Going to get a vacuum today....

I always get confused with how to spell vacuum...vaccum...vaccuum...? I keep forgetting if it's 2 c's or 2 u's. I actually had to look it up online and have Yahoo search correct me by asking, "Did you mean Vacuum?" What makes it most frustrating is that when the next time comes to actually write the word, I'll have forgotten how to spell it all over again. Do you have any words like that?



So why am I talking about "vacuum"? Because, YAAAYYY, I'm going to buy a manual pool vacuum today. Our pump is still broken but now our chemical balance is all good, so now I just have to clean the bottom of our pool manually. A pain in the ARS but soooo worth it when it's 8 million degrees outside and I am pregnant and overwhelmingly hot because I have a ridiculous house with no air conditioning. So getting to swim will make me happy on the 100 degree weather days.



Thanks by the way for your help w/my dining room table...I've gotten so distracted with other things that I still have both just sitting there! And sadly, it will probably be like that for the next couple months, too.

New Layout!

Okay, I didn't realize just how much of a computer idiot I am until I tried to add a flickr slideshow. Once I changed my layout (you like better? I do), blogger made it really easy for me...none of this whole "editing html" stuff anymore. Phiew!

I need everyone's opinion again! See the photo below? That is my dining room table, and I'm having difficulties deciding on which centerpiece to do. The wood plank on the right is actually a section of a used wine barrel from a Napa Valley winery with holes cut out for little tealights. It's really neat, because on the underside you can see the wine stain from its days of use. SUPER COOL, right? Right! Except...I think it's a little small for the table, it doesn't have any height. So instead, I could just do the three hurricanes with candles in them that match the color I have in the adjoining living room...but they seem boring. And if I don't put the wine barrel there, then there's NO OTHER place for it! HELP! Which do we like best? Or is there some super ingenious way to do both, like adding something more rustic inside the hurricanes to make them flow w/the look of the wine barrel? Also, I should note that I'm not a minimalist...it might look like I'm really into the super modern look, but not necessarily, I like that look but mixed w/vintage cottage (anthropologie-ish with a little antique mixed in).

LET YOUR OPINIONS FLOW!

Random Questions for the Internet

So...I was doing laundry the other day, and started thinking about everyone else in the world, and the fact that everyone has their own way of doing their laundry. Now this is the most pathetic "housewife" type blog topic (perhaps second only to my last post on how to clean green), but I just have to ask:

1)How many times do you wear your bras before washing them? I wash about every 3 wears. Is that normal?

2)How many times do you wear your pajamas before washing them? Shirts: new one every night; pants: twice at the most. (I tend to wear them well into the day if I'm at home!)

3)How often do you change your sheets? I shoot for 1x a week

4)Do you use bleach w/your whites? I do just because Cole is a messy kid. If you don't, why not? Is it bad for my clothes?

Green cleaning

I've been thinking a lot lately about saving money and being healthier by cleaning the "green" way. And not by buying "seventh generation" or cleaning products from Trader Joe's, but the natural green way. You know, white vinegar and water, baking soda, lemon juice, all that stuff. But I have NO idea how to do it, or how to make it! Does anyone have any recipes for natural cleaning formulas that actually work? I know vinegar and water for glass surfaces (what ratio?), but I also need something that's great for kitchen counters, and bathrooms. Any helpful hints?

