Saturday, October 30, 2010

Go Sharks!

My son’s team played their bowl game today and won 25-6. At his age, they do not do playoffs, just a bowl game, so that officially signifies the end of our football season. Woohoo! As much as I LOVE it and will be looking forward to next season in a few months, it’s still a relief when it’s over. We’re onto soccer now, which is FAR less time intensive. It’s almost like getting a break.

Here’s Owen with his head coach and the trophy the team won for winning. They also all received medals with the name of the bowl they played on them. Super cute.

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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Dog Park

So today I decided to do a play date for the pups at the dog park with one of their doggie friends. Moose had fun and wore himself out:

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Rico spent most of the time chasing squirrels. It continues to amaze me that squirrels even hang out there, honestly. Luckily my dog hasn’t yet learned how to climb trees, or those guys would be in trouble:

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Saturday, October 2, 2010

I suck, and some hate mail

Hey blogland. Where have I been? Dunno…slacking, busy, not posting. Not sure why. I do suck. Sorry. In a nutshell, here’s what you’ve missed: my son turned 9, I had a cold, Thirty-One kept me busy. That’s pretty much it.

As for the hate mail – not directed at me, but from me. To my stupid useless CDD board that I hate with a white hot intensity that could sear the very computer I type this on if I’m not careful. Stupid and useless, the whole lot of them. Anyway, here’s my latest letter to the head moron:

I am writing in regards to the supposed violations you say are occurring on my property.

1. We received a violation notice saying we needed to mow based on an inspection done on 9/1. So we mowed. Then on 9/23 we received a violation notice saying we still needed to mow, based on an inspection done on 9/1 and a re-inspection done on 9/1. Seriously? Our property had been mowed twice between the time of the first inspection notice and the second notice. I fail to understand the value of doing an inspection and a re-inspection on the same date, prior to us ever receiving a notice in the first place.

2. We received a violation notice regarding an inspection done on 9/16 saying we needed to clean and paint. First off, I don’t know if you took the photo attached in the dark or if you were just using world’s worst camera, but it took serious study to decode that that was even a picture of the trim over our garage. Once we figured it out, I took the time to both pressure wash and paint the trim, as requested in the letter. Then today I receive another letter saying a re-inspection was done on 9/30 and we’d failed to comply. Really? Because I distinctly remember being out there on a ladder on 9/20 painting the trim, and I dare say there are probably white paint droplets on my driveway to prove it. I’m sure the letter complaining about them will be coming next week.

Honestly, have you nothing better to do with your time and the money of the community than things like inspections and re-inspections on the same day, and harassing people about violations that have already been fixed? How about handling the foreclosed homes with weeds taller than the palm trees, or homes with mailboxes falling off their post? Where do those letters go?

It sincerely doesn’t benefit you to aggravate those of us that do still remain in this community. We’re the ones sticking it out and trying to make this a nice place to live and raise our families, rather than giving up and going into foreclosure like so many others. The sheer volume of people completely fed up with the disorganization and mismanagement of this community is staggering. I hope you’ll take a close look at what you’re doing and how you’re doing it when you’re sending out the next round of unnecessary violation letters.

So there. We’ll see what TweedleDum and TweedleAsshole have to say when/if they respond. Truthfully, I am sure they are going to suggest that our entire exterior needs to be repainted, but that’s just not financially feasible, so they’re going to have to go ahead and continue to levy their fines against us. Apparently we’re at $650 and counting. Bastards.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Link Love

Today’s Link Love post is brought to you by some of the cool causes I’ve seen highlighted this week on the various blogs I read. Inspired by my Fundraising and an Interview post a few days ago, I thought I would let you know about some of the awesome causes that people throughout blog-land are talking about.

From EcoMeg, Ride for the Cure, Texas Style

From Kisse Girl, Our Mission at Work

From A Fresh Beginning, Fashion for a Cause

From A Mom’s Journey, Coach to Cure MD

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Organization ala Laundry Room

Many of you followed my drama surrounding my dryer fiasco and the subsequent purchase of a new one. I’m happy to report that my new washer and dryer have settled in nicely and stepped up to the plate as far as their daily cleaning duties go.

