If you haven't heard, there's a site called Swagbucks where you can earn FREE Amazon gift cards for searching the web, taking surveys, watching videos and doing short tasks. You can earn as quickly as you like, or you can just use it as your search engine to let your points accumulate over time. I just redeemed points for another $25 Amazon gift card, so I thought it was a great time to post a reminder about this fantastic site.
I've earned hundreds of dollars of Amazon gift cards and I don't do any of the surveys or other little tasks (because who has time for that?) Best of all, it's FREE to join! You've literally got nothing to lose. Just sign up, install the search feature so your search engine defaults to Swagbucks and you'll be good to go.
If you use my referral link to say thanks for telling you about Swagbucks, I'll get a little bonus when you sign up. :-)
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Hurricane Preparedness Guide
Hurricane season is officially here and the National Weather Service is going nuts trying to remind people via social media to have a plan and get prepared BEFORE there's a storm on the horizon. Forecasts for this year call for an above-average season, so I thought it would be a good idea to share basic preparedness tips.
1.) Have important phone numbers and account numbers handy.
1.) Have important phone numbers and account numbers handy.
- Electric company (+ account number)
- Car insurance company (+ account number)
- Home insurance company (+ account number)
- Gas company (+ account number)
- Non-emergency police
- Doctor's office
- Important family & close friends (in case your phone is damaged)
You can store all of these numbers on a single sheet of paper in a zip-lock bag somewhere that's easy to get to.
2.) Have important documents in a water-tight location.
I keep important documents with my list of phone numbers in a water-tight zip-lock bag.
- Birth certificates
- Insurance policies
- Social Security cards
3.) Gather supplies
- Water
- Non-perishable food (include items you can heat and items that don't need to be heated)
- Sanitary items (hand sanitizer, feminine products, Clorox wipes)
- Dishwashing supplies (plastic tub, dish detergent, sponge)
- Paper supplies (paper towels, napkins, paper plates, plastic silverware)
- First Aid kit (or at least some Neosporin and bandaids)
- Flashlights and extra batteries
- Hurricane lamps and oil
- Cash (if card readers go down, you'll only be able to use cash to get gas or other necessities.)
If you plan right, these are all supplies that you can keep in your normal rotation and use year-round. I like to consult my supplies list as soon as I hear that a hurricane *might* come our way and re-stock or refresh as needed. Usually, all I have to do is grab a couple extra gallons of water and an extra box of bandaids. Because hurricanes don't usually level homes where we live, I don't worry about making my kit mobile, but I would if a big enough storm were expected or if I lived in a location like Florida that gets hit much harder.
4.) Have a plan
4.) Have a plan
Since everyone is usually home from school or work when they're predicting a hurricane, our plan doesn't involve a meeting place, BUT we do have a plan for the 24 hours leading up to the hurricane.
- Turn up the fridge and freezers - this way, if the power goes out, we won't have to worry about food spoiling as quickly
- Make extra ice - Any available space in the freezer gets filled with ice
- Double check supplies & documents
- Get cash if needed
- Charge ALL electronics
- Wash laundry and dishes - because if the power goes out, it might be a while until you can use your washing machine or dish washer.
That's our basic hurricane guide. Is there anything I missed that you do to get ready for a storm?
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Missed Opportunity
I had a client on Fiverr decide they didn't like an article I wrote for them. After going back and forth with a revision, I knew they wouldn't be satisfied with anything I wrote because what they want and what they need (per their requirements) were 2 different things. Plus, their requirements totaled 670 words when my gig only offered 400 and yes, they only ordered 1 gig. Fiverr takes $1 in commission and I was already in this about 2 hours with all of their instructions and revisions. Not worth it.
So, I'm posting what I wrote for them here, so they can't use it. It's what I do... because, Google.
Here it is:
So, I'm posting what I wrote for them here, so they can't use it. It's what I do... because, Google.
Here it is:
Why You Should Consider Solar
Solar Energy is the future of the world. It’s an affordable and renewable way to meet your home’s electricity requirements using the abundant energy from the sun. In order to capture this free energy, a series of solar panels are installed on your home’s roof. These panels collect energy from sunlight and transform it into the type used in your home. It’s simple, efficient and good for the environment.
Environmental Impacts
Traditionally, fossil fuels have been used to generate power for homes and businesses. Huge plants that burn coal or natural gas are located in cities and towns throughout the country. These plants produce an enormous amount of air pollution. Even getting the fossil fuels in order to burn them is a dangerous and lengthy process that results in pollution, degradation of the environment and more.
Unlike fossil fuels, solar energy is environmentally friendly. The panels are mounted on the roofs of existing homes or on the ground in a sunny location. The panels produce no pollution and won’t contaminate rainwater. They can be used in any environment, even ones where snow is common. There is no drilling or tracking required to produce the energy and there are no impacts on local fauna or flora. The clean and renewable energy source will not contribute to global warming or other environmental concerns. It’s the perfect energy source.
How it Works
Solar panels work by using a system of lenses and mirrors to collect and focus sunlight into a concentrated beam. The beam of light is then converted into electricity using a photovoltaic effect. The electricity generated then powers your home.
Solar panels are made of manmade materials, often including a combination plastic and metal components. The panels have integrated glass lenses and mirrors that are used to collect and focus the energy from the sun.
Solar panels are made of manmade materials, often including a combination plastic and metal components. The panels have integrated glass lenses and mirrors that are used to collect and focus the energy from the sun.
One of the key components of a solar panel is the inverter. The inverter is a small box that converts the concentrated beam of energy from the sun into the type of electricity that is used in homes. The energy produced then passes through a utility meter which records the amount of energy generated. The utility meter may be the one already installed on your home, but it will run in reverse when the panels are generating electricity. Most home solar panel systems will generate enough power to significantly reduce electricity bills or even generate a credit during the summer or during daylight hours when sunlight is abundant and usage is lower.
When you install solar panels on your home, you’ll still be connected to your electric provider through the energy grid, so you’ll always have power. However, using electricity will be more enjoyable because you’ll be saving money and saving the environment.
How to Get Solar Energy
Interested in learning more? Just fill out the form below - it’s quick, easy and free. We’ll take the information you provide and find you the best solar provider for your needs. That solar provider will come to your home to assess your roof’s angle, location and area. Then they’ll design a plan that will meet your home’s unique needs. Solar panel installation is always free using our partnered providers. Once your panels are installed, you’ll get to enjoy affordable, clean energy while saving money on your utility bills. Don’t wait another minute - find out how you can save money and the environment by looking into solar.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Fitting it All in - Finding a System that Works
Given that I'm pretty insanely busy this week, I thought a post about prioritizing would be appropriate. I was pretty much feeling like a failure last night because I didn't get everything crossed off of my to-do list and I'm chronically behind with work and cleaning.
So I looked at my planner this morning - REALLY looked at it and I realized something: there's no way a single person can get all of this done. I actually would need 3 people to do everything on my list, so leaving 3 or 4 items undone at the end of the day isn't that bad.
Instead of focusing on getting it all done, I need to prioritize so I get the bigger, more important things done and can feel accomplished. I'm not the best at scanning through a list and picking out what's important every time I glance at it. The list itself seems to fluster me because it's so long and there's so many things unchecked on it.
