Baby Mama

This is a movie that caught my attention on a flight from Houston, Tx to Salt Lake City, Ut. It was playing on the flight and my headset did not work properly so I was not able to get much more than just enough to whet my appetite.

This weekend however, I finally found the time and energy to tackle the HUGE job of reclaiming my family room which had turned into the family dumping ground. There were boxes and toys and clothes, a set of mattresses laid out on the floor and one single pathway between the bottom of the stairs and my office which if the childrens computer was being used, I was required to walk on the mattresses to get to my office! But in less than 6 hours, with the help of my enlisted children, we got it done. We move the couch forward and opened up a place in the back of the family room for Lee's weight bench even. The couch is now close enough to the TV that you can actually see it and it is now a comfortable room in which for us to watch our movies and spend time. Eventually I want a flat screen TV to hang on the back wall and home theater seating along with a coxy fireplace in the corner, but for now what we have is much better than what we had.

So with my reclaimed family room, I went out and rented 3 movies. One of which was Baby Mama. We were able to sit down and watch it, but after a period of time, I realized that this was by no means a children's movie and I had to kick the children out of the room. But Lee and I really enjoyed it. It is a very cute story about a lady that can not get pregnant, is not married and desperatly wants a baby. She finally decides on serrogacy and before long the plot is moving. As most movies it gets very predictable, but I do have to admit, there was one part that I did not expect. That was very refreshing. It will make you laugh and I would highly reccommend it to any pregnant women or mother's.

Stretch Your Laundry Detergent

I love this tip because it does SO much to stretch your budget. One of ht most expensive things I buy is Laundry Soap. I need something that will get the stains out and keep my kids clothes looking new and bright as long as possible. I can not afford to replace their clothes before they out grow them! I buy Tide, but it is expensive and with a family of 7 I got through it very, very quickly. But this little tip has helped to stretch the laundry soap just a little bit further and not break my budget.

Add 1/3 cup of baking soda to 2/3 cup Laundry Soap prior to adding to the wash. This will not only stretch your laundry soap but also helps to eliminate odors and keep them out of your clothes, as well. Baking soda is very inexpensive and easy to come by. But the biggest thing you have to remember with this trick is you need GOOD laundry soap to start with. This trick is not going to work with Purex or some of the other cheapish brands. Hopefully, this little trick will be as beneficial to you as it has been to me. Enjoy!

Pants for My Man

Lee came home the other day, after a company meeting and announced that I was right. Once I got over my initial shock, I was able to request the full story. I guess he felt rather out of place in his torn up jeans and Wahoo! T-shirt, sitting in an office with the "big man on campus". I guess he was dressed in a button up and tie. Even though the rest of the guys around him were in jeans and t-shirts, he felt out of place and my having said to him "dress for the job you want, not the job you currently have" struck him as not just the regular steam I blow. He suddenly saw some wisdom in it.

So he made the request for a couple new pairs of pants and some nice shirts. Not a difficult request. I would just run out to Smith and Edwards and pick up a couple pairs of nice Wranglers. Simple enough, right? WRONG! First I decide to stop at IFA and see if they have the right style and what the price is. I end up picking up a pair of jeans for him and two pairs of Croc's for Ladybug (they were on clearance for a buck!) and dragging Baby out of the store kicking and screaming because she wants a bunny! Yes, a real live bunny rabbit with long ears and soft fur that I made the mistake of letting her pet. (I won't do that again!). Then we work on making our way to Smith and Edwards. Something that should have been a very easy task as I visit this store very, very often. However, my wonderful mind has issues with directions so I end up getting on the wrong road and can't find it. After a desperate phone call to DDad and the best directions he can give over the phone, Baby and I end up at our destination. I thank my father and in we go with just under 40 minutes to get pants and get home. We grab two pairs of pants for Lee at $19.99 a pair, and I decide that the identical pair that I just bought from IFA for $31.99 are going back.... tomorrow. I buy the pants and head out the door and head for home. We make it just in time for Baby to get ready and go to Dance.