Not long after getting the new ones, I became inspired to give the whole laundry room a little bit of a makeover. Nothing crazy – I’m not painting in there (yet) but I figured I could at least clean it up and organize a bit. Enter Thirty-One (of course). I decided that our Square Utility Totes would be perfection for organizing stuff on the shelving above the washer and dryer. And boy was I right. LOVE how it came out.

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There are a couple more, one for “Kid’s Stuff” and one for “Storage” but you get the idea. I adore things that are adorable and functional!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Fishy Friday?

Alright, it’s the only title I could think of. LOL. I picked up these crazy cute goggled for the kids at Big Lots, and my daughter loved them. And how cute is that, with the colors matching her bathing suit?! *love*

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Thursday, September 9, 2010

Fundraising & an Interview

One of the things I LOVE about having my own business is that I can choose to give away a portion of my sales to worthy causes, such as I did earlier this year for Relay for Life.

Awhile back, I was approached about getting listed on a Fundraisers site, called ADH Fundraisers. I happily submitted my information to the site owner, who was at the time still working on the general layout and design of the site. I then kind of forgot about it. You know how it is…you get busy, emails get pushed aside, etc. Well anyway, just a few weeks ago I was contacted by the site owner, Angie, and told the site had launched. She did a great job with it, and it’s a valuable resource if you’re someone searching for the next great fundraising idea for your organization or club. Angie graciously agreed to be interviewed for the blog and tell us all more about the site.

Beth: Angie, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed for the blog.

Angie: You’re welcome! I really want to get this site growing and get more exposure to the public.

Beth: What made you decide to start ADH Fundraisers?

Angie: I am an Independent Sales Representative with Avon and I have worked with friends and families setting up and running Avon fundraisers, as well as small groups such as Cub Scouts.  I had a chance to see how simple and beneficial these fundraisers were and wanted the opportunity to help others in need of fundraising.

I own www.ADHSites.com which is a division of www.ADHEnterprise.com, Business Solutions.  I decided to create a website dedicated to Fundraising, www.ADHFundraisers.com. ADH Fundraisers is a place for individuals and business that offer a fundraising opportunity to list their opportunity and information for free.  It is then a place for individuals and groups looking for fundraisers to locate a fundraising opportunity that will benefit them.   The individual or group may then contact any or all of the fundraising opportunities directly to get more information and to get a fundraiser set up. 

I, along with ADH Fundraisers and ADH Sites, also donate websites to individuals and groups running a fundraiser.  The website is beneficial for the group or individual because they can post all of their information about their group or the individual, what their fundraiser is for, they can share pictures, stories, etc.  They can add a News section, Blog, Message board, Donate Buttons, and most importantly, links directly to the fundraiser or multiple fundraisers.

Beth: For non-profits, charities or individuals reading this who may be considering organizing a fundraiser to support their cause, what tips would you give for making a fundraiser successful?

Angie: I would offer the following tips for a successful fundraiser:

1. Find volunteers to help plan, setup and organize your fundraiser. 

2. Decide how you will raise money, whether you will be holding a benefit or selling products for profit.  There are many options available and a list of fundraiser opportunities can be found at: www.ADHFundraisers.com

3. Schedule enough time for the actual fundraiser sales.  If you schedule your event with too small of a timeframe and deadline, you and your organization will not have enough time to reach as many people as you would like.  But, also don’t schedule it for too long as the people ordering their products will be looking for them in a timely manner.

4. Get the word out!  Get as many volunteers and participants as you can, have them tell everyone they know.  Spread the word on facebook and other online avenues.  Contact your local newspaper, as most have an event section and usually will make note of a fundraiser or non-profit organization.

5. Customer service – even though this is a fundraiser and not a business, your fundraiser will benefit from treating people with great customer service.  Be professional and polite, give them information about the group, organization or individual and what the funds are being raised for.  Provide them with a benefit worth their money and/or a good quality product worth their money.  Be sure to Thank them for participating in your fundraiser and deliver their products in a timely manner.

Beth: If there are additional business owners reading this, are they still able to get involved with your site?