So, I bought a package of highlighters in 3 colors. Yellow for priority work assignments, blue for priority volunteer work and pink for priority personal/home/cleaning tasks (this is how I divide my planner - work, home and volunteer).
I'll highlight 1 item per day and as long as that 1 item is done, I'll call it a win. If I have 2 priority items in 1 category, I will have to choose which one is the most important.
I tried this tactic today and... failed miserably. I didn't do the "priority" task first like I'd been planning. Mostly because the priority task for work will take me about 8 hours and requires my son to be napping so I can focus on it.
So I'm curious - how do you stay focused? How do you keep everything on track? I tried the household binder and found it was too bulky to be useful. I'd love something that I can hang in the hallway or carry with me. A 5x7 planner is the perfect size for portability, but doesn't have enough room each day for everything that needs to get done. I also hate having multiple lists... paper clutter irritates me. I have tried various planner apps (free ones, of course) and found them all lacking.
I'm open to anything - so let me know what works for you!
Sister-In-Law Update
I scanned my blog to see what I have written about in the past and I noticed a definite trend - my sister-in-law provides quite a bit of fodder. So, I thought it would be high time to offer an update on how the little tramp dear is impacting the family dynamics.
She's still nuts.
That about sums things up... I mean, I haven't talked to her in nearly a year. In January she blocked my phone, Facebook and anything else she could think of. I sent around a family newsletter and had no way of contacting her, so their family didn't get it. Her husband was ticked and I explained that I couldn't contact his wife and that I was sending it to the women.
Radio silence.
My mother-in-law jumped in at that point - baby boy can't get his feelings hurt after all. Bow down to his wife and kiss her ass like everyone else has for the past 7 years she said. No... no, that doesn't seem like fun at all. I've done that and it doesn't really help - it takes effort and quite frankly, she's not worth it. She has treated the whole family like shit (or at least those of us that don't have anything to give her, like land or money or whatever) and I've had enough of it.
So my husband and I finally decided we were done dealing with her. Done dealing with everyone that's enabling her. Just done in general. We opted out of birthdays, graduation parties and anything else she would be at. There's no point in going since we didn't want to watch the sickening display of everyone acting like she's a fucking saint while she's ignoring us for absolutely no reason.
I literally mean that. You can speak to this woman and she will turn her head the other way as if you simply aren't there. People witness this and continue to talk to her like she has done absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, because for her, that's not unordinary. If they address her behavior, she turns the crazy on them. Her degree of crazy can vary... she once slashed my mother-in-law's tires, but we're supposed to act like that never happened because she gave birth to someone's children and said they were my brother-in-law's.
Now, nobody gave a rats ass that this was going on until recently. My mother-in-law said it was between them and us and she was staying out of it. She had 900 reasons why she couldn't ask what their problem was. My husband tried reaching out to his brother early on and got nothing but silence. It was not in her best interest to ask, so she didn't.
Now it's the holidays and my mother-in-law wants to have a big happy family around her dining room table (which is like a 4-person table, but I digress) and she is suddenly upset that we aren't going to her events. She knew this is what was going to happen. She knew we couldn't get in touch with them and she refused to say anything to them. Like always, she refuses to address the behavior if it's them because (and this was her reasoning, not mine) if she says anything to them about the way they act, they keep her from seeing the grandkids.
It's disgusting. The way they act and the way she enables them. I am ashamed to be related to these people through marriage. It's really pushing me to find a way to move my family away from this jolly band of assholes. We don't go to events now and I figure 1,000 miles between us will at least keep the invitations from being issued so I don't have to decline and then listen to my mother-in-law rant and rave.
She's still nuts.
That about sums things up... I mean, I haven't talked to her in nearly a year. In January she blocked my phone, Facebook and anything else she could think of. I sent around a family newsletter and had no way of contacting her, so their family didn't get it. Her husband was ticked and I explained that I couldn't contact his wife and that I was sending it to the women.
Radio silence.
My mother-in-law jumped in at that point - baby boy can't get his feelings hurt after all. Bow down to his wife and kiss her ass like everyone else has for the past 7 years she said. No... no, that doesn't seem like fun at all. I've done that and it doesn't really help - it takes effort and quite frankly, she's not worth it. She has treated the whole family like shit (or at least those of us that don't have anything to give her, like land or money or whatever) and I've had enough of it.
So my husband and I finally decided we were done dealing with her. Done dealing with everyone that's enabling her. Just done in general. We opted out of birthdays, graduation parties and anything else she would be at. There's no point in going since we didn't want to watch the sickening display of everyone acting like she's a fucking saint while she's ignoring us for absolutely no reason.
I literally mean that. You can speak to this woman and she will turn her head the other way as if you simply aren't there. People witness this and continue to talk to her like she has done absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, because for her, that's not unordinary. If they address her behavior, she turns the crazy on them. Her degree of crazy can vary... she once slashed my mother-in-law's tires, but we're supposed to act like that never happened because she gave birth to someone's children and said they were my brother-in-law's.
Now, nobody gave a rats ass that this was going on until recently. My mother-in-law said it was between them and us and she was staying out of it. She had 900 reasons why she couldn't ask what their problem was. My husband tried reaching out to his brother early on and got nothing but silence. It was not in her best interest to ask, so she didn't.
Now it's the holidays and my mother-in-law wants to have a big happy family around her dining room table (which is like a 4-person table, but I digress) and she is suddenly upset that we aren't going to her events. She knew this is what was going to happen. She knew we couldn't get in touch with them and she refused to say anything to them. Like always, she refuses to address the behavior if it's them because (and this was her reasoning, not mine) if she says anything to them about the way they act, they keep her from seeing the grandkids.
It's disgusting. The way they act and the way she enables them. I am ashamed to be related to these people through marriage. It's really pushing me to find a way to move my family away from this jolly band of assholes. We don't go to events now and I figure 1,000 miles between us will at least keep the invitations from being issued so I don't have to decline and then listen to my mother-in-law rant and rave.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Shocked to See Visitors!
I posted a blog for the first time in a while on my other site - Mommas Madness - and randomly thought I'd log into Blogger to see if my blog here was still alive.
I was SHOCKED to see 18 page views today! SHOCKED!
So it got me thinking - which site has more visibility? I have more followers on Wordpress (because I have none on Blogger), so which site should I focus on? I don't have the time to create 2 separate blog posts a day. Does anyone maintain 2 blogs and post the same spiel to both? I thought about doing that to maximize exposure. :-)
Thoughts? Hope? Love for my blog? Leave a comment if you read this - I could use some encouragement!
I was SHOCKED to see 18 page views today! SHOCKED!
So it got me thinking - which site has more visibility? I have more followers on Wordpress (because I have none on Blogger), so which site should I focus on? I don't have the time to create 2 separate blog posts a day. Does anyone maintain 2 blogs and post the same spiel to both? I thought about doing that to maximize exposure. :-)
Thoughts? Hope? Love for my blog? Leave a comment if you read this - I could use some encouragement!
Friday, May 29, 2015
Neighbor From Hell: Year 3
Well, we had about a year off from the drama with the jack-ass next door. Today, he called in a team of landscapers with little bobcats to come tear out MORE of our trees and knock down our deer fence.
Mother. Fucker.
