Our office used have two hanging Elfa desk systems on opposite walls. The Robinator took them down and well...there were a lot of holes left in the wall from the installation. It looked like crap. Getting the house ready for other people to live in looked like it was going to be a chore.
I bought some DryDex Spackling
I'm VERY proud of myself! Have you ever patched up and painted walls properly?
A debate is ongoing about whether or not providing home cooked meals for your family is worth it.
I generally cook every night but I don't have the demands that mothers generally have day-to-day so I don't really know. My mother cooked every night but back then...there weren't many other options.
What do YOU think? Is it worth it in your opinion?
We have a list of things we want to get done around our house so we reached out to some handyman/repair/contractor people. Licensed and insured, of course. I called three companies and they all came out today to give me estimates on the work I needed done. The price tag on two BLEW.MY.MIND AWAY!
The price tag from Ramon & Son's? 1/4th of the others. www.RamonandSons.com
Ramon Espin came out personally, was professional, had good reviews and ratings. Yall know I'm particular and he had amazing energy. Jaru LOVED him! Reviews on Home Advisor: http://www.homeadvisor.com/biz/ramonandsons/
He didn't have a fancy Sprinter van with his name on the side and he looked like if I wanted him to get started in 10 minutes he would have gone out and returned in a work shirt and some boots while one of his sons was on their way to help.
Yup. Ramon & Son's seem to keep their prices down by having low overhead. I like that. It translates to my pocketbook well. Guess who has a new handyman service? That would be me! GO ME!
Ramon Espin
301.963.6902 Office
240.876.6685 Mobile
Residential/Commercial - Interior/Exterior - Custom Painting - Deck Staining - Drywall Hanging & Repairs - Carpentry - Pressure Washington - Basement/Bathroom Remodeling - Floor Covering
LICENSED & INSURED
Could YOU buy this fixer upper for $40k and fix it up? Not could you financially...but do you think you have what it takes to take on a fixer upper of this magnitude?
Did you make your bed today?
If you didn't, do you make straighten it before you get back in?
Do you require that your children make their bed daily before leaving the house?
When I was growing up, Saturday mornings were for cleaning. You got up, ate breakfast while you watched cartoons and then the television was turned off, the music was turned on, and everybody got to cleaning. Some of us had inside jobs and some of us had outside jobs.
Last week I was discussing this with my sister and how kids don't know how to REALLY clean anymore. Sure, they know how to "swish" with a Clorox wipe but get down dirty with it scrubbing? They are ill equipped.
Comet or Ajax with something you could scrub with was the main cleaner and once everything was cleaned, then it was Windex and lemon fresh Pledge time. The last thing that was done was vacuum. Nice, neat lines.
I'm talking HOUSEKEEPER clean. Dust boards, all the frames off the sideboard dusted and cleaned, sideboard dusted and cleaned. Refrigerator cleaned out and wiped down. Bathroom sparkling. Even the plants got dusted.
In our house, you couldn't do anything else until after it was FOR REAL clean.
What about you? Did you guys do this type of cleaning too? Do your kids? Are kids too busy today to clean weekly? Are parents? Have cleanliness standards changed?
Whatchall doing? I put all my inside plants outside to get some sun and rain water. Do you ever put your plants outside?
SIP: And probably ants and other bugs who would prefer living inside if given the opportunity.
I just finished reading a book where a daughter went to work for some rich people and her mother always asked her how the rich people lived. One thing she asked made me side eye her:
"Do they vacuum every day like we do?"
DA HELL???????????
I started looking around sitting in the room I vacuumed two days ago and started wondering...hmmmmm...how often do other people vacuum?
So yeah...about that...how often do YOU vacuum?
My brother gave me this vase a long time ago and it holds sentimental value. I used to keep it under the spot where we hang our keys and keys have dropped once or fifty times and cracked it around the rim.
Continue reading "From Clear Glass Vase to Mercury Glass Vase" »
I bought two three ball myrtle topiaries a while ago because I'd always wanted some at the front door. When I found them, I envisioned them in square wooden planters with trim moulding.
Being me...I immediately started looking for planters and couldn't find a single thing that looked as I wanted it to look for the price I wanted to pay. I mean...I'm just paying $100 for what is essentially...a lil box. Um...no. Grandin Road Nantucket Square Box
Yeah...again...no.