Angie: I am accepting more fundraiser ops.  I don’t have any limits – I think the more there is to offer the better.  I also don’t have a limit for Reps with a company, although some fundraisers can be set-up online, some will be in person and if there is a list of Reps, they can find one in their area.

If YOU are a business owner interested in getting listed on ADH Fundraisers, contact Angie and let her know – the more the merrier!

Thanks for tuning in for my first-ever blog interview!!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Promotion

After working SO hard on my business and watching my team just FLOURISH I am so excited to announce that I have officially promoted to Senior Director with Thirty-One. WOOOHOOOO! I just LOVE my job!! Who would have thought, as at the beginning of the summer I was a Senior Consultant and since then have promoted to Director and then Senior Director!!
So many big, fabulous things are ahead for this company, and I am so blessed to be a part of it all.
To celebrate, email me your order this month only and I will take 10% off your total.
Cheers!!

Updated to add - look what was just delivered a minute ago from my Upline Director, as a congrats on the promotion! Thank you Courtney, love you!!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

My son’s room–done!

Okay, I have been meaning to post these pics for days (well, meaning to take them for days). I had to get it done before he got his room all messy again. So far he’s done really well in keeping it clean.

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He’s very happy with the change in color, as well as the change in where everything is. He has a HUGE space in the middle of the floor to mess up play in, so that’s a big improvement.

Now, what room am I going to paint next?

Monday, September 6, 2010

Moosey-Moose

Moose hit 9 months, so here are a few new pictures. He’s weighing in now at 144 pounds. My little angel!!

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Happy Labor Day, all! Back to the routine tomorrow. Woo!

Friday, August 27, 2010

My daughter’s room

I promised pictures, so here you go! She LOVES the new color, and promises me she will actually keep it clean (which I doubt) but at least if nothing else I had a chance to get rid of a ton of her misc. junk that she’s had in there. This is honestly the cleanest her room has been in YEARS!

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Started on my son’s room today, and hopefully will finish it over the weekend!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Painting

I am a little more than halfway, I would guess, in painting my daughter’s room. I would have to say my lack of attention to detail is pretty staggering, particularly around the ceiling edge, but oh well. That’s been the case in every room I’ve painted here, and we’ve all survived. I’m really hoping to wrap it up tomorrow so I can put her room back together on Friday and start on my son’s room. Mommy fun never ends! Pictures when I’m done.

Monday, August 23, 2010

How I spent my day

We’ve decided to repaint the kid’s rooms. In order to do this, we really had to clean out a BUNCH of stuff from both rooms. Being as I actually wanted this to happen today, I decided I HAD to help them. This was literally all day long. I lost count of how many trash bags we filled, but at the moment they are all still piled up in the loft in front of the pool table.

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The accumulated clutter that used to be in the kid’s rooms. Honestly it’s hard to believe this all fit in their rooms before, because quite frankly it sure doesn’t seem like their rooms are lacking for stuff without all this in there.

Painting begins tomorrow. Woohoo!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Easy Fried Rice–a Review

Alright, so hubby is not home, kids have been down at a friend’s house, and I was trying to come up with something yummy to eat. I regularly buy from the various home party type food companies, so I figured I would dig through my stash of that and pick something. What I came up with was Homemade Gourmet’s Skillet Fried Rice. YUM!!! And SO easy – just needed water and two eggs (optionally I could have added meat, but I preferred to leave it plain). You basically just throw the rice mix in with the water and included seasoning in a skillet for 20 minutes, then scramble the eggs and mix them into the rice. Done. And did I mention the yum? And since it’s just me eating it, there is PLENTY leftover for tomorrow. Sweet. I can tell you from experience that HG makes a TON of other good stuff, too, and if you’ve never tried it, hop on over to my friend Clara’s Homemade Gourmet website and give something a try. I can also tell you that the Mini Pecan Pie Muffin Mix and Baked Potato Soup Mix are a big hit in my house, too. Delish!!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Cleaning

That’s pretty much the word of the day here today. I decided to tackle the silverware drawer. Well, we actually kind of have two. One silverware and accessories, and one for rarely used accessories. Luckily I was able to throw out a LOT of stuff. Amazing how many duplicate items we had. And duplicate of stuff that we hardly ever use anyway. For example, the following duplicate items were tossed:

  • 2 egg white separators
  • an apple corer (why would I need more than one of these??)
  • about 10 knives from a mediocre knife set we had like 10 years ago
  • 4 beer bottle openers
  • 3 grapefruit peelers
  • 3 spatulas (and I still kept 3 more!)
  • 4 ladles (and again, still no shortage on those I kept)

Now I’m off to clean the bathrooms, a chore that I never enjoy. How old do my kids have to be before I implement a slave labor program with them??