So now I'm torn between calling the cops, knowing they've done nothing in the past about the situation, and calling the landscaping company to demand they replace the fence, or be taken to court.
I'm so mad right now, I want to seriously go paint pictures of giant dicks on the side of MY fence facing his house.
Has anyone been in this situation? What do you do when the neighbor continuously (and randomly) removes your fence from your own property because he thinks it's his or too close to his or just because he feels like being a dick? Like I said before - we've called the cops in the past and they said it was a civil matter and they couldn't help. The last thing I knew, STEALING and VANDALIZING were things cops could deal with. Guess I'm wrong??
Mother. Fucker.
So now I'm torn between calling the cops, knowing they've done nothing in the past about the situation, and calling the landscaping company to demand they replace the fence, or be taken to court.
I'm so mad right now, I want to seriously go paint pictures of giant dicks on the side of MY fence facing his house.
Has anyone been in this situation? What do you do when the neighbor continuously (and randomly) removes your fence from your own property because he thinks it's his or too close to his or just because he feels like being a dick? Like I said before - we've called the cops in the past and they said it was a civil matter and they couldn't help. The last thing I knew, STEALING and VANDALIZING were things cops could deal with. Guess I'm wrong??
Monday, May 4, 2015
Homesteading 101: Adding to Our Flock
It has been a busy couple of weeks around here. The weather finally
warmed up, so we've been spending more time outside, working on the
garden and putting up a deer fence around the back. We're hoping the
deer fence keeps the deer out and the chickens in. Ideally, that would
all result in fewer ticks too.
Besides chores, chores and more chores, we have also taken the time to add to the flock. Starting out, we had a 2 buff orpingtons (1 is a roo), 2 barred rocks and an Easter egger. We hatched out a buff/EE baby, using an egg from a hen that had died. Here's the baby today:
HE is a crazy looking chicken. Yes, you read that right - little lucky is a boy. Another rooster. Fortunately, we got lucky some lady friends the day after he was born. We got a Wellsummer and 2 Easter Eggers. We got one dark and one light EE. You can see the tail of the light one in the picture above. The dark Easter Egger is starting to look like a boy. We're really striking out with that.
We went the retail route, and in MA you have to buy 6 chicks. The store let us put off buying the other 3 until a different breed came in. When they got more chicks, we went back to get the other 3 that we had to buy. We got 2 buttercups and 1 Blue Andalusian. (1 buttercup and 1 Blue Andalusian shown above)
The Blue Andalusian has never really wanted to be a part of the flock. The little loner pretty much hangs out on her own while the buttercups go off and play with the bigger hens.
Shortly after that, my husband started saying he really wanted a red chicken. I found a post on Craigslist from a lady selling 5-week old chicks. We picked up a NH Red, a Delaware and a brown leghorn. The Delaware was my pick and the other 2 were my husbands. Apparently the brown leghorn will be an egg laying machine, so that's looking good for my little egg business that I have going on the side.
So that brings us up to 15 chickens, 3 of which may be males. Well, 1 is definitely a male, but the other 2 are only potentials. It's fun to watch the chickens peck around the yard and interact with one another. Their personalities are really starting to come out. I'll post an update with pictures when the babies are old enough to do something other than huddle in the corner.
Originally posted at: mommasmadness.wordpress.com
Besides chores, chores and more chores, we have also taken the time to add to the flock. Starting out, we had a 2 buff orpingtons (1 is a roo), 2 barred rocks and an Easter egger. We hatched out a buff/EE baby, using an egg from a hen that had died. Here's the baby today:
HE is a crazy looking chicken. Yes, you read that right - little lucky is a boy. Another rooster. Fortunately, we got lucky some lady friends the day after he was born. We got a Wellsummer and 2 Easter Eggers. We got one dark and one light EE. You can see the tail of the light one in the picture above. The dark Easter Egger is starting to look like a boy. We're really striking out with that.
We went the retail route, and in MA you have to buy 6 chicks. The store let us put off buying the other 3 until a different breed came in. When they got more chicks, we went back to get the other 3 that we had to buy. We got 2 buttercups and 1 Blue Andalusian. (1 buttercup and 1 Blue Andalusian shown above)
The Blue Andalusian has never really wanted to be a part of the flock. The little loner pretty much hangs out on her own while the buttercups go off and play with the bigger hens.
Shortly after that, my husband started saying he really wanted a red chicken. I found a post on Craigslist from a lady selling 5-week old chicks. We picked up a NH Red, a Delaware and a brown leghorn. The Delaware was my pick and the other 2 were my husbands. Apparently the brown leghorn will be an egg laying machine, so that's looking good for my little egg business that I have going on the side.
So that brings us up to 15 chickens, 3 of which may be males. Well, 1 is definitely a male, but the other 2 are only potentials. It's fun to watch the chickens peck around the yard and interact with one another. Their personalities are really starting to come out. I'll post an update with pictures when the babies are old enough to do something other than huddle in the corner.
Originally posted at: mommasmadness.wordpress.com
Monday, January 12, 2015
Why You Should Be Thankful For Your Sister-In-Law
A new year, a new post about my sister-in-law.
Honestly, I don't know what her problem is. Years ago she explained that her ongoing animosity was because I had gotten pregnant at the same time as her and she felt that I "stole her thunder" since everyone was happy for me and saddened for her.
Granted, I was 24, a college graduate, employed, married and a home owner. My husband was employed too and he was happy about the pregnancy.
She was 18, a high school graduate, unemployed, unmarried and living with her boyfriend's parents (my in-laws). Her boyfriend was also unemployed and wanted her to get an abortion.
So as you can see, the circumstances were really different. I tried explaining that to her when she accused me of basically ruining her life way back when. She honestly doesn't see why the reactions were completely different. That's a different story though.
Back to today - for the last couple of years, she and I have had pretty much no contact. We see each other a handful of times each year at family gatherings at my mother-in-law's house. While there, we don't talk to one another, we don't look at one another and if I walk into the same room as her, she immediately either turns her back or gets up and leaves. She will sit at the opposite end of the table as me if we are celebrating a birthday at a restaurant and she does not acknowledge my children.
Speaking of family gatherings, the end of last year was crazy. My MIL had something planned literally every 2 weeks for the last 3 months of the year. Besides that being over kill, she lives 1.5 hours away. So, in an effort to subtly start changing things, I put together a family newsletter. The newsletter outlines the holidays and what our plans are. I circulated it to the family via email. I texted everyone asking for email addresses if I didn't already have one. That included my SIL and BIL.
Surprise, surprise, they never got back to me. In fact, the text message never showed as being "read" either. A minimal amount of detective work later, and I figured out that they had blocked my phone number. So, I never sent them the newsletter.
Of course, they heard about the newsletter from other people in the family. My BIL actually had the balls to whine to my MIL about how they never got the newsletter. Awesome. So, my MIL texted me and wanted me to send it to him - she supplied the email address.
I said no! They blocked my phone number, so clearly they don't want anything to do with me and by extension, my family. They had the option of unblocking me, talking to me like a human and requesting a copy of the newsletter, but they declined. My MIL was also under the impression that I'd be sending them mean emails (which has never happened, by the way), so we suggested they set up an alternate email address. That too was unacceptable. So, I declined to send them the newsletter.
