Lessons learned at the Kitchen Stove

With the start of a new school year, and a new work schedule (all day) for me, I instituted a new "dinner plan."
That plan involves other people than just me making dinner.  Brilliant, eh?
I'm not available in the days to do all the dinner planning/prepping like I used to be PLUS it's time for my children to discard the phrase, "I don't know how to cook" from their vocabulary!
So, Kyle has Mondays.
Haylee has Tuesdays.
Katelyn has Wednesdays.

And I'll do the rest of the days.  EXCEPT, according to this article, my husband should be doing Sundays. ;)

There were also some "rules."

1. It has to be a REAL meal.  (Ramen, Mac & Cheese, and Spaghetti-O's or anything like unto these are excluded!)
2. They cannot repeat the same meal within the same month.
3. It has to include a vegetable and/or fruit, plus be a balanced meal (with a protein and a grain.)

 Here's how things went the first week:

Kyle wondered why it took him 2 1/2 hrs. to make dinner!
He learned that he shouldn't leave the kitchen multiple times in the middle of making dinner - especially when he has put butter in a saucepan to melt!  ;)
He also learned it will go a lot quicker if he cut up all the vegetables and cooked/diced the meat BEFORE he started cooking!

Haylee wondered how in the world we could stand eating all the pancakes she'd made WITHOUT any syrup!
She learned that she should probably take inventory of ALL the ingredients (including condiments) she will need for her dinner and, if we don't have them in our pantry, she should write them on a shopping list BEFORE mom went shopping a few days prior.
(Luckily, mom knows how to whip up homemade syrup, and saved the dinner).  ;)

Katelyn wondered why her entree did not yield as large of a quantity as it usually does (like when mom makes it) and worried there wasn't enough for everyone to feel satisfied.
She learned that she should follow the instructions on the size of pan that the recipe says should be used and add ALL the ingredients that were cut and measured ahead of time.  (She used a smaller pan and everything wouldn't fit in it, so she just filled it and then left out the excess ingredients).  ;)

{Hopefully, they all become more proficient, with time!}  :)

This first week, I had to answer a lot of questions and assist with various tasks, when asked, so I actually had to be available or present - but I did not take it over for them when they struggled; I wanted them to be "in charge."  My vision is that one day, they'll all be able to function in the kitchen like a well-oiled machine, and I could walk away from the kitchen or our home, and everything would run normally without a hitch and they would pull off dinner with success!

{In other words, I hope to "work myself out of my [cook] job."}

Just Loungin' Around on the Couch Eating Bon-Bons ~ Take 2

I was talking with a friend today whose "baby" is the same age as my "baby."  As is the same for me, this school year marked the first time for her since becoming a mother that ALL children are in school for the WHOLE day.  That means we're home alone during the day now.  Unlike me, who [idiotically] changed my work hours at my jetBlue job to the daytime and, consequently, ruined all my "discretionary time," she is not currently employed for pay, so I guess others have taken that as the green light to stick their noses in her business and ask stupid questions.
She told me that multiple people have now started to ask her, "What do you do all day?"

What?!?

Like no one could possibly think of anything else one would do besides "punch a time card?"
(So irritating).

I'll tell you what she does:
She runs at least 5 miles a day.
She keeps her house immaculately clean!!  Like we're talkin' you could totally eat off her floors!  Seriously.  And you would NOT find dust/dirt in her window tracks, a ring around her toilet bowl, or crumbs on the kitchen counter!!!  She makes sure of it.  ;)
She shop vacs her garage regularly.  As well as her cars.
(She'll wash and wax the cars' exterior, too!)
She makes wreaths for her front door.
She volunteers in both of her elementary school-aged children's classroom once a week.
She goes on EVERY SINGLE field trip, as a chaperone, with her children's school class.
She makes dinner.  Even freezer meals for future use, when needed for unexpected company, a sick neighbor/friend, or a hectic, busy day for the family.
And she often brings my family plates of goodies......just because!
She serves in the Young Women organization of her church congregation.  (THAT takes a ton of time, I know from past experience!)
She spends a good amount of time on the phone with or at doctor offices due to her children's unique "ability" to break their legs!  ;)  And being an advocate for their care.
Did I mention she runs 5 miles a day?!?
She grows flowers.
She just did half the wedding (planning, shopping, decorating, baking, scheduling, paying for) her younger sister's wedding.
She has six people's laundry to do which includes a plethora a dance and soccer workout gear.  (And it doesn't get left undone like some people I know [me])
Her kids never look like rag-a-muffins (again like some people I know [me]) - with three girls' hair nicely coiffed and donning cute clothes.
Her car goes in and out of her driveway all day long running different errands in order to keep the pantry stocked and the household running.
She goes to the temple.

