The Glee of Three

The last few months have flown by and before I knew it, I ran out of time to make Lubbock's birthday party invitations.

Pick your jaw up off the floor!

The invitations for birthdays one and two were extremely intricate, but I had lots of fun making them. The idea I had for the third party invitation never looked as good in life as it did in my head.

After a few attempts, I gave up and turned to my favorite card website, Tiny Prints, to do the work for me. Once I admitted that I ran out of time, there was a sense of relief that took over me and planning the rest of the party was a breeze.

The plan was to load the kids up with sugar and send them home for lunch. So, I needed some fun ways of incorporating music and mayhem (or sugar).

With my dad's help, I was able to assemble a Sound Garden out of dowel rods, cowbells, and a variety of metal bake ware from Goodwill. This idea worked out even better in real life than in my head, so I was happy about that. I set out some shorter dowel rods (or drumsticks) and the kids went crazy.

I've left it up and my backyard neighbor even commented about how cheerful it looks and hasn't minded the noise a bit. You really can't make much noise with dowel rods, anyway, so I'm sure that helps! And now that the orange flowers in the bush have bloomed, it looks like it's meant to be there all along.

I set up an assortment of candy, cleverly disguised as an egg shaker making station. And I asked a friend of mine to make some beautifully decorated cookies that matched the party's colors perfectly.

I made his cake this year ... well, assembled his cake. I bought an already frosted cake from the grocery store and covered ... no ... really covered it with Mike & Ikes. It was another way to raise the sugar to minute ratio of the party.

The yellow gift baskets were a big hit. They included a few musical instruments, an egg shaker filled with chocolate, a big three-shaped cookie, and two CDs: one with Lubbock's favorite dance music and another with his favorite lullabies.

Lubbock was so excited to have all of his friends over and was the perfect party host. As his guests arrived, he ran over to the juice box station and handed them out. He also made sure all the kids knew the egg shakers had candy in them.

He's so lucky to have so many friends. It's been great for me to see how his relationships have bloomed as he's known some of these kids since he was six weeks old. I can't help but wonder what the future holds for them all: school, sports, driving, college, weddings ... and then I remember, he's only three!

My dad and Colleen (or, Papa and Mama Teen) were able to make it out to Illinois again for Lubbock's party. I know he enjoys seeing Lubbock play with all his friends and loves seeing how much Lubbock has grown up. Lubbock's birthday party is the "holiday" my dad has claimed as his. So, he's been here each year!

Here's some of my favorite photos from this year:

Thanks, again, to Monica Bornhoff Photography!

The Hot Mess Girl

I once listened to a speaker that had everyone look at their neighbor and say "I'm a mess."

We all laughed, but I thought. "Damn! I really am a mess."

What have I done lately? Tons ... especially considering my lack of concentration lately. Mostly because Kevin has made concerted efforts on the weekends to help me complete small projects.

We've finished cleaning out the basement. We've created a pantry area since we don't have one upstairs.

We sold our bedroom furniture on craigslist and purchased (with cash!) a new dresser, TV, and chair. We're still sleeping on the old box spring and mattress on the floor, ala college ... wait ... I actually can't remember the last time I slept like that. But, we aren't buying a bed frame until we find one we can agree on and pay cash for it. We'll see how long that will take.

My super awesome friend, Brandy, and her husband even came over to paint the room. Apparently, some people actually *enjoy* painting! Who knew?

I've gotten a really good grasp on my food budget and have become a (self-proclaimed) coupon expert. Promising not to turn this into a coupon blog, I will spare you the details. That's my coupon binder. Just one more bit of evidence that I am extremely OCD.

Along with reining in the food budget, we've got a household budget in play that seems to be reasonable. We've had budgets before and were somewhat good at sticking to them, but they always seemed to be unrealistic and we'd eventually give up. I'm looking at this like a diet. If you go off the deep end and go on some crazy water and grapefruit diet, you'll quit quickly. If you start with reasonable expectations, not expecting to lose the weight in two weeks, you may just get where you want. Perhaps that's only logical to me. But, we've got to start somewhere and the deep end hasn't worked well in the past.

