off to the bookshelves!
Blanket Chest - After
Buffet - Before
Buffet - After
Now off to the bookshelves!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Before and After
Here are the three things (other than work and the kiddos) that I am going to work on today. It shouldn't take me too long, but you all know how the day can fly by when your to-do list is long!
My blanket chest
This piece of furniture has lived in about every room of our home. It is now in a nook in the kitchen and it houses my placemats, table clothes and I use the top for some indoor plants and other pretties. Unfortunately, it looks like this right now:
My buffet
I picked this up at an antique store that was going out of business. I wanted something to hold my dishes and serving pieces since we don't have a dining room set. It has two drawers, one for silverware and another for placemats. I do keep some placemats and table clothes in here as well as all of our dishes and silverware. The top is supposed to showcase my "funky chicken" that was the inspiration for my kitchen as well as some other decorative pieces. Right now, it looks like this:
Bookcases
We have three in our library and they all need help! This one holds my collection of Anne Rice, Stephen King and Marion Zimmer-Bradley as well as our collection of Star Wars books. The bottom two shelves are kid's books and as you can see, they haven't been good about putting them away nicely.
Wish me luck!
My blanket chest
This piece of furniture has lived in about every room of our home. It is now in a nook in the kitchen and it houses my placemats, table clothes and I use the top for some indoor plants and other pretties. Unfortunately, it looks like this right now:
My buffet
I picked this up at an antique store that was going out of business. I wanted something to hold my dishes and serving pieces since we don't have a dining room set. It has two drawers, one for silverware and another for placemats. I do keep some placemats and table clothes in here as well as all of our dishes and silverware. The top is supposed to showcase my "funky chicken" that was the inspiration for my kitchen as well as some other decorative pieces. Right now, it looks like this:
Bookcases
We have three in our library and they all need help! This one holds my collection of Anne Rice, Stephen King and Marion Zimmer-Bradley as well as our collection of Star Wars books. The bottom two shelves are kid's books and as you can see, they haven't been good about putting them away nicely.
Wish me luck!
One project at a time
I am posting my to-do list on my sidebar to try and keep me accountable for what I need to get done this week.
I have really let me housework slide since I started working. Jeff has been great about keeping up with the dishes and laundry - he is awesome! BUT - it seems like all of my horizontal surfaces are just crammed with STUFF!
I know this might be crazy, but I am going to post before and after pictures here to show that YES! I did accomplish something today - and to share a little of my house with you!
I have really let me housework slide since I started working. Jeff has been great about keeping up with the dishes and laundry - he is awesome! BUT - it seems like all of my horizontal surfaces are just crammed with STUFF!
I know this might be crazy, but I am going to post before and after pictures here to show that YES! I did accomplish something today - and to share a little of my house with you!
Getting Overwhelmed!
Things have been crazy around here this summer - and school starts back up in just 3 weeks!
Ashleigh is going to a summer day camp run by our local community college. The class "teachers" are all volunteers from the area and I would say that at least 50% of them are high school students. I think that it is really neat that these older kids would give up part of their summer to teach younger children about topics they are passionate about!
Ryne is counting down to kindergarten. He wasn't too thrilled about the idea until we bought his backpack! He was so excited to get a new "big boy" backpack that I keep having to hide it from him so that it stays in one piece before school starts! It is huge on him and makes this momma a little teary-eyed that her little man is ready for school.
Sean is just being himself - a ball of energy. We had a trip to the ER a few days ago to get him bandaged up. Let's just say that top bunk + ceiling fan + a little monkey jumping on the bed = 4 steri strips and some surgical glue on the noggin. Never a dull moment when Sean is around. I think he is looking forward to having me to himself once the older two go back to school.
I am working! I got a job doing admin work from home for a local business. It is difficult right now, not the work but figuring out a new schedule to accommodate everyone in my house and the work and my other outside commitments. It will take some getting used to, but I'll get it figured out.
Jeff is now working two jobs. He still works for the Mouse, but on his days off he is working for the same company I am. I know it sounds crazy, but we have a plan!
I have a massive to-do list today, so I need to get going! More on that later...
Ashleigh is going to a summer day camp run by our local community college. The class "teachers" are all volunteers from the area and I would say that at least 50% of them are high school students. I think that it is really neat that these older kids would give up part of their summer to teach younger children about topics they are passionate about!