Man, I'm tired!

And these are just the things that I SEE or know about.....there's undoubtedly so much more she's doing behind the scenes that I don't see.
Oh!  And she runs 5+ miles a day - did I happen to mention that one, yet? 

I'm not doing all that - are you?  Now that I've "shed light on the situation," would people ask her that question still?!?
Probably.
They REALLY don't have any clue, do they?

Her experience reminded me of my own experience I had recently while I was getting a manicure.  (Oh, is that WHY I'm not doing everything she's doing because I spend my time at the Spa?  ;)  Actually, it is a rarity to find me there - I was finally using a gift certificate I got for my birthday, and had already had for over 6 months.)

So, back to the manicure.....the gal doing it was chatting it up with me and she found out I worked at jetBlue.  She asked me if I was full-time or part-time.  When I told her I worked 24 hrs. a week there, she then asked me, "So, what do you do with the rest of your time?"
I replied that I had a family; a husband and five children.
She kind of went, "Mmmm hmmm" and then pushed further with, "So, what do you do?", dismissing that my previous remark had anything to do with her question of how I fill my time.

Well, interestingly enough, after visiting with her throughout the rest of the manicure, I found out that she:

• Is not married.
• Has children who are from multiple different men.
• Is currently trying to get back with the father of her youngest child, but she doesn't want to move into his place because the last time she lived there, whenever they would fight (which was a lot), he'd get mad and kick them out, and then they'd have no place to live.
• Has her mom live with her, and she watches the kids while she's at work, cleans, does laundry, pays for half the home improvement costs, take the children to appointments, cooks dinner, etc.
• Bar-tends a few night a week and gets off at all hours of the morning. 
• Says she does not have good choice in men.

After that conversation, it became more obvious to me WHY she [ignorantly] asked me the question; it was rather telling that she did not know, hadn't figured it out yet, that there is a connection between TIME and Quality FAMILY life.  ;)

*********************
The first of my "Bon-Bons" posts is back HERE

There is Not a Single Pair of Socks in our Entire Household

...ONLY SINGLETONS

Aaaaugh!

Two hours of helping the girls clean their disaster area bedroom, and this is what we end up with!

The "Buddy System" is not working around here!

(Although, more often than not, I don't think the dryer is the culprit.....my kids have this crazy idea that they're suppose to take their socks off in the back yard, in the car, in the garage, while going up the stairs, at the dinner table, while reading on the couch, instead of right by the dirty clothes hamper where they could deposit them promptly into it...but they only take one sock off in the first location, then take the other one off at a later time/different location to make the whole sock situation EVEN MORE "adventurous!")

Pick Any Two

Here's one of my favorite signs I've found on Pinterest: 

(it's SO true!)

I actually presented it to my husband and told him to do just what it says......PICK ANY TWO!

He looked over the list, and reread it, and thought about it, and scratched his head.  He let out a few, "Hmmmm's."  He opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, and then he closed it without saying a word.  His face looked troubled, conflicted.  He was in a stupor of sorts before he was able to answer.  BECAUSE HE WANTS IT ALL!

But, I told him he had to narrow it down to two.

Can you guess which two he picked?