We used Kevin's bonus to pay off his car and now have two paid-for cars in our driveway. We've got lots of little bills we've been scratching at for a year or so and they will be gone in the next month or so. Then ... we've got the biggies. The credit cards we used to make up the difference when my income disappeared (or ... looking on the bright side ... decided to stay home with Lubbock) and my student loans.

We'll get there. I have no doubt. We've stopped the bleeding by paying cash for things. I realize a wiser person would probably have kept the old bedroom furniture until the bills were paid, but ... no excuses ... I'm just not wise 100% of the time. After all ... I'm a mess.

I'm seeing a few signs of spring and that makes me optimistic. There are little green shoots of daffodils appearing on the side of my house, I can see the grass in my backyard, and I went out without a coat on the other day. I know we've still got another two or three months of snow, but little things like that keep me hopeful.

The Awesome Husband

I just wanted to let everyone know that my husband is so awesome.

On Friday, we had some friends over and the next morning ... well, I was not ready to face the day. So, he let me sleep in.

Until 11 am.

Then, because of this, I was completely unable to go to sleep Saturday night until 3 am.

So, Sunday ... he let me sleep in again! Until 10 am.

Who gets to do that twice in one weekend when they have a two year old???

Me!

And did I mention that he cleaned up my mess from making chili on Saturday? And he swept the house? And he made dinner tonight?

I think the older I get, the more my language of love is acts of service.

What's yours?

The Trade-Off

Progress, right?

That's not what today is about, though.

I spent the morning looking at our budget. (I said the B word.) Budgets aren't fun. Budgets for the holidays are especially not fun. But, the budget must balance and the holiday money has to come from somewhere.

So, we're going drastic here, people! We're slashing the grocery and household budget down to $50/week. Maybe that still sounds like a lot, but it includes diapers, wipes, food, milk, and any thing needed to run our house in general.

The remainder of the amount that I normally use for this category is going toward Christmas. So, Merry Cash Christmas to us!

I've spent the last few months stocking up on good deals and have totally gotten the hang of this couponing business (it feels like a part time job sometimes). But, it's allowed us to have times where I meal plan around the pantry. Perhaps, not fresh, organic meals, but believe me ... we won't starve!

The big present that I'm excited about is what Santa's doing! (You're alone, right?) We've had this on-going play room project downstairs and Santa is sending his elves to help finish it up! I've just about got it decluttered, so I've done that part for the elves already.

They've got lots of work ahead of them: finish the mural, find a small bookcase (plea posted on freecycle ... check), install a floating floor (we've got some half-baked plan involving pallets, plywood, and outdoor carpeting ... we'll see how that goes), and a few other things.

Anyway, I'm sure it will be a present well worth the budget slashing and I can't wait to see the look on his face when we let him down there ... since it will be off limits starting December 11th ... in case any other elves want to come lend a "paint brush" hand!

The Worm and the Why

Boo!

Happy Halloween!

Due to all the rain we've had since the leaves fell off our two huge trees, we were unable to rake a single leaf until Halloween morning.

Lubbock and I kept Kevin company while he, literally, shoveled leaves. The rake just wasn't strong enough to move the piles.

I put up our Halloween decorations and Lubbock jumped in the leaves ... yes ... those are pajama bottoms on my child.

He had taken his cute little toy pig (thanks, Gretchen) out there with him, but lost it in all the foliage. I started pushing small portions of the pile aside when I realized I had a worm stuck to my hand.

EEEwwwwWWWW.

I am *not* a fan of insects, bugs, grubs, or ... in general ... anything with more or less than two legs. But, I am also not a fan of pushing my dislikes onto my kid, so I 'manned up' and said, "Lubbock ... look ... a worm! Wow!"

I picked it up ... *gulp* ... and handed it to him. "Go show Daddy!"

Lubbock was so excited, "Worm! Daddy! Daddy! Worm!"

He played with that poor thing for a very long time. He carried the worm to one part of the yard, set him down very carefully, looked at a few leaves, picked him back up, showed him to Kevin again, and made a best friend.

I'm happy for him. Gross!
And, in case you're worried about the pig ... he was found.


Later that day, we teamed up with two very scary dragons to visit our neighbors and collect some yummy candy.

