Vegmom Moments

New Roof - Check!

Shewww. a huge thing to check off our list... We've lived in our house for a few years now and always needed a roof... So we've been saving here and there, as I don't want debt...  Until now, Hubby has been patching leaks and putting up shingles as they blew off until we could afford to get a new one...

With the storms that have hit recently, we decided not to wait another minute... :-)  And so now we have a new roof.  They did a great job and fixed a lot of things... And it cost way less then we planned for, which is an extra bonus...Hopefully it will last a long long long time!!

Well, with even the cleanest roofers, come random nails in the yard and I wasn't about to have a bunny stabbed by a nail, or a squirrel jump of a tree and become Shish-ka-bob.. Let alone my own dog have another issue, or tires blown out, you get the idea...

This meant, I was ON A MISSION!!  Veg and I came home and searched the entire area around our house for nails...

I told him I'd give him a quarter for every nail he found to help pay back the vet bill....  "Mom?" he asked...  "How about you give me a dollar for every nail, that way I can pay you back 4 times faster"

HA!  Smarty Pants... I don't think so!!!

Anyway, we found a bunch of nails!  I have a feeling we'll be finding nails for the next 20 years.  By then we'll be talking about a new roof...

Way to Reuse

When we got our new Dishwasher a while ago, it had the door thing that holds your Silverware.  So I know longer needed the big wonky thing that came with my original dishwasher.

But couldn't see throwing it away... Some day it would be useful, I thought....

 

And now it is..... I use it to hold all my microfiber reusable cleaning rags under the sink.... 

Nice and Tidy!!  Reusing, at its finest!

HomeMade Compost Tumbler

Yay... Its almost done!!  Needs a couple holes for air flow, and finishing touches on the door and handle... But it works... and fits... and Mr. Wheelbarrow can fit right underneath to haul our happy dirt off to the Garden..

Assuming we get some happy dirt... First we have to find some happy worms.  But I'm pretty sure this will save us 80% of our current waste!

He's been working on it all day... and a little yesterday..... And in to the night:

 

Our Compost Tumbler is now in its permanent home:

 

It spins, it has extra rods inside to help the mixing happen and is fastened for life to the posts of our deck.

The Barrel was free as it was an extra from a Farm that Hubby was Volunteering on.  They get these from a Winery and use them on the farm for Rain Barrels...  Hubby had a different plan for our barrel as you can see.

The supplies ended up costing about $50, but only because he needed a couple tools.   PLUS decided on getting bigger pieces of things then he needed, so he would have extra for other projects. 

Extra Time involved, was taken because he had to figure out what to use for all the moving parts... That would be strong and last, and then couplings, to make it look decent. 

But also because our barrel didn't have a LID... So he had to cut that hole in the side and then come up with a good door.  That was functional, but secure.

And of course we had to keep it away from critters, not too close to the house, but close enough that we didn't have to walk through Dog Poo to get to it....  This Composter thing was a MUCH bigger project then Hubby planned.

I'm pretty happy with the outcome.... And guess what.......I HAVE A COMPOST TUMBLER!!!!  Yippppeeee!!!!

Thank you NB and Hubs for the suggestion!!!  And thank you Farm Lady for the Barrel... Of course thanks to the Hubby for all his planning and working....

Oh Happy Composting!!  *smile*

A Door I can see out of

For the first time in 7 years, I can see out my front door.... Hubby put in this awesome Screen/Glass door that allows real air in, but keeps the bugs and birds out... ..

The top is the only screen part and it retracts when you put the glass up.  Its really quite cool.  We needed something with a solid bottom because of our dog situation.  And this did the trick!  Of course, I think we will spend the next many years, cleaning dog nose marks off the glass.   He really likes the new door too!

In the past, the only time I could get air through my front door was if I left the door open and propped with a shoe.... And the last time I did that, a bird flew in and pooped all over my house before making its exit... Needless to say, I didn't do that ever again...

But now.. I can look at the pretty trees in my front yard, I can hear the birds chirping from a far...(instead of while in my house) and can feel the cool breeze at dusk... 

Ah, the simple things excite me!!

Quickly realized though, I can also fill my house up with carbon monoxide from a neighbor working on his riding mower... 

Hey, you win some, you loose some!! 

Dividing Tasks

Normally at the beginning of a new year, I do the following:

• File away all paper work from prior year
• Taxes
• Fill Scrap Book album with all Momentos from the prior year
• Balance Checkbook from any thing that I got behind during busy season of the prior year.

There was a time when I did all this as I went...  Have a receipt, file it... before it became a bucket full... Have a momento, stick it in the book... before it becomes a bucket full of stuff...

Then I became a full time parent with a full time job and many things to be done on a daily basis... some things I keep up with and other things not so much... Those other things become buckets full of stuff by year end.

2010 however, is my Simplify year.... I realized, I don't have to spend my whole holiday or vacation time sitting in a room alone sorting through all this stuff...There really is no drop dead date.  I set that upon myself.  In reality, the bills are paid, who cares what happens to the receipts.

Of course I DO, but it doesn't have to all be done at once... So I used the January holiday break for having fun with family and cleaning out closets in between.

I spent Veg's birthday break with him and my Mom and a few naps.... and now I'm spending each week conquering one task...

Before going back to work, I got our taxes done... the next day, I got my paper work sorted.  This weekend, I got my Momento Scrap Album all caught up and bills done.  Next weekend I will get the sorted paperwork in to files...

