Ready or not (house), here I come!

There reaches a point in every gal's life when it's time to do something drastic.  In my opinion, this mostly has to do with relationships.  For me, it's the relationship with my house that is ever so flustering.  I want, desperately, to be a wonderful housekeeper.  I want it to be spotless.  I want the house to shudder in fear when I walk out of the laundry room with cleaning bucket in hand.  However, at this point, I can feel the house laugh at me when I do that to try to get this place clean. 

So, this is my turning point.  I will kick this house's butt.  I will clean it.  I will do so regularly.  I will put the fear into it...and it'll be able to see it coming.  Here's my something drastic:  I have a cleaning schedule, and I'm sticking to it.  No ands, ifs, or buts about it.  I will make time to get this place the way I want it to be , and it will stay that way.  Here's my game plan:

Monday:

• Clean the fridge--throw out leftovers and outdated items, wash the shelves and drawers
•   Make a menu and shopping list for the week
• Go to Wal-Mart  (My next goal is to find somewhere fabulous to shop...baby steps)
• Laundry day--wash, iron, and put away clothes

Tuesday:

• Windex--mirrors, televisions, dishwasher/oven fronts (no matter how cute those little hand prints are)
• Dust--all flat surfaces and then some
• Strip the beds, wash and dry sheets, remake beds

Wednesday: 

• Scrub bathrooms--sink, counter, toilet, tub, and floor
• Beat and vacuum rugs
• Empty trash and put in fresh liners (bathroom & kitchen)
• Wash, dry, and put away towels (bathroom & kitchen)

Thursday:

• Do floors--mop all ceramic tile, vacuum bedrooms, and wet mop laminate
• Laundry day--wash, iron, and put away clothes

Friday: 

• Deep clean kitchen--(beyond the daily items) scrub all nooks and crannies, tidy shelves in kitchen and pantry

Saturday and Sunday:  Who knows where we'll be or what we'll be up to?  I really like to spend these days with my hubby having fun.  I'll work on the dailies.  If we choose, we'll work on a seasonal or special project.  No big scrubby dubby on these days.

Daily Tasks:

• dry mop laminate
• spot check bathrooms
• make beds (Confession:  This is a stretch, but I'll give it a go!)
• tidy toys and dirty clothes
• wipe down kitchen
• do a load of dishes
• check and take out trash/recycling
• water plants (if needed)

I already do almost all of these items on the lists.  However, I need a structured schedule to ensure that they're done more often.  Wish me luck!  I'm also working on a seasonal list of chores.  Is there anything I've overlooked for my weekly or dailies? 

Lingering thought of the day:  Tonight is Bunco night with my HMA gals.  I LOVE Bunco night!

Sling 'em & bring 'em

When I found out I was expecting Eli, I decided I needed a sling to use for school functions, church, and other out and about activities (when I didn't want to lug a stroller).  I could just sling him and bring him, and how easy would that be?  However, I started pricing them, and they started at about $30.00.  I wasn't sure how often I'd use it or if it would really be handy or not.  As a first time mama, there's a lot of stuff they advertise that you NEED, and at that point you don't really know what are necessities. 

So, I decided to make my own sling.  I went out and bought school colored fabric (as I figured I'd use it most at ballgames and such) at JoAnn Fabrics for under ten dollars, found a free on-line pattern, measured, cut, and started sewing.  The project took less than an hour.  I thought this was a fabulous thing, and in essence I think it would've been.  However, I think the pattern was a little off and it never fit quite right.  It was a little shallow, and I was always afraid Eli was going to fall out.  I used it MAYBE two or three times, but I wanted to use it a lot more.  It just made me a little too nervous to use it very often.

Please pardon the wrinkles...it's been up in a closet for close to two years now.  Anyway, I decided this time I'd just splurge and buy one so I could use it more often.  I've been looking and pricing them (and still having trouble paying the full price).  Until I found this at Target:

This sling was originally $31.29, and I found it on clearance for $7.82.  I took it out of the package and tried it on.  It fit me right.  The pocket/pouch was deeper than the one I made...and with a puffy little edge to reassure me.  It's already looking a little better than my last one, and for under ten dollars, why not try it? 

It came with a little instruction manual for how to put it on, different ways to carry the baby (There are five!), and washing instructions.  It's reversible and machine washable.  I'm pretty excited about trying this new sling with baby #2! 

Lingering thought of the day:  Target's dollar aisle is awesome!  Eli and I stocked up on dinosaurs that roar the last time we were there to keep in the diaper bag.  They've been great distractions for him lately in public places where he can't run free.  They also have all kinds of cutesy educational stuff right now.  I'm quite the fan!

Go 'side and get in da poo!

The above words are shouted at me on a daily basis by an angry little man.  This angry little man would just happen to be my child.  Anyway, no matter how often Eli goes swimming in his "poo," he just can't get enough of his swim time.  He loves it.  He shouts to go out.  We go out.  Eventually, we come back inside.  He cries to go back out.  Repeat.  Occassionally, he even resorts to "Pease go 'side and get in da poo?" 