I do have to admit though...it's going to be really tough to give up my clorox cleanup. I use that stuff on EVERYTHING (here's to hoping my unborn child doesn't have some strange head tumor thanks to my use of it...). And another thing: I probably won't give up my verymostfavoriteever cleaning product: Bar Keepers Friend. OH MY GOSH THIS STUFF IS AMAZING! It's like a miracle powder. I have an old ceramic or porcelain or whatever-it's-called kitchen sink, and the marks pans make on there drive me crazy, and are impossible--or exhausting at the very least--to get out. With Bar Keeper's Friend, (and I am not exaggerating here) I pour a little powder on the wet sink, and LIGHTLY, no pressure at all, rub it out with a rag, and the marks are gone! It even got rust out from around my drain! The other thing it's great at getting out is the soap scum around my bathtub. I HATE soap scum, and it is like a MAJOR workout to get it out, and I usually give up half way around the tub. This stuff takes out at least 50% of the effort for me. And the best part? It's 2.99 at Bed Bath and Beyond. However, I am guessing that it is not exactly the greenest of cleaning products. It probably causes cancer, holes in the ozone, or creates a carbon footprint the size of Alaska. But I don't know, and honestly, I don't really care. I will happily live in ignorance...unless, you know, I grow a third hand or something....

To the Wayside (by the way, where is the "wayside?")

Two years ago this coming August, I became a homeowner, quit working and became a mother... all literally within 10 days of eachother. So basically, I can sum up the last two years of my life with two words: BROKE and BUSY. I was thinking about this today while I was showering my daily 2.5 minute shower (I've got to shower QUICK~while Cole's sleeping I've got to do everything he doesn't let me do while he's awake...which is pretty much everything, as he is the most high maintenance child in the world. ANYWAY.). I was thinking about all the things that have changed in my life due to those two words, and figured what a great list for my blog. Here it is:

Things that have changed due to lack of time:
1)Blogging!

2)Shaving my legs (hey, my hair is blonde, so you can't tell)

3)Blowdrying my hair

4)Wearing makeup absolutely every time I leave the house

5)Watching a movie during the daytime

6)Putting Jeff's clean laundry away (he gets a big stack...why bother, he just makes a mess of his drawers anyway!)

7)Going to the movies

Things that have changed due to lack of money:

1)Eating out

2)Using expensive shampoo and conditioner (although I have to admit, with our tax return I bought two giant bottles of Redken All Soft--my FAVORITE!)

3)New Juicy Suits

4)Buying new MAC eyeshadows and lip glosses every few weeks

5)Shopping at Nordstrom (H&M and Forever 21 here I come!)

6)Using expensive facewash (But I've discovered Neutragena...LOVE IT!)

7)Getting my hair done every 3 months

8)Getting my hair cut AT ALL (I honestly haven't even had a TRIM in 1 year)

9)My gym membership

10)A new pool vacuum to help suck out the algae...

Don't worry, I'm not breeding West Nile Virus...I just have to get our pump fixed...you know, only $1800 later...

Things that have survived my lack of time and money:

1)My flip flop obsession

Every one of these shoes has been purchased within the last 9 months

2)Expensive jeans (I just don't get more than 1 pair a season now)

3)Perfectly folded towels

4)The "good" cable with DVR (Hey, not watching commercials saves time!)

Now, finally, I will end with a 30-weeks-along pregnancy pic:

Too Darn Cute

I've never been one to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but now that I have a child, I want to do all the goofy things that I was never really into before...and on March 17th, it means dressing my child in the best green clothes he has. I was really impressed--he actually kept the hat on all the way from home to Trader Joe's (where we had to stop on the way to my Mom's where we had corned beef and cabbage with the whole fam) to my parents. Of course it was off almost right away when we got there, but 45 minutes is pretty good!

Now I have to talk about Trader Joe's. Notice the balloons below:

This is why (aside from cheaper prices and yummy food) I shop at TJ's. When we asked for a "boon!", the man said, "Well, we have to give him a yellow and green balloon to match his outfit!"

As you can tell, he had a great time with them.

New News

Well actually, the news isn't so new. It's 19 weeks old...

This new one's due date is on Cole's 2nd birthday! 08-08-08

okay, okay...

I was fixing dinner, when Cole hollers, "Momma! Momma!" I look over to see this. The older he gets, he just gets cuter and funnier...

If the darn stick wasn't in front of his eye, this would be such a cute photo! If you can't tell from the two he's holding, sticks are his latest obsession. We find them all over our house.