And while it may be March by then, I will have all my big daunting year long tasks complete...  The following week, I may develop a new filing system so the end of this year doesn't look so horrifying!

Its all about Simplifying and Dividing tasks.... Not everything HAS to be done NOW!  And I'm OK with that (some times) *wink*

PRODUCTIVE

Such a Productive weekend!  Not only did I have fun and relax as posted earlier... But this blog is now up to date "HELLO", make sure you scroll to see the other happenings, you don't want to miss the post of the smoothie Smile!  Really, its too thrilling to miss...

NeeNee's 12 Month, hand stamped, and photograph scrapbook calendar is complete... Yippee, in time for your Birthday NeeNee... :-)  And other craft projects, see here, are ALL DONE~ 

Almost Every Drawer, Closet, Cupboard in my entire house has had an over haul....(Tip - as you walk in to a room do one drawer, one cupboard or put at least one thing away... over time it all becomes clean)

The bathroom, the Kitchen, the bedrooms, The computer area, EVERYTHING.... Ready to start the New Year.

I'm talking about finding homes for EVERYTHING and If it doesn't have a logical home, then it does not belong in the house.  I had PILES!

Nothing on the floor ANYWHERE that doesn't belong there.... I was in a Mode!  And it was GOOD!

Toys in their cubbies, not a single one out of place:

 

Games in their spot:

We have a lot of games!  Family Game time is the BEST!

 

Laundry Baskets are EMPTY:  (yes, I really took pictures of laundry baskets - Sorry Mom)

 

Only been 3 days and I have GREENS Growing in my Basement... Hi There little plants... We will try to help you live a long and green life! 

This is the happiest pod!  His Bio-dome will be removed tomorrow, and then he will get big and strong and give me lots of Greens!  The other pods are a little slow, but picking up pace.

I have Veggies Cut and Vita-Mix Hummus ready for munching:

 

Lunches made for Tomorrow (pictures of mine only, but Veg's is done too):

Organic Apples of course:

Salad, with Veggies, Romaine, Broccoli Sprouts and Sunflower seeds:

Almond butter for snacking, Marinated Raw Green Beans, and some Creamy Raw Vita-Mix Guac which will be used for my Salad Dressing.  Yum Yum...

Making lunch had me so hungry that this guy became my dinner... OH MY YUM!!

Even he is smiling... Can you tell?   Actually he is sticking his tongue out at you..

Sorry, This is a salad with Attitude:

 

Bills are paid, even the dog's yard is picked up (Took advantage of the freezing temps today... dog poo is much easier to scoop when it is frozen, in case you were wondering) 

Veg's Nails are clipped, Dog's Nails are clipped, our annual page in the Marriage memory book is filled in, Counters, mirrors, sinks, floors are clean...  I'm telling you, I was PRODUCTIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Water bottles are filled, car is packed for our first day back to work/school and clothes are laid out! 

I am ready for 2010.....  Can you tell!!  Good thing, since its already here!  *smile*

FINISHING TOUCH

Can't believe I forgot to post the finishing touch on our painted house.

House Paint story is here....

But never showed my favorite part (besides the garage)

Hubby got a new flag (with Eagle as Veg pointed out)....for the front... Its a bit big as in HUGE... and could be raised higher, but sure is pretty! 

 

PAINT UPDATE

The painting is coming along, only a little bit on the back of the house still to be done...My favorite part is now complete though:

The Ugly Garage Before:

 

Ah, the pretty garage after:

And Hubby let Veg help paint... The boy was SOOOoooo Excited to be helping his Dad, and did a Great job:

Although, I came out to check on them and found this:

Our house is Now Marked!.. Almost wanted him to keep it like that but Hubby covered it up..  At least I have a picture. *smile*

AND HE PAINTS continued...

I offered to help since it was Saturday and I was home, but the Hubby said "OOOOOhhh NOOOooo"

Not sure if I should take offense to that or not?  Really, the bottom half needs painted, surely I could help...

But, I can stay inside with air conditioning, no worries... I shall not take offense, I shall enjoy the nice cool air of the inside, until tomorrow that is... I've been tasked with Mowing the yard..

At least I'm not doing this:

Look at those Popeye legs..  Mr. Muscles.... He told me that I had to take a picture from the ground level because no one would believe how high he was if I was standing on the deck....

So here is that picture:

Yup, theirs the Popeye Legs.. He sure eats his Spinach!!!  Notice the wood and pole holding UP the ladder from the dip in the hill... OY, I can't look!!!  By the way, that ladder is on loan from a Neighbor.  Hubbies high ladder was too "heavy" for the wood...  Thinking we need a better plan.

Hubby said Siding next..."Won't do this EVER again" he proclaims.......

And I finally got a pic of the color contrast with out the sun blocking it:

Also got a pic of the Pea Green parts, can't wait till this gets covered:

Tomorrow is REST Day per Hubby...I'll update the Paint Saga again next week.

SOME BEFORE AND AFTERS

The rusty Ol' Lamp on old painted wall:

  

New Lamp on Freshly Painted Wall:

(yes, I know you can't tell its painted, these pictures are horrible, but trust me.. and no the lamp isn't dirty, the glass is speckled, kind of cool actually)

 

Big Big over grown Bush Thing and Old grungy Paint:

 

Trimmed back bush (its starting over) and Hello, there's a wall there... Who Knew?

(PS, the bottom isn't painted yet, so this isn't a true "after" shot just yet)

 

As the House Painting Continues... One more side to go and then we start on the bottom!  

Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow after the Farmer's Market.

NEW LAMPS

Who knew that when you start to paint a house, you find things that need to be replaced... like rusty old lamps.  I've never looked at them before.  I thought they were brown... HA!  They were Rusted, TOTALLY... Not brown, but real rust.. As in not purposely colored rust, but totally and completely rusted...I'm not even sure now what color they were supposed to be.

Hubby went to cover them up and decided, they just needed to come down, there was no helping them... And so he went shopping... And came home with these:

 

Their going up today, so I'll post a before and after pic later...

PAINT COLOR

And the Hubby continues to paint. 

The front of the house is at the 1/2 way point, so it was a perfect chance to take a picture of a split before/after'ish... But with the lighting outdoors not cooperating, I couldn't get a good pic to really show the contrast in colors.

So I took this one in a shaded spot showing the Grey/Beige thin strip next to the old green tinted lighter painted siding... As for the parts that are Dark Green... It will be interesting to see how the Grey covers that one.  Stay tuned...

And yes, I know you can't see the green tint in the paint below, but believe me, its there under the grime...

 

And the new color goes well with the brick too.. (see how the lighting makes it look so much lighter below then the strip above??  This painting stuff is Hard work :-)

  

Today he should be finishing up the front Grey parts, which will give us two sides done and two more to go.  Then he will start on the ivory portions...

10 people came by at different times yesterday, neighbors we've never spoken to before asking about the color and who he works for, looking for business cards and quotes.... 

He was pretty proud.... I am too...

AND HE PAINTS

WOW -      The Hubby man has been a working fool around this house lately... We've figured out he's saved us over $5000 so far on repairs and now painting...  Maybe he should stay out of work more often, its been kind of nice.

And did I mention he's been doing the laundry, dishes, shampooed all the carpets, in addition to the repairs.  Think he's making up for the past 3 months in the past  7 days (oops, did I just type that out loud...)

Seriously he's been GREAT!  And Today he Paints... Did he care that there was rain coming?  NO!... Did he care that the power went out from the storm that hit?  NO!  Did he mind that it was in the 90's and he had his head to the baking sun on a two story high ladder?  NO! 

And where the ladder still couldn't reach, did that stop him??? NOPE!!!  The boy got up on the roof and painted upside down!  Gotta say, HE'S PAINTING!!!   

It was harder then he thought,  As the house is taller then it seemed,  he admits to being slightly out of shape and his arms were a little weak... Moving the gigantic ladder every two feet and going up and down it 1000 times.....  And holding the gigantic pole with roller for 8 hrs, gave him a new respect for people that do this for a living.

There is not a single streak, splatter, drip mark, it looks good!  A neighbor came over and asked if Hubby was a professional painter?  He laughed and said "Ooooh NOoooo, this is the first and very last house I will ever paint on the outside"....*smile*

And regarding the paint color, told here...  Its not so bad... Still not really GREY, more of a Tan I guess, but no more pink.  Even the neighbors liked the color and asked what it was called...... HA HA HA... "DON'T ASK!!"  Hubby Replied!!!

And So he Paints, until it is finished.  He thinks it will take him another 5 days (pending rain) 

Maybe I'll post some pics at some point.

PAINTING - WOES ME

Our House is old.  Its Outdated, and actually quite ugly if you haven't noticed in my pictures...  And when I say Ugly I mean, Dark Paneling, green carpet ''.  My tiles in the kitchen are so old that the two by the stove have measurements listed on them (and they are horrid yellow).

But its a good Old House and has treated us well.. 

Hubby is ready to paint the outside.  I've never had to pick paint that would determine the first impression of all passers by...  My first house was white when we moved in and white when we moved out.  This house is Ugly... and I think we are about to carry on the tradition....

We go to pick paint... Hubby was thinking Brown and Ivory, I was thinking Grey and beige/ivory'ish.....  We went with his Ivory and a light Greyish Brown!  After hours of deciding..

I mean this isn't a ROOM and if its bad we re-paint... This isn't a faucet, if you don't like it, take it back.

THIS IS THE WHOLE STINKIN' HOUSE!!!  It's the first thing we see upon arriving home and the first thing other people see when coming over.  It can make you feel peaceful and homey or chaotic and busy....  It can be Fancy or just plain tacky.  The outside of a house tells a LOT and I want the Peaceful and Homey....

And so we Pick the paint... We decide, we ponder, we Hmm and Haa....  Not that one, it is too yellowy, not that one, it has too much orange, too brown, too dark, too light.... Ahhh Just Right!

Finally we get two colors... and I'm talking 5 Gallon Buckets....$300 of Paint to start with....

Knowing that paint always dries darker then the paper, I figured I may end up with a little darker grey or brown, and a little darker ivory then I had planned.  And I was Totally OK with that!  And if it wasn't exactly what we wanted, we would get used to it.  No big deal.

The paint they put on top of the bucket was actually a little lighter then I thought and was totally OK with that too... I'm not really picky, just wanted nuetral colors that would go good with our bricks... Forgot to say we have some brick.. So I need it all to blend nicely. 

We bring it home, and start discussing which colors to use where to make the best two-tone... trim vs. doors vs. overhangs, etc.

Then Hubby did it!!  He took out the paint and brush and applied the darker color to a small part of the side of the house so we could see....

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We all look at each other and say "IT'S PINK"..............  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Really PINK!!!!!  As in the peach'ish pink crayon that we used to use to color in faces that never looked right.