Ryne is counting down to kindergarten. He wasn't too thrilled about the idea until we bought his backpack! He was so excited to get a new "big boy" backpack that I keep having to hide it from him so that it stays in one piece before school starts! It is huge on him and makes this momma a little teary-eyed that her little man is ready for school.
Sean is just being himself - a ball of energy. We had a trip to the ER a few days ago to get him bandaged up. Let's just say that top bunk + ceiling fan + a little monkey jumping on the bed = 4 steri strips and some surgical glue on the noggin. Never a dull moment when Sean is around. I think he is looking forward to having me to himself once the older two go back to school.
I am working! I got a job doing admin work from home for a local business. It is difficult right now, not the work but figuring out a new schedule to accommodate everyone in my house and the work and my other outside commitments. It will take some getting used to, but I'll get it figured out.
Jeff is now working two jobs. He still works for the Mouse, but on his days off he is working for the same company I am. I know it sounds crazy, but we have a plan!
I have a massive to-do list today, so I need to get going! More on that later...
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Complaining
One of the blogs I read is Homemakers Cottage. In her newsletter this week, Kristy shares an excerpt from Keep A Quiet Heart, by Elisabeth Elliot about complaining.
The story she shares talks about Deuteronomy and how Moses was leading the Isrealites to the Promised Land. When they were fourteen days from the end of their journey, their complaining finally got to Moses and he was so angry, he wished he were dead! When they got there, they didn't believe that this was really the place, so they sent spies to do a little reconnasince. When the spies returned with glowing reports, they weren't believed either.
How often do we ask for God's help in our everyday lives? Then when we receive an answer, we question it or complain about it instead of thanking God for our blessings or trusting him with His plans. More often then I think most of us want to admit.
So I am taking up Kristy's challange. I am going to try to not complain for fourteen days. While I am doing this, I am going to focus on my blessings and dwell on them instead of the negative.
Would you like to join me?
The story she shares talks about Deuteronomy and how Moses was leading the Isrealites to the Promised Land. When they were fourteen days from the end of their journey, their complaining finally got to Moses and he was so angry, he wished he were dead! When they got there, they didn't believe that this was really the place, so they sent spies to do a little reconnasince. When the spies returned with glowing reports, they weren't believed either.
How often do we ask for God's help in our everyday lives? Then when we receive an answer, we question it or complain about it instead of thanking God for our blessings or trusting him with His plans. More often then I think most of us want to admit.
So I am taking up Kristy's challange. I am going to try to not complain for fourteen days. While I am doing this, I am going to focus on my blessings and dwell on them instead of the negative.
Would you like to join me?
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Our Budget
I have been trying to figure out if I have a theme to my blog. I guess one would show up if I wrote more often wouldn't it??
If you don't know me in real life, my passions (beside my family) is creating a frugal, comfy home where all of my family and friends feel welcome. My Particular Harbor - get it?
So I wanted to share with everyone how I try to do this - not always successfully, but I try!
We have a really tight budget, a mortgage payment and three kids.
My DH brings home about $500 every week after taxes. I am not sharing this to gain sympathy, just trying to be real in what we deal with.
Our mortgage payment is $1200 a month
We pay $368 in utilities. This includes our electric bill, water, phone, DSL and satellite TV
I spend about $75 a week on groceries but I am working on cutting that down.
We used to spend about $80 a week on gas, but that number has been going up!
As you can see, there is little room for extras! We have been contemplating the decision for me to go back to work so that money isn't so tight.
BUT - I feel like going back to work right now is just exchanging one set of stressors for another.
We'll see what happens in the coming weeks.
If you don't know me in real life, my passions (beside my family) is creating a frugal, comfy home where all of my family and friends feel welcome. My Particular Harbor - get it?
So I wanted to share with everyone how I try to do this - not always successfully, but I try!
We have a really tight budget, a mortgage payment and three kids.
My DH brings home about $500 every week after taxes. I am not sharing this to gain sympathy, just trying to be real in what we deal with.
Our mortgage payment is $1200 a month
We pay $368 in utilities. This includes our electric bill, water, phone, DSL and satellite TV
I spend about $75 a week on groceries but I am working on cutting that down.
We used to spend about $80 a week on gas, but that number has been going up!
As you can see, there is little room for extras! We have been contemplating the decision for me to go back to work so that money isn't so tight.
BUT - I feel like going back to work right now is just exchanging one set of stressors for another.
We'll see what happens in the coming weeks.
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