A couple days later I returned the third pair to IFA and got my money back. But now I am still looking for a couple more pants and some nice shirts for him. He is pretty hard on clothing so I need something sturdy yet with that business look. I found some pretty nice tactical pant, the kind the police and military wear, but I worry that they might not be "business" enough. They are definitely sturdy, with reinforced knees and seat and plenty of pockets, 10 to be exact! I really think he would like them, but I just can't decide on the "business appeal" of them?

Workout at Work

Do you sit at a desk all day? Are you worried about what it can do to your body? Flabby tummy? Love handles? Well, worry no more! Here are a few exercises that you can do in your office chair to tighten those buns, strengthen your abs and work out those arms.

Abs
Sit on the edge of chair, arms extending in front. Keeping back straight, contract the abs and slowly lower torso towards back of chair. Hold 2-3 seconds and repeat.
Curls: Cross arms over chest and sit up straight. Contract abs and curl shoulder towards hips, pulling abs in. Hold for 2 seconds. Relax. Repeat for 10 reps.

Buttocks
Sitting upright in your chair, tighten your butt muscles and hold to the count of 15. Relax. Repeat 10 reps.
Sitting upright in your chair, no leaning against the chair back, raise both legs and hold to the count of 10. Relax. Repeat for 10 Reps.

Arms
Hold your arms, parallel to the ground at shoulder height, out to your side. Slowly raise them until they are parallel with your body. Slowly lower them until they are parallel with the ground again. Repeat twice and rest. Repeat for 10 Reps.

Time to cut back?

With the economy in a downward spiral, every family finds themselves in the same situation. Money is tight and demands are tighter. How do you find yourself coping with the frightening and ever changing economy? I have found that I have had to cut back on a lot of the "niceties" in life. New clothes and eating out have been some of the first to go. Thoughtless spending and not taking the time to check prices, gone as well. But I worry that in time, the necessities are going to fall victim. What about our health care? Our gas and food? Our dental care?

I had a friend tune me into one company that will help us out when it comes to my families glasses. After all, Big C and I are both dependent on our glasses for daily life functions. What would we do if we were to break our glasses? My insurance only provides for one set of frames and lenses per year. But thanks to my good friend T, I was turned on to a company called Zenni Optical. Their prices on eyeglasses and frames are incredible, so affordable! Frames starting at just $8 with lens tinting available for less than $5! They have Men's and Women's frames and even Kids frames! It's good to know that I don't have to worry about my families glasses. Even with the downturn of the economy, I can afford to see, and look good doing it!

Movie Night

Are you sick of the same old movie nights? Popcorn, soda and chips? Well then maybe it's time to kick it up a notch? Here are some great, quick, easy and delicious treats for your movie night!

Spinach Artichoke Dip
1 Tbsp Butter or Margarine
1 Small Onion Chopped
1 8oz pkg. Cream Cheese
1 8oz tub Sour Cream
1 pkg frozen spinach
1 Jar Marinated Artichoke Hearts, chopped
1 Cup Kraft Shredded Italian Cheese Blend

Saute the onion in the butter until clear. Add the rest of the ingredients, in order and stir until well mixed over medium heat, adding the cheese blend just before serving. Dish into a serving container and sprinkle with a little more cheese for presentation.
*To add a little kick, you can add 1/4 cup jalapeno's, finely chopped before the spinach.

Serve with chips or toasted bread. Garlic bread is especially yummy with this!

Quick Fudge:
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 8oz package Semi-Sweet Baker's Chocolate squares
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Line an 8x8 baking dish with aluminum foil, leaving flaps on the edges to use to lift the fudge out of the dish. In a microwave safe bowl, pour the milk and add the squares of chocolate. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted. Add Vanilla and pour into the baking dish. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Now there are some things guaranteed to throw some life back into your movie nights!