I asked Hubby to apply a bit to the card to make sure we had the same color... YUP, we did.... And looked grey on the card... but on the house....Not grey, not too dark, not even a little bit brown as Hubby thought it would be, both of those I would be OK with.

NO, IT IS PINK!!!!!!!!!

Can't take back $300 worth of mixed Paint... I will now have a Freakin' Pink house! 

Hubby tried to make me feel better by saying he could go get another color tomorrow and we'll just be out the money... We can't waste that much money, and besides, what would we do with the paint?  Unless making a Holly Hobby house or Hello Kitty, I'm thinking no one will want this color.

So, then he says, lets wait till it dries and the sun shifts sides, maybe it will darken...  I've been outside 5 times since and I can tell you, IT IS STILL PINK!

How does grey remotely turn pink when applied to the house? 

Tell me... HOW DOES THIS TURN PINK???  (and please keep in mind the color below will be different based on monitor settings... but I can assure you it is the furthest from pink on the color wheel.

Grey maybe, Brown, maybe Taupe... but PINK? 

Tomorrow he starts painting.... And we shall continue to have an ugly house... At least it won't be green anymore.  *sigh*

And to top it all off, Hubby almost fell off the ladder when showing me the paint example on the house but I caught the ladder and he didn't get hurt.... I asked him if it was safe to do that while we are not home since our lot is NOT level.   And he said:

"No, its not safe, in fact 90% of all home accidents and deaths occur because people are trying to fix something on their house, but I don't mind"

Thanks Hubs, really needed to hear that one! 

WHAT A WONDERFUL WEEK

Changing my take on things, rescheduling my days, Work Improvements Tri-fold and making time for Sleep and Exercise and Crafting... This has been a Wonderful week!!

I ran a total of 5 miles over several days.  I took 10 minutes here and 20 minutes there as I could.  Getting me back in to the groove... 

Veggies from the School Garden prompted me to make things I haven't had in a long time.  I even got some beets at the grocery store to throw in our salad last night.  The prettiest Romaine Lettuce I've ever seen... How cool to have an organic garden so close and dear.  Not to mention all proceeds go to the school.

My Computer was off every night by 12:30 even one night by 10pm.  So the mornings made it easier to wake early and get things done.  One morning I even sat down and made a Card to get me excited for Christmas... With all the cards I made last night, I'm almost done with that part of Christmas Preparedness....

Check out my Crafty Blog to see all the fun things we've been working on.

Vegmom Craft Exchange

Now were off to my favorite Veggie restaurant for an early dinner!!!  A Great Week indeed!

VINYL STICKS SO NICE

THANKS AU!!! 

So much for being centered... *smile*  This is where Veg wanted his surprise, and this is where it shall stick!! 

 

R.I.P LAWN MOWER

And so another item at the Veg House Bites the Dust....Our 11 year old Mower finally decided he had enough... Hubby even tried giving him some fresh new parts, but he just wasn't having it.... Off to the store for a new mower.... And another store and another store, and another store!! 

Alas we come home with a mower... A basic, not too expensive thing with a motor and a blade that does the job...

While Hubby was getting it ready, I decided to read the Owner's Manual which has two full pages of warnings....  And that is where I must turn my thoughts of this post.....

These are actual warnings in our new Lawn Mower Operator's Manual:

"Do not operate hold on to the mower if your are falling"  ---- Thanks, I'm pretty sure if I was falling I would not be holding on to the mower.

"Mow only in daylight, walk, never run" ---  Well, I'd actually rather mow when its dark so I can't see where I'm going and bang head first in to a tree!    And RUN???  Have you tried to push one of these things?  I think running is out of the question.

"Never place any part of the body in the blade area until you are sure the blade has stopped running" ---  Yeah, ya think?

I love this one:

"This machine is a precision piece of power equipment NOT a play thing"  ---  Aw Come On...Really?

And this one:

"Do Not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under the cutting deck"  ----- Yeah, that is probably a good idea!! 

I'm reading these out loud to Hubby along with others and I said "It's as if they are talking to 4 year olds when they wrote this"..  HA HA  And then I remembered that it was written for mostly Men!  Of course they have to put in 4 year old terms...

OOPS, I said that outloud... Hubby did NOT think that was funny!  *smile*

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!

CHANGING PLANS - NEW APPLIANCES

Wow, today did not end up as I planned it to be! 

After we got back from our trip, I had a very busy work week... And some late nights, that meant not getting anything done around the house.  I did however make some family and friend and me time a little each day.. which meant even less house stuff getting done!  So today, I had No Outside Plans!!  It was a cleaning day.. Get the whole house straightened from top to bottom!  That was my PLAN.. Catch up from last week, and look ahead to the coming week... I was prepared to be stuck in the house from sun up to sun down, getting EVERYTHING done!!...

HA ----And then hubby says "can you pick up the dog poop before I start mowing"  SURE...  I thought to myself... this is just one minor diversion in my plan, but it will go quickly!  So I go outside...and from then on my day went like this:

"Mom Mom, can I play in the sandbox while your picking up the dog poop?"

<Yes, of course>

I pick up the lovely piles that I find, while Hubby is trying to start the push mower... It doesn't start... Nope, it's dead.... He's annoyed, tries to fix it, needs new spark plug... Nope, still dead... then he realized he put the weed eater gas in the lawn mower... OOPS!  Thats bad! 