Hint: he DIDN'T pick the "Works full time" one.
So, I asked him if that meant I could quit my job.
He rebuttal-ed, "You don't work full time."
Well, if he wants to get technical about it, I am not employed at my job "full time" (but don't get me started about telling a Mom she doesn't work!!!)  I also kindly informed him that I work at my job 24 hrs./week - which is 2/3 of "full time," so that means he now needs to decide WHICH of his two picks he will choose for me to reduce by two-thirds to compensate for that?!?
;)

We're Livin' Back in the 21st Century Again

About two months ago, our microwave just went ka put.

It was about the same time - give or take a couple of weeks - that our ice maker also quit working - AND our mini van broke, too.

It was official.  WE MUST HAVE A MISSIONARY GOING OUT! 
{Because the Adversary tries to get ya any way he can during the prospective missionaries final days/weeks before departure....it happened to me, too, 23 years ago - So, I already know the drill - I'm onto him!  My "challenges" were ALL problems with vehicles, though.}

But, back to the microwave.  I had JUST finished cooking something in it, and I simply opened the door to retrieve my food, and at that very instant, it just blitzed, and all the lights went out - never to work again.

It was very traumatic for my children because now they were "going to STARVE!"  Ya know, because the method of "cooking" ALL their life-sustaining food was gone!
All your basic staples like:
microwave popcorn
hot pockets
Easy Mac
Instant oatmeal
leftover pizza
nachos
corn dogs
edamame (OK, that was mine!)

Over the last little while, our fridge has filled up with 37 assorted sizes of tupperware containers because no one ate any dinner leftovers anymore - since no one knew how to re-heat it without a microwave!

We had to like melt butter on the stove!

We had to google, "Can a hot pocket be baked in the oven - and How?"

We had to boil water on the stove, then toss in a bouillon cube, and wait for it to boil some more to make broth -- it took like 8 1/2 minutes!  Oh my!

We had to use the oven to try to melt cheese on tortilla chips - and it didn't turn out the same - bummer.

You don't know how many times we went to use the microwave, stopped, only to remember; Oh yeah, we can't.  Now, what am I suppose to do?!?  So irritating!

Can you believe the "hardships" we've had to go through?!?  ;)
Bwa ha ha ha.....we're such wimps!  The pioneers did it!

But, today was a happy day when the repair man came to our home with all his handy dandy tools & Good News - the right parts had finally come in!  He took that microwave right outta the wall.......

 ........and he dissected it, and......uh, er, I'm not quite sure....he just did his repairman thang!  OR maybe (by the looks of this photo) it was out-of-this-galaxy messengers who came and "zapped" it back into working order with their rays of light.

WHATEVER it was - everyone is rejoicing!

But, we don't even have a chance to use it again right now - because we are literally leaving on a camping weekend this minute!
(At least the trailer we're camping in has a microwave!)  :)

Told You So

I have this little sign in my home:

It speaks the plain truth!

(Although no one wants to admit it!)

Case(s) in point:

• My two youngest daughters think it IS ABSURD that I tell them to put their shoes away, WHEN they take them off, in their closet, that it will make their life (& mine) so much easier.  (At least, I'm assuming they think it's absurd since they totally ignore my counsel on this matter.)     AND THEN, they frequently get to experience the mad dash, frantic searching, & whining/tears which comes from not being able to find their shoes - and often still produces no shoes - and results in being late to school, church, & dance lessons.
• Since Friday is "early out" from school and really the only day that works out to play with friends after school, I tell my oldest daughter that she should do all of her reading before school, so she is free to play after.  Well, apparently it's another absurd idea because it's much more fun to just hang around doing nothing before school!       AND THEN, she has this one friend who seriously calls to play THE MINUTE she walks in the door from school.  And guess what?!?  She can't play since her reading is not done.  This is followed by MUCH weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth!
• My friend's daughter's basketball team had a couple players get injured and they were now short on players and asked about my daughter playing with them.  When I mentioned it to her, she protested, I don't want to play!  I told her it would be fun and she would be good - she's quite tall, after all.  Her sports lovin' older brother actually told her she didn't have a choice, that she WOULD play ball!  ;)  She went out in the garage to practice dribbling, and she tripped over some boards and fell down, so she shouted/cried at me, You should've never gotten me into this!  I told her not to trip on boards - there wouldn't be any on a real basketball court - and that she needs to try it and she would have a good time.     AND THEN, she did go play in the basketball game.  She was all smiles whenever she looked at us in the "stands" and beaming afterwards.  Her first words to me at the end of the game?  "I want to sign up to play basketball next year!!"
•  I tell my family to keep their elbows off the table.  They think I'm being too proper, that I'm obsessed with "old school" manners in our own home.     AND THEN, we average 9.2 spills a week.
• I function by the "A place for everything and everything in it's place" idea and like to tell my family members this quote. NO ONE else in my home buys into this.  Why would they?  It's SO MUCH easier to just drop things along the way without paying any attention.    AND THEN, *someone's* wallet is ALWAYS missing (along with all their money!) when they need to go somewhere with it.
• I've suggested an "after school routine" for my very distractable, can't-remember-what-she's-doing-when-she-walks-from-one-room-to-the-next daughter.  It goes like this:

4:00 Arrive Home

4-4:15 After school snack

4:15-4:30  ONE page of assigned homework

4:30-4:50 Practice piano

4:50-5:10 Read

So, by 5:15, she is DONE with EVERYTHING, and FREE to do whatever she wants until bedtime!!! 

She has chosen NOT to adhere to this whatsoever UP UNTIL last week (when we had to have a "duct tape intervention."  Meaning we took all 23 rolls away from her until she could go a week demonstrating responsibility & initiative.)  So, she follows the schedule, and she discovers what "free time" with no checking up from parents feels like - what a novel idea!!!  And she says to me, "This is so great!  Why haven't I been doing this all along?!?"

• But, probably THE BIGGEST "I told you so" incidences that's been on my mind [almost constantly] this week has something to do with the fact that after being a 3 car family for just a mere 5 1/2 weeks, we are back to being a 2 car family.  This is a result of our 3rd car now being deemed "undriveable" due to its extensive damage it has sustained by it's *driver* who was driving it in a way that was contrary to the ways I had always told them to drive!  Let alone, what really COULD HAVE happened to the *driver* if they weren't so lucky blessed to come out unharmed - at least physically!!!  But, what do I know?  I grew up in the 80's!  (*that person's* favorite line to say to me.)  As if "defensive driving" was ONLY applicable when I was in my youth!?!  

 Grrrrrr!
What do they say?  You learn 20% of what your hear, but 80% of what you experience.  You have to experience it to learn it.

And then it still comes back to this:

A Couple of Math Equations

1.

 +

 +

 +

 +

 +

 =

A much needed [Winter] BREAK in Hawaii last week.

2.

 {It's the wait-until-Mom-gets-home-to-finish-Science-Fair-project-that's-DUE-the-NEXT-DAY-syndrome}

To find out how I feel about those things, read HERE.

+

 +

 {I haven't got a clue!}

+

 +

 

{Why is unpacking such a daunting task?}

 +

 +

=

A RUDE awakening to my harsh reality!

My Brain was Delivered Yesterday

I have ALWAYS used a calendar.

I have to write everything down on a calendar, or it doesn't happen!  Like, the event doesn't even exist if it's not on my calendar!

When I am away from home (and my calendar), and people ask if they can schedule something with me, I direct my eyes upward and try to picture my calendar on the wall to see if anything is written on it.  I'll say, I THINK that's OK, but I can't ever give them a firm commitment until I have a chance to come home and actually look at it.

I've never understood how some people can just keep things in their heads....and remember!

I go over our calendar for the week with everyone during "Family Business" time.  And then I also [try to] look at it every night for the next day - even though I have to look at it again the next morning to remind myself what is happening that day.  AND, it's also a good idea if I look at it again during the day because sometimes (often) by afternoon, I will have forgotten, just since the morning, the things I had going on that day!
BTW, remember when I asked if anyone had found my mind, yet?  Have you?