Ironic isn't it that they can exclude me and think nothing of it, but the minute I exclude them they get all butt-hurt and call my MIL.
So at the risk of ending this suddenly, I just want to say that no matter who your sister-in-law is, just be glad you didn't get saddled with mine. The woman is nuts and cannot function in normal society.
Honestly, I don't know what her problem is. Years ago she explained that her ongoing animosity was because I had gotten pregnant at the same time as her and she felt that I "stole her thunder" since everyone was happy for me and saddened for her.
Granted, I was 24, a college graduate, employed, married and a home owner. My husband was employed too and he was happy about the pregnancy.
She was 18, a high school graduate, unemployed, unmarried and living with her boyfriend's parents (my in-laws). Her boyfriend was also unemployed and wanted her to get an abortion.
So as you can see, the circumstances were really different. I tried explaining that to her when she accused me of basically ruining her life way back when. She honestly doesn't see why the reactions were completely different. That's a different story though.
Back to today - for the last couple of years, she and I have had pretty much no contact. We see each other a handful of times each year at family gatherings at my mother-in-law's house. While there, we don't talk to one another, we don't look at one another and if I walk into the same room as her, she immediately either turns her back or gets up and leaves. She will sit at the opposite end of the table as me if we are celebrating a birthday at a restaurant and she does not acknowledge my children.
Speaking of family gatherings, the end of last year was crazy. My MIL had something planned literally every 2 weeks for the last 3 months of the year. Besides that being over kill, she lives 1.5 hours away. So, in an effort to subtly start changing things, I put together a family newsletter. The newsletter outlines the holidays and what our plans are. I circulated it to the family via email. I texted everyone asking for email addresses if I didn't already have one. That included my SIL and BIL.
Surprise, surprise, they never got back to me. In fact, the text message never showed as being "read" either. A minimal amount of detective work later, and I figured out that they had blocked my phone number. So, I never sent them the newsletter.
Of course, they heard about the newsletter from other people in the family. My BIL actually had the balls to whine to my MIL about how they never got the newsletter. Awesome. So, my MIL texted me and wanted me to send it to him - she supplied the email address.
I said no! They blocked my phone number, so clearly they don't want anything to do with me and by extension, my family. They had the option of unblocking me, talking to me like a human and requesting a copy of the newsletter, but they declined. My MIL was also under the impression that I'd be sending them mean emails (which has never happened, by the way), so we suggested they set up an alternate email address. That too was unacceptable. So, I declined to send them the newsletter.
Ironic isn't it that they can exclude me and think nothing of it, but the minute I exclude them they get all butt-hurt and call my MIL.
So at the risk of ending this suddenly, I just want to say that no matter who your sister-in-law is, just be glad you didn't get saddled with mine. The woman is nuts and cannot function in normal society.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Where Did I Go?
If there are any loyal readers out there, you may be wondering where I went.
I'm working on transitioning over to Wordpress. You can find my new site - Mommas Madness - right here: https://mommasmadness.wordpress.com/
You'll notice the new site has a focus on cleaning, cooking and basically all things homemaking-related. I hope you'll follow me over and join me at the new site!
XOXO
I'm working on transitioning over to Wordpress. You can find my new site - Mommas Madness - right here: https://mommasmadness.wordpress.com/
You'll notice the new site has a focus on cleaning, cooking and basically all things homemaking-related. I hope you'll follow me over and join me at the new site!
XOXO
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Handling the Holidays
If you've been following my blog, you already know just how much I hate December. It's not the holidays that bother me per say, but rather the obligatory travel, family gatherings and gift-giving to everyone under the sun. It takes the fun out of Christmas and is robbing my kids of the types of memories I had growing up.
No more!
For 2015, I'm changing things up. I've created a "family newlsetter" which is basically a nice way to say f-you to my inlaws and their overbearing ways. I'm giving everyone a quick year-in-review so they feel warm and tingly, then laying down the law.
In my newsletter I'm laying out all of the holidays for the next 6 months and what our plans are. I'm picking weekends for birthday parties and gathering email addresses for evites. No more paper invitations. No more "I didn't know" or "we didn't get ours". Bull! Also out is the tradition of attending 3 Christmas parties every year. I'll throw one and we'll celebrate with whoever comes, otherwise, see you in 2016! If people don't want come up here, that's fine, but I'm sick of going everywhere else for every holiday.
Have you ever put your foot down and told your mother-in-law it's time to pass on the party reins? I'm nervous about how she'll react, but at the same time, I feel FREE from all of the crazy obligations we've been dealing with and it's great. Every year new parties were added to our queue until this year, it just got to be too much. No more!
Wish me luck - I'm emailing out my not-so-subtle family newsletter tomorrow. :-)
No more!
For 2015, I'm changing things up. I've created a "family newlsetter" which is basically a nice way to say f-you to my inlaws and their overbearing ways. I'm giving everyone a quick year-in-review so they feel warm and tingly, then laying down the law.
In my newsletter I'm laying out all of the holidays for the next 6 months and what our plans are. I'm picking weekends for birthday parties and gathering email addresses for evites. No more paper invitations. No more "I didn't know" or "we didn't get ours". Bull! Also out is the tradition of attending 3 Christmas parties every year. I'll throw one and we'll celebrate with whoever comes, otherwise, see you in 2016! If people don't want come up here, that's fine, but I'm sick of going everywhere else for every holiday.
Have you ever put your foot down and told your mother-in-law it's time to pass on the party reins? I'm nervous about how she'll react, but at the same time, I feel FREE from all of the crazy obligations we've been dealing with and it's great. Every year new parties were added to our queue until this year, it just got to be too much. No more!
Wish me luck - I'm emailing out my not-so-subtle family newsletter tomorrow. :-)
Friday, December 19, 2014
Busy Busy!
Sorry that I've been slacking off on my posting. This is the end of the year, and as usual, it's my busy time. So, I've been around, but I've been working rather than updating my blog. On top of that, it has been crazy holiday party season around here, so I've had to cram all of my work into the week while we travel on the weekends. Chaos at its finest.
This weekend we're spending some time at home. It's the beginning of my husband's vacation time for the holidays and we don't have any commitments. It took a lot of finagling to get that to happen, but we did it! We're going to bake cookies and watch movies... but of course I'll have to work.
Actually, I took another assignment at the last minute, which is why I won't get to relax with my husband during his 2 weeks off. But this assignment was worth $300 and we have a lot of bills to pay, so I took it. No matter how much money I make, it seems like it's never enough. Story of my life, I guess.
Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know where I've been lately and where I'll be the next couple of weeks.
If I'm not on here before the holidays, Merry Christmas!
This weekend we're spending some time at home. It's the beginning of my husband's vacation time for the holidays and we don't have any commitments. It took a lot of finagling to get that to happen, but we did it! We're going to bake cookies and watch movies... but of course I'll have to work.
Actually, I took another assignment at the last minute, which is why I won't get to relax with my husband during his 2 weeks off. But this assignment was worth $300 and we have a lot of bills to pay, so I took it. No matter how much money I make, it seems like it's never enough. Story of my life, I guess.
Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know where I've been lately and where I'll be the next couple of weeks.