So he decides to unveil the riding mower... Ruh Roh... It has a flat tire... Now he's really annoyed!  So he gets the electric pump, and realizes the tire is not just flat, it is cracked!  Yeah, so the pump wasn't working very well....  And he goes back to the push mower to try to fix it....

Very frustrated at the two mowers, he decides to cut some tree parts using his new Chain Saw that he got from a Thrift Store.... this will release some manly aggression... Power tools seem to do that!   And out he goes with his new Chain Saw... It starts, its good, its happy!  Until he puts a load on it by actually trying to cut a limb... and it dies!  Yup Dead!  Won't start back up!

I told hubby at this point he needed to give up power tools for the day, so he goes inside and checks on the Dishwasher... Guess what!  DEAD!!!  Yup.. for real !! Its not sucking water in and just spinning making an awful sound.   We new this day was coming but funny that it decided to run its last cycle today after the power tool mess.....

Oh so now Hubby is fit to be tied!  I'm laughing of course, because when this many things go wrong in a one hour period you just have to laugh.....  But the best part was when our sweet little boy said he would mow the yard for Daddy... He heads out in to the grass with some hedge trimmers, and is cutting and clipping (for the next two hours)  He was sooo proud of himself and had the best time...

REWIND:  Back to the poop picking up... while I was back there I saw that some shrubs have gotten to high, so I started trimming them back... which led me to find some Ivy, so I have to remove the ivy from the house, which led me to find another shrub... So I begin cutting that away from our A/C Unit...  which led me to find some more stuff on the ground..... TWO WHEELBARROW Loads later, I'm finally satisfied with the back yard....

Hubby, now decides since he can't use power tools today that he will cut tree limbs with the long telescoping tree cutting thing...  Which leads me to find more things to cut... Soon there are tree limbs and shrub guts all over our yard... Which of course need to be picked up....  (Veg is still mowing with his clippers)  And while that is all being picked up and put in to neat piles, Hubby gets the mower started!  Not sure how.... but it worked... He decided to remove all the tree limbs from the property, while I decided to mow... WHAT WAS I THINKING????   Its a big freakin' yard!  But I mow... Great exercise!  And I mow, and mow some more...I finish the front yard, Hubby does the back yard.....

4 hours later, we are back in side!!  All of us showering, and eating soy ice cream.... drinking tons of cold water, and then OFF we go... Ate lunch at a restaurant.... stopped to get Veg some Crocs (yes I finally caved)....  And then OFF to look for a Dishwasher.

Do we find a Dishwasher?  YES!  Could I leave the appliance store with JUST a Dishwasher?  NO!!!

I leave the appliance store with a Dishwasher, and a Clothes Washer and Dryer!  (Nope won't be getting a Vitamix and won't be going to the beach *smile*)  But I will be doing TONS of laundry, in my new Uber Huge Capacity Washer and Dryer!!!

I've never been so excited about appliances in all my days!  This thing will wash a KING SIZE Comforter without even straining...  And if a King Size Comforter can fit.... then can you imagine how many clothes it will take?  I'm going to be a washing fool!!!  Not to mention the Dishwasher that claims to be quiet.  We shall see if that is true!!

They are being delivered tomorrow and Monday!  Yes, delivery on a Sunday!  Is that cool or what?

Why, you may ask do I need a Washer and Dryer... well because mine our 17 years old.  The washer works great as long as you only use the setting on the left.... All the others, not so much!  The Dryer still works great too, as long as you complete three full drying cycles per load.... I'm pretty sure, my new fancy shmancy machines will be a tad more energy efficient, then my 17 year old dinosaurs.. not to mention the time savings!

Soooo, At 6:30pm we get back home and I begin making dinner... It is now 9:40 and I'm typing this post, but have not done a SINGLE bit of inside house work!!

Isn't it funny how plans change?

TAXES DONE

I usually get my taxes done while off the week of Veg's birthday.  But this year I didn't because I was waiting for a 1099 from my bank.  So I waited, and then other things came up, and then time passed and before I new it... Still no taxes done.  Hubby kept bringing it up..."Did you get the taxes done yet?"

<NO, but your more then welcome to do them>

And yet still, its almost April and they hadn't gotten done.  Hubby didn't do them, and the invisible Tax Meister didn't either.  SO I locked myself in the basement tonight and did every last step.... I AM E-FILED!!  WooHoo!!

.... There is a point in the software that says "Take the standard sales tax credit, or add up all your actual receipts".... In parenthesis it said "NOT COMMON" next to the saving all your receipts item....But I do.... Yes, I'm not common according to the tax software, and I save EVERY receipt.

Ha, as if I need a Tax Software Engineer to say that I'm not Common... We already new that, silly!

GETTING BEHIND AND NOW AHEAD

At the beginning of the year, I posted a lot about how I was going to get more organized, stay on top of things, and find time for everything...  Not really a "New Years Resolution" per say ...more a "changing the way I do things to simplify my life" Thing!  Because the more I simplify, the more time I have, which means the more I can do.  And at the end of the day, I can do it all... Mom, Wife, Work, and some time for Me....  It is possible, ya no?

And it worked... I was on top of everything.  My lists helped out tremendously, I was doing things in advance, which allowed me more time to get other things done... and I posted many of my tips that I figured out along the way.  Simple little things like filling up my gas tank on the weekend to save me from stopping during a mad rush during the week.   Grocery lists helped save money, and labeling things helped me not be wasteful... I was doing GOOD!!!  I was doing it all and finally found a happy balance.