Shopping for Fixtures

Wow! What an exciting adventure, huh? Actually, it was quite eye opening! My wonderful angel children informed me the other day that the naughty little entity that lives in our house, the one that goes by "Not Me" or "Nobody" had broken the faucet in the bathtub. So, since I could not find "Not Me" to drag it along on this boring little excursion, I decided, much to their dismay, to take the innocent little children who had had nothing at all to do with the faucet being ripped nearly out of the tile wall.

Amid the groans and moans, fussing and whining, we made it to the local Home Depot to start our search for a new tub faucet. After 3 stops at the drinking fountain, one detour to the lawn and garden section to retrieve the 5 year old of the riding lawn mowers and a stop at the restrooms, we found ourselves in the bathroom section.

To my surprise, their was a HUGE array of faucet selections! So large in fact that the children got caught up in a game we play called "I Spy" where someone describes a detail or two and the rest have to guess which one they are talking about. This turned into alot of fun, even for me, and before long we had moved from the bathroom faucets to the kitchen faucets and ultimately ended with trying to agree on how to redecorate our kitchen. Sorry Little Man, we will not be installing cabinets with the Batman symbol engraved. But the Corian counter top you found will be coming home soon, I'm sure!

As for the tub faucet, we settled on a plain silver one with ceramic handles, much like the one we already had. But the day turned out to be much more fun that I had prepared myself for.

Let's Move Up In The World, PLEASE!

I work for the sweetest, most wonderful people the world has ever been graced with. In that I mean that they would give you the shirt off their back and button it up for you. They thrive on service and ask nothing in return, ever. I love them to death. They own a little Kitchen shop in the downtown area and I can tell you that I would work there for free (if they would just hire men! Goodness I hate working with women! We have got to be the meanest, cattiest, most backstabbing gender. Wow!). However, one of the things that drive me crazy (other than the women), is the lack of technology. I guess that should help to foster the quaint feel of the store, but as an employee, it drives me crazy! We don't even have barcode scanners at the registers. We still enter the merchandise by hand. Some of the gals have gotten very, very quick at it. I on the other hand am still very slow (as they are also quick to point out). But give me a barcode scanner and I have been in retail long enough I could make their heads spin! Hee Hee Hee...

Save On Electronics

As our society progresses so does our dependence on electronics of all kinds. The average impoverished household still comes with the basics, a television, a personal computer and of course, a cellular phone. However, as our economy inches closer and closer to a depression disaster zone, we are finding ourselves needing to cut back, save money, be frugal. And as the money begins to ebb then the retailers find themselves backed into a corner. "Lower your prices or sell nothing at all." For a retailer, that is not a good place to be. It means laying off workers, cutting back on expenses and benefits for employees and paychecks dwindling. Which in turn sends our economy deeper and deeper into depression. However, to try and stay afloat, retailers will take the "Lower Prices" approach to try and stay in the black. That's where we, average Americans can cash in. Prices fall and the electronics that we need for our very existence, i.e. cell phones, personal computers, car stereos, etc start dropping in price and you start to see amazing deals to keep the money flowing in a positive direction. So keep your eyes open for those great deals. They are out there, and thy are going to continue to get better and better.

Football Sunday

Call in the Chicago accident attorney's, there has been an accident in Detroit! What a poor game. By that I mean that I am grateful that the Bears pulled it off, but come on! They are a MUCH better team than the one that showed up today. Of course, the Bears offense seemed to collapse a bit under the pressure of starting quarterback Kyle Orton leaving the game before halftime after suffering a right ankle injury, but what was the rest of the teams excuse? The defense kept slipping up and allowing the Lions to score on them before finally joining the game and shutting them out in the second half. Lets hope that they can pull it together before nexts weeks match-up against the Titans. Without their starting quarterback, they are really going to need the rest of the team to show up and pull their weight. The Titans are the only undefeated team in the NFL and it is about time they fell off their high horse and met up with their downfall at the hands of the amazing Chicago Bears!