So, I decided that if I couldn't find what I wanted, then I simply needed to find two matching things. The only thing I 100% didn't want to compromise on was the color black.
And I couldn't find two black things for what I wanted to pay for either. *sigh* So I bought two grey looking ones from Amazon for $7.28 each.
And got my spray paint on.
And hey...they look nice enough. GO ME!
Would you have done the same or would you have paid the $200?
The other night I decided I wanted some chocolate chip cookies. I had everything I needed but...the butter wasn't softened and had I waited an hour for it to soften...I wouldn't have made the cookies.
So, I put some water to boil on top of the stove but right before it started to boil, I turned off the stove and added the butter to a stainless steal bowl and smashed it up over the hot water until it was softened. Took about 5 minutes.
And then I made gluten free chocolate chip cookies!
GO ME!
How do YOU soften butter quickly?
Cascade pods, Tide pods, all of that! No mess! NONE!
Love them, love them, love them!!!!!
Is it just me?
We were out and about somewhere and decided to get some ice cream. The Robinator told me what he wanted and I stood in line while he wrangled us a table. When I paid for our ice cream it was like $16 and I was blown away. I mean...we got the ice cream, but I was shocked at the price for sure.
When I buy groceries, I generally know how much it's going to cost me per week. I don't really piece it all up but I know what the amount is going to be more or less. Recently I was grocery shopping and paid for my groceries. As I was walking out the store, I remembered that I had some red beans soaking and needed some bell peppers and celery. I went back and got 2 bell peppers, 1 pack of celery, some apples and maybe 6 bananas. Quick trip. When the clerk rung me up I did a double take. It was $28. Whoa...for bell peppers, celery, apples and bananas. I mean yeah...it was all organic but that total shook me.
I don't even buy fresh blueberries anymore. An itty bitty container of organic blueberries is $7. ONE blueberry ends up costing dang near twenty cents. Um...I'm good. Frozen organic blueberries are just fine with me. Trader Joe's has a 12 ounce bag for $3.99. I buy two bags a week for our oatmeal. We barely even eat yogurt anymore because the kind we like costs $1.89 a container. I used to buy 10 containers a week. Now? Four. When Coley and Kiersten were visiting I bought a gallon of organic milk for $8 and yall KNOW one gallon wasn't enough. Whoa...
A bag of Glutino Pretzel Twists, Salted, 14.1 Oz
Just a mess.
When we're out eating and I see a family of 4 or more I think to myself...they must be straight balling. LOL! Cuz I know how much dinner for just two costs out and about.
Things have been getting more and more expensive for a while now but dairy and produce has really gone through the roof it seems. Are you noticing it too? Have you been sticker shocked by anything in particular lately?
No secret I love flowers. If my mommy was alive, I would have given her these. I have the feeling she's enjoying them anyway. :)
Did YOU get any for Mother's Day? What kind?
How was your day mommies? Did you enjoy it?
I think I'm going to do a brisket for Easter dinner on Sunday. I'll pick it up tomorrow and I can't WAIT!
What are YOU having for Easter dinner? Are you cooking or are you a guest this year? Are you decorating?
The Robinator loves to golf and does so every chance he gets. Recently he was headed out to the course and the strap on his golf bag came apart at a seam. He considered not going because of the strap.
But five hours of alone time was at risk so the kid whipped out her trust sewing box and got to gittin'!
Yup...sewed it right on back on. Go golf. Enjoy. Thank you for my five hours of alone time.
What's the last sewing repair job you had to do at home? Do you have a sewing box even though you don't sew?
I am SO in love with that gallery wall.
Up until recently I didn't have an actual home bar. I had most of what I needed...I just had them all in the basement pantry section and would have to go up and down again when I wanted to mix drinks, etc.
Well...I changed that recently and am going to be complete with it soon.
I'll take pics later.
What about you? Where do you keep your home bar? Do you have a special place you keep everything? Do you have a nice built in bar? Is it well stocked? What is your signature drink you can whip up easily? What liquors and mixers do you keep stocked?
Here's Martha's take on it: Home Bar Basics
Do you have a comforter or a duvet cover set on your bed?
What's the pattern? Floral? Geometric? Scroll? Plaid? Stripe? Solid?
Any of you ever filed an insurance claim that wasn't medical? Was it a painless process or did it cause you heartburn?