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

(almost) Wordless Wednesday

Well, ya’ll know that I can’t ever just swing completely wordless, and honestly I think this requires a bit of explanation, anyway. Yes, it’s a baby pool. Nope, I don’t have a baby. Or at least not a human one, but I do have my 8 month old Mastiff, Moose, who insists on splashing like a toddler in every puddle in the yard. So we decided maybe if he had his own splash pool he would play in that rather than in the muddy water. Just got it last night, so I don’t know yet how effective it will be.

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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Getting Organized

Organization is one of my passions, as anyone who has spent much time with me probably knows. Here are a few fun statistics for you, mostly taken from the National Association of Professional Organizers:

  • People spend, on average, 6 minutes a day looking for their keys.
  • Getting rid of clutter eliminates 40% of housework in the average home.
  • 23% of adults regularly pay bills late because they lose the bill.
  • 80% of clutter in the home is a result of disorganization, not lack of space.

Does any of this sound like you? I used to be there, honestly, but over the years have evolved a variety of systems that have helped me to overcome some of this. A few tips that have helped me:

  • Admit that you’re only human – while you may have the best of intentions, you’re not always going to do it 100% all the time, so cut yourself some slack and realize that good enough is sometimes just that – good enough!
  • Even if you have a file cabinet where you file bank statements, paid bills, etc. how often are you actually filing stuff there? I found that the hassle factor of taking up everything to file was deterring me from doing the filing, so I bought a cute 18 pocket accordion file and labeled each pocket with one of the categories that would eventually get filed (think Taxes, Power Bill, Bank Statement, etc.) and that way it’s cute enough to keep out, so I could keep it conveniently located, and I can easily file bills and statements as they come in, then only have to hit the file cabinet every six months or so.
  • One word: containers! I have all different sized containers, particularly in the kitchen. Cereal Storers for each different cereal, a tight lidded container for sugar, for flour, for cookies, for pasta, etc. All these match, in various sizes, so my pantry has a nice put together look to it and it’s very easy to see when I’m running low on something.
  • Evaluate just how many of something you need. Do you have 42 different coffee mugs (you know, those ones that you got as a giveaway at the bank, at the health fair, or the ones from a company you worked at 6 years ago, etc.)? Does anyone really need all those? Toss all but about 12 of your favorites or those that have sentimental meaning to you. This declutters your kitchen cabinet and allows you more room for the stuff you DO actually use. The same holds true in all areas of your life – some of the biggies are the underwear drawer (are you ever going to wear the pink leopard print thong again, seriously?), the sock drawer, the t-shirt drawer, etc.)
  • Take a look at your CD collection. Do you ever listen to most of what is in there anymore? Even if you can’t bear to part with them, you might think about getting a large CD wallet for them and trashing the jewel cases. This will take up SO much less room, and if you do it in an organized manner, the CDs will still be just as easy to find when you do want to listen to that old Bell Biv Devoe CD from back in the day.
  • Set up a landing pad nearby whatever door you come in in your house (front door, door from the garage, etc.) This space should have a place to put the mail, your keys, your purse, and anything else you typically have with you when you come home. If you always put it there, you will always know where it is. Sounds simple, but sometimes simple is the best solution. Hang hooks on the wall near that door – one for each member of the family, that they can hang their backpack, purse, baseball cap, etc. on.
  • Have a junk drawer (or two) in your kitchen? Just because it’s a junk drawer doesn’t mean it has to be a mess. Pick up a couple drawer organizers from the office supply store, and sort your junk. You might find that you have multiples of the same item and can get rid of some (I believe last time I cleaned out my junk drawer I found five tape measures, which truthfully is about four too many.)
  • If you find that clutter tends to collect on every flat surface of your home, put something decorative in those spaces. For example, if the kids are always throwing their stuff on the coffee table, put a pretty candle arrangement or a nice fruit bowl there. Give them a small basket in the laundry room or on the stairs that they can throw their stuff in. Naturally this stuff should be taken upstairs with them to their own rooms whenever the basket is full.
  • Check out Flylady, if you’ve not heard of it. She’s got a ton of ideas on decluttering and cleaning your home.