It didn't take too many houses for Lubbock to get the hang of Trick or Treating. Ring doorbell ... grab a handful of candy ... turn around and run back to Daddy ... yell "thank you." We couldn't get him to say "thank you" while still facing the homeowners, but at least it was said. And he really had no interest in saying "Trick or Treat!" ... I guess he figured that he got the candy either way, so there wasn't much point in wasting his breath.

As you can see, Lubbock was Super Why! He loves that show. I asked Beth if she'd be interested in helping carrying out the vision and she happily agreed. She had the great idea of using Velcro to attach the cape to his shirt. He loved wearing his costume and we're keeping the shirt in his regular wardrobe rotation because it's too dang cute!

On the list of other things that are too dang cute: Beth's own kiddos. They were a firefighter and a dalmatian.


Now that we're into November, I can start talking about Christmas, right? Yup, I'm one of those people! Thanksgiving and Christmas are one big holiday to me with no line drawn in the sand to divide the two.

I'm really excited about this Christmas since it will be our first one at "home." I'm excited to start new traditions with our little family.

What traditions does your family have?

The Fine Line

Dear Friends,

You know me. You know my struggles. You know my successes.

You know they often co-exist.

After reading and re-reading several of the organizing, decluttering, cleaning books, the biggest thing I've taken away is that things always get worse before they get better.

And that often it's a very fine line between what you see on my desk and what you see in my bathroom.

A very fine line between what's going on in my front room ... what is going on in there? And what's going on in the living room (well, except for the "line up the books" game that is a constant favorite around here).

One of the books pointed out an extremely amusing similarity amongst clutterbugs ... they collect storage containers. Very interesting. It's always with the hopes of finally figuring out how to organize all that "stuff."

Yup ... that was my hope. But, the more stuff I get rid of ... the less stuff I have to organize. And the more the containers have become the clutter. Hmmm.

As I write this, I see a similarity to weight loss. You lose weight and you've got all your "fat clothes" and you keep them ... just in case. Just in case you're fat again. Wow! How unhelpful is that!!?!!

I've even said that about the containers. I'm keeping them in case I need them. A thought process I've just about eliminated when it comes to clutter, but for some reason allowed myself to apply to the containers.

In case ... what? In case I go back to my old ways and am swamped with so much stuff, I can't see straight?

I'm over you, containers. You're outta here!

Does anyone need a container or two? (Or twenty?)

The Sweater Hats

They're here! They're here!

I'm so excited. I wanted a unique hat for this winter. One that would keep my ears warm while running and one that would enable me to be visible to approaching traffic (why are all winter hats black?).

I found what I was looking for at That Funky Boutique on etsy. And, of course, Lubbock needed one, too. I guarantee nobody else will have our hats.

They are made out of old wool sweaters, so they are good for the environment and the Buy Handmade movement.

The 63% Juice

Do you coupon?

I sometimes do. Sometimes not.

One of the first arguments Kevin and I ever had centered around couponing.

Within weeks of moving in with each other, I was laid off from my job as a Document Control Coordinator (yes, as boring as it sounds). I determined that while looking for a new job, I'd try to save us as much money as I could.

This included couponing.

Kevin joined me on one of my couponing outings and as I reached for a container of juice (free with a great coupon), he said he wanted a different kind. I told him this one was free, so he should just suck it up and drink it. I really don't remember what else was said, but I remember standing in the middle of the juice aisle ... crying.

This time around with coupons, I'm trying to have more fun with it. I have a group of friends that get together about once a month to swap coupons (mostly it's an excuse to have an evening out). We meet at a coffee shop and spend two hours clipping coupons and talking about good deals that are out there.

I spend about 30 minutes every Sunday morning going through the ads and blogs, and clipping coupons out of the papers (I get three Sunday papers to be able to take full advantage of the coupons). This morning, as I reviewed the grocery ads and coupons, I discovered I had a great combination of coupons to redeem. I do most of my couponing alone, but Kevin wanted to come this morning.

This trip to the store reminded me a bit of the "juice trip" ... but, it also didn't.

Before leaving, I pulled out all the coupons I knew I would use and reviewed the ad one last time. We entered the store and Kevin followed my lead. I was able to get everything on my list and more. Kevin noticed a few deals in the store that weren't in the ad ... go, him!