I usually get a calendar for Christmas, but this year I didn't.  {gasp!}  So, I ordered one myself.  It's "the calendar" that I have used, and my mom has used, for like 30 years.  The only problem was.....FedEx was ALSO affected by the SAME Winter Vortex that jetBlue was, and their deliveries were WAY SLOW & BEHIND.  It took two weeks to be delivered to me - and that was 2 1/2 weeks too long for me!

I didn't know WHAT was going on!  For 15 days!

I felt out of control.  In chaos.  I had no grip on life.  A loss of reality.  I couldn't get organized!

In fact, Ryan would text me a couple of times asking if we had anything on a certain day because his boss wanted him to work, or friends were planning something.....

I would text back, Idk, I don't have a calendar!

To which he responded by text back, This is really messing up my life!

I finally resorted to printing the generic calendar template off the Excel program on our computer and sticking the piece of paper on the wall.

But, YESTERDAY, all that nonsense ended with a much awaited delivery! 
Here it is!  What a beauty.  I practically cried to get a real calendar up on my wall.

I've always really liked writing things on my calendar, too.
For instance, when I get a new sports schedule for one of my children, it gives me such satisfaction to write it all on the calendar.
I think I've come to the conclusion that the reason is, not because I like to be busy, in fact, I've shared before that I LOVE when the calendar square has NOTHING written on it for a day!  So, the real reason is this: It takes a load off of me! It's such a relief that I no longer have to store it in my memory - it is written down.  I feel all organized when I can depend on my calendar to tell me what to do, instead of my [lack of] brain to tell me!  That's why I call my calendar "My Brain."

So, guess what I spent most of today doing to my brand new [blank] calendar?!?

Aaaaaahh!  I feel so much better!

I can sleep at night, now!  ;)

We are Super Organized Around Here

As I was emptying the dirty clothes hamper in the girls' bedroom today, something nearby on the floor caught my eye, so I picked it up:

Here's the thing:  THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER SEEN THIS INVITATION!

And today is August 27, 2013.

Which means it is 3 1/2 MONTHS AFTER the fact.

How sad that the choir director went to the effort to create a cute reminder, and it was all for naught -- at least in our household.

Yep, that's pretty much how things roll around here!

{Aaugh!}

My New Baby was Delivered Last Week

After having THE SAME washing machine our whole entire marriage (18 yrs. 11 months), we had to finally replace it.  {boo hoo!}
My grandma had bought it brand new for herself about 22ish years ago. She only got to use it for a year or two before she passed away.
Then it sat in my parents' mudroom/garage for about a year and a half until I got married and became the proud owner of it.

Over the years, we'd had a "Maytag Man" come out and service it a few times and he kept telling me, "They don't make 'em like this anymore!" And he would gush about how good it was - and I felt pretty lucky to have "inherited" it.   BTW, it's matching dryer is still plugging along for us!

The appliance salesman told me that I should only expect a new one to last about 12 years now.  WHAT?!?   So, it's got HALF the life expectancy of my beloved whose spin ability just failed...and we spent 3 weeks mourning the loss...and then when everyone ran out of clothes and the piles were stacked to high heaven, we were forced to buy a new one...? (because the repair charge would be about a third of the cost of a brand new one, and we already fixed it once.)

So I present to you My New Baby:

No dust and crud build-up.  And it has a non-slamming lid.

I guess the "new ones" don't have agitators (that pole sticking up in the middle) anymore,

and I was having a problem with that in the store.

Because HOW are the clothes going to get as clean when they're not AGITATED?

Do any of you even know what I'm talking about - or was my machine THAT old?

But, I'm most excited about the size of the drum - look at all that room.  Hello bigger loads!!!

My children (OK, maybe not Ryan) could play hide-n-seek in there - although I don't encourage that!

My old one had 6 buttons:  small, medium, large and hot, warm, cold.

Now look at this panel of confusion!

But, I'm still that person using a flip cell phone with push-buttons, so this is a tad above my level!  ;)

Like I'd been told, They sure don't make 'em like they used to! 