If I'm not on here before the holidays, Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Finacea Review - The Beginning
Well guys, I finally did it. I went and saw a dermatologist about my rosacea. I've been suffering for a little over a year now. It began when I was pregnant with my youngest and soon it spread to envelope my entire face. My eyes are red rimmed and I look like a prepubescent teenager that never showers, but manages to find time to smoke a lot of crack. It's a good look - really it is.
I'm so sick of being red and bumpy with red-rimmed eyes all the time. I made an appointment in September to see the dermatologist and my appointment just came up (thanks, universal healthcare... that should have been my sarcasm font, if you didn't catch that). Thankfully, she was really nice.
Unfortunately, there's not a lot of things I can use because I'm still nursing my 8-month old. The dermatologist did tell me about 1 product that's "probably safe", but relatively untested in nursing mothers. It's called Finacea.
Now, Finacea is considered class B in the 2nd and 3rd term of pregnancy, with no ill effects on the developing baby, so I figured it's probably pretty safe for nursing. I said to go ahead and send the Rx over.
With my insurance, it would be a $30 copay to get it. That was pretty steep because I'm not used to spending that kind of money on facial care products. Maybe that's why my rosacea is so bad? Who knows. I went over to the manufacturer's website for reviews to see how it worked before I spent that kind of money and I wound up finding a coupon good for $30 off your first 4 prescriptions! With the coupon, my cost is $0!
So now I get to try Finacea for free for up to 4 months. I'll know by then if it's working or not, so for me it's a win all around. If it works, great and if it doesn't work, I'm not out anything.
I've used it twice now. Once last night and once this morning. After the very first application my pores shrunk and my skin was noticeably smoother. I'm not exaggerating, my husband noticed it too. My face was so rough that the change was easily detected.
I'm going to keep using the Finacea and report back periodically with my progress.
I'm so sick of being red and bumpy with red-rimmed eyes all the time. I made an appointment in September to see the dermatologist and my appointment just came up (thanks, universal healthcare... that should have been my sarcasm font, if you didn't catch that). Thankfully, she was really nice.
Unfortunately, there's not a lot of things I can use because I'm still nursing my 8-month old. The dermatologist did tell me about 1 product that's "probably safe", but relatively untested in nursing mothers. It's called Finacea.
Now, Finacea is considered class B in the 2nd and 3rd term of pregnancy, with no ill effects on the developing baby, so I figured it's probably pretty safe for nursing. I said to go ahead and send the Rx over.
With my insurance, it would be a $30 copay to get it. That was pretty steep because I'm not used to spending that kind of money on facial care products. Maybe that's why my rosacea is so bad? Who knows. I went over to the manufacturer's website for reviews to see how it worked before I spent that kind of money and I wound up finding a coupon good for $30 off your first 4 prescriptions! With the coupon, my cost is $0!
So now I get to try Finacea for free for up to 4 months. I'll know by then if it's working or not, so for me it's a win all around. If it works, great and if it doesn't work, I'm not out anything.
I've used it twice now. Once last night and once this morning. After the very first application my pores shrunk and my skin was noticeably smoother. I'm not exaggerating, my husband noticed it too. My face was so rough that the change was easily detected.
I'm going to keep using the Finacea and report back periodically with my progress.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
15 Minute Weekday Meal
We're all busy, but it seems like December is just a beast of a month for everyone. Between Christmas parties, decking the halls, shopping and wrapping gifts, it's easy to let the little things slide, like cooking dinner.
In the past 5 days, I can count the number of times we've eaten dinner before 8pm on one hand. That's not something I'm proud of, but it's a sad reality. To help bring a little bit of sanity back into my life, I decided to pick up a couple quick meal items the last time I was at the grocery store, which sadly, was 2 weeks ago now. Anyway, tonight's dinner took literally 15 minutes to make. Here's what we had:
Steak Tips with Mushrooms, Baked Potatoes and Salad
Ingredients:
1.5 pounds steak tips
3 medium to large potatoes
4 ounces fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion
1 bag of pre-washed salad
1 tomato
1/4 cup cheese cubes (leftover from another meal)
Directions:
Plug in your George Foreman grill and let it start heating up. Meanwhile, wash and prick potatoes. Place them on a plate and set in the microwave. Peel and slice the onion into thick slices. By this point, a few minutes have passed and the Foreman grill should be preheated. Spray it with some cooking spray and toss the onions on.
While the onions are cooking, season your meat. I just used garlic salt and pepper. Super easy! Make sure you get both sides. Slice up your mushrooms and toss them in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil, then turn to medium heat. All of this should only take 2 to 3 minutes.
Turn the microwave on for 10 minutes - the potatoes are already in there. Remove the onions from the Foreman grill and toss them in with the mushrooms. Put the steak tips on the grill and close it.
While the steak is cooking, slice your tomato and open your bagged salad. You'll have a couple of minutes to get a glass of wine, clean up a little or check Facebook. You could also channel your inner Martha Stewart and slice some cucumber or something for the salad or set the table. Don't forget to check on your mushrooms.
When the microwave bings, pull out the potatoes. The steak should be a lovely medium to medium-well at this point, so you can go ahead and pull that off too. The mushrooms should be done too. Let the steak rest while you put the mushrooms in a bowl. Transfer everything to the dinner table, sit down and eat. You now have a fantastic dinner in roughly 15 minutes.
In the past 5 days, I can count the number of times we've eaten dinner before 8pm on one hand. That's not something I'm proud of, but it's a sad reality. To help bring a little bit of sanity back into my life, I decided to pick up a couple quick meal items the last time I was at the grocery store, which sadly, was 2 weeks ago now. Anyway, tonight's dinner took literally 15 minutes to make. Here's what we had:
Steak Tips with Mushrooms, Baked Potatoes and Salad
Ingredients:
1.5 pounds steak tips
3 medium to large potatoes
4 ounces fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion
1 bag of pre-washed salad
1 tomato
1/4 cup cheese cubes (leftover from another meal)
Directions:
Plug in your George Foreman grill and let it start heating up. Meanwhile, wash and prick potatoes. Place them on a plate and set in the microwave. Peel and slice the onion into thick slices. By this point, a few minutes have passed and the Foreman grill should be preheated. Spray it with some cooking spray and toss the onions on.
While the onions are cooking, season your meat. I just used garlic salt and pepper. Super easy! Make sure you get both sides. Slice up your mushrooms and toss them in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil, then turn to medium heat. All of this should only take 2 to 3 minutes.
Turn the microwave on for 10 minutes - the potatoes are already in there. Remove the onions from the Foreman grill and toss them in with the mushrooms. Put the steak tips on the grill and close it.
While the steak is cooking, slice your tomato and open your bagged salad. You'll have a couple of minutes to get a glass of wine, clean up a little or check Facebook. You could also channel your inner Martha Stewart and slice some cucumber or something for the salad or set the table. Don't forget to check on your mushrooms.
When the microwave bings, pull out the potatoes. The steak should be a lovely medium to medium-well at this point, so you can go ahead and pull that off too. The mushrooms should be done too. Let the steak rest while you put the mushrooms in a bowl. Transfer everything to the dinner table, sit down and eat. You now have a fantastic dinner in roughly 15 minutes.
