One of my Song Lists


Get a playlist! Standalone player Get Ringtones

Friday, November 6, 2009

Painting Stripes

I (finally) got the bathroom painted yesterday!! Woo hoo!!! It is called "Summer Camp". I thought that a light buttery yellow in a confined space would be nice. The color doesn't show up real well in pictures but I really like it in person. It calms me.....






After that, I spent half the day putting up tape for my stripe experiment in the kitchen. I put 1" stripes every 6". It was a tedious task to say the least! In a camper you have very little "open wall space" to work with, and the spaces that ARE there can be a bit hard to reach. I got it though. I was a bit nervous after taping thinking that it looked funny. But I told myself, "Maybe it's the tape."

So I put on the first coat of yellow paint and went to work on the bathroom a bit. When I came back I thought...

"Yeah, it must be the tape throwing it off. "

With a nervous look on my face and growing dread in a non-disclosed area of my stomach, I added a second coat saying, "I think I'll like it more with a second coat and the tape off. That tape sure is making it hard to 'see' it", and I went to finish the bathroom.

I worked on the bathroom a bit more, then returned to inspect my stripes. This was it... the big reveal... Checking that the stripe was mostly dry, I pulled off the first strip of tape... and then the second....

"Maybe it's the tape?" I thought nervously.

I removed more tape... "Please be the tape!?" The phrase started ringing in my head like church bells calling it's parishioners to service,

"The tape... please be the tape... it has to be the tape making it look wrong... the tape... please be the tape... it HAS to be the tape making it look wrong..."

as I frantically but slowly remove one strip after another. Finally... after what seemed an eternity... I had removed all of the tape.

"Groooaaannnn!!! It's not the tape!!!"

"Maybe if I step back and look at it??"

No such luck. The fact of the matter is that I spent half of my day painting what appear to be circus tent stripes on my kitchen walls only to discover.... I hate it...







So now I'm telling myself that maybe if I paint the window trim yellow and add some (real) curtains it will look ok?? Please??? I really do NOT want to paint over all that hard work and effort. I want to make it work. What do you think dear reader?? Do I paint over the circus stripes or make them work? How can I make them work?? I need your help!!

Yours on a tight rope,
Me

Monday, November 2, 2009

Camper Happenings

My DH has been trying very hard to find extra time to spend on the camper. Our most recent improvement has been washing the out side. I must admit that I did not have high hopes. I did not expect to see much (if any) improvement in the before and after photos. You tell me what you see...

BEFORE...





AFTER...




!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It looks brand spankin' NEW!!! Yippee!!!

In other camper news. I spent the better part of today working in the main part of the camper. I pulled out all of the (ugly) trim and painted it green. I LOVE it!!





I'm toying with the idea of vertical stripes... I just can't seem to picture it very well. I think I'll have to give it a go and then see what you all think. Have a blessed day!

TTFN,
Me

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Halloween 2009

Most years, we don't "do" halloween. MOST years, we eat spooky treats while watching Goosebumps and that's it. THIS year, since we are in an actual neighborhood, I let the kids dress up and pass out candy instead. The catch was that they had to make their costumes. (I refuse to spend oodles of money on an outfit they will only wear once.) I did pick up a few accessories at the cost of $13, but that's it! I think we did really well. What do you think??

Sooo...

My son decided to be the burglar from the Sim game...














DD2 LOVES England. Anything English will do so she donned a Union Jack and a British accent for the evening...


DD1 wanted to be a painter. I searched hither and yon for a bar-rat... but alas a bandanna would have to do...


So I decided to be her painting... and DH my easel!!

While the costumes were great and very fun to make and come up with... they were the end of of it. We didn't get a single trick or treat-er. Not one!! In order to make our evening "complete", we watched Charlie Brown's "Great Pumpkin" cartoon. Unfortunately... I fell asleep!!

TTFN,
Me

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

We're MOVING!!! (again)

Ok, we aren't moving until the end of January, but we are gearing up now. We thought and prayed long and hard. Then we decided to get a camper and find a place to boon-dock for awhile. Boon-docking is when you have electric and water access, but you aren't at a camp ground. Dry-docking is when you have no amenities and run off a gennie. If we can not find a place to BD then we will do the campground thing until we do find a place.

We ended up getting a used 36' 5th wheel. You may not know this ('cause I sure didn't) that there are a few different types of campers.