Then there was business travel, lots of sick bugs, out of town guests, and within a couple weeks everything spiraled out of control.  I  realized as I was in a mad dash to get gas because I was on E while being late to pick up Veg and forgetting my wallet at home because I didn't have my bag packed right the night before and.... the list goes on...   I couldn't believe how much a couple weeks of madness, could override 7 weeks of calmness....

Last weekend I spent 4hrs, catching up on my banking... had I done a little each day like I was doing, I would have had that 4 hrs to craft instead.  This week, I spent 4hrs, putting away laundry that I let pile up for way too long, instead of doing a load a day.  And tonight, I was in the middle of baking something when I realized I didn't have a main ingredient, because I hadn't updated my grocery list.  Last week I also made 3 trips to the store, instead of 1... Losing time and money that could be used for other things.....

So ENOUGH is ENOUGH!!!  I'm back on track!!!  Today is the day!!  I went through the house and got everything I could possibly get done.....Everything is somewhat clean... my Grocery list is made as well as my to-do list....  The Laundry is back to one-a-day manageable.  My gas tank is full and banking is done.... 

Starting this new week, I'll be an organized, simplified, level headed, Vegmom Machine.....  (OK maybe not the level headed part)

TURN THE CLOCKS AHEAD

If you live in a state that does Day Light Savings time and you haven't already changed your clocks, today is the time to do that!!! 

Yes its early this year.... And Yes the whole thing makes no sense to me, but alas, it is so..... and there is nothing we can do about it! 

So Change those clocks!  Or you will be an hour late, every where you go... *smile*

BYE BYE MAGIC BULLET

My poor Magic Bullet finally kicked the bucket after several years of faithful service.... I've put it through smoothie after smoothie, tofu concoctions, batters, dips, salsas, chopping, grinding, mashing, smushing, mixing......  you get the idea...

But on Wednesday March 5th at 1930 hours, it spun for the last time.... The motor finally coughed, sputtered, and took its last breath.... 

So sad... Luckily this is one item that is easily replaceable... With another Magic Bullet Of course....  :-)  I'll have to go shopping this weekend!

THE SILVERWARE SEARCH

Put on your time-travel caps and think back to 1991...  I'm A LOT younger and just married....  As we women know.. Houses don't come with toilet paper, coffee, blenders, plates... or NUTHIN....  But as a TeenyBopper and a new bride, I had no idea what I really needed....

I did know that we needed plates.  About 4 of them.  After all, it was just Hubby and I, why would I need more then 4 plates.  And Since I couldn't decide what color I liked best?  I just grabbed 2 sets of each.  A black set and a white set.  Makes sense right?

A coffee pot?  Well I didn't like Coffee, so why would I need more then just a 2cup coffee maker.  Thats all Hubby would drink.... You get the idea...

I also new that we needed Silverware...  But just being the two of us,  why would we need more then a place setting for 4?  After all, if we had more people over we could just use Plastic.   It was very logical at the time.  And, I was a teenager and I new EVERYTHING... right? 

Now fast forward to 2008... my Mom is going NUTSO!!!  I still have the same set of Silverware.  No more, No less!!  Yup a place setting for 4....17 years later.... Well, we only have three people in our house?  Why do we need more.... But we do have lots of visitors now and when people come, they stay at our house and plastic isn't always the best option.  We cook a meal, we do dishes.....  My Mother however, Cooks a Meal and uses every single piece of Silverware in our home (that place setting of 4) and by the time we are ready to eat, trying to find a fork is near impossible.

And she is going Bonkers... So last time she was here we were on a search for new Silverware.  We were finally going to get NEW SILVERWARE!!!  But I don't like any of it.  Even Hubby didn't like any of it.... We are picky and spoiled and cheap.....and besides we like our little 4 piece place setting.  But I finally found it on line tonight and it is a discontinued pattern that we purchased in 1991 (picture above)

"MIDDLEBURG/MARLBOROUGH (STAINLESS) by REED & BARTON"

So I did see that I can purchase "used" pieces (ewwww!!!) at $5.95-$20.95 per piece....  Or I'm just going to have to break down and settle for something else.

But did you know how FREAKIN' Hard it is to find a piece of Silverware that doesn't cost $1000 and actually contains everything you want.... Spoons too big, spoons to small... Fork is to sharp, ends aren't rounded enough, metal isn't solid enough, its too thick...... And it can't be pointy (don't ask)....on and on and on.........Then, I thought I found it today, the perfect match for our strange household... until I flipped the box over and read something along these lines...(not perfect quote but you get the idea)

"Contents are stainless and dishwasher safe, 20 year warranty if these instructions are followed... Don't always wash in the dishwasher, only sometimes, and don't use any cleaners with lemon in them and don't wash with certain sponges and........"   The list of things not to do was longer then the claims of their great product.

Now, what I want to know is what about the lemon?  If I can't wash with lemon products?  Can I eat with Lemon products, or is the metal going to disintegrate on my tongue... I certainly wouldn't want to buy a fork, where the silver shows up on my tongue if I eat pasta with lemon sauce...

So I renigged on this almost perfect pattern and the search continues....  Frankly I think I could go till the day I die with my perfectly happy set of 4 forks, spoons and knives...  After all, I can use salad forks when the bigger ones are dirty and teaspoons when the tablespoons are dirty..  Technically speaking I have 8 of each item.  There are still only 3 people in our house... Doing the math, this still seems doable!