Friday, December 5, 2014
Nephews
This morning I've been thinking about my nephews and I hope that they'll all be safe in a couple of hours as their mother brings them out into the world to run errands, go to school and visit her friends.
It started with a yard sale site. A person was giving away a car seat, but the seat had to have been 10 to 15 years old. Someone quickly commented that they wanted it and thankfully, another mom stepped up and told her that the seat was expired and shouldn't be used.
On came the slew of people who had no idea that car seats expired.
This really shouldn't be shocking, especially not to people in my generation who have only really started having kids in the last 10 years or so. Unfortunately, it appears that expiration dates aren't the only thing confusing some parents these days. Many, like my sister-in-law, don't know or don't care which seat to use for which stage of development. So, I thought I'd post a helpful carseat guide in case there's any grandparents or young parents out there reading this:
So back to my original point, all I can do is hope they're all safe today. The way the laws are written in her state, as long as she uses a carseat, she's fine, but that doesn't make it better.
It started with a yard sale site. A person was giving away a car seat, but the seat had to have been 10 to 15 years old. Someone quickly commented that they wanted it and thankfully, another mom stepped up and told her that the seat was expired and shouldn't be used.
On came the slew of people who had no idea that car seats expired.
This really shouldn't be shocking, especially not to people in my generation who have only really started having kids in the last 10 years or so. Unfortunately, it appears that expiration dates aren't the only thing confusing some parents these days. Many, like my sister-in-law, don't know or don't care which seat to use for which stage of development. So, I thought I'd post a helpful carseat guide in case there's any grandparents or young parents out there reading this:
Obviously there's some overlap in this image and it's really super general in regards to ages and completely ignores height and weight. When moving your child to the next type of carseat, you should make sure they are of the proper height AND weight to make sure they're safe.
So what does any of this have to do with my nephews? Well, despite numerous attempts at educating her, helpful hints and pleas to family members that she speaks to, she still uses the wrong car seats out of convenience. Yes, putting a 5-point harness on all of your kids can be annoying, but it's necessary to keep them safe.
She moved each of her 3 children out of the rear facing baby bucket seat into a forward-facing car seat before the 1 year mark, sometimes well in advance by 3 or 4 months. Between 2 and 3, she switches them over to a belt-positioning high back booster seat. By 4, or whenever a younger sibling "needs" the high-back booster, they are in a backless booster.
Right about now, at least 1 person is probably saying that boys are bigger, blah blah blah. Her youngest failed to thrive and is extremely small. Her middle child also failed to thrive and is small for his age. Only her oldest did well and even he is about average for a boy. So no, I don't think that her children being male is justification for using the wrong seat.
The reason, or so I understand, is because 1.) It's easier to just connect/unconnect 1 buckle and 2.) Booster seats are narrower and fit better in the car.
Now, you may think that I'm holding her to some type of unsustainable standards or something, but I'm really not. I know, because I'm in the same boat. I have a baby under 1 who is still in an infant seat. I have a 3 year old that is in a forward-facing 5-point seat and I have a 5 year old who is also in a forward-facing 5-point seat. Would my life be easier if the 5 year old were in a belt-positioning booster? You bet. She wouldn't be safer though, so she stays where she is.
So back to my original point, all I can do is hope they're all safe today. The way the laws are written in her state, as long as she uses a carseat, she's fine, but that doesn't make it better.
Monday, November 24, 2014
Something Positive
I'm aware that a lot of my posts can be on the negative side. Usually, I review products when they're not so stellar rather than when they're awesome and any post that involves my in-laws is bound to wound up all doom and gloom.
So, just to change things up, I thought I'd post something positive.
Today, I woke up to a little gift from our relatively new kitten. We live in a house that's 65-ish years old and the back yard is heavily wooded. Mice are an issue. There's no way around it. When we first bought the house, I thought it was weird how there were so many cats in the neighbor's windows and so many cats just wandering around. Ha! Turns out it's because of all the mice. We got a cat a couple years ago, but he ran off. So, this summer we got another cat - a replacement kitty if you will. She just turned 5 months old and unfortunately, we've started seeing little "droppings" in tell-tale places that let us know we have a mouse in the house. Well, today, I woke up and went into the living room. The cat was playing, and I didn't think anything of it. My daughter woke up, went over to get the cat and SCREAMED! A mouse! A mouse! Yes, the cat was playing with a dead mouse. She had caught it and apparently played with it until it died. There were no outward signs of trauma, no mess, nothing like what we would wake up to find with our old cat.
The kitten has officially earned her keep. She's a snuggle bug and she's a great cat all around, but we were worried that she wasn't much of a mouser since we have seen evidence outside of a dead mouse for the first time in 2+ years. Today, we got confirmation that she can actually catch mice. It was a good morning.
After disposing of the body, my husband let the chickens out. One hen ran past him and deposited herself in a bush. It's pouring rain, so that was unusual. He grabbed her to put her under cover and noticed... A BLUE EGG! So, now we have 3 hens laying and 1 is laying blue eggs. It's an Easter Egger, so the egg color could have really been anything, but my husband was so hoping for blue eggs and it looks like he got it.
A blue egg and the first mouse. What a morning! My husband left for work happy, even though it is raining.
We also heard this morning that it will be SNOWING here Wednesday night into Thanksgiving. We usually travel to my parents' house for Thanksgiving, then stay the night to go black Friday shopping while they have the kids. I am just a little bit excited at the prospect of being snowed-in and having our own Thanksgiving here without the travel headaches. So, if the forecast holds, I think I'm going to push for it. My mom will be disappointed, but it has been a long year and I could really use the time off with my family. So, silver linings, right?
See - just because it's Monday doesn't mean it can't be a good day.
So, just to change things up, I thought I'd post something positive.
Today, I woke up to a little gift from our relatively new kitten. We live in a house that's 65-ish years old and the back yard is heavily wooded. Mice are an issue. There's no way around it. When we first bought the house, I thought it was weird how there were so many cats in the neighbor's windows and so many cats just wandering around. Ha! Turns out it's because of all the mice. We got a cat a couple years ago, but he ran off. So, this summer we got another cat - a replacement kitty if you will. She just turned 5 months old and unfortunately, we've started seeing little "droppings" in tell-tale places that let us know we have a mouse in the house. Well, today, I woke up and went into the living room. The cat was playing, and I didn't think anything of it. My daughter woke up, went over to get the cat and SCREAMED! A mouse! A mouse! Yes, the cat was playing with a dead mouse. She had caught it and apparently played with it until it died. There were no outward signs of trauma, no mess, nothing like what we would wake up to find with our old cat.
The kitten has officially earned her keep. She's a snuggle bug and she's a great cat all around, but we were worried that she wasn't much of a mouser since we have seen evidence outside of a dead mouse for the first time in 2+ years. Today, we got confirmation that she can actually catch mice. It was a good morning.
After disposing of the body, my husband let the chickens out. One hen ran past him and deposited herself in a bush. It's pouring rain, so that was unusual. He grabbed her to put her under cover and noticed... A BLUE EGG! So, now we have 3 hens laying and 1 is laying blue eggs. It's an Easter Egger, so the egg color could have really been anything, but my husband was so hoping for blue eggs and it looks like he got it.
A blue egg and the first mouse. What a morning! My husband left for work happy, even though it is raining.