So that’s it for today. I will be the first to admit my house is very rarely spotless, and I would contend that it may never be, with a husband, two kids and five furred creatures, but at least I know where stuff is!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Big Brother

Okay, really, I could not be more hooked on this show. And unlike the entire house, and most of America, I actually liked Rachel. I know, I know…but seriously, a strong chick that has a brain and wins competitions? I dig that. But now that she’s gone I’m torn. Kind of pulling for Brendan, but at the same time think he might be a bit psycho. I’m glad he won HOH, though, so he at least has another week cause I know Rachel will be happy to see someone other than him come through the door at the Jury house.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Comparison Shopping

I LOVE working as an independent director for Thirty-One. I adore our products, and I love that there is really not much in the way of competition in the field for our products. If anything, we most often get compared to Vera Bradley, as far as the look and feel of our bags. Having never owned a VB bag, I have been meaning to check out their items for awhile now, and in the spirit of procrastinating both grocery shopping and my workout, today I have done just that. I have to say, they do have a couple cute things, but I can’t believe how much more expensive they are than Thirty-One. A couple relatively close comparisons, size and functionality wise:


VB Hipster – $58

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Thirty-One Organizing Shoulder Bag – $39

So for a third less in price you can get a cute Thirty-One bag that’s within 1/2 inch size-wise, AND get it embroidered with your name or initials. Let’s look at another one.


VB Baby Bag – $125

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Thirty-One Cindy Tote – $68

These ones look almost identical, both in size and fabric, even. But Thirty-One’s version is half the price, and again, you can personalize. Did I mention I love my company!? lol. One more…

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VB Messenger Bag – $84

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Thirty-One Messenger Bag – $38

Once again, dimensions within a half inch of each other, but price miles away. AND, one of the things that makes the Thirty-One Messenger Bag a particular favorite of mine is that the entire front flap of the bag zips off completely and is reversible, so when you buy it, you automatically have two looks, and can buy additional reversible flaps in other designs for $10 each. Meaning that for the price you’d spend on one VB Messenger Bag, you could have the Thirty-One Messenger Bag with a total of 5 flaps for 10 whole new looks for your bag! Hell, personalize one for every day of the week at that price!

Alright, so now that I’ve done my research, I do totally get how people compare Thirty-One to VB as far as style goes, and I’m thrilled to see what a great value Thirty-One is for the price, esp. in comparison.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Not just the butt of a cat

My daughter went on a picture-taking spree throughout the house. This is something she does fairly regularly, and thus far she’s not proven to be the next Ansel Adams.

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The turtles, in their tank (capturing the almost wildlife, maybe)

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A ceiling fan, as seen from far below (this one could almost pass for artistic)

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An attempt at a self-portrait

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The cat, running away as she tried to take his picture (apparently he’s a little camera shy)

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The only furry critter that would sit still long enough for her to snap a picture

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I WILL sit still long enough for a picture, but only if one of the kids are taking it (now that’s love!)

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Another Giveaway

I am participating in a Blogmania giveaway on the Little Yaya’s site. One lucky entrant will win a $25 gift certificate to be used on my site.
There are also Blogmania giveaways from Votre Vu, Bellabeads, Partylite and many others. Read more and see how to win here.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

I’m back

Not that I was ever technically GONE, just busy. Friend in town, working my business, lots going on. Even though I was, in fact, home the whole time, I still feel like I have a billion things to catch up on, and like I kind of need to get into my routine all over again. Nothing ever seems to be a seamless transition for me. But that’s okay, it’ll all get done eventually, right?

Sunday, August 8, 2010

MIA

I have a friend in from out of town, so I might not be around too much (at all) for the next couple days.