The other night The Robinator and I were in bed and he asked..."I wonder what it is about heavy covers that make you sleep so well?" And then he promptly fell asleep.
Hmmmmm...
I can't sleep without heavy covers. It's always cold in our house because I can't sleep hot...but I have to sleep under covers. Like...if it's hot and I can't pull the bed covers over my head...I'm not sleeping much. And I need darkness. I turn into a straight sleep vampire. Cold, dark, heavy.
So...I started reading up on it and wow...seems that heavy covers release seratonins which help you sleep better. They even tell people suffering from insomnia to get heavier comforters and blankets.Interesting huh? I then started thinking about how I hardly ever get good sleep in hotel rooms and well...the comforters are never "heavy" enough. I can never get it "cold" enough and well...I always know that sliver of light from the hallway is right under the door.
UGH.
Then I thought about how people always say they sleep so well in our guest bedroom. Well...I know the comforter in there is way heavy because I used to use it on my bed before a tragic ink pen stain happened and it become a duvet. LOL! Yup...I slapped a duvet cover on that sucker and started using it in the guest bedroom because I KNOW how good it is.
It made me think about whether or not our guests benefit from the heavy comforter and don't even realize it.
It's that comfort thing too. Like a swaddled baby. They tell people with autism and aspergers to use them too. There is even an actual weighted blanket for sleep therapy but they aren't that attractive and they cost a grip but wow...pretty awesome if you ask me.
That said...are your bed covers heavy? Or light?
Best thing I've ever done during snow season. Put rocks in the boot tray so the snow melts away from the boot and snow brush. GO ME!
Could you live in a log cabin? One that had the same log finish as walls in EVERY.SINGLE.ROOM? No wall color except for the art you use? Just wood color throughout?
And this isn't your vacation home...it's your everyday home.
Yall know I LURVE doing my table! It makes me HAPPY! HAPPY! HAPPY!
The meal is going to be a one plater. LOL! Yes...I made that up. I didn't go overboard with the menu for once.
Prime rib with red wine mushroom sauce
Ham
Garlic mashed potatoes
Brussels sprout saute
Kale
Brown rice
See...one plater. Everything you want can fit on one plate. No salad. Informal setting. Red wine, wine white, sparkling wine. Simple.
Centerpiece filled with hydrangea, hybrid lilies, garden roses, berries, ranuculus, magnolia leaves and inhibition roses. (I wish I could let yall smell it cuz BAAAAAAABY...those hybrid lilies are TO.DIE.FOR.FABULOUS!
Check out this garden heart rose:
Yall know I always buy myself something awesome for Christmas so check out one of this year's gifts:
IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! GO ME!
Dinner around these parts will be around 2pm. What about in your neck of the woods? What time do you guys generally eat Christmas dinner? Yall having a one plater or a two plater? Are bowls needed?
What size is your bed? Are you happy with it?
I bought a bunch of Alstroemeria Sunday before last to put in a vase. I didn't want to spend a lot on flowers because I knew we'd be leaving even though I wanted flowers that day. I paid $3.99 for a bunch at Trader Joe's.
When we got home last night I was blown away at how they'd opened up and how such a cheapo pack of flowers looked so beautiful.
I changed the water today and here is how they look tonight...8 days later:
How is that even possible? I think this is going to be a standing flower for our home. Cheap, lovely and super long lasting. GO ALSTOEMERIA!
Do you CURRENTLY have one? What do you keep it on? Phone? iPad? Special To Do list paper? Scrap of paper? Post it note? Piece of notebook or printer paper?
The artist is Randy Hibberd. You can find the print here: Beauty In Blue II by Randy Hibberd
This is my challenge for outdoor Christmas decorating this year. I want to do this type of filler inside of my urns. I do NOT want to pay $179 each for it. I imagine the people who came up with that price are still giggling at how funny they are because seriously...THEY FUNNY.
I tried these lights last year and they were okay. I think if I used more than one string per urn I'll get the look I'm shooting for. White 30 LED String Lights Battery Operated
These plus the burlap Christmas wreath should make the front pop quite nicely. What say you? Do you have planters out front? What do you do with them for Christmas?
Yesterday Shelly and I were on the phone talking about cleaning up. An hour later...we still hadn't cleaned anything. We were both trying to get the energy to get up and get moving ans we went down the list of stuff we knew we needed to do.