So, here's the breakdown: (Q = coupon)

Oh, I have some friends who will be completely unimpressed (like Kris) ... and I have some friends taking notes (like Jen). Click on the names to see some of the good deals they've been able to pull off.

3 Red Baron pizza ... sale 3/$10 and I had 3 $1 Qs
3 12pack Coke ... sale 3 12packs/$11 ... in store deal for 3 FREE PowerAdes and I had a FREE 2 pack of 50 oz. bottles Q

For the rest of the products, for every $10 you spent, you automatically got $3 off

6 Cheezits ... sale 4/$10 ... and 3 x $1.50/2 Qs
6 Duncan Hines ... sale 10/$10 ... and 3 x $.55/2 Qs
5 Welch's ... sale 4/$10 ... and 5 x $.75 Qs
3 Pepperidge Farm toast... sale 4/$10 ... and 3 x .50 Qs
3 Nestle cookies ... sale 4/$10 ... and 3 x $1 Qs
2 Barber chicken ... sale 2/$10 ... and 2 x $1 Qs

So, there was an instant $12 savings for the $40+ worth of product I bought.

Then, I had a $3 off $30 purchase Q for Jewel and a $2 savings Q for taking a survey (look at the bottom of your receipts, ya'll)!!!

Transaction began at $122.21
- Preferred Card savings - $48.85
- Manufacturers Qs - $22.59
- Jewel Qs - $5.00

Total $45.77 (a 63% savings)

One more thing ... the pizza deal included 3 FREE RedBox rental codes (a $3 value) ... Wow! And I got a Q that printed out to save $3 on 4 Welchs ... so, tomorrow, I can go back and get 4 more for $4! (I hope Kevin doesn't get sick of all this juice ;) And, one more bonus ... I don't have to go junk food shopping for a long, long, time!

Couponing Rocks ... GO, ME!!!!

The Milk Carton 5k

The most recent issue of Family Fun magazine had a great green project that I just had to do. They turned milk cartons into lunch and snack boxes!

It was very easy to do and the only thing I had to buy was Velcro since I buy milk in cartons anyway. It's a great size for Lubbock to carry his gold fish in (or any other snack) and fits perfectly on that little shelf in the grocery cart.

Click here for instructions!


On a different subject ... I've signed up for my first 5k! I'm doing the "couch potato to 5k" training program and it's going really well. I'm not a super fast runner ... but, I'm not at all trying to push myself for fear of hurting my knees again.

My first goal is to just be able to get the 5k under my belt without walking ... I don't really care what my time is ... I'm not trying to set any world records. Just personal ones.

So, if you're local ... and you want to be in my cheering section ... let me know and I'll get the info to you!

The Fridge Raider

Lubbock has a mind of his own sometimes. I have no idea where he gets that from!

A typical breakfast for him is a waffle and an apple. But, not this morning. He wanted something else.

He pushed his chair to the fridge; opened it; then climbed into it. He looked around and then got back down. I suppose he was just making sure there wasn't anything better.

I've been trying to empty the freezer and pantry lately, so there really weren't too many options.

I guess what he really wanted was in the pantry.

So, what did Lubbock have for breakfast?

Chocolate milk and cookies.

Don't you judge me!

The Old Gray Mare

... just ain't what she used to be.

This morning, the light must have been extra harsh in the bathroom because I felt my gray hairs were screaming at me from the vanity mirror.

Do you know how hard it is to take a picture of your own head? I also feel like I may be thinning up there! I don't recommend taking a picture of this angle of yourself ... yikes!

I determined a few years ago that I would grow 'old' gracefully. I suppose I also thought this amount of gray would be further down the road.

Perhaps I should reconsider my determination!

The Alter Ego

Have I mentioned I have a two year old lately?

And that he's discovered his alter ego "Mr. Make a Mess."

I know this is a stage that's going to end any day, right?

Anyway, on the list of my favorite messes:

The Elmo coloring book that was in his bedroom ... I put him in his bed for a nap. I heard "ere u o" (here you go) and then saw a piece of paper slide under the door. This went on for a while ending with "ank u" (thank you). Then he went to bed.

The coozie I placed on his sippy cup ... His new stainless steel sippy cups get really cold when I put milk in them, so I put a coozie on it to keep his hands safe. He bit off tiny pieces and placed it in a pile on the loveseat. I was so confused when I found the pile because I couldn't figure out what it was for a few minutes. He was really mad when I threw it all away. I guess it was fun.