But, I figured it out - And I spent the next day doing all the backed up laundry.....yeah!

S.T.A.N.D.

Right after I got back from Aspen Grove, I headed to Girls' Camp at Camp Aerie somewhere in Utah.

I hadn't even unpacked yet and had to get another bag.

But, what's worse....is that I hadn't unpacked from when I flew down to St. George from the week before Aspen Grove.

So, at one time, I had 3 different bags from 3 different trips on the floor of my bedroom still - I just couldn't catch up.


BUT, back to Girls' Camp.  Our theme was S.T.A.N.D. (Stand Together As Noble Defenders).  These two awesome camp directors did most of the work - and planning and preparation and work and organizing and shopping and thinking and work  - THANKS KATIE & SHAYLA!!  You're awesome!

Since I didn't work, all I had to do was:

Be crazy.

Hang out.

And cry with my fellow YW leaders!

{We had an AWESOME guest speaker, author Laurel Christensen.}

Oh, and I got to act as "Chaperone" directly, with my advisor, Heidi, to our six Mia Maids (girls age 14-15) who came.

Here's the "Cast of Characters"

(hopefully they don't kill me for posting these "selfies")

Jordan

 Breanne

Savana

Marissa

Annie

Ashlyn

Here's a more accurate - as accurate as it can be after camping for 4 days, all natural - photo of our Mia Maid class.

There were 13 other girls of different ages, and three other women leaders, too, in attendance.  (See group photo towards the beginning of this post.)

And then I came home and did my much needed laundry........
But that was the last load that ever worked - our washing machine went ka put afterwards, and we've been without ever since.
And I've had two boys go to Scout camp during that time = tons of dirty, stinky stuff!!

This is what my laundry room now looks like:

And this is a familiar scene around here:

When we finally get it fixed or buy a new one, it's going to take me a YEAR to catch up....after I get around to unpacking all those suitcases, of course!  ;)

Bwa aaah haaaa!  (that's how you type out crying.)

Behavior Assessment

It's time for the annual IEP at school for my daughter.  The school psychologist called me and said the last Social History and Behavior Assessment they have on file was done almost 8 years ago, when my daughter was just 3 yrs. old, so she wanted to send home a bazillion forms for me to fill out again in order to "update" her file.  I just got done filling out several Behavior Assessment forms.
I was laughing out loud at some of the phrases it uses to describe how children may act.
(I was supposed to respond with "Never," "Sometimes," Often," or "Almost always")  
Eats things that are not food
Fiddles with things while at meals
Breaks the rules just to see what will happen
Sets fires
Argues when denied own way  (don't all children?  Don't they?  You DO KNOW what I'm talking about, right?!?  Hello?  Anybody there?)
Volunteers to help clean up around the house  (BAA HAA HAA hahaha!  You understand WHY I am laughing on this one, too, right?  Yoo Hoo!  Where did everybody go?!?)
Sleeps with parents
Vomits - could this be due to eating things that are not food?


Then I started to wonder......

What if the tables were turned?  

What if some psychologist asked one [or all] of my children to fill out this form ABOUT ME?

I'm afraid I would not "pass" the test.  They would rate me with the "Almost Always" on many of them.

For example:

Eats too much

Is easily annoyed by others - especially children who act like wild animals, swinging from the chandelier while choking another sibling, calling names, throwing balls & consequently breaking something, and spilling beverages all within a 5 min. time frame.

Does strange things

Is unable to slow down - especially when we were suppose to be out the door 10 min. ago and there's still 7 unfound "neccesary" items to get....and girls' hair to be brushed.

Babbles to self

Will change direction to avoid having to greet someone - especially when a "long winded" person is spotted and we are suppose to be somewhere else [across town] in 15 min. and we still have to stand in the check out line.

Acts confused

Avoids competing with other children - especially in games of Chess & Super Mario.

Acts out of control

Repeats one thought over & over - like, "Get in the car, we're going."  "Get in the car, we're going."  "Get in the car!"

Speaks in short phrases that are hard to understand - like, "Get in the car, we're going."  "Get in the car, we're going."  "Get in the car!"