It wasn't getting done.
Then...I said...let's have a competition. In 10 minutes, let's get up and start cleaning for one solid hour and then see who got more done in the hour.
Shelly...the overachiever that she is jumped up and said, BET! (Well...that's not exactly what she said but I can't remember what she said but it was prolly something like that so we good.)
We hung up the phone and started.
I had stuff flying around this house something FIERCE! I started by decluttering and putting everything where it went. Then I emptied the dishwasher and loaded it again. I started the stock for the Creole cornbread dressing. Next, I dusted and picked up the dining room chairs and put them on the table. I wiped down all the counters and cabinets and vacuumed the floor and rugs. I pledged and cleaned the doggie drool from the windows. Then...I mopped. The entire main level. I'd almost finished when the hour was up. I broke out into a sweat and I couldn't BELIEVE how much I got done in an hour!
So Shelly called huffing and puffing. She was like...I'm almost finished mopping! She ran down the list of what she'd done and she was shocked at how much she got done too. Then we were like...we should do this again upstairs! So we did! One solid hour of competition cleaning.
I walked around my house afterwards astonished at how much I got done in such a short amount of time. LIke seriously...WHOA!
How long does it usually take you to clean your house? Do you ever need motivation or are you the type of person who is on such a regular cleaning schedule that you never have stuff that piles up?
We're going to do it again next Sunday! GO US! CALLENGE!!!!! (I STILL giggle every.single.time someone says challenge because I totally think CALLENGE like old dude said in his email back in 2011: http://creoleindc.typepad.com/rantings_of_a_creole_prin/2011/01/grrrrrrrrrrr.html
Hostess gifts make me smile because they truly are usually the most USABLE of all the gifts you receive. Folks don't understand how hard it is to find gifts that people will actually use but hostess gifts pretty much keep you covered.
And they are normally VERY inexpensive!
Someone asked me recently if I considered a bottle of wine a hostess gift or a contribution to the dinner. Um...huh? You said wine. Wine is a GOOD gift at 13700 and thank you very much in advance of all advances.
MOVING ON!
I thought about that some and thought about how some of the Usual Suspects generally bring a bottle of wine and something extra a lot so I guess maybe some people agree that wine is lagniappe.
Plants make excellent hostess gifts. I think I did one around here somewhere...lemme check...hold on...I'll be back. Here it is. Used a grocery store plant and made it nice: Simple Hostess Gift
Spreaders make great hostess gifts: Classic Spreaders, Set of 4
The trick with spreaders is to keep it simple. Don't get the colorful, jeweled bead ones because the hostess will get more use out of ones they can use with many different tablescapes. And really...some of those jeweled ones are simply just...no. You can't wash them in the dishwasher. The beads can fall out. (Totally speaking from experience here okay!)
Bookends are always a hit. I mean...who doesn't have books right? And...certain styles of bookends can be used as decor on a end table, window sill, etc. Cast Iron Fleur de Lis Bookends
Bottle stoppers: Here are some cheap ones: Set of Bottle Stoppers
Pottery Barn has some super cute ones! Pottery Barn Bottle Stoppers
Plain white kitchen towels: All-Purpose Kitchen Towels, Set of 4
Guest soaps - I always find the best prices at TJMaxx or Marshall's. If you're lucky you'll find some initial ones!
Kitchen hand soap/lotion combination: Caldrea 3 Piece Green Tea Verbena Kitchen Set
I have so many that I love giving to include bath products, cutting boards, cheese trays, etc. What are some of YOUR favorite hostess gifts to give?
My mother-in-law and I are going to make Christmas wreaths while we're at the cabin for Thanksgiving. I wanted to test one out so I can make sure I had all of the supplies we'd need for the ones we want to make. I think the test one came came out pretty nice if I do say so myself. I'm probably going to add some stuff to it before Christmas like some type of green sugared fruit and I think I'm going to pull the tails closer together. Making the bow was cool in that I used two different types of ribbon, one behind the other and made a basic bow with 5 loops on each side. Then...I pulled out both pieces of ribbon to arrange once I'd put the floral wire on the ribbon properly.
Michael's has all sorts of awesomeness you can decorate your wreath with. I wired all of the decorations on the burlap wreath form because I want to change it up whenever I want to so I didn't use my trusty glue gun.
