Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Can you be too organized?!

I used to look at magazines and think - damn I will my house looked like that and then thought...professional photo shoot, big flippin house and then...discovered blogs...and saw that people really can and do live in Better Homes and Gardens type places...maybe...I am sure that they clean up the place and have some awesome dslr camera...and then I wanted my house to look like their house...

Now,  I just want a clean house, full of happy people, where my guests and family feel welcome and that no one will have a stroke if something spills, somebody pukes (my good friend has children that spontaneously vomit) or heaven forbid something gets moved out of place.

Gone are my ideas of a Pottery Barn Kids room for my girls...it's Trailer Park Trash to Treasure for us all the way!  We don't have a lot of money, but I'll be dammed if I am going to waste it on matching furniture and coordinating storage bins that the kids are never going use anyway...I'd rather get year long passes for the zoo...

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Cleaning up the house...ADD style

I just can't help it...it's what I do...

I start to clean a room, find something that goes in another room, go to deliver said item and the next thing you know...I am cleaning THAT room...only to find something that needs to go upstairs...and you guessed it...go start cleaning upstairs...

I shutter to think of what would happen if shiny objects start having the same effect on me...

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Viva la Staycation...

We did this last spring in our little town and we are going to do it again this year : )

We have a facility with 7 man made lakes and on the last one there are 7 waterfront cabins and 3 that actually float in the water...we snagged 2 of the 3 floating cabins last year and this year we managed to snag all three!!!!  So now we have the entire floating dock to ourselves : )

The cabins are AWESOME!  They have a small bedroom with a queen size bed, full closet build in dresser and 19" flat screen t.v.  A full size bathroom with full size shower and build in storage shelves for all the luggage, towels, extras.  The kitchen has full size fridge, microwave, stove top, toaster, coffee maker and they supply pots and pans and plastic cups & utensils, paper plates, paper towels, dish soap, sponge, cutting board,etc.  The couch flips out to a bed, there is a small round table with 2 chairs in the "living room" and a 26" flat screen t.v. with a dvd player in it.  The back patio where you enter the cabin has a full size patio table with large chairs, full size grill with propane filled up and a little deck box you can sit on...it has the life jackets inside - yes!  Life jackets - because...each floating cabin has it's own personal peddle boat moored to the back : )

I love it!

It's like camping, which we love to do - but with a shower, tv and peddle boat!!!

I feel like we brought more crap that we do when we tent camp, but I figure out it's just different crap...I don't have to bring the tent, sleeping bags and cooking stuff, but we do have to bring towels and sheets.  and we get to bring ice cream : )

It is a little get-a-way in the middle of suburbia, but it's nice to get away without the huge price tag...and it has a shower!






Thursday, January 26, 2012

If at first you don't succeed...

I am trying...to stay focused AND motivated...

The MASSIVE purge continues - I haven't been able to get to the downstairs craft closet yet...

But, I have  :

Cleaned out a 55 gallon trash bag FULL of stuff from the girl's rooms to be donated to thrift store - yes, you read that right!  It's one of those industrial strength black trash bags - you know the kind that when you see them pull one out in a movie - that someone is going to end up chopped up and put inside?!  They got rid of clothes, shoes, toys, puzzles, stuffed animals, dress up clothes, My Little Pony figures, ETC.!!!!1
So PROUD of them.  Usually little sister just wants to move big sister's stuff into her own room, but this time she was the main one to donate : )

Went thru most of my closet - I can now walk in it again : )

Sorted out paperwork/bill files for the new year and can actually GET TO THEM!!!  A key factor that has jacked me up before.

Went thru the kitchen cabinets and got rid of mismatched or unused plastic storage containers and gadgets that I don't use.  Although I did hold on to the bundt pan even tho I have never made a bundt cake...it's good to have goals...I am a pretty big baker, but mostly cookies and bars - cakes and pies are not exactly my gig...yet...

My main purpose/goal here is to be more realistic in exactly how much shit we own...I am done trying to cram 10 pounds of shit in my 5 pound bag...trying to get it down to around 7 pounds of shit...I live in southern California - I am not getting a bigger "bag" anytime soon : ( 

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

New CAR!!!!!!!!!

Just brought home my new (for me) car : )

An 08 Honda Pilot - pics tomorrow Mys ; )

Monday, January 16, 2012

F-M-Car....

So, it's official - I'm screwed...the verdict on my car running hot...partially blown head gasket...the price to fix...$1,300 (+$1,000 of other stuff i had been putting off) the value of my 1997 CRV with 170,000...$2,800 :(

Sooooo looks like I am in the market for a slightly used car, low mileage and low price...the car I want?!  A Honda Pilot...the chance of me finding one I can afford?!  Slim, but not impossible...

Not only had I not had a car payment in about 8 years, my car insurance and registration will go up considerably...and thanks to the morons in control of CA's government, they are trying to make up for a lot of the state's $ shortfall by increasing THE SHIT out of car registration and smog requirements - BOOO!!!  HISS!!!!

The semi good news is that my mechanic, who also buys cars at aution will give me $1,500 for mine in the condition it is in, I have a little bit of money in the bank and I do have my part time job...

But it just sucks that when things got a little easier and the financial noose not soooo tight...something's gotta break...oh well, beats walking...

Friday, January 13, 2012

Waiting for the 5 year old's "light bulb" moment

So she starts being "bratty"...screaming at her sister...went from playing to screaming...no argument, no friction, just didn't get what she wanted and SCREAM!!!!!  So, I sent her to her room where I can hear her lamenting about how she's having a bad day, she has the worst sister ever, how I must hate her...not really realizing that HER behavior got her sent to her room OR that the minute she can keep it under control and her mouth shut...she can come out...She did come out earlier...immediately went to her sister and whispered "It's your fault" and got sent right back to her room...

Can't wait until she's a teenager...better start stocking up on prozac, Guinness and adult diapers now...

I may not make it folks...

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Woulda, coulda, shoulda...time for a change

Yep, it's time

Monumental purge time...

All those crafts I said I was going to do...all those ideas I was going to copy...all those projects I was going to finish when I had more time...all those things I said I would find a place for-later...all those clothes that I said I would get back into one day (seriously...black velvet cigarette pants...even if I could...I wouldn't)...

It's time to say goodbye...

You have been a part of my life for so long you have become a part of my family, but it is time for you to move on...fly out of the nest and go make a home of your own (via the local thrift store)

I must go now and say goodbye...and call the salvation Army for a pick-up for Friday...gotta move fast...1st stop - Master Bedroom : )

Saturday, January 7, 2012

If at first you don't succeed...

I tried posting earlier in the week and hit some wrong thing on the keyboard and "poof" all gone...just ...like...that   : (

So my resolutions, the encounter with the live rat and other fun stories will just have to wait...

Today I have a barfy baby that needs mommy snuggle time and a mommy that is supposed to be cleaning her room...decisions, decisions...back to bed with my baby : )

Monday, January 2, 2012

Back home where I belong :)

After being gone for 2 weeks and having a quite eventful trip back home I am ready to face 2012...later..

First I need to unpack, take down all the Christmas decorations and find new homes for all of our new stuff...but first...after a hard morning of getting kids off to school and hitting the stores for some food...I really, really, really need to play some bubble burst on my new nook tablet before I pick up the kids ; )