Right?

CLEANING SPREE

Over the weekend, I decided having family fun, crafting and exercise time was much more important then cleaning the house.  And so I just didn't clean the house!  *smile*  I do that sometimes... hee hee... OK, I do that lots of times...  but shhhh.. don't tell anyone!

So yesterday I was determined to do a quick cleaning spree when I got home and get everything back in some resemblance of order.  Well it turns out my Hubby came home with the same frame of mind, because when I walked in he was Vacuuming the floors...  And before I new it, he was vacuuming the stairs...  What a nice surprise to be cleaning together and getting everything nice for the week....

Well as I'm doing everything that needs to be done (lots) running around like a wild banshee or a "cleaning tornado" is what I call my self in that mode... Hubby stops me to ask "Can you show me where all the corners are that need to be vacuumed"

Hmm?  Lets see.... There are about 4 corners in every square area, multiply that by all the square areas in the house and there are ALOT of corners... I'm sure if you look yourself, you may find them.  Granted I just have to give him credit for wanting to clean the corners, but I'm absotutely positive he doesn't need me to help find them.... 

So I explained "Just walk around and look for all the areas where two walls intersect and you will find a spot that needs to be vacuumed, I'm sure of it" 

Now.... this provided me much entertainment... Because while I was cleaning up a total of 5 rooms and the basement and making dinner, I would peak over to see hubby still trying to find corners to vacuum.... 

Who new cleaning could be so fun!  *smile*

WATER AND SHEETS

A few more time saving tips from the Veg house of 2008...

• Fill the dogs water bowls at night, so you don't have to do it in the morning.  If their like mine, they will sleep at night, and still have fresh water in the morning.
• Change Bedding as needed for the little ones in your house, but then change yours on the opposite weeks.  This way the laundry doesn't pile up as high....  So example, if I washed Veg's bedding this week, I would wash mine next week...  Blankets make the laundry pile look much bigger then it really is.  With multiple kids or accidents, you can change them as needed for accidents, but other wise, pick a day for each family member...  Child 1 gets their bedding changed on Monday, Child 2 on Wednesday, adults on Friday... Or something like that!   Less work on you and less stress watching the piles grow having all the bedding changed at once.
• While my son is taking a shower, he no longer needs me holding him, so this is a great time to clean the bathroom.  I can watch him or be there if he needs me, but get the counter, sink, mirror and floor all tidy at the same time!

NEW YEAR - CLEAN CABINETS

It's a New Year, don't forget to check the dates on all your spices, flours, etc. 

My Rule - If it doesn't have a date, but I can't remember when I baught it or when I used it last... Then Its Expired by default...

And Obviously all the out-dated items go away... I know its wasteful but unfortunatly is a necessary Evil....  And actually when going through my cabinets today, I was surprised how much had expired...I now have some pretty clean cupboards though, which is a good thing.  And throwing that stuff away, reminds me to be more careful this new year...  Only buy what I need and when I need it.

I started by putting a piece of paper and pencil on my counter.  Every time something is empty or missing, I add it to that list, so I'm not trying remember a week later and there is no possibility of getting duplicates.  If its not on the list then I won't buy it.  I'm on my 2nd week of this new technique, so we'll see what the rest of the year holds!

A VEGMOM DAY

Today was a Rainy Stormy day and yet a busy enjoyable one... I was told once that it takes 3 weeks of doing something consistently to make it an official routine.  I think finding my work/home balance and better time management is definitely becoming routine.  Of course it doesn't leave much room for anything else, but heck, that is what the weekends are for.

Last Night I had mine and Veg's lunches ready to go for this morning, his clothes laid out etc.  Hubby has been getting up with our little guy in the morning and feeding him breakfast and doing the bathroom stuff.  And sealing up his lunch box for the day.  I, on the other hand have been getting 30 extra minutes of sleep.  Woohoo!

I mentioned that I made myself a lunch also, the reason for that is because I was invited by my sweet boy to join him for lunch today.  For some reason today was different.  We had our own table.  And clearly the kids hadn't seen a parent for a while joining them for lunch.  Veg tried to protect me from those cutting in line... I watched him splash water by accident and grab a mop to clean it.  We had a nice conversation as we munched on our meals.  And I had several little people talk to me, give hugs, etc.  It was a very nice visit.

Back to work for a couple meetings, then back to the school.  The kids were so happy and all hugged each other goodbye.  It was just a sweet day! 

Once home, I brought everything in from the car then Cut hubbies hair (the back grew out enough for a flat top)  it looks square now instead of a giant round head..  While Veg and Hubby played with legos, I made dinner.  Two different meals tonight, but I don't mind.

Veg had bow tie noodles with Tomato Basil Sauce mixed with a jar of Sweet Potatoes and a Jar of Butter Nut Squash and Corn... Sounds gross but he ate every bite, and got lots of veggies.  I'm liking this Baby food thing more every day.

I made Hubby and I a Mexican casserole.  I was going for a Mexi Lasagna recipe but was missing some ingredients.  So our dish had:

Cooked rice, refried black beans, salsa, and fresh cut veggies all layered in a pan.  Then topped with taco seasoning and sprinkled with some mexi cheese...  Baked and then coated with my tofu sour cream & salsa concoction....  Served on top of blue corn chips.  and YUMMMM!!!

Next came reading books and then getting Veg ready for bed... I'm sitting down now and its time to get to work....