GO ME!
To make one you'll need:
2 rolls of Burlap Garland, 5 Inches by 10 Yards
Ribbon
Decorations
If you get your supplies from Michael's do NOT forget to use your phone to pull up their website to get the coupon of the week. You'll kick yourself if you don't. The wire form is about $4, the burlap is about $5 per roll. Your ribbons and whatnot is on you. LOL! This wreath cost me about $20 to make as I already had floral wire and whatnot. The initial 'M' was only like $1.19 and I had a coupon for 25% off my full purchase. GO ME AGAIN!
Once you finish putting the burlap on the wire frame, it should look like this:
See! It kinda looks nice like that by itself! Using this you can put whatever you want on it and make it as simple or as extravagant as you want to! It's completely up to you!
COTTON CANDY GOOD AS GOLD LET ME SEE YOU TOOTSIE ROLL! LOL!
Video here:
What are you going to put on your door for Christmas? Do you make it or buy it?
On Sunday I decided to go to the laundromat to wash a doggie bed that's too big for my washer. I asked Mr. Google to tell me where one was and was surprised to find there wasn't one in our city. No biggie...the next city isn't that far away.
So I went.
I was STUNNED at how busy it was. I thought I'd run in and run out but that wasn't the case. I had to wait for one of the large machines. When it was my turn I put in the bed and went to put my $3.50 in quarters in. Well...it was $6.00. I was short. I thought I could start it washing and run out and get some additional quarters for drying. I went to the ATM at the front and there was a $3.50 fee to use it.
Um...no. It's the principality of the sitch-i-ation.
So I left and went to a store, bought something and got $10 over in quarters.
Back I went.
I sat in my truck and listened to NPR while it washed and watched the people going in and out. Families. People who just want clean clothes. People just coming from church still in their church clothes. I even saw one young lady decked out Quinceanera style. Father's in steel toe working boots with their kids. I imagined they were giving mom a break and she was home alone relaxing. Good people just making it do what it do. Many of them probably have to make this trip weekly.
It made me feel guilty for the gripes I had about my washer not being big enough to wash the bed. I felt like donkey doo-doo and it made me grateful for the little things I sometimes forget are blessings.
When was the last time YOU had to visit a laundromat?
I was a tad bit annoyed recently when I realized we only had 2 of our normal everyday plates left. Somehow...6 have been broken in the past few years. What made me REALLY annoyed, however, was the fact that I couldn't find replacements for them.
UGH!
So I decided to do all white plates and I wanted to buy them individually from somewhere I knew would always have them.
Hence...the Crate & Barrel Essential Dinner Plate.
I bought the set of 8 for $27.96 and got free shipping (they are currently on sale). At only $3.96 (on sale) per plate, I can always replace a broken one without much effort. I'm actually pretty proud of myself. I feel all brainy smart and whatnot. GO ME!
What color are YOUR everday plates? Are they easy to replace when one gets broken?
Around 4:00am this morning we all jumped up to the sound of a loud thump.
We turned on lights and Scooby Doo Jaru was trying to detangle himself from the damn curtains which USED TO hang around the window behind him.
Seriously.
Turns out dude got into his sleep so tough...he got wrapped up somehow in the curtains.
I saw a commercial for this recently and thought...hmmmmmmm...Swiffer Bissell Steamboost
I know I love my Swiffer sweeper since I have doggies and well...I will whip out a new 360 duster every few days. Do I need to become addited to yet ANOTHER Swiffer product? *sigh*
And hell...yall know I LURVE me some Morty and Lee! LOL! For 90-year-old couple, Swiffer ad stardom is ‘unexpected’
Do you use any Swiffer products? Which ones? Do Morty and Lee make you smile too?
I'm old school when it comes to cleaning products. If you look at the stuff I buy...it's pretty much the same stuff my mother used to buy. Pledge, Windex, Old English, Pine Sol, Tilex, Comet, ammonia, bleach, vinegar, baking soda, etc.
I have a tendency to put hot water in the kitchen sink and add Pine Sol to it and wipe down my kitchen cabinets. I love the smell and it keeps them pretty clean.