And my least favorite mess was the paint on the face ... I decided to try painting ceramic with him knowing this was going to be a test of my patience. I was determined to get a cute piece of artwork to give Kevin for his birthday. Lubbock's sole interest was eating the paint. I asked the gals at the store if it was non-toxic to only hear "Dunno." I'm assuming it is. If you know otherwise, since it's too late ... don't tell me. I don't wanna know.

The Orange Chili Surprise

Do you have a favorite time of the day?

I've long had a fascination with the time of day the mail arrives. Even if it's junk mail, bills, or a shrinking investment statement. Somehow, it's just fun. It's probably because you don't know what is going to be there. A little like opening a present each day.

But, then there's the days that you actually do get something you want! A great note from a friend far away.

I'm still smiling.

In addition to the great card, my dear friend included two little glass chili magnets (that are now on my cookie sheet/message boards in my desk area) and a magnetic recipe card holder with a yummy sounding meat loaf recipe already loaded! It's especially great that the card holder is magnetic because I have metal cabinets and am always searching for cool magnetic kitchen gadgets.


Here's a picture of where it will be when I make the meat loaf.

And to send a smile back to Melisa ... the picture includes one of my messy corners! Yes, that's a dead battery, slightly rotten bananas, a grocery bag filled with clean dishtowels (I didn't have a basket that was empty), the groceries that were at one time in that bag, a pair of Lubbock's underwear (it was washed with the dishtowels, so it is clean), and a few other things that don't belong in this corner of the kitchen.


But ... this isn't the only surprise this week! My thrifty friend, Kris, found a purse that had my name written all over it. She didn't say it, but I think she did a star dance when she found it for me. An orange, patent leather shoulder bag! I'm in love with it.

I truly believe I have the best friends on earth.

So ... since you've read this post ... you have a challenge. Send a kind note to a friend the old fashioned way ... through the real mail! Stamps have gone up, if you haven't heard ... forty-four cents. But, it'll be worth it.

As for me ... I am finally going to complete the thank you notes from Lubbock's birthday party and then get straight to work on sending out a kind note to a few of my special friends!

The County Fair

We took Lubbock to the Kane County Fair over the weekend and all had a blast. I think, for Kevin, it was one of the first times he got to do things that were fun for him and Lubbock. I could truly see the joy in their faces. Not that this picture captures joy, but still a pretty funny face!

We got to the fair just as Lubbock took his nap, so we were able to just wander around and take our time looking at all the 4H displays and awards given to vegetables and flowers. You know ... all the things that would have bored Lubbock to tears.

Once he woke up, we took him to the petting zoo where he got to feed all sorts of animals and chase a chicken. He rode a pony and took a tractor-inspired tricycle for a spin.

The ferris wheel was a great time and I was only slightly nervous about Lubbock not being securely fastened while we were that high. We took a spinning pumpkin ride (as pictured above) and then finished it off with a funnel cake (he wasn't a fan) and a cherry limeade ... which he loved.

Lubbock loved the whole adventure and said "yay!" several times. Kevin couldn't keep a smile off his face. I enjoyed watching the two of them bond and kept thinking about how special the relationship is between these two. Kevin was happy just because Lubbock was happy. Ah! Bliss.

The Great Road Trip of 2009

Yawn!

Here it is ... my first posting since arriving home from The Great Road Trip of 2009.

For the first leg, Lubbock and I spent three and a half days in St. Paul, Minnesota ... we went to spend time with the Irwin family. They were up from Oklahoma so that one of their girls could have surgery. While Dad was working, Mom was at the hospital and I (attempted) to be a mom to the other kiddos. The whole family was so brave!


And I'm giving a major shout-out to all my mommy friends of more than one child. I was exhausted after the first day!

So drove back home on Wednesday and then on Thursday ... set off for Texas!

We tag-teamed the drive and made it straight through with no problem. Lubbock was a trooper and with the help of a borrowed travel DVD player, we had no major breakdowns.

The highlights of the lakehouse visit included a golfcart parade (our entry shown), sparklers, a ride on the boat, a swim in the lake (not for me, though ... no, thanks!), lots of great food, lots of fun with family, and a cute kitten.