Take care, blog world. I’ll be back.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Any Day Now…

Any day now I will pull the weeds that have sprouted up around the pool.
Any day now I will clean out the kitchen cabinets and get rid of the 6.2 billion cups, glasses, mugs and containers that we haven’t used since we moved in 9 years ago.
Any day now I will go through the papers in my “to do” pile.
Any day now I will update the kid’s birthday books with the last two years of birthday pictures.
Any day now I will follow through on my threat to take away half my daughter’s toys if she doesn’t clean her room (gee, wonder where she gets that).
Any day now I will actually organize the pantry so we can perhaps actually eat some of this insane volume of food we have.

What’s on your Any Day Now list?

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Biding my time

You know how you get an idea in your head and then it kind of nags at you over and over until you do it. I’m currently suffering from that very affliction right now over my kitchen chairs. I HATE my kitchen chairs.

They are beat to hell.

They need to be, at the very least, repainted.

Ideally they need to be replaced.

And yet, I cannot possibly act on this right now. Why not, you ask. Well, for the simple fact that if I were to do anything with them now, they would just get ruined all over again. Such is the life of the mom of the Moose. See, the vast majority of the problem is that they’ve been chewed on. Badly. By a certain puppy in his teething phase. Which yes, he has technically grown out of the teething, but not of the chewing. Not yet. I’m hoping soon. In the meantime, I wait. And suffer the fact of having to look at the damn things every day and think about how much I hate them.

I’m thinking once he hits a year, that might be the magic number at which I can safely replace the chairs and move on with my life. That’s not until December, mind you. So I’ve got a lot of waiting ahead of me. If only I could be the type of person who could just let this go. But I’m not. So I continue to obsess.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Weekend Getaway

Looking to get away from it all for the weekend? Here’s a bundle I’ve put together featuring all you need for a quick get up and go weekend.

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This bundle features four of our hot new products from the fall line: The City Weekender Tote in Black Pocket-Full-of-Posies print, our Clear Liquid Travel Pouch in Black Tailored Strip (so much cuter than a ziplock bag, and better for the environment, too!), our Pull Apart Cosmetic Bag in Onyx Medallion print, and a Luggage Tax in Onyx Blossom.

Purchased separately, these would retail for $130.50. Purchase them through me via email at beth@grabaclue.com and mention that you saw the bundle on this blog, and get them for $105. AND August is $1 embroidery month, so make them uniquely your own by adding your name, initials or message for just $1 per item. Ask me about additional coordinating pieces that are also available!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

A post about why I didn’t post today

Today’s lack of blog posting has been brought to you by the fact that I didn’t have an internet connection most of the day. Had email, no problem. Just not any sites. None. Not good. Also don’t understand that. The lessons I have learned from this experience are as follows:

  1. I should not assume that someone, somewhere is “working on it” and that it will come back in it’s own sweet time.
  2. I will have to be transferred no less than three times when calling support. Each time I will need to tell them who I am and why I am calling.
  3. When attempting to reset the router, you have to plug that back in before the hub, or nothing will work. Seriously, people, am I supposed to just KNOW this?

Monday, August 2, 2010

Beach, anyone?

Now that summer is at it’s hottest, who doesn’t love a trip to the beach to get some rays and enjoy the water? Thirty-One has some great must-haves for beach going, and with our new prints that just launched yesterday, the options are better than ever!

IMG_0563Pictured here are our Large Utility Tote in St. Andrew’s Garden fabric, Picnic Thermal Tote in St. Andrew’s Tartan, and Mini Zipper Pouch in Floral Fanfare. With just these three items, you can pack up for a day at the beach, without having to haul the whole house out of your car. The Large Utility Tote easily hauls your towels, beach toys and accessories, while the Picnic Thermal Tote will keep your drinks and snacks cold all day – just add a couple ice packs before you leave the house and you’ll be good to go. And the Mini Zipper Pouch is just the place to put your cell phone and keys (you know, those things you DON’T want in the bottom of your bag covered in sand when the day is done).

These are each available in several different patterns, and all can be personalized with your name, initials or message for just $6 per item. View the complete collection in my online catalog.