The last two days I got in some exercise and Sunday I even got in some crafting.  I'm still getting rest in the mornings and nothing looks too horrible in the house.  It's not tip top shape like before I took my trip.  and I still have a suitcase to unpack but for the most part, things are good.

I've also gotten back to my lists this year.  And that has really helped me keep organized for the most part. 

So there is my update... Nothing funny or exciting, but my mind is still in tact.  So I can't complain!

END OF WEEK

First New Years week comes to a close!  And another balanced day!  *smile*

Not too many tips to share except this one  "leave Hubby Notes"...  Last night I prepared Veg's lunch to bring with us this morning and left myself a note so I wouldn't forget stuff.  When I got out of bed, hubby had already let the dogs out and fed them, also packed up the lunch from my note, and had everything waiting for me by the stairs.  (he must have thought the note was for him, but I'm not complaining)

Following the tips from yesterday (although going to sleep at 2am and not 12am) we had a successful morning.

Veg and I were Awake, Dressed and out the door in 10 minutes!  WooHoo!!! 

I'll be coming home to a straightend house (picking up as I go really does help), my car is not a mess, and my work task list has been nipped away.  Hubby is picking up Veg so I can go shopping (saving me from doing this tomorrow) and if all goes well, I'll stay one day ahead of myself! 

At least I can hope!

DOING IT ALL AND BALANCED

I posted yesterday that I would find a way to time manage and balance my life a little better in 2008, getting back to some things I used to do.  You know like, putting stuff away as you take it out, or finishing a task as soon as it is assigned so it doesn't pile up.  Simple things like that...  Maybe even a pile of laundry a day... hmm?  what a concept.

So, I have to report about my 2nd day...This one didn't include any extra sleep, and my plans were forced to change in order to finish up a task... But in the end it all got done.  Including updating this blog.  Soooo here it goes:

Tip - Prepare everything in advance for Veg's School day making this morning less stressful

• Load up the car with lunch, soy milk carton, slippers, bag, jacket, mittens, hat, shoes, socks, extra clothes, blanket, pillow (you get the idea)
• Lay out clothes for the Veg-Meister - have breakfast and drink already in the car before he woke up
• Dogs fed and outside/inside
• Get myself dressed - pack wallet, computer, blah blah blah
• Take Veg to school and then drive to work

Tip - Don't stop at Starbucks in the AM, saved me 25 minutes and $3.85

• Get to work and do all paperwork soon as I arrived and get it all turned in before the busyness starts
• Work
• Take my lunch break only this time with Hubby - we met for lunch and Starbucks (OK, so i didn't really save the $3.85)

Tip - Parents of school age kids, be sure to meet for lunch... May be the only "couple" time you get and is a great break in the day to discuss what ever without having little ears around or needing to pay a babysitter.

• Back to work... work, work, and more...
• Then pack up and go get Veg (have a snack handy to avoid car whining)
• Once Home, bring everything in the house at once instead of forgetting about it till later
• Before closing the garage door, start a load of wash
• Head upstairs, change my clothes and go for a jog, while Veg has "daddy" time  (Only got 10 minutes because it was dark, but better then nothing)
• Make dinner
• While dinner is brewing, grab the lunch box and fill it up for tomorrow

Tip - Its easy to prepare lunch while preparing dinner because you already have all the food handy, and saves you the rush in the morning.

• Check Blackberry and get computer hooked up for evening work
• Dinner is done, so we eat (its now 7:30)
• Play with the Vegman for a few minutes
• Clean up kitchen from Dinner
• Clean up toys from play time
• Read Bed time book
• Brush teeth, toilet stop, lotion on hands (don't ask), change music, turn on fan, light... blah blah blah
• Alas 8:30 and Veg is sleeping....
• Sit down at the PC to update blogs, check out Mom's site, and log in to work...It is now 10pm
• I will finish this up, clean out some more email from my week off and then shower myself

Tip - Shower at night - great way to relax without any interruptions, and one less thing to do in the morning..

I will probably goto bed by midnight (or I can hope)  but this was a perfectly balanced day!

Time for Veg, Time for Hubby, Time for Work, Time for Me, House not piled with mess......

I'll Take it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BIRD IN MY HOUSE

I'm not talking about the sweet little canary or family Parrot pet...  Oh No!!  I'm talking about a real live flying with wings meant to be out side brown bird....

I left the door cracked so the dogs could come back in when they were ready but then came downstairs to look for our Skating clothes.  When I walked back up the stairs I saw the door open and a bird in my kitchen!

I call Hubby to tell him there is a bird in our kitchen and he says "Well your going to have to get it out!" 

Ha YA THINK?   I was actually thinking we would keep him?   I love to find gigantic bird droppings through out my house... and I would like something more to clean, thank you very much!  OF COURSE I need to get it out of the house.... a little more advice would have been good.

Veg suddenly decks himself out in to adventure clothes and we are ON A MISSION!   Gotta get the bird out of the house....  But can we find the bird at this point?  NOoooooo !  Gotta find the bird before we can get him out of the house.  We close all the bedroom doors and open all the outside doors hoping he would fly out before another decided to fly in.  However we haven't seen the bird since he headed in to the family room....   Does this mean he flew out the back door while I was opening the front?

Or has he found a nice place to nest amongst the madness in my home....  I was looking around thinking, If I were a bird this would be a pretty cool place...

Anyway.... I'm not sure what happened to the bird.  I would feel much better had I saw him fly out...  I think I will forever have visions of him spooking me when I least expect it.