The last time I did this I walked around for about an hour after trying to figure out what the smell was I kept smelling. I'd purchased the Citrus, Lime, Basil candle from Target's MELT collection and kept wondering if that's what I was smelling. It wasn't an unpleasant smell...just an unfamiliar one. I hoped it wasn't the candle because I thought it would smell better than what I was smelling and anyway...I'd only just lit it so there is no way the smell could be so strong and...following me around.
I went upstairs to wash my hands and use some of the brown sugar and vitamin E oil scrub that I made a while ago to use on my hands after I handle harsh household chemicals or work in the yard and I realized I smelled the smell in my bathroom too.
And then I smelled my hands.
Hmmmmm...
The smell was there.
Not unpleasant...just DIFFERENT.
So I went downstairs under the sink and pulled out the bottle of Pine Sol I'd used. It was a new bottle that I'd picked up when I bought the candle and yup...the words, "New and Improved, Longer Lasting Scent" jumped out at me.
Say bruh...Pine Sol doesn't need any changing. Pine Sol is perfectly perfect just as it is/was. Now...I hate that I have to go on this rant and whatnot but honestly...I'm feeling some kinda way. It's Pine Sol. People who know how to keep house well...know about Pine Sol. You don't need to do anything to attempt to entice us. We LIKE the old smell. It's all...you know...Pine-Sol-ey. This new stuff seriously smells like the sap that gets on your hands when you're bringing the Christmas tree inside. No. Just...no. Why you gotta go messing with the good stuff? You already have all those shiny candy colored fragrance ones for new folks...the old school folks like me are good with our original scent big bottle of Pine Sol. We keep a bottle upstairs and a bottle downstairs so we don't have to carry it up and down the stairs and now you gotta be messing with our delicate sensibilities like this. Is NOTHING sacred anymore?
SHEESH!
I've been buying Pine Sol the entire time I've lived in my own dorm room/apartment/condo/home, etc. as, I'm sure, many, many others have. I've never NOT bought it. When I run out, or get close to running out...it's added to the list. I'll never NOT buy it.
You don't need to change it. I've been hooked for a while now. Well...hooked on the old smell. This new stuff?
Meh...
Do YOU use Pine Sol? Did you think it needed a "new and improved" smell?
I was vacuuming the tops of the kitchen cabinets when I realized that I think it looks all nekkid up there. I stepped back and really looked at it and decided I should put some stuff there.
But what?
I started pulling stuff out of the basement storage that just sits around waiting on me to use when I'm in the mood to use it and started layering those things up top there.
And I kept going...
...until I'd run out of space.
And now I'm all like...hmmmm...why didn't I do that long ago?
It's not finished as I needed to see what I liked and didn't like and now I know. I'll remove some things today and space it out some more. I think I want more bold colors up there only.
If you have space on top of your kitchen cabinets...what do you keep up there?
I saw this on Pinterest and I wanted it:
I have two wreaths for fall and one of them was kinda similar. Larger berries. I didn't have brown ribbon nor a random 'M' hanging around so I had to roll out to Michael's and make that happen. Not before going to their website and sending a 40% off coupon via text to my phone though. GO ME!
The 'M' was $2.99. The roll of ribbon was $8 something. I got 40% off the ribbon, came home, and got out my crafty box:
Now...yall don't know this about me...but ya girl is a sharp shooter when it comes to wielding a glue gun. YEAH I SAID IT! POP, POP!
So I tied some stuff and glued some stuff and twisted some stuff and yup...jazzed my old wreath up something ferocious for around $5 if you factor in how much ribbon I actually used.
I'm pretty pleased with it. Sure...I could have purchased another wreath EXACTLY like the one pictured but honestly...I was pretty proud of myself that I didn't and simply used what I already had. Check me out saving and ish. LOL!
Me makey wreath. Your turn! What kind of wreath do you have on YOUR front door? Have you changed it for the season yet? Do you? Where did you get it? Did you make it? Did you ENHANCE it?
A couple of weeks ago we started getting the house ready for Fall. We only have a few things to do but we have to do them.
We trimmed the big cherry blossom tree away from touching the house in the front.
We did touch-up painting to the front door and power washed the landing and steps.
I have bulbs I need to plant and I'll do those before the first freeze and then do fresh mulch while I decorate for Halloween.
We need to clean the carpets in the house and make sure the dryer vents are cleaned out.
Once we start using the heater, we'll rotate the blades on the ceiling fans to clockwise position to help keep the heat from rising.