Regular retail on this three piece set would be $68, but order by email and mention you saw it here on the blog and I will give you these three pieces, in your choices of fabric colors, for $55.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

The Evolution of a Moose

Our sweet, not-so-little puppy Moose is 8 months old today! Commemorated in pictures…

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At three days old

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At three weeks old

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At two months old

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At three months old

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At four months old

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At five months old

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At six months old

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At seven months old

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Today, eight months old

Saturday, July 31, 2010

I give up

So, with all the drama surrounding my POS dryer this week, I decided to cave and buy a new washer and dryer. Woohoo!



They are ever so cute (despite what my FB friends have told me, that washers and dryers simply are NOT cute)! No delivery available until Wednesday, so I’m pretty much wearing dirty clothes till then, but I can only assume they will be well worth the wait. And I’m convincing myself that the fact that they are energy efficient will mean that my $500+ monthly electric bill will go down. Right?

Friday, July 30, 2010

Another award?

Well, it would seem this is the week for awards here in blog-land.

Jinnia Low over at http://jinnialow.com/ has bestowed upon me the Foxy Mama Award. Thank you, Jinnia! I do so love being a Foxy Mama!!

To pass the love along, I am nominating the following Foxy Mamas:

Thanks for being the Foxy Mama Blogger Babes that you are!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Giveaway

I am hosting a giveaway over on Miracle Momas – go check it out here: Thirty-One Gifts Hanging Cosmetic Organizer Giveaway. Yay for free stuff!

I received the Versatile Blogger Award

Carol & Stacy at Intentional Conscious Parenting gave me the Virtual Blogger Award! Thank you ladies, I am honored!

In order to receive the award fully, I must

  1. Thank the person who gave me the award. Thank you again, Carol & Stacy, glad I found your blog!
  2. Share seven things about myself.
  3. Nominate 15 newly discovered blogs, and let the nominees know about the award.

Seven things about me you may or may not know!

  1. I have a huge soft spot for anything furry. I would save every single dog and cat if I could (and if hubby would let me!)
  2. I originally thought I wanted five kids, until I had one, and then decided that five would be insane for me.
  3. I used to model when I was younger, and LOVED it at the time, though looking back I realize it was a pretty screwed up world in a lot of ways.
  4. I chew pen caps pretty much the WHOLE time I’m on the computer. But that’s about the only time I do it. I buy pens by the box full just to throw out and keep the caps.
  5. I am terrified of spiders, to the point that I make my 7 year old daughter kill them for me if she’s the only other one around.
  6. I LOVE the smell of the dog’s feet. To me, it smells like love.
  7. I am a total reality TV junkie, and refused to be ashamed!

Now it's time for the most important part of the award. I am excited to nominate some of the newest blogs that I read below, and I look forward to many thought-provoking, fun, sincere posts from them in the future.

  1. http://gottalovemom.blogspot.com/
  2. http://kristenandrewsonline.blogspot.com/
  3. http://vivobello.blogspot.com/
  4. http://www.wisconsinmommy.com/
  5. http://staciesthoughtsoneverythingandnothing.blogspot.com/
  6. http://www.digicrumbs.com/
  7. http://morethanamummy.blogspot.com/
  8. http://crispymom.blogspot.com/
  9. http://3boysandadog.com/
  10. http://chicsassymom.blogspot.com/
  11. http://jinnialow.com/
  12. http://mformommy.blogspot.com/
  13. http://shebecamebutterfly.blogspot.com/
  14. http://www.thecakeathomemom.com/
  15. http://www.3princesandaprincess2.com/

Thank you to all of you for creating blogs that I enjoy so much!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Why does customer service suck so bad these days?

I honestly could not be more irritated at the disgustingly low level of customer service that I’ve experienced this week in trying to get my dryer fixed. I honestly am just enraged at these people that call themselves professionals.

My dryer stopped working on Saturday. I called up a service that I’d used in the past, A Same Day Appliance Repair and despite the fact that “same day” is built right into their name, they didn’t give me an appointment until Monday. Fine, it’s the weekend, whatever. I can surely live without my dryer for two days. So I got off the phone with them Saturday and was told they would be there between 9-11am on Monday. Monday morning they call at 8:30am to confirm, and I tell them, yes, we’re good for the time window we established come on by. All day passes, and NOTHING. No call, no service technician coming by to happily repair my dryer. Nothing. I call them and get voicemail and leave a message asking for an explanation as to why in the world they would simply blow off a repeat customer like that. And I get NO response whatsoever. Nothing. Now, since I had called after hours, I waited til Tuesday morning, thinking that perhaps they would get back to me. Nope. Again, nothing.