Is unclear when presenting ideas - like, "Get in the car, we're going."  "Get in the car, we're going."  "Get in the car!"

Says, "Nobody understands me"  (as a result of above 3???)

Annoys others on purpose - like turning off the T.V. when NO Saturday jobs have been done.....because that has been the rule for the last 45 years!

Seems out of touch with reality - like not letting children watch T.V. when they've done NOTHING to contribute to the family/home yet that day!  Geez!

Is overly active - like cleaning up the kitchen RIGHT after dinner while everyone else's main goal is to just go "hide" in the basement and/or lay on the couch....and repeatedly trying to convince others to be likewise "active" at this time for some reason.

Acts as if other children are not there - especially when we interrupt her when she is on talking on the phone.

Sneaks around - especially when she attempts to go use the bathroom.

Has trouble fastening buttons on clothing - especially after a 10+ lb. gain!

Hears sounds that are not there - like big, loud crashing noises.  When she calls out, "What was THAT?!" we always are telling her, "NOTHING!"

Stares blankly - especially following a less-than-5-hrs.-of-sleep night(s), or when her children say things like, "We shouldn't have to do any chores."

Says things that make no sense - like, "We are a family.  That means EACH person is a helpful, contributing member of our family."

Sees things that are not there - like "messes" on the stairs, couches, in the mudroom and our bedrooms.

Falls down - it has NOTHING to do with the junk left on the stairs or floor....just her own clumsiness!

Runs away from home - at least she fantasizes about it sometimes!

Acts strangely

Yep, that'd be a dangerous thing for them to fill out the assessment - I'm pretty sure my children would "throw me under the bus" and I'd definitely be referred to psychiatric treatment based on my "behaviors."  :)

BUSTED!

A friend of mine came over the other day with a house warming gift......and it led to her seeing our new home.  REALLY, I will let you have a tour FOR FREE - you don't need to feel like you have to bring over a gift to "get your foot in the door!"  :)

So, I took her into the Laundry Room.

Here it is:

She looked at those upper cabinets for a while and admired them.....She commented that it would be nice to have some in her own laundry room.....Then she stalled a bit....Then she asked if she could open them and take a look inside to see if I was obsessed with laundry detergent and had filled them all up with a 12 yr. supply of it what I stored in there.  I agreed.  After all, I'm a pretty curious person, myself.  So, she opened it, and that's when I remembered my little "stash" I have in there.....

It was right at her eye level -- and she DID NOT miss it!  Ooops!  How embarrassing.

Here, have a closer look:

Hey! Sometimes, a girl's gotta do whatever it takes to get through and cope with the laundry that a family of 7 produces!!!  ;)

BUT, just for the record, those are from my JUNK BOX I got for my birthday, which was Sept. 14th, so I have made them last more than 2 months! 

Now You See It, Now You Don't

My toilets had a problem.
No matter how many times we "swished" with the toilet brush, we still had a toilet ring - and other non-removable problem areas.

THEN.....I was introduced to THIS product:

THE PUMIE

Here's the Product Description: If you have tried for hours to get hard water rings out of toilets or have tough stains in bathroom fixtures, then Pumie all-purpose pumice scouring sticks are the answer. Pumie sticks will turn hours of scrubbing chores into mere seconds of scouring.

So, I bought it.....for LESS THAN $10.00

Here's my personal results...

And after I got done with the toilet, my eyes scanned the rest of the bathroom and I saw our tub.
Same thing.
There has been a LINE on the bottom that will not go away!
I thought, Nothing else has worked....I wonder.....?
So, I tried it - with GREAT results, as well.

I just consider it my duty to SAVE all those other toilets out there by giving my recommendation......You're Welcome!

Pumie is not the sponsor of this blog post. Pumie does not even know I exist. I did not receive any rewards or compensation from them besides some dirty toilet relief after YEARS of trying! (Which I deem reward enough!)

Now aren't you just JEALOUS of my bathroom-cleaning LIFE?!?