Due to a deep love of the pool (and a lack of a post by the slacker mama), it was time to post some poo pics.  This one's for you, MawMaw!

Eli loves to splish and splash in "da water!"

Eli's favorite pool time activities are:  transferring toys from pool to bucket then back or transferring water from pool to bucket and back.

This is typical pool attire for Eli.  There are three options for each pool time:  little swimmers, trunks, or both.  This day we kept it simple with the little swimmers.

My little man is quite the little fishy.  He'll also pretend swim on his tummy and try to splash us.  He's gone under water a few times and has no fear.  He's quite the little swimmer.  We'll both be a little sad when swimming weather ends...but there are so many fun things to do in the fall!

Lingering thought of the day:  We really like our new church! 

It's time for the big boy bed!

A few nights ago, Eli decided he was finished with his crib.  He made his point to us by climbing out and doing a nose dive onto the carpet.  We heard the wails, went into his room, and he met us at the door.  Truth by told, this sent me into minor hysterics.  I flipped.  So, anyway, my Eli man has been wearing the battle scars from the carpet for the past few days (and sleeping on a crib mattress in the middle of his room).

Here is a picture of Eli two days after the big event.  Note the carpet burn on his head and lack of skin on his nose.  We are so blessed that this was the extent of it. 

We'd been looking at toddler and twin beds for months and talking about the transition into the big boy bed.  This was the turning point that helped us decide that NOW is the time to buy one and get him into it.  We shopped, and shopped, and shopped, and this is what we found:

It was a floor model--so we got a great deal on it.  But the best part is, it's absolutely perfect for our big boy!  It's all baseball.  Notice the ball shape in the metal and the baseballs on the posts of the head and foot boards.

We had the options narrowed to two, but when Eli saw this one it was a must have!  He kept climbing on it saying, "night-night" and "see da balls, mama?"  He loved it!   It is now his and living in his bedroom.

Tonight will be Eli's first night in his big boy bed.  He's been excited about it all day.  Hopefully we'll all get to sleep a little bit tonight... :) 

When we find out boy or girl next month, we'll figure out the decor for the whole room.  Obviously, Eli's side will be baseball with lots of Cardinals gear.  We're waiting to find out to be able to determine the rest and how we'll paint.  More pics and posts will follow once we know and have things ready to go!

Lingering thought of the day:  I am so, so blessed to get to stay at home with this guy this year!  We have had so much fun!  It's really nice to get to watch him learn and grow.

Sweet Ride

As my Eli man is going to have a sibling in a few months, it was time for us to start thinking about upgrading his set of wheels (aka stroller).  So we've shopped, and shopped, and shopped some more for a new double stroller that we thought would be perfect for our family.  The minimum requirements on this quest were:  two or more cup holders (we love our to-go-cups), two or more cozy seats (actual seats--not just a bench for the big kid), tons of  storage space underneath for big shopping or zoo trips,  and easy drivability (yes, I enjoy making up words).  
As we hunted for our perfect stroller, we found many worth while options.  Problem being, I'm a total frugalista.  Really, I often see that as a good thing, but it becomes tricky when shopping for double strollers.  All of the options we liked were between $150.00 and $500.00.  Some of that price range is fine, and I can justify it as often as we use our strollers.  However, it's still a pretty hefty chunk of change.  We kept looking. 

We looked at yard sales, and we found over-priced crap.  Please pardon my french.  We looked at gently-used baby stuff stores.  They too were over-priced for TIRED strollers.  Being the frugalista that I am, I have to look these places before I will resort to paying full price for something new.  Then my hubby, being the brilliant one that he is, came up with the winner of all ideas.  Side note:  Don't tell my hubby I'm talking nicely about him.  He'll get the big head.  :)  Anyway, back on track, he decided to look on Craigslist for me.  He found the Kolcraft Contours Tandem Options.

  We got this stroller for less than half of the price for a new one.  It was used MAYBE twice on zoo trips.  It looks, smells, and feels new.  A friend and I have taken it on a few trial runs now with our little ones, and I love it!  It meets all of my qualifications and then some.  Both seats can be reclined without ever moving the kiddos, the seats can be taken off and turned (toward each other, away from each other, facing Mom, and facing forward), and it even has a little built in step so the kiddo in the back can get in all by him/herself.  So far, I'm finding this little gem to be fairly fabulous...and the deal was even more so!

Lingering thought of the day:  I LOVE Claussen dill spears.  I can't get enough of them.  The jar I bought on Monday will probably be gone and replaced by the end of the weekend.  Did I ever mention that I'm a total pickle snob?  I refuse to eat Vlassic or any other "lesser" brand than Claussen.  They are my favorite in this world! 