So now I’m pissed and I figure, screw them, I’m calling a different repair service. So I call A-Able Air and Appliance Repair, whose website claims they offer “same day service, 7 days/7 nights”. Fabulous. I figure it’s Tuesday morning, I should have a working dryer by the evening so I can start slogging through the mountain of laundry, right? Nope, not happening. No appointments available until Wednesday. Really? I mean, come on, you’ve got to be freakin kidding me. WHY DO YOU PEOPLE PUT THESE EMPTY PROMISES ON YOUR WEBSITES? It can’t possibly be your sole intention just to piss me off, can it?

Then, to top it off, these same irresponsible geniuses who can’t seem to make a same day appointment, despite the claims on their website, have now called and CANCELLED the appointment that they made for today. Claiming they were ever so sorry, but their tech just couldn’t make it out here today and would tomorrow be better. Honest to God these people were so lucky that my husband answered the phone instead of me, because he is far nicer than I am when dealing with morons.

So my question to the masses is this: is it still possible to find companies that understand how to correctly serve a customer? Do I just have bad luck? Really, do these people not understand how vitally important word-of-mouth advertising and referrals can be to their businesses? How crucial it is to please a customer rather than piss them off at first contact? How much cheaper it is to get and keep a customer than to constantly be trying to find new customers? I am honestly just shocked at the lack of professionalism that’s been exhibited by these companies. And as soon as I finish venting here, I’ll be back on the phone trying to find yet another company that might be able to actually serve me correctly.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Couponing?

Okay, who is a big couponing person? I try to be. In theory, it doesn’t seem that hard. But then somehow I feel like I am missing something. I don’t think I’m doing it right. Maybe I need lessons. Are there such a thing?

It seems to me like I’m spending far more time than it’s worth to save about $6. I know people post that they save like half their bill or other insane things, but I just don’t see it. How can I make that happen? Will this just not work for me if a lot of my bill is produce and beverages?

If someone can point me in the right direction on this, I would sure appreciate it. For right not I feel like I’m doing it pretty half-assed, which makes me think I might as well not bother at all and save myself the hassle.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Crazy busy, and a freebie

Today I have run around like a crazy person getting 10 billion things done, and my day isn’t even NEAR over yet. So somehow I don’t think I can manage to be witty on my blog today. Instead, I’m sharing with ya’ll a pretty cool little freebie…

Don’t we all just need a little guidance sometimes in helping our kids with their homework? I know I do, and I can’t even imagine how much harder it’ll be when they are in middle and high school, but that’s like a whole other blog topic.

Teresa has come up with a free tool to help us out, at least in regards to science. Go check this out here: How to Teach Science. Check it out if you have kids. And hey, even if you don’t have kids, maybe you’ll learn something. Winking smile

Sunday, July 25, 2010

To pool or not to pool

That is the question around these parts daily. Most of the time the chips fall on the side of “to pool”.

Every day, pretty much as soon as she gets up, my daughter is asking if we can go swimming. Which I’m fine with, just not at 8 in the morning. Let a girl get some caffeine on board first. But typically I eventually relent, and at least a couple hours of our day is spent out by the pool. Being that we’re in Florida, our pool is directly behind the house and screened in. This is insanely convenient because it drastically reduces the high volume of bugs we would otherwise have joining us in the pool. The downside to this, though, is that the pool gets shaded by the house for a good portion of the afternoon, and thus remains cooler than I would personally like it to be. This week, the water temp has been holding steady at 84 degrees. That doesn’t sound particularly cold, but trust me, when you first jump in, it sure feels cold.

Today hubby will be manning the pool while I have my Thirty-One Out with the Old, In with the New Sale. A couple of my friends will be bringing their kids along to swim, as well. So today the answer is definitely “to pool”, at least for everyone but me. Smile