RV~ You drive these.
Pull Along~ You hook these to your hitch and you.... wait for it... pull it along.
5th Wheel~ These have an attachment that hooks to a special attachment that you put in the bed of your truck.
Pop-ups~ These are the tiny ones that go flat while hauling them.



This is a 5th Wheel (post type)

There are many more "types" but they all seem to stem from these main types.
















Our camper has a slide out so we have more room when parked. It actually adds an additional 50 sq feet! (well, almost)



Being financially challenged we of course did not buy a new one. Heck, we didn't even get a gently used one for that matter! lol No, we found a heck of a deal on craigslist. She needed to off load it and we needed to get one so it all worked out for both parties involved. That being said, it needs work.


That is where this series of posts come in. I'm asking you, dear reader, for your help. We have a long list to accomplish and I really think your input will be great! I will be choosing flooring, material for curtains, furniture and light fixtures over the next few weeks. I will post pictures of my options and ask for your opinion. If it all works out I will not end up with orange walls and royal blue furniture! lol


For now, I will have to start with "before" pictures so your wheels can start to turn. I will tell you that we are thinking wood flooring in a lighter color to match the table that I purchased. It was a good deal I found while grocery shopping at Aldi's last Sunday.









Here are the rest of the pics...



(L) LR Cabinet

(R) Closet















(L) Bathroom Sink

(R) Shower

(B) Loo (as BR likes to call it!)













It even has a laundry "room"!!



This was taken before we moved the slide into the "out" position. You can see more of it in the photo above.











This will be the kids room. I will be revamping it in the next few weeks. I don't know why they left the chair. It is DEFINITELY leaving! Yuck!




As you can see, we have our work cut out for us! We are working on a plan of action that we will implement ASAP. The first step is to re-seal the roof and then rip out the remaining flooring. I hope to go to Lowe's today and have a look see!

TTFN,
Me

Monday, October 5, 2009

New Puppy!

We suspected that our fur baby was expecting. She was changing shape but was not "Really" big so I figured that we could expect a litter in late October. She had other ideas!

On the first I noticed that she was not a happy camper. If you touched her mid section she would yelp in pain. I decided that she was stretching and therefore, sore. Then at 10:30 as we were at the home school table, she started yelping repeatedly from my bedroom. I run in to find her in my closet. When I picked her up I saw (to my surprise) a puppy rump!

Needless to say I was caught a bit unprepared! I had planned to do more research to refresh my memory that weekend and to make a vet appointment for the following week. Now here I am without a whelping box ready to go or any supplies at hand. I had the kids run and get me a couple of towels, the scissors and some rubber medical gloves and waited to see what would happen next.

Before the kids could get me the towels Gracie yelped in pain with the next contraction. I noticed that the puppy didn't move down at all and realized that the poor thing was stuck so I gave a gentle tug to move him along and waited. Then the towels came so I tried to hastily get them under the dog before the next contraction. No such luck.

The next contraction came and, though Gracie yelped a bit, he moved down, but not out. "This isn't good," I thought as I saw it was basically hanging by it's head. Next contraction and poor Gracie yelped repeatedly and the puppy didn't move. I grabbed a hold and applied traction but the cord was pulled taught. Grabbing the scissors I cut the cord with one hand while supporting the puppy with the other. Next contraction and (with a bit more force than I would have liked) I pulled downward on the puppy. With a pop I could both feel and hear it's head come free and Voila! A brand new puppy!

I stuck it in Gracie's face, but she was in pain and confused so I cleared the membrane and tried again. This time instinct kicked in and she started caring for her new charge. I put the puppy on the towels and put the whelping box together and moved them both in.

Gracie is now the VERY proud momma of a baby boy Lhasa-Poo who weighed 6 ounces at birth. The vet has given them a clean bill of health and both are doing great! Upon last inspection at 48 hours old, the puppy had gained another 2 ounces due to Gracie's superior milk.

*Update~ 4 days, 10 ounces







*Update~ 12 days old, weighing in at 1 1/2 LB! His eyes officially opened today!

At birth he was a wee-bit smaller than my hand.


Now look at him!!


We hope to find a great home for this little guy. (Just don't tell Gracie!)

Me

Saturday, August 15, 2009

51 Uses for Baking Soda

Who knew good ol' Arm n Hammer had so many uses?? Thanks British Woman!!!