We also heard this morning that it will be SNOWING here Wednesday night into Thanksgiving. We usually travel to my parents' house for Thanksgiving, then stay the night to go black Friday shopping while they have the kids. I am just a little bit excited at the prospect of being snowed-in and having our own Thanksgiving here without the travel headaches. So, if the forecast holds, I think I'm going to push for it. My mom will be disappointed, but it has been a long year and I could really use the time off with my family. So, silver linings, right?
See - just because it's Monday doesn't mean it can't be a good day.
Happy Holidays?
Another holiday season is upon us and while some are dreaming of turkey, gifts under the Christmas tree and made-for-TV movies, I'm firmly entrenched in seasonal family drama.
The latest tiff comes care of... you guessed it, my sister-in-law.
Lets start from the beginning, shall we? My mother-in-law hosted her annual un-Thanksgiving this past weekend. We went, with the expectation that we'd be discussing Christmas arrangements. As expected, my mother-in-law wants to include the kids of her new husband and their kids in the gift-giving extravaganza.
So, that makes a grand total of 11 adults and 8 kids - 19 people total. Fortunately, the new adult additions are just as hard-up for money as we are they quickly figured out that 19 people x $10 each = $190. My brother-in-law's psycho wife was saying we should spend "at least" $20 on each kid. I suppose that's a great thought when you have the most kids.
Anyway, we took a "majority rules" approach and decided on a Yankee swap for the adults and a name-draw for the kids. My mother-in-law and her husband opted out, saying they want to buy for everyone, so in turn everyone will buy for them. Her husband's daughter (a single, childless woman) announced that she would like to just buy gifts for her own niece and nephew, which is totally understandable. That means 8 adults and 8 kids would be participating, so each adult would buy for 1 kid.
So at least the list has been dwindled from us bringing 14 gifts to just bringing 4 gifts. Two are for the yankee swap and have a cap of $15 and 2 are for kids and also have a cap of $15. We should be able to get out for under $60. I'm actually grabbing items from my gift-closet for the adult Yankee swap, bringing the total down to $30 for that portion of the family.
My sister-in-law left furious because they had already bought gifts for the kids and apparently can't return them. They want everyone to buy for their kids too. After they left, the new portion of the family asked what my sister-in-law's problem was. I laughed. I didn't know where to begin!
Hopefully Christmas is less dramatic than it's shaping up to be so far!
The latest tiff comes care of... you guessed it, my sister-in-law.
Lets start from the beginning, shall we? My mother-in-law hosted her annual un-Thanksgiving this past weekend. We went, with the expectation that we'd be discussing Christmas arrangements. As expected, my mother-in-law wants to include the kids of her new husband and their kids in the gift-giving extravaganza.
So, that makes a grand total of 11 adults and 8 kids - 19 people total. Fortunately, the new adult additions are just as hard-up for money as we are they quickly figured out that 19 people x $10 each = $190. My brother-in-law's psycho wife was saying we should spend "at least" $20 on each kid. I suppose that's a great thought when you have the most kids.
Anyway, we took a "majority rules" approach and decided on a Yankee swap for the adults and a name-draw for the kids. My mother-in-law and her husband opted out, saying they want to buy for everyone, so in turn everyone will buy for them. Her husband's daughter (a single, childless woman) announced that she would like to just buy gifts for her own niece and nephew, which is totally understandable. That means 8 adults and 8 kids would be participating, so each adult would buy for 1 kid.
So at least the list has been dwindled from us bringing 14 gifts to just bringing 4 gifts. Two are for the yankee swap and have a cap of $15 and 2 are for kids and also have a cap of $15. We should be able to get out for under $60. I'm actually grabbing items from my gift-closet for the adult Yankee swap, bringing the total down to $30 for that portion of the family.
My sister-in-law left furious because they had already bought gifts for the kids and apparently can't return them. They want everyone to buy for their kids too. After they left, the new portion of the family asked what my sister-in-law's problem was. I laughed. I didn't know where to begin!
Hopefully Christmas is less dramatic than it's shaping up to be so far!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Another One Bites the Dust
Another day, another friend moving away.
It seems like there's some sort of mass exodus happening, with people fleeing New England like it's ground-zero for the plague.
Well, if you hate snow the way I do, I suppose it kind of is...
Anyway, one of the few moms here that I've really bonded with is moving. Her husband flew to NC, interviewed for a job and now they're packing up the kids, putting the house on the market and leaving just before Christmas.
Talk about crushing depression. My cynical side tells me this is God warning me that I should not have friends. This is God telling me to lock myself in my house and forget about making meaningful connections. Friendships take years to forge as an adult and as soon as you've connected with someone, they leave. Maybe I'm picking the wrong type of friends or maybe I'm just not where I should be in life.
I'm not a born and bred New Englander. I find the ladies that were born here, raised here and have never lived more than 10 miles from their birthplace just don't appeal to me. Their world view is too small, their stance too liberal, their cold-tolerance too high. They squeal in glee at the first snowfall while I put on a hoodie and close the blinds, willing it to stop. I'm also not a fan of the stiff, sarcastic, borderline mean sense of humor that most New Englanders have. They just aren't friendly people.
Yes, I realized I said "they". After living here for more than a decade, I still don't count myself as a New Englander. I was born and raised on the West Coast, but I don't feel like that fits me either. I'd move to the midwest in a heartbeat if I didn't have some sort of messed-up claustrophobia that makes me panic when the ocean is too far. That and it generally snows in the mid-west. Like a lot. Like maybe more than in New England. Snow = no bueno for this girl.
The American Southwest isn't my thing either. I watch too much news and I'm convinced there's just Mexican gangs running around kidnapping, raping and sometimes killing or selling like 99% of the women down there. I have female children. That's just not going to work out. I'll take endless winter over the possibility of a Mexican drug-lord selling my daughters into sex slavery, thanks.
So what does that leave? The south east coast? I have no family there, though some friends from high school live there now. Coordinating a job change, selling a house, buying a house and moving with 3 kids - 1 of which is in school now - seems like a daunting task. So far, I haven't been able to convince my husband (who is a born and bred New Englander) to do it. He'd have to take the first step in finding a new job, and thus far, it just hasn't happened. He says he's not a fan of New England, but I think he's afraid to go anywhere new. He loves to travel, but when it comes to "home" he seems to be afraid of change. Kind of funny, since I'm the opposite. I'm not big on traveling, but I seem to have the wanderlust when it comes to calling somewhere "home".
My current record for living in 1 house is 9 years. That encompasses my entire life and actually, that stretch happened as a child. We've lived in this house for 6.5 years now. The need to move is a real thing. I don't love this house and I definitely don't love this town. Thinking that it may be my longest place of residence is troubling, to say the least.
Lets hope an opportunity that's too good to pass up comes up before the 9 year mark. This can't be my longest place of residence.
It seems like there's some sort of mass exodus happening, with people fleeing New England like it's ground-zero for the plague.
Well, if you hate snow the way I do, I suppose it kind of is...
Anyway, one of the few moms here that I've really bonded with is moving. Her husband flew to NC, interviewed for a job and now they're packing up the kids, putting the house on the market and leaving just before Christmas.