We need to check to make sure our covered gutters don't have cracks in them and, if so, fix with caulk.
Gotta make sure the windows don't need new caulking so we can keep drafts out.
Oh...and I need to check our ice melt supply and restock it if need be to make sure we're not out in the elements with everyone else trying to get some in preparation for a storm.
And gas in our cans in case we need to run the generator this season.
Whew...and break down the deck furniture once it's too cold.
Yup...getting ready for winter around these parts! Have you started doing any fall maintenance yet? We try to keep up with maintenance because our home is our largest investment. Do you feel the same?
So...my birthday party this year was an old school Field Day like when you were in elementary or middle school. I reserved a park for the whopping permit fee of $20, bought some balls and whatnot, served hotdogs and grilled veggies with cupcakes, sunchips, etc. and GOT.IT.IN!
.
and this: Pamela's Products Dark Chocolate Frosting Mix, (Pack of 6)
. 
and then hot glued popsicle sticks on the back. Here is my template for the paper lollipops and you can personalize it your way for your use: Download MINGO FLAGS
Cute huh?
The rest of the stuff I used was stuff I already had down in the basement. I've collected some nice things over the years by simply keeping an eye out for things. The best time to get good deals on stuff is when you don't need it. LOL! So yeah...I see something nice on a random Tuesday in March and buy it and store it down in the basement until I'm ready to use it. GO ME!
The best thing I've ever purchased has got to be the 54 x 108-Inch White Tablecloth $3.50 each
Since we were at a park...I used paper plates because paper plates are for parks and barbecues. And that's all Imma say about that. Humph. LOL! Bought the paper plates at the dollar store too.
I did buy dodge balls and a flag football set but I can use them again. If you're in the area and want to throw a field day party...you're welcome to borrow them because they will simply be in the ball bag in the basement. LOL!
For the three legged races I used an old sheet cut up in strips. Worked perfectly and completely throw-way-able.
Food was easy. Gluten-free all beef hotdogs, grilled veggies and corn on the cob. I put the corn on wooden skewers so folks didn't have to use their hands while outside. I had a gallon of hand sanitizer on hand to disinfect before eating. LOL!
Water and gatorade were the drink choices (G-Baby brought some drink packs for the kiddies) as we couldn't bring alcohol to the park. I was going to make some awesome adult beverages to put into these Ball Jar Heritage Collection Pint Jars with Lids and Bands, Set of 6
Yall know I'm anti-drinking-out-of-mason-jars because I always dribble on myself so I drilled a hole in the top of the lid and then put Nickel-Plated Brass Eyelets - 3/8" - 8 Ct.
We had fun. It's always cool to do something completely different and well...we get together all the time for drinks and or drinks and dinner so it's fun to switch it up to something we never get to do.
Before we left the park yesterday someone asked what we're doing next year.
SIP: *HARD.STARE*
LOL!
I bought a new plant. A HUGE one.
I like the way it looks.
I remove it from the planter once a week and take it outside and put it on a stand. Then I water it until the water starts coming out of the bottom of it. After that...I allow it to stay out there until it stops dripping and put him back inside.
Then...I bought another new plant. A baby one. The lady where I bought it said a fern would work really well in my bathroom because I don't have any windows in there. She also told me to take it outside and let it get some sun.
I read an article recently about improving the air quality in your home and how plants are VERY good at doing this for you. Turns out you need a plant ever 100 square feet of your home in order to do it to the standards of a NASA study on houseplants and air quality.
Um...
I don't know exactly how big our house is but I think it's somewhere in the 2,500 square feet range give or take. That would mean I would need 25 plants up in here for optimal use. Um...
I think I'm finally mature enough to care for plants the way they need to be taken care of but 25 of them is just crazy talk. LOL!
But...I'm going to buy more, of course, because now that I understand more about them...I want them in every room. I realize that I really like the way they look and I have a really good eye for choosing decorative planters for them which accentuate the decor I have going on up in here. I'm looking for something for our bedroom now. I want a big something and two little somethings. Maybe two big somethings. Wish me luck...I'm going out today to find some.
Here's the article I'm using as a guideline on what types of plants to buy: Best air-filtering houseplants, according to NASA
How old is the oldest plant in your home? Would you consider buying new plants for your home?
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