We drove back to Illinois and spent the next two days recovering from vacation. I know. It doesn't sound like much. But, we hit all the important things for vacation.

I spent time with Kevin, Kevin spent time with Lubbock, and we all spent time together!

For the last 'home' part of Kevin's vacation, we worked hard on decluttering the basement some more. We got rid of another car load of crap. And I posted some more things on freecycle yesterday. My next area of focus really needs to be my crafting area.

Since most of my friends also seemed to be on vacation at the same time ... what were your highlights???

The Top of the Cupcake

Lubbock's friend, Joey, from down the street turned two this week and we went to his early birthday party over the weekend. There was lots of bubble-play, swinging, running, and sugar!

When it was time to sing "Happy Birthday," the kids were so excited. Having been to a few parties lately, I think Lubbock was starting to get the hang of this birthday party thing.

Singing = cupcakes. Some pretty good math!

Except that Lubbock's mom takes the fun out of cupcakes. I am not crazy about messes, so I always wipe the frosting off the cupcakes before giving it to him. Can you tell by the look on his face that he is quite aware that he's missing something?

Joey had so much fun that I was told he went inside after his party and sprawled out on the couch ... worn out from too much fun.

His big sister, Eleanor, was so gracious about letting it be Joey's day. She really seemed to get it, which is really amazing for kids at this age ... must be great parenting!

The Star Dance

Do you have a "star dance?"

Oh, sorry ... you don't speak Natalese. Let me explain.

If you are so excited about something you literally cannot stay still ... you do a little dance ... maybe just in your head, maybe you pump your fist. Or, if you're me ... you actually dance. It's a star dance.

What brought on my star dance today? A trip to JoAnns to pick up some glue. I have to walk up and down the clearance section when I visit any and all craft stores. You know ... just in case there's some fabulous deal that I just cannot live without.

Or ... in this case ... a free very sturdy Sharpie display! Can you believe it? Free! Yes, free. All I had to do was:

• notice said empty display sitting in the clearance section
• find employee and play dumb about seeing if something is for sale (of course it's not, it's just a display case that ran out of 50 cent Sharpies)
• wait while employee tracks down manager
• ask manager what they plan on doing with it (while thinking "please let me have it, please let me have it")
• smile and do your star dance when the manager helps load it into your cart

I suppose you're wondering why I'm so giddy about this Sharpie display, huh? Well, I was just saying the other day that I needed some sort of organization tool to help control small die-cut paper. If I cut too many trains or ladybugs or circles, I need a great way to store them. This will be great! I should be able to start a small inventory of commonly used shapes. Yay!

One other free thing to mention ... my friend, Melisa, is having a giveaway relating to a website called Handipoints. This website helps parents with getting kids involved in doing chores around the house. Kids love it ... from what I hear. It's geared toward kids of at least 'computer-using' age. So, if that sounds like something you could use ... get on over there and check it out. It's free!

So, if you win, do me one favor ... do a star dance!

What makes you do a star dance?

The Half Birthday Wish List

I'm writing this entry to celebrate my half birthday. To know me is to know that I love birthdays of every shape and size! Especially half birthdays.


I told someone that the theme color this summer is orange. And since I'm trying to focus on buying green and/or handmade products ... I've discovered the perfect combination:

An ornj tote sit double and a wrightsan recycled plastic wallet to go with it. Do you have to ask what's on my wish list?

The bag is made from used construction fencing by artist, David Shock of Detroit. "Creating boldness out of blight" says his website. Agreed!

The base of the tote is reused corrugated plastic and the handles are bamboo.

If you're worried about items falling out ... add the recycled sweatshirt liner.

And this wallet would just send me over the moon!

The Blue Want

It's almost midnight and I can't sleep ... so ... what do I do?

Cruise Etsy, of course!!!

In recent facebook discussions, I have come to realize that some people actually don't know about Etsy ... *gasp* ... so, if you know about Etsy, great. But, have you heard about Artfire?

Back to Etsy ... I ran across this really cute pendant. I can already say that I love these since I have the brown and green ones. I love wearing them. And when people notice what they are ... they are a little tickled. The tops of bottles! How green ... and blue.