Talk about crushing depression. My cynical side tells me this is God warning me that I should not have friends. This is God telling me to lock myself in my house and forget about making meaningful connections. Friendships take years to forge as an adult and as soon as you've connected with someone, they leave. Maybe I'm picking the wrong type of friends or maybe I'm just not where I should be in life.
I'm not a born and bred New Englander. I find the ladies that were born here, raised here and have never lived more than 10 miles from their birthplace just don't appeal to me. Their world view is too small, their stance too liberal, their cold-tolerance too high. They squeal in glee at the first snowfall while I put on a hoodie and close the blinds, willing it to stop. I'm also not a fan of the stiff, sarcastic, borderline mean sense of humor that most New Englanders have. They just aren't friendly people.
Yes, I realized I said "they". After living here for more than a decade, I still don't count myself as a New Englander. I was born and raised on the West Coast, but I don't feel like that fits me either. I'd move to the midwest in a heartbeat if I didn't have some sort of messed-up claustrophobia that makes me panic when the ocean is too far. That and it generally snows in the mid-west. Like a lot. Like maybe more than in New England. Snow = no bueno for this girl.
The American Southwest isn't my thing either. I watch too much news and I'm convinced there's just Mexican gangs running around kidnapping, raping and sometimes killing or selling like 99% of the women down there. I have female children. That's just not going to work out. I'll take endless winter over the possibility of a Mexican drug-lord selling my daughters into sex slavery, thanks.
So what does that leave? The south east coast? I have no family there, though some friends from high school live there now. Coordinating a job change, selling a house, buying a house and moving with 3 kids - 1 of which is in school now - seems like a daunting task. So far, I haven't been able to convince my husband (who is a born and bred New Englander) to do it. He'd have to take the first step in finding a new job, and thus far, it just hasn't happened. He says he's not a fan of New England, but I think he's afraid to go anywhere new. He loves to travel, but when it comes to "home" he seems to be afraid of change. Kind of funny, since I'm the opposite. I'm not big on traveling, but I seem to have the wanderlust when it comes to calling somewhere "home".
My current record for living in 1 house is 9 years. That encompasses my entire life and actually, that stretch happened as a child. We've lived in this house for 6.5 years now. The need to move is a real thing. I don't love this house and I definitely don't love this town. Thinking that it may be my longest place of residence is troubling, to say the least.
Lets hope an opportunity that's too good to pass up comes up before the 9 year mark. This can't be my longest place of residence.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Bah-Humbug
Well, it's that time of year. Black friday is just 2 weeks away and I'm making my annual Christmas shopping list. As I go through the names, all I can see are dollar signs. Christmas is expensive, and it's even more expensive when you're part of a large, broken, blended mess of a family like we are.
You see, my Christmas list looks something like this:
Immediate family:
spouse
3 kids
My family (4 people):
parents
brother
niece
Husband's family (23):
Dad + girlfriend
girlfriend's 2 kids
girlfriend's grand-daughter (lives with them)
husband's aunt + spouse
their 2 kids
Mom + husband
Mom's husband's son + spouse
their 2 kids
Mom's husband's daughter
middle brother + significant other
youngest brother + spouse
their 3 kids
I hate being one to put a price tag on everything and look cheap, but look at it like this, that list adds up to 27 extended family members plus my husband and our 3 kids. That's a HUGE shopping list. IF I managed to spend just $10 on each person - which isn't possible and never ever happens - we're looking at spending $270 before Santa even says his first round of ho ho ho. That's crazy!
So, I'm looking for ways to trim down Christmas costs for extended family members so I can focus on my own kids. Call me scrooge, but I'd rather take care of my kids before I worry about spending $10 on someone else's.
My mother-in-law claims it's not a huge burden, because she's just looking at the 14 people she brings to the party (19 total with us included). That's all she buys for, so that's all she thinks of.
My father-in-law doesn't think it's a burden because he only looks at the 11 people he buys for (16 counting us). He doesn't talk to my husband's youngest brother - long story - but that eliminates 5 people from his holiday shopping list.
My own parents don't think it's a burden because they only buy for 6 people (11 counting us).
My sister and I stopped exchanging gifts a while ago, though she still sends something small for each of the kids and I send something for my niece.
So for those that are part of a large, crazy extended family, how do you save on Christmas gifts? Do you do the homemade route? I need ideas!!
You see, my Christmas list looks something like this:
Immediate family:
spouse
3 kids
My family (4 people):
parents
brother
niece
Husband's family (23):
Dad + girlfriend
girlfriend's 2 kids
girlfriend's grand-daughter (lives with them)
husband's aunt + spouse
their 2 kids
Mom + husband
Mom's husband's son + spouse
their 2 kids
Mom's husband's daughter
middle brother + significant other
youngest brother + spouse
their 3 kids
I hate being one to put a price tag on everything and look cheap, but look at it like this, that list adds up to 27 extended family members plus my husband and our 3 kids. That's a HUGE shopping list. IF I managed to spend just $10 on each person - which isn't possible and never ever happens - we're looking at spending $270 before Santa even says his first round of ho ho ho. That's crazy!
So, I'm looking for ways to trim down Christmas costs for extended family members so I can focus on my own kids. Call me scrooge, but I'd rather take care of my kids before I worry about spending $10 on someone else's.
My mother-in-law claims it's not a huge burden, because she's just looking at the 14 people she brings to the party (19 total with us included). That's all she buys for, so that's all she thinks of.
My father-in-law doesn't think it's a burden because he only looks at the 11 people he buys for (16 counting us). He doesn't talk to my husband's youngest brother - long story - but that eliminates 5 people from his holiday shopping list.
My own parents don't think it's a burden because they only buy for 6 people (11 counting us).
My sister and I stopped exchanging gifts a while ago, though she still sends something small for each of the kids and I send something for my niece.
So for those that are part of a large, crazy extended family, how do you save on Christmas gifts? Do you do the homemade route? I need ideas!!
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
FREE Books
You're probably reading this post because you Googled the phrase, "FREE BOOKS", right?
Well, if you did, you're in luck.
I just heard about a program called Tyndale Rewards and it's pretty awesome. You see, Tyndale is a publisher of Christian-based books and they're making it easy for people to get books from some of their authors for free!
What's the catch? There isn't one! I'm not joking - no shipping, no handling. All you do is take a few minutes of your time to sign up to their rewards site and answer some short (like 5 questions) surveys, fill in your birthday and tell your friends.
I've gotten more than enough points to earn my first book and I've literally spent 10 minutes doing this. It's THAT easy! I'd say 10 minutes of my time is worth a free book, wouldn't you?
So go ahead and click the link, then sign up and start earning your free books today. :-)
Well, if you did, you're in luck.
I just heard about a program called Tyndale Rewards and it's pretty awesome. You see, Tyndale is a publisher of Christian-based books and they're making it easy for people to get books from some of their authors for free!
What's the catch? There isn't one! I'm not joking - no shipping, no handling. All you do is take a few minutes of your time to sign up to their rewards site and answer some short (like 5 questions) surveys, fill in your birthday and tell your friends.
I've gotten more than enough points to earn my first book and I've literally spent 10 minutes doing this. It's THAT easy! I'd say 10 minutes of my time is worth a free book, wouldn't you?
So go ahead and click the link, then sign up and start earning your free books today. :-)
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