Play Date at Kids' Place

The wives of the residents at UK have a spouses' group.  This group has a weekly play date for all of the spouses and children.  The play group this week was at Kids Place in Lexington.  It's a pretty neat place.  There are all kinds of fun things to do:  bouncy rooms, tunnels, climbing nets, slides, and a ball pit.  Eli's not quite big enough to do all of that, but he really enjoyed the ball pit and one of the bouncy rooms.

Eli loved the idea of the ball pit, but then it made him a little nervous when he first got in.  However, after awhile, he grew to really like it!

He decided it would be fun to take the balls into one of the bouncy rooms with him.  He'd throw them to one end and then run to get them.  It was pretty cute!

Eli's just chillin' in the bouncy room.  This is seconds before he laid down and said, "night-night."  All this fun wore the poor guy out!

They put a cute little wristband on him.  I asked him to show it off for the camera.  It was a little white paper band covered in red stars.  :)

The Eli man conked out on the way home with his "backetball."

This was a fun little outing for us!  I got to be social while he played, and played, and played.  It was pretty nice!

Lingering thought of the day:  I picked up a pattern today to make Eli's Halloween costume.  He's going to be a dinosaur.  I showed him the picture on the pattern casing and asked if he'd like to be a dinosaur.  His response was a "roooaarrrrr!"

Sweet Strangers

Today I'm going to do things a little out of my norm--no pictures, no recipes, no Eli funnies--I'm just going to tell you a story.  Sometimes I'm struck by the little things in day to day life.  The little, usually unexpected, things can unnerve me or touch me more than the big things that are anticipated. 

In a normal week, Monday is grocery shopping day (at Wal-Mart, yikes).  On Mondays, Eli and I head out on our adventure.  We have a lunch date then head into the dreaded Wal-Mart.  (Side tangent:  I loathe Wal-Mart, but it's so stinking cheap and they have EVERYTHING.  Therefore, I do it anyway.  That is also why it's become the monster that it is.)  Anyway, McDonalds is our normal lunch spot, but today I really wanted Captain D's.  We've done Captain D's a time or two before, but it's in the scary part of town with our Wal-Mart.  I usually avoid it, even though I love it. 

I saw posted that they are running a special on my favorite, so we decided to brave it today.  We went in (expecting the worst, to be quite honest).  However, there was only one visible employee, and she was singing her heart out with the radio.  Although this wasn't exactly professional, one must be fairly happy to sing that way.  We got up to the counter to order, and she handed Eli a pack of fruit snacks, chased after the ball he threw, started calling him by name and chatting with him.  She was so friendly!  She proceeded to let Eli pick our table while she followed and carried our tray to our table so I could go get a high chair.  (Yes, he was in my line of vision the entire time.)  I have NEVER gotten this type of service at a fast food restaurant.  She was fabulous!

I noticed there was only one other table occupied in the entire restaurant.  At that table sat two little old men wearing hats that labeled them as veterans.  Eli took an instant liking to them and started talking their ears off.  They ate it up and chatted with us the entire time we were there.  They got excited that Eli prayed with me then shouted "amen."  One of them came over and pulled a $1. bill out of Eli's ear and told him to get something fun with it at Wal-Mart.  (We had just discussed that they were headed to the VA, and we were headed to Wal-Mart.) 

I asked them in which brach of the military they had served.  Both were army men who fought in Vietnam.  I thanked them for all they did for us.  I have a solid belief that we should thank our veterans every opportunity we have.  They have sacrificed so much for us, for our country, for our freedom.  The least we can do is give a "thank you" in return. 

As we were preparing to leave, I got down and picked up the food Eli had dropped/thrown on the floor.  The employee from the front counter came over and teased me about doing her job.  I told her it's only common courtesy to clean up our mess.  As I gathered our trash onto the tray to throw away, she told me about her four grandbabies, and she gets to see them on Sunday--her day off.   I threw away our trash and put away the high chair.  My new friends (the veterans) thanked me for being thoughtful and cleaning up our mess, then they proceeded to say that not many young people think to do such things anymore. 

Again, it's common courtesy to pick up one's own mess.  Does our generation really leave messes all the time?  Are we really that thoughtless?  If that's the case, we need to pick up the slack and get our rears in gear.  Each of us are a representative of this generation.  How do we want others to see us?  What can we do to improve that image?

Moving on along...as we headed out, they asked me questions about the baby on the way.  They asked why we do ultrasounds now, and if it was all for genetic screening.  I explained that I'm just nosy and like to get a sneak peek.  They are used for some screening, but it doesn't make a difference what is found--it's not like we'd terminate (or really do anything differently) regardless. They agreed with this viewpoint.  They complimented Eli on his pleasant demeanor and good behavior.  Then they told us they enjoyed lunching with us and that they're there every Monday from 11:15-1:00 before their standing appointments at the VA.  As we were discussing it, the employee from the front counter said she's also there every Monday at that time. 

I think Eli and I might have to go back and lunch with them again.  It was such a blessing to encounter such sweet strangers!

Lingering thought of the day:  Eli has about one hour left of his nap.  I've been debating all day over whether to sew or reorganize my closet.  Decisions, decisions...