1. Put an open container of baking soda in the fridge to absorb the odors.

2. Improve the smell of dish clothes by soaking them in baking soda and water.

3. Sprinkle it onto your cat’s litter box to absorb the bad odor.

4. Sprinkle it on your pet’s comb or brush to deodorize their fur and skin.

5. Dissolve a couple of tablespoons of baking soda in water in a microwave safe bowl, then bring to the boil in your microwave. Allow to sit for a minute or two, then you should easily be able to wipe out any baked on stains, plus your oven will microwave will smell fresher too.

6. Wash chemicals and pesticides off fruits and vegetables in a pot filled with water and 3 - 4 tablespoons of baking soda added.

7. Stains on porcelain sinks, toilets and plastics can be removed by applying a layer of baking soda and then using a damp sponge . I found this to work particularly well on a water stain in a sink that couldn't be shifted otherwise without the use of heavy duty chemicals and scratching the surface.

8. As an alternative to caustic soda for clearing blocked drains, throw a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by a couple of jugs of boiling water.

9. Wash garbage cans with baking soda.

10. Wash out thermos bottles and cooling containers with baking soda and water to get rid of stale smells.

11. Run your coffee maker through its cycle with a baking soda solution. Rinse.

12. Polish silverware with dry baking soda on a damp cloth. Rub, rinse and dry.

13. For a badly-burned pan with a thick layer of burned-on food: pour a thick layer of baking soda directly onto the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle on just enough water so as to moisten the baking soda. Leave the pot overnight, then scrub it clean next day.

14. Soak your shower curtains in water and baking soda to clean them.

15. Sprinkle baking soda on your wet toothbrush and brush your teeth and dentures with it.

16. Apply baking soda directly to insect bites, rashes and poison ivy to relieve discomfort. Make a paste with water.

17. Take 1/2-teaspoon of baking soda in one-half glass of water to relieve acid indigestion or heartburn.

18. To relieve sunburn: use a paste of baking soda and water.

19. Reduce odor build-up in your dishwasher by sprinkling some baking soda on the bottom.

20. Run your dishwasher through its cycle with baking soda in it instead of soap to give it a good cleaning.

21.Making Play Clay with baking soda: combine 1 1/4 cups water, 2 cups soda, 1 cup cornstarch/cornflour.

22. Oil and grease -- stained clothing washes out better with baking soda added to the washing water.

23. Keep your drains clean and free-flowing by putting 4 tablespoons of soda in them each week. Flush the soda down with hot water.

24. To remove burned-on food from a pan: let the pan soak in baking soda and water for 10 minutes before washing. Or scrub the pot with dry soda and a moist scouring pad.

25. Add baking soda to water to soak dried beans to make them more digestible.

26. Oven Cleaner Dampen the floor of the oven, sprinkle with bicarbonate of soda and dampen again. Leave the mixture overnight and then remove with a cloth. Rinse with hot water.

27. Fabric Conditioner To make your own fabric conditioner, mix equal quantities of water, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar in a storage bottle, take care as the vinegar & soda will fizz up. Add ¼ cup of conditioner to your wash.

28. To remove the odour of onion and garlic from wooden or other porous surfaces, sprinkle some bicarb on to a damp cloth and rub into the surface. Rinse with water.

29. Air Freshener Mix 8 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda with 3- 4 drops of essential oil and place in a bowl.

30. Use to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from toaster. Dampen cloth and make a mild abrasive with baking soda.

31. Cleaning Sinks Either place bicarbonate of soda directly onto a damp cloth or make up a paste of soda with a little water. Wipe around the sink & rinse well.

32. Cooker Tops As above, make a paste of soda & water and apply with a cloth. Wipe over well and rinse with cold water.

33. Clean formica counter tops with bicarbonate of soda on a damp sponge

34. Wash a cup of baking soda down a toilet or drain once a week to help maintain or restore the pH of a septic tank. The regular addition of baking soda helps prevent corrosion of concrete as well as metal septic tanks.

35. White sport socks cleaner - rub a paste of soda and water into the socks before normal washing. It will bring back the whiteness and get rid of the nasty smells too

36. Remove wine or grease stains from carpet by lightly sprinkling area with baking soda. Dab it up and add a little more if necessary. Leave on until the wine is absorbed, then vacuum up any residue left.

37. Use a paste of baking soda to remove tea & coffee stains from cups

38. To eliminate dog odors or just freshen up the air, sprinkle bicarbonate of soda on your carpet where your dog lies and vacuum up. Leave the bicarbonate of soda on the carpet for half an hour. It also eliminates odor in your vacuum after it has been vacuumed up. A great way to freshen up your home air during the winter when everything is closed up.

39. To clean oily stains from your concrete paths and driveways just sprinkle baking soda over the area and scrub it with a wet brush or stiff broom.

40. Use bicarbonate of soda as an underarm deodorant

41. To remove strong odors from your hands, wet your hands and rub them hard with soda, then rinse

42. Use to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from toaster. Dampen cloth and make a mild abrasive with bicarbonate of soda.

43. Clean the oil and dirt from your hair brushes and combs by soaking them in a mixture of warm water and 2 teaspoons of baking soda.

44. De-grease and clean barbecue grills, make a paste by mixing equal parts Bicarbonate of Soda and water, apply with a wire brush, wipe clean, and dry with a cloth.

45. Clean the acid build on the battery terminals of your car or truck with a foam made up of 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water. Make sure also to dry the battery terminals afterwards before starting the vehicle.

46. For silver pieces without raised patterns or cemented-on handles: place the silver on aluminum foil in an enamel pot. Add boiling water and 4 tbsp. baking soda. Let stand, rinse and dry.

47. Soothe tired feet, add three tablespoons Bicarbonate of Soda to a basin of warm water and soak feet in the solution.

48. To make your own baking powder, stir and sift together 2 parts of Cream of Tartar to 1 part baking soda and 1 part cornstarch.

49. Deodorize cloth diapers, mix one-half cup Bicarbonate of Soda in two quarts of water, and soak diapers in the solution.

50. Freshen your laundry by adding half a cup Bi-carb soda to the laundry rinse cycle to give towels and linens a breezy freshness.

51. An easy and highly effective way of clarifying your hair after you have been swimming in the pool or ocean is to mix 1-2 teaspoons of baking soda with your shampoo. Then massage into your hair and let the mixture sit on your head for two minutes before rinsing it out and repeating. This cheap and easy way of clarifying your hair can be used as often as necessary, but do not try it on colored hair as it can fade the color a bit.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Call them what you will

Water bugs... Palmetto Bugs... I don't care... they are cockroaches (insert diarrhea inducing shiver) and I LOATHE them!! I would go so far as to say I have a phobia of them. Katsaridaphobia... that's what I've got. Along with Gephyrophobia, a fear of crossing bridges. That one, at least, is getting better since moving to Florida, but the raoches?? Not so much!

We had a run in last night... these roaches and I. A run in that I would consider to be of apocalyptic proportions. It was my own fault. I know better than to leave a 20 pound bag of dog food open in my garage... but they aren't allowed here. Didn't they get the memo?? The story is as follows...

DH and I were outside preparing for the "garage sale that wasn't" when I noticed that the dog was out of food. So I get the dish.... insert my arm into the container up to the elbow... and scoop. Then I start SCREAMING like some bimbo in a B rated horror movie! Something moved!! Something touched me!! My panicked brain new instantly what it was but directed my face over the container just the same. All the while commanding my mouth to scream bloody murder and my legs to carry me far, FAR away at the same instant!

What resulted was an "Elaine Benes Dance Move"...



and a husband who was trying desperately not to laugh while I'm in the yard retching and gagging uncontrollably! Now I'm angry... revenge is all I can think of, and I know just how to do it!!

Here chick, chick, chick...I's gets me some chickens... I's sets 'um near by... and I's turns the dog vittles out...well... my Ol' man turns 'em vittles out...

Did you know, that cockroaches will play dead?? Ahhhh but yes! Think about that for a minute. Let that sink into your brain if you will. What could that mean? Well, obviously it means that they can THINK! UGH!! I'm pretty sure they are plotting to take over the world! Remember "Mimic"? A movie about so called mutant cockroaches who transform themselves and kill people?? I think these bugs are their scouts... that's what I think!!

We stood there, DH and the chickens and I in total amazement at the cleverness of a-for-mentioned bugs. What now?? I went and got a stick that was approximately 100 feet long that's what. A screwed up all the courage I could muster... and... and... touched one!! Then I screamed as I dropped the stick in case the nasty thing started to crawl up it! To late! As soon as it twitched the chickens were all over it like... well... like chickens on a bug!!

Ha HA! you filthy beasts! You nasty critters! You, you... gross..things... and stuff. I tell you, I got WAY to much satisfaction out of making sure that every last one of them became chicken